Book review: One Moment by Becky Hunter
One Moment by Becky Hunter is a bittersweet story about friendship, love and grief. It explores the aftermath of a loved one's death. The novel recognises that one moment can have a butterfly effect. The world is deeply interconnected and even the smallest of actions and decisions can change life. The book blurb puts it nicely:
"One moment in time can change everything..."
Summary of the Book
We get to know early on that Scarlett will die. She could not sleep the night before because she had fought with her flatmate and best friend, Evie. Today is an important day for Scarlett and she will not miss it. However, she slept through her alarms and now she is late and in a rush. Scarlett is about to leave when Evie interrupts her. It is not told of what they argued about but one can tell that there is tension between them. Evie tries to make amends but it is clear that things are not settled. Scarlett leaves swiftly and as she is in a rush, she is not particularly kind to those around her.
Yet, as a biker on the phone runs a red light and swerves due to the panic of all the cars heading towards him, Scarlett stops. She runs towards him and helps him up. They had a short conversation in which Scarlett scolded him for being so remarkably careless. Scarlett runs to get his bike, which still lies on the road, and that is when the car hits her.
"I don't even realize what's happened, because I'm dead the second after I hit the pavement." (page 20)
Evie and Scarlett are childhood best friends and are thick as thieves. They live together in a flat in London. Scarlett aspires to be a fashion designer while Evie's passion is the violin. Unfortunately, Evie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerve cells, and therefore she could not continue playing the violin professionally. Since her diagnosis, Evie's confidence has diminished and she can tell that people treat her differently.
"the idea that people were watching her, judging her, thinking she looked somehow different because of her MS" (page 77)
After Scarlett's death, Evie crumples and shrinks. The biker who Scarlett helped, contacts Evie and wants to get to know her. His name is Nate and Evie blames him for Scarlett's death. Nate redeems himself and they get quite close.
Scarlett on the other hand is stuck watching Evie and her family struggle. She hates Nate. She hates him for being so irresponsible, for talking to Evie and for her not being there. Despite this, she learns to forgive Nate because he helps Evie with her self-confidence in a way Scarlett never could. Sometimes she is brought back to a different time in a flashback so we can see how Evies' and Scarlett's love is so deep. Scarlett says,
"I suppose it's a different kind of love - one that's easier to be sure of than The Love" (page 55)
Thoughts About the Book
The writing is nothing special. The vocabulary is not complex, which is not necessarily a bad thing, it means that you could read it at a high pace. However, I would have liked the language to be more varied. I could tell that Hunter has a good understanding of emotions because she describes feelings very skillfully. Again the writing was all right, although nothing special.
I like how the story was presented. We got Scarlett's first-person perspective in which she is stuck watching her loved ones but unable to interact with them. Then we have a third-person perspective that focuses on Evie. The perspectives change every chapter. The two perspectives: are the deceased Scarlett who experiences the ripples of her death and Evie who is experiencing a great loss and finds a great love in the process. This was well done because you instantly felt more intimate with the characters.
I love a good book about friendship and this book delivered it on a silver platter. One Moment displays a brutal ending of a friendship. It is easy to put yourself in Evie's situation and I did. I would not recommend it. Imagining your very own best friend disappearing from your life in one moment, is devastating. Honestly, it sent me into a spiral and I could not help but cry. You know it is an amazing book when you can connect yourself to it emotionally.
However, I was less of a fan of Nate and Evie's relationship. It felt predictable and ordinary. The relationship was kind of forced upon the reader but it gets better as the story progresses. The title is a bit overused but it is quite fitting for the story, so I shan't complain.
"One decision; it hits me how one decision has the power to change everything"(334)
One Moment is a unique tale that deals with the ripple effect after a loved one's death. It's also about how one moment can change everything. It's a quick easy book that will make you smile, ponder and feel gloom. All in all, I think One Moment will appeal to many readers and that many more should read it.
