Abigail Dean

This novel deals with the ongoing trauma and repercussions of a tragic school shooting that engulfs the members of a small community on 'Day One'.
Starting with the horrific event the story unfolds through the points of view of various characters whose lives are touched by the events of the day. But whose account can actually be believed. Marty, the daughter of the school teacher killed on the day or Trent a young man with a head full of conspiracy theories who mistrusts the official version of events. Both of these main characters are written in a sympathetic way which was a welcome change as they could have easily become stereotypes in this tale.
This is not your conventional thriller as it is more of a slower paced read. Timelines are muddled with the narrative going backwards and forwards in time, to show how the main characters ended up behaving like they did , and what really happened on 'Day One'.
Another great read which builds on Abigail's impressive debut novel 'Girl A'.… (altro)

A mass shooting at a primary school in a beautiful lakeside town, ten children and their teacher dead. After the event the town tries to come to terms with the trauma but then the conspiracy theorists start their campaign. Marty - a teenager who told a lie, Larkin - the policeman who has lost everything, and Trent - the former resident with ambitions, as time goes on each of them react in their own way.
This is such a good book! The characterisation is spot on, all the individuals with their closed lives who are changed forever by the events. It's pertinent too, the whole idea of people who deny events have taken place and the outspoken media politicians who peddle extremist views, this is a microcosm of modern British life. The whole story is very sad and beautifully written.… (altro)

A lone gunman stalks the corridors of Stonesmere, randomly killing those before him. Marty Ward is a pupil at the school and witnesses her mother being gunned down before she is able to escape the wrath of the shooter: Rowan Sullivan. There is a media frenzy, and a group of outsiders known as The Truthers, or conspiracy theorists, have the audacity to claim that the event never actually happened. In the midst of all this there is doubt as to the authenticity of Marty’s recollection of the events, and questions about the shooter and his association or not with the school and its pupils. At the heart of this book is a community in mourning, a community that must accept this dreadful happening before it can heal, and learn to live again.

What I did enjoy about “One Day” was the feeling of fear and sadness, the tension, even suspicion that permeated each chapter…who could be believed? The author explores the various accounts in an attempt to establish the truth, and to try to understand why a lone individual would choose to act in such a manner. What I did not enjoy was the fractured storytelling, the constant movement of events before, during and after the incident, and the rather abrupt conclusion. However, having said that, I applaud the directness of the language, and the use of different narrators to tell the story. Thank you to the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.… (altro)