Day One is a real page turning and gripping yet heartbreaking read that was hard to put down. The pace of the story is just right not rushed at all so you really get the feel of every character and all the emotions they are going through. Abigail Dean has the great ability to draw you into a story and keep you held till the very last page. Recommend. Thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins Uk for the arc.

Though I loved Girl A, I really didn’t like this book! The characters didn’t seem real enough to be true. The book jumps about from different perspectives and characters too much. I couldn’t get into it at all.

A School shooting. A favorite teacher and many young primary school children killed. Who did it and why. A rather confusing story which goes back and forth in time lines, uncovering gradually the person involved and why. I did not enjoy this story as much as I had hoped due to the jumping around. You really needed to be on the ball and it would probably have been easier if I had read the book in longer spells. Not something you could pick up and drop after just a few pages. An interesting read in the psychology of young people and how hurt and pass happenings can be processed in their minds - rightly or wrongly.

Having read Girl A, to say I was keen to get my hands on Day One would be the understatement of the year!
I was completely engrossed from the very first page, however, it is a harrowing and particularly unsettling read that you’ll find yourself needing to walk away from time to time.
Top tip - Make sure you read the chapter headings to avoid timeline confusion
A gripping 5⭐️ read, I look forward to Abigail Deans next offering.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 28th March 2024. Oh my goodness what a book the subject of the book was definitely done with such emotion (the school shooting) and it was beautifully written. I found myself going through a range of mixed emotions whilst reading it from anger to sadness mainly.

I loved the character Martha and I felt like I really understood her as a character I also liked Susan and at times whilst reading it made me smile. I felt like the characters were well- developed as well.

Overall, a very emotive story and I have found myself thinking about it since I’ve read it.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read Day One!
I loved Girl A so was really looking forward to reading this. However I found it really hard to get into. I don’t know if it’s that I didn’t relate to the subject, but the book just wasn’t for me.

That’s not to say it won’t be for others, and there was nothing wrong with the writing.

What an absolute masterpiece. A school shooting. Two narrators on multiple timelines. Secrets, lies, conspiracy theorists, the lot!

Absolutely loved this book. Loved the way it told the story in bits and pieces, the complex characters of Marty and Trent were perfectly pitched (also what a character Susan was, she genuinely made me laugh!).

Buy this book!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Prior to me diving into my review about this book, I would say to check the trigger warnings as it does focus around some dark subjects. Also, if you have read Girl A and enjoyed it then I would think you will like this one however do not go into this book expecting your common thriller as this is far from it!

Within day one Abigail perfectly conveys how telling us how Trent descended into madness. This book takes a thoughtful dive into a school shooting and contains well-drawn characters also some people may find the story controversial but you’ll only be able to determine this if you read it..

I liked this book a lot and would recommend if you like Abigail Dean’s writing style however I think it was slow-paced whereas I am more used to a page-gripping thriller and I did struggle at points to determine the timeline of the story.

A very powerful read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

It takes you through so many emotions-I mean, with the subject matter it was always going to be emotive but the author does well at showing different sides.

I admire a brave author and Abigail Dean does not fear writing about difficult subjects. Day One is a prime example of this because it features a school shooting and the dreadful aftermath and how it affects a whole community. The story unfolds with different points of view and the reader is left wondering if things are as they seem. Another gripping and disturbing tale from this talented author. 5 stars!

Wow! Where to begin!
A shocking and disturbing read about a school shooter and its aftermath!
This book mainly features the school teachers daughter Martha or Marty as she’s known! And a conspiracy theorist who was manipulated into some heinous crimes. And families who were all affected by the day!

Over all a fab read, but it does jump from character to character and before, during and after! So does take a little while to get used to.

Day One is a book that makes you turn the pages to see what truly happened on that day when a shooter entered a school and killed a teacher and pupils. The story is told from different point of views of the characters, like some of the victims and the conspiracy theorists. We see what deception, imagination and the search of such said 'truth' can do to some people. The ending I can say was to be somewhat expected, time changes ideas, feelings and things in general.

Day One, a school performance ends in a tragic shooting. Marty lost her mum that day, others lost children, partners. Trent, a budding journalist, and Ray, conspiracy theorist, come to the conclusion the event never happened and try and out “The Truth”.

I found myself going through a range of emotions reading this, sadness and anger mainly. A very emotive story. The characters were well developed, I felt like I really understood both Marty and Trent.
However, it didn’t have me gripped. I picked it up and put it down. It was a little slow for me, and lacking in twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for my advanced copy.

This had me hooked from page one right through to the end. A tense read and all too familiar with what goes on in the US which is awful. A hard read when it involves children being murdered and at times I just had to put it down. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Be warned, this book jumps back and forth in timeline so be sure to take note of the chapter headings, otherwise you will be very confused! Follows the aftermath of a tragic event at a local school and a lie that spins out of control. I enjoyed the book overall but the ending fell a little flat for me. Three stars from me.

3.5* Abigail Dean’s second book following the excellent Girl A.

In a picturesque village in the Lake District the top class at the local primary school are about to perform for the incoming children. Led by their teacher Ava Ward their nerves ease as they get under way. However mid-way through events unfold which change the lives of everyone present.

This is a difficult topic, a primary school shooting, well executed. The impact on those left behind is palpable, notably as recollections don’t quite slot together neatly and there is a year to wait for the inquest to unravel what really happened.

A second strand is a group of conspiracy theorists who claim the shooting never happened. The story jumps between the “truthers” and those who were there. This felt a little disjointed, not least because their paper-thin theories were never grounded in any reasonable evidence.

All in all a reasonable book which kept me reading to find out what happened.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

I was excited to read this second book from Abigail Dean - I loved Girl A!
I did however find this book disjointed initially, so a word to the wise - make sure you read the headings at each chapter to avoid confusion with the different timelines.

Taken from the aspects of multiple characters, it concentrates on the storyline between Marty (the daughter of the schoolteacher who was killed trying to protect her young charges) and a one time town local, Trent (who becomes part of an online group of conspiracy theorists)

I maybe was expecting a thriller but this is more of a sad and dark but very compelling read.
Neither of these characters are particularly likeable but you do find some level of sympathy for both of them as the layers peel back.
The book is set in Stonesmere a small rural town in the Lake District and its local primary school where a shooting occurs, killing a number of children and their schoolteacher.

The story unfolds slowly revealing the characters bit by bit and told from multiple perspectives, has a refreshing aspect where it doesn’t concentrate on the shooter but the other characters involved including the portrayal on “Truthers”, a morally complicated online culture

Overall a very compelling read.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review

I'm not sure about either of these covers. UK is very murder/thriller, which isn't really what the book's about; US is more quirky romcom to me! Although there is a thriller aspect to this it's much more about the reactions different people have when something like this happens, which was pretty eye opening.

The different points of view were a great help here in understanding how different people reacted. This is the first time I've really seen anything go in depth in the Truther's point of view, and it actually made me a little sympathetic towards them. Not completely - I still think most of their methods are abhorrent - but knowing that they do it because they simply don't believe people as a race can be so cruel did change my thoughts a bit.

The back and forth timelines aren't my favourite, but this is far from the worst usage of it I've ever seen. Overall this heart pounding, difficult read was well worth it and I think it will do well. Abigail has definitely found her niche, and long may she live in it.

This was very different to what I was expecting and not really a thriller in my opinion. Titled 'Day One' I thought it was going to be more about the day of the school shooting whereas it focused more on the aftermath. Admittedly the blurb mentioned conspiracy theories but I also wasn't expecting the cult aspect. The switching timelines were difficult at first too, especially as I initially overlooked the chapter labelling as simple numbering. Finally the ending was also a little unsatisfying. So not for me but maybe my own fault for not paying more attention to the blurb.

Stonesmere primary school in the Lake District is where teacher Ava Ward has worked for many years. Stonesmere is a small town where life just plods along, nothing remarkable happens. Then one dreadful day, during a play which is being performed for the four year olds who will be starting school next term, a shooter walks in and the lives of many will be devastatingly changed forever.

The story follows the aftermath and looks at how it affects the victims families. The reader slowly discovers what really happened that day, as the author explores the unreliability of memories. Making matters even worse is a group of’ truthers’ who believe the whole thing is a hoax, and that the victims never existed. There are parallels with Dunblane in Scotland, and other places around the world, which some readers will find distressing.

A thoughtful and beautifully written book covering a disturbing subject, but it draws the reader ever onwards to find the truth of it all.