A very different book from Abigail Dean's first, 'Girl A', but equally gripping. When a gunman enters a primary school in the Lake District one of the people he kills is a beloved teacher. Her daughter, Marty, maintains she witnessed the massacre. The murders have far reaching effects in the community where, thanks to social media, some people disbelieve the events completely.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Uk/HarperFiction for the opportunity to read and review Day One.

A gunman enters a primary school in a small fictional town in the Lake District. The story follows Marty, a daughter of one of the teachers killed on that day, and Trent, an aspiring journalist who becomes involved with conspiracy theories claiming it never actually happened. It has echoes of the real life US Sandy Hook school shooting, and the people who claimed it never happened at all.

I found this book quite gripping. It was interesting going between the two characters and their very different stories. There's something about Martha's story that doesn't feel quite right, and it keeps you going to the very end.

This was a good read and I really liked Abigail's writing style.

This was my first novel by author Abigail Dean but unfortunately I did not finish it.

I read around 60% of the novel but I just felt that my mind was not engaged with this book. The story follows different characters at a shooting in a lovely primary school and the aftermath and devastation that it causes. and

It follows the daughter of one of the murdered teachers, someone who used to know the alleged shooter and many other characters. I think for me personally, there was too many people and I just could not get on with it.

The premise of the novel sounded extremely engaging and I was looking forward to reading this novel. I have Girl A to read by author Abigail Dean which has amazing reviews, but sadly I did not stick with this novel.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Day One is a gripping examination of a community devastated by a school massacre. Abigail Dean explores some tough themes, as she explores the aftermath and the effects on the local community and its victims. Told from the POV’s of view of various characters, and a timeline that moves back and forth, this is a complex tale with a strong sense of reality. I found Day One to be an emotive read.

As the author explores the unreliability of memories, the reader slowly discovers what really happened that day. I liked how the author looks at the way people can witness to the same horrific event, and yet their memories may differ from their counterparts. With empathy, the author writes about the themes of loss and grief in the aftermath of such a tragedy, prompting the question of what motivates someone to commit such a heinous crime. Conspiracy theorists also provide their perspective, convinced that it was a hoax. One of the strengths of this book is the differing points of view; as the reader, you are never sure who is telling the truth right up to the end.

If you're looking for a fast-paced plot, this may not be the book for you, as One Day is very much a character driven story. A slower pace means the author spends time developing the characters and their back stories. The characters aren’t without flaws and some are very unlikable, but each one is intriguing in their own right. The author insight to her character’s emotions is intense. You feel the guilt, anger and grief radiating from the pages. Day One is a devastating, thought provoking read that I would highly recommend.

My thanks to @harpercolins for my gifted ARC

I might be in the minority here but I found this quite slow and disjointed. I found myself skipping pages to know what really happened. Also, the writing wasn't for me and it didn't hold my attention, unfortunately.

I’m afraid I struggled with this book. It is based in the aftermath of a school shooting, a difficult subject to read about. I also found the characters uninteresting and the different POV difficult to follow.

I really tried to get into it, but, despite persevering, it just didn’t hold my interest.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity.

This is a slow burner of a school shooting story set in a small town in the Lake District, with the story being told from the perspective of the murdered school teacher’s daughter and a conspiracy theorist/ journalist with connections to the area investigating what he believes to be a hidden truth about the circumstances. The story is well-written, with believable characters and although there is an underlying mystery, it is more effective as a depiction of the effects of a tragic event on a small community.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of the book.

Wow this book is absolutely fantastic. I really loved reading the different points of view of the same day. The subject matter is quite sensitive however so I would recommend it with a warning.

I found this emotive. Heart breaking and tragic. With a plot that left me needing more. Great pacing even with the consistent time flips. Easy to follow and very very emotive

First book I have read tackling school massacre.
Abigail Dean is tackling another eye-catching but not often written about issue.
A primary school in a small lake district town, the residents are the usual mixture of personalities, the popular, excluded and odd. Popular teacher Ava who puts her pupils first and is well loved. Daughter Marty is well liked and a local football celebrity, Leah comes from a large family and is bullied.
When the school puts on an annual production of Day One, the pupils are well rehearsed and looking forward to their involvement with Ava to encourage them.. When a disruption occurs it takes people a while to realise they are being targeted by a shooter, who targets the cast of the play and the audience.
The massacre has far reaching effects exposing lies, secret relationships and a group of people who disbelieve in the massacre entirely.
The book is fast paced in parts but does not reveal the full truth till the end.
Thank you Abigail and NetGalley.

Tough, dark themes dealt with in a heartfelt and tender way. Enjoyed the multi-perspective storyline. Huge fan of Abigail Dean's and I hope that this book is an enormous success for her.

A dark read, dealing with a day that should have been better than ordinary at school because this a day when the youngest class puts on a stage show for the little one of the new year intake. Almost like a holiday atmosphere, with stage nerves. It starts well, just as planned - until someone notices a man with a gun pointed at the stage.
The author painstakingly recreates The Day from different perspectives, with a little chapter for each character and day, then moves forward and occasionally backwards, gradually building a picture of who, what, when and why.
A moment frozen in time that deeply affected the main characters with subsequent effects that reveal all the secrets hidden in ordinary lives.

I really enjoyed this book. A lone gunman enters the primary school in Stonesmere, a pretty village in the Lake District and kills a teacher and a number of children. The story deals with the aftermath of this horrific event, in particular the role of Marty, the 19year old daughter of the teacher who was murdered. People are taking to social media to comment, in particular a group of conspiracy theorists who don't believe the killing really happened. This is a real page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Insightful, harrowing and tender. This book tackles a hard subject matter with delicate flair and pose. The structure of the novel the plot and characters are all strong. Much the like authors first book this book ask you to ask questions of the wider world and examines how we live within it. This book will move you and interest you. It is not just a book about the aftermath of a tragedy it's so much more. Highly recommend

I'd have to say I didn't really feel this should be categorised as a thriller but more a deep heartfelt action story. Not even sure if that's the right category but I'm rolling with it. Despite the basis of the story being about a tragic school shooting its not so much about that but more about exploring the aftermath and the characters themselves.

The story itself was intriguing, and there was this lingering tension as the story builds until the lead character finally speaks her truth.

Being told in multiple timelines and by multiple viewpoints I did expect it to be a bit confusing but actually it was seamless and came together really well.

Overall a really compelling yet quite sad at times story that I do recommend to other readers.

In Abigail Dean’s novel, Day One, she explores some tough themes, as she looks at the aftermath and the effects a horrific school shooting, has on the local community, and the victims. We see the trauma the case has inflicted on the innocent victims, and what makes matters for them even worse, is that there are conspiracy theorists out there, who insist that the shooting never happened, and they go to great and disturbing lengths, to try and prove their claims.

What I really liked about this book was that we hear about the crime from different perspectives. The shooting takes place while a year group are performing a play, and so there are not only pupils and teachers among the victims, when the gunman opens fire, but parents as well. The different perspectives make it really fascinating to see what each individual experienced that terrible day, and how their versions of the same event can differ from each other. With the rise of the conspiracy theorists, those who were there that fateful day, are forced to revisit the horror again, and even years down the line, you can see the effect recounting that day has on them. But it is also clear that there are some secrets that people are holding onto.

One point of view we hear from is Marty, whose mother, Ava, was killed on the day of the shooting, while she was trying to protect the pupils at the school from the gunman. Marty’s mother was a much loved, and respected teacher at the school, but soon Marty finds herself being the point of focus of some cruel conspiracy theories. Abigail Dean explores Marty’s emotions really well in her writing, and we see this come through strongly, as she deals with the shock of her mother’s death, and with how she finds herself in the spotlight as well. Marty’s relationship with her dad is a complex one, and this was also explored really well. We also meet Trent, who has become obsessed with the case, and he is embroiled in the conspiracy theories, which puts his path on a collision course with Marty.

The final chapters really were tense, and I loved how Abigail Dean turned the tension up a notch. Abigail Dean is a writer who knows how to delve into the emotions of her characters, and it comes through so strongly in her writing.

I really enjoyed reading Day One, and I’m looking forward to reading what Abigail Dean writes next.

I was a little unsure about this book at first after reading the preview but I am so pleased I read it. What a powerful book and storyline, it will certainly leave you stunned in parts. Characters are well portrayed and the whole story was done with great thought.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Harperfiction for the early read

Abigail Dean's prose is unfiltered, sincere, and thought-provoking. In her latest novel, "Day One," she thrusts readers into the heart-wrenching scene of a heinous crime unfolding in a primary school in the Lake District. A masked gunman disrupts a school play, unleashing a barrage of gunfire upon children and their teachers.

The narrative weaves a gripping tale, offering multiple perspectives, with a focal point on Marty, the teacher's daughter. Trent Casey, an aspiring journalist with ties to the town where the tragic incident occurred, emerges as a central figure. The mystery deepens as readers are left to unravel Casey's connection to the assailant.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Well that’s a book I won’t forget in a hurry. I hadn’t read the synopsis for a while so I went in blind and oh my goodness! Stonesmere is a quintessential small Lake District village. A place where everyone knows everyone else and where Martha ‘Marty’ lives with her parents. But one day the peace is shattered when a man with a gun enters the primary school and kills ten people, including Marty’s mother, before turning the gun on himself. Told in multiple timelines and from multiple POV’s I did get a little confused at first with the timelines but that was a minor thing and it certainly didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book.

Briefly, immediately after the shooting Marty is found coming from the building and in her shocked state make a terrible miscalculation. As a result there are murmurings of conspiracy theories and a man, Trent Casey, who knew the shooter, is at the forefront, taking particular pleasure in attempting to blacken Marty’s character and prove the shootings didn’t happen!

Although it was quite slow paced it was an absorbing and compelling read. Very character driven this is quite dark at times and very emotional. The terrible tragedy provokes a heartbreaking grief within the community but it’s not until the bitter end that the whole shocking truth is revealed. The author has an amazing knack of writing about trauma that invokes the grief and raw emotion of the characters. Similarly the truthers, particularly Trent, are brilliantly drawn as you watch them getting more and more twisted and unbelievable. A wonderful piece of literary fiction.

What a clever story. Told from a number of different narrative points and a timeline that moves back and forth, this is a complex and totally satisfying tale with a strong sense of reality. It’s the worst nightmare scenario; gunman at loose in a school and someone dies. At one time, that would have been the story, but these days, every event gives rise to conspiracy theories. Alternative stories to the press narrative range from preposterous to plausible and Abigail Dean has very neatly woven the conspiracy plots into this tale leaving the reader wondering where the truth lies.

This is a slow burn, multi layered reveal which I really enjoyed. It’s one to savour and enjoy.