A tidal wave of tragedy that leaves you trembling with humble contemplation. The descriptive words that are so accurately structured, display the frenzy of worry that is accentuated by modern technology. Social media and mobile devices that can be deemed equally a curse or a blessing. The powerful prose leaves the reader emotionally shaken in its realism. we can all relate to the possibilities, if not the reality of the horror of such a tragedy. The teenagers, so young, losing their lives amidst the carnage of a car accident, the ripples that flow through the entire community, the connections of friends and family leaving devastation in its wake. The disconcerting elements that explore the grief and fear of this situation and the possibility that it could happen to anyone of us, is enough to make you pause between chapters breathless with fear.

This book throws you right into the drama from the start. We learn there's a death but we don't know whose, and are immediately taken to the night of the accident. Very powerful, we're introduced to the heart of the emotional meanderings of one family to another. Bond has written this cleverly - our hearts go out to the families of the five teenagers. Our sympathy wavers a little for the father of the driver, he seems a harsh man, caring little for the loss of the other families but that's where Bond has been clever. Harry, the driver, gets his strength from the distance between him and his father. Short chapters keep the emotive angle high and sharp. The characters are clearly defined and we begin to wonder who is the guilty party. Is there a guilty party? Or is it just a tragic accident?

What an amazing book. Whilst very sad, the journey through the books results in showing that no matter how catastrophic things are forgiveness can be given. Poor Harry makes a terrible choice resulting in life changing circumstances for his friends and their families. He pays the ultimate price and for him his life is over. He must learn to forgive himself. Good can come from tragedy.

Having loved Caroline Bond’s previous novel, The Forgotten Sister, I was really looking forward to reading this book and it is such a beautiful, unforgettable story! I feel like I have been there alongside these wonderful characters as they each move forward on their unique journeys following an event that changed their lives forever. On one fateful night, a group of teenagers are in a car travelling back from a party when it crashes into a brick wall. The consequences are devastating and far reaching, not only for the teenagers themselves, but also for their families. From the initial opening scene, set thirty-two days after the accident, we learn that one of the group has passed away. This was a really impactful beginning and immediately captured my attention. In the following chapters the parents of the teenagers are introduced as news spreads of the accident, with them soon finding themselves en route to the hospital. The way in which news of their children and their injuries was imparted was really clever, and I liked the little twist for one family who were left waiting for information about their loved one. Even though I knew someone was going to die, I was still wasn’t prepared for when this happened in the story and it wasn’t who I expected. I definitely had a lump in my throat as I was reading these scenes. The events before and after this day were emotional, with feelings of blame, grief and confusion at every turn for the people left behind and whose lives would never be the same again. For one person in particular their life changed in a very big way. I really liked the short chapters and found myself racing through the pages to find out what would happen next. I found that the thoughts and emotions of the characters were really vivid too and this isn’t always the case when books are written in the third person. Here however, their unique personalities, frustrations, upset and torment all really shone through. It made me smile on many occasions to see them grow and find happiness again after such truly unimaginable pain. Forgiveness and understanding really does have the power to heal! I cannot wait to read more of Caroline Bond’s books and am so grateful to have been taken on such a journey. I thought the last scenes were really moving too, and a perfect way for this story to end.

This book looks terrifyingly accurate. I fortunately haven’t experienced this situation before, but it describes the emotions and process which I think every parent and friend would go through. I think this is an important book that we should all read, so that we can have a better empathy for those going through this experience, but also as a way to prevent this from happening. I remember going to a Driving Awareness seminar at school - police, ambulance, fire brigade workers were all there, as well as family members of people who had died in car crashes and some people who were driving the vehicle. They all discussed the impact that this sort of event can have on them, and I really believe that this look will leave the same powerful, important emotion which will stay with you for life. The writing was really good and the author has a great way of making the story flow and keeping you hooked. I loved the front cover - I instantly picked up this book up based on that alone, and the blurb sealed the deal!