I was excited to see a new book from Abigail Dean as I’d really enjoyed Girl A, and it was another great read. An interesting concept executed well in a UK setting, the multiple narratives added depth (and doubt), and I thought the internet harassment received by the families of the victims was well examined and used effectively within the plot.

Thanks netgalley for early review Copy.

There was something caught my eye of the cover and the books didn't disappoint. So glad it read it.

Having found Girl A to be a really good read I was keen to try Abigail Dean's new book. The story of the effect a school tragedy has on a small town and the people within it was told well without sensationalising the subject. The pacing meant you were keen to read on at the end of each chapter and I cared about the lives of all the main characters. Recommended. (Copy received via netgalley in return for an honest review.)

A hard, terrible tale told in a different way, with multiple points of view and timelines. I found the first half of the book drew me in so that I read it quickly, for me, over 24hrs, however I struggled more with the second half. The storyline was interesting enough to keep me wanting to know the outcome, but was just a little slower, with hints dropped in here and there. Clever way of moving backwards and forwards in time with different characters building up the story, just maybe needed a bit more oomph for me to be completely enthralled. I almost found the characters to be detached and cold, which may have been written that way on purpose, and in some ways understandable with the unfolding story but also makes it more difficult to become invested in them at times, and so despite the horrible circumstances, I almost forgot about what had happened. Overall I did really enjoy this book, and appreciate the opportunity to read it, thank you, and would recommend it.

I both loved and hated this book, it’s that’s kind of story! Would I recommend this book? 100% yes and leave it to the reader to have their own opinion of it

Day One charts the story of school shooting in a Lake District town. It maps the complications in telling the truth of the story, the interconnectedness of victim and perpetrator, and the parasitic nature of deniers of the happenings.

The book is narrated through multiple characters but the story is told through the lens of Marty, the daughter of the teacher who dies along with a number of her class. It tells her fall from golden girl in the community to pariah, and why she acts as she does.

I struggled to finish this book. I found it to be quite confusing and I wasn't a fan of the author's writing style. It also felt rather depressing. Thank you Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a teacher and a mother (of a child about to start primary school no less) this was a tough read. Dean does not shy away from harsh and painful topics and her writing style is great. A solid second novel- I couldn't put it down.

I enjoyed the author's first book but she does seem to specialise in rarefied and extreme events or situations, and this was no exception. It's hard to put yourself into the shoes of someone who has suffered a mass shooting but the author just about managed it!

The problem I found, especially in the first few chapters, was a slight unevenness between the story and the pace. The subject matter - a shooting in a primary school - kicked off the book quite dynamically but the narrative was slow and detailed, so while we were wishing to rush along with a fast moving situation we were kind of tied into quite turgid internal monologues. This worked later on as introspection was necessary but I felt the author had taken any impact out of the horror of the massacre by writing this way.

But as I say when we got into the minutiae of people's lives the author's observations were spot on and I really felt like I understood everyone's motives, back stories and emotions.

It was an interesting read and I was keen to find out what happened to all of the characters and loved the timeline jumps to show us and then back to the journey.

Loved this! The little flash forwards and back could be a little confusing but did start to link together the more you read

This book is set in the beautiful village of stonemere and centred around a devastating school shooting. The book is written from the perspectives of Ava, her daughter Marty and Trent. Ava is a teacher at the school who is tragically killed in the shooting While trying to save her pupils. Marty her daughter is pictures running out of the school after the shooting. The world and media want to hear her story. Trent is a wanna be writer who along with a group of conspiracy theorists believe the shooting never really took place. The story jumped between perspectives and time lines to uncover what happened on that fateful day. The premise of the book is absolutely heartbreaking, however o didn’t enjoy the writing style and the constant switching of the characters and timelines which I found really confusing. This made it one of theirs books that you have to really concentrate on.

A decent read, although it unfortunately didn’t hold the attention in a way that some titles do. Took a few pages to get really into it.

A story about a school shooting in a fictional small town in England. The story is based around the main character Martha/Marty (whose family seem to appear as perfect in the town) and where she was at the time of the shooting. The story is told from the perspectives of a few different characters but mainly Marty. These can be present day or flashbacks. I read the book in a number of days as I wanted answers. There is a subplot of an online group who believe the shooting didn’t happen and it is a conspiracy. The topics of the book are unfortunately very real and was difficult at times to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

A slow burn thriller with themes of truth, lies and belief, set in the aftermath of a school shooting. It draws on the Dunblane Massacre, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the court case around far-right conspiracy theorist/radio host Alex Jones. It's not as compulsive as Dean's debut, GIRL A, but perhaps more compelling. The many perspectives of those who were (or weren't) there at Day One create a tapestry of narratives that keeps you wondering to the end. A must read.

There is a school shooting in a village called Stonesmere. Marty (Martha) helps at the school is supposed to be at the school watching her mother’s Day One class at school which is being performed for the 4 year olds who will be joining the school next term. The children have to pick out of a hat a country which they have to talk about, dress up in the national customer and say a few words of their language. Ava, the teacher, is liked by all and is very sympathetic particularly to Kit whose mother had passed away and is very anxious. He feels determined to get his part correct and practices all the time with is dad who is a Police Officer. Day One arrives and the children get ready, suddenly the Day One performance becomes a nightmare. A gunman has made it into the school and suddenly the gunfire begins. The Police arrives and unfortunately they then have to collect the bodies including the teacher Ava. The Police start investigating and there is a discrepancy with Marty’s story. Over the next few months there is a theory that this tragedy did not actually occur and a would be journalist, Trent Casey, starts to investigate. Eventually a guy called Ray Cleeve starts to try and get people involved to believing that the whole thing was a hoax and decides to come to the village on the anniversary. The story continues and Marty decides to eventually tell the truth in what she knows having not told the Police the truth in the first place. It is all a mystery and the story comes together really well. I felt for Trent who is easily led and could not decide about Marty but grew to like her as the book goes on. I thought the book was good and would recommend it. The story all comes good and definitely worth a read

I was a great fan of Girl A and looked forward to reading the next book from Abigail Dean!

As described in the summer, there is a school shooting in Stonesmere. As a teacher, this was an incredibly hard book to read, however Dean is so talented, I had to get to the end.

Dean breathes life into every child, every parent, and every other character impacted by the shooting. It is heart breaking and beautiful.

At the center of the story is a mystery - how was the daughter (Marty) of the beloved primary school teacher who was murdered, involved?

Dean has created a story that could fit well into a Netflix series but we would certainly miss her descriptions! If you love great writing, are interested in school based stories and small towns or just love the dance of a backwards revel of heroes and heroines -
Day One is for you!
#HarperColliinsUK #AbigailDean #Dayone

I just reviewed Day One by Abigail Dean. #DayOne #NetGalley

Well-written story of life after tragedy…. It’s about the aftermath of a shooting in a school in North England… and that’s where it lost me! I’m in Northern England and this just wouldn’t happen so it made me feel a little uneasy when reading this book.

We don’t have guns in England, as a rule, so this scenario would be more likely to take place in America.

The book starts with a shooting in a school. At this point I made comparisons with “We need to talk about Kevin” but the book, although about the horror of mindless violence against innocent children and their teacher, is more about the characters in this community such as Marty, the daughter of a teacher who dies. Her lies lead to further tragedy. I wasn’t initially sure I liked the flashbacks but I got used to them. The characters reveal themselves in their own words and are well depicted. I would perhaps have liked to have known a bit more about the killer and his motives but maybe that is best left to the imagination. There have always been conspiracy theorists but questioning whether the school massacre actually happened is cruel but it is also easy to see how Trent, with his awful home life, became involved with the theorists. The book is interesting and well written. Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy.

This is an outstanding novel. Girl A was great but Day One is better.

It begins with a nightmare scenario drawn from real life: an anonymous gunman in a school. The setting in the Lakes, with its peaceful and touristic associations, stands in contrast to the tragedy, highlighting the horror.

Day One explores the aftermath of the tragedy as individuals respond in different ways and begin to form alliances. People cope - and sink - in different ways and the writer is strongly empathetic in presenting their different perspectives.

This author’s great strength is to invest ordinariness with menace so that a vein of unease bubbles beneath the surface of the story. This is a novel that will stay with you.

Completely and utterly brilliant!

Loved "Girl A", but this, this is on another level. Compelling, gripping, a real page turner.

Read it!

My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy in return for an honest review.