I wish I’d read this sooner. Thank you Randsom House and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
This was a harrowing read at times, but well written and sympathetic.
I would recommend

I tried really hard to read this book but it just didn't grip me & quite frankly the subject matter repulsed me

This book is dark and wonderfully written. I was hooked from the first time. I would highly recommend read but make sure you go into it knowing what you are going to experience; authentic, disturbing and unforgettable

I don't think I've ever read anything like this before and I don't think I will again. Such a riveting and thought-provoking read. I was so conflicted throughout, torn between feeling sorry for Chrissie and then remembering what she did. I was also so shocked at the ending! A must-read for any thriller fan.

This was a very difficult story to read which I think affected how much I enjoyed the book. I found the story a bit slow at times, but I would imagine that this would be a great book for the right people but unfortunately I don't think it was for me.

This book is a tough one for me to rate and review. The story itself is interesting, and its hard to know who to trust.
I felt sorry for Chrissie as a child, yet I was also disgusted by her actions so didn't want to feel sorry for her. Conflicted.
I felt a bit disapointed that her mother was never charged with neglect.

This book felt like it had taken some inspiration from the Jamie Bulger case in the early 1990's. If you are of a certain age in Britain, you will know this case. I think, for me this also made me question my questioning of the reality of the book. I would read it and think, well that wouldn't happen, there is no motive there, then would think of Jamie Bulger and realise that no, that would, and did, happen.

Overall, this book is uncomfortable, difficult subject matter and will stay with you. I can't say that I enjoyed it, as that is the wrong word, but I did find it interesting and it challenged me.

I was reading this as a mother with an 8 year old girl so the subject had even more impact for me. I found it hard to read about a neglectful mother and child murder. While I enjoyed the style of writing and praise the author for that, I can’t say it was a pleasure to read. I read for enjoyment and to relax but this wasn’t relaxing.

I read this and it was fantastic

I never know what to expect from a debut novel (first fiction) and i went in totally blind with this one. I would recommend this to anyone.

Its a beautiful written but harrowing story about abuse and the negative impact on childhood, adulthood, self worth and how it affects everything, even the decisions we make.

It had me gripped just from that one opening page, i implore you to read that first page and not be wanting to read the rest of the book to find out what happened.

Amazing and i will be reading more from this author

Unfortunately I only got half way tgrough this book. It's very well written but I didn't get on with the subject matter. The story is told from the viewpoint of a mischievous young girl who kills another child in the mistaken belief that dead doesn't mean forever. Her mother is neglectful at best. Harrowing but not as compelling as I needed it to be to finish it.

Incredibly harrowing, heart-rending and thought-provoking debut novel.

A gripping read but tough subject matter from the very first page as the book begins when Chrissie is only 8 years old, having committed her first murder.

Already accustomed to fending for herself every day, as her mother doesn't even bother to buy food for her, nevermind showing any affection, and her father turns up once in a blue moon., the only way Chrissie can survive is by latching onto other families or stealing. To make matters worse, she is mean to everyone, creating a prickly exterior to protect herself and feel some sense of control, and consequently has no-one willing to look out for her.

Possibly taking an offhand remark seriously, we see how the mixture of neglect, naivety and sense of powerlessness ignite a spark and create a perfect storm.

The story unfolds across dual timelines of Chrissie's childhood and her early adulthood, now with her own young child to care for while she continues to struggle with her conscience and trying to understand her relationship with her parents.

A gripping, highly emotive and often uncomfortable but thought-provoking read, with sensitive subjects brilliantly handled.

This was a fabulous debut and I can’t wait to see what the author will create next.
The story is written in dual timelines. Chrissie child murderer in the past and Julia with her five year old daughter in the present.
I was glued to both storylines and you become so engaged with the story of these women.
Stunning!
Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #TheFirstDayofSpring

An absolutely incredible debut novel. I loved the 'voice' of this book. It grips you straight away with its first line - “I killed a little boy today.”
At times though I did struggle a bit - it is quite dark and a little unsetlling, but then it's a genre I don't normally read.
Thanks for the ARC.

I found this to be a really dark read, a difficult subject matter and very interesting. This was a very engaging read, a bit slow at times but overall a great read.

A solid read, great at times, though I expected to like this a whole lot more.

The first chapters are strong, and surprisingly - as I almost always hate them - the ending was my favourite part. No spoilers(!) but the insight the last chapters gave into actions and emotions of the characters was very well played out, so tender and authentic.

For such a chilling topic, this is very readable, and switches from a dark, bleak present to a darker, bleaker past. The chapters from younger Chrissie were more enjoyable, but at the same time, these were the ones that became a little repetitive; admittedly it’s a tricky balance to strike between the voice of a child being genuine but not monotonous, especially a child like Chrissie who does have only one or two focuses in life.

Overall I enjoyed this, read quite quickly, and definitely found myself wanting to return to this to find out not only more about young Chrissie, but how her actions as a child had impacted her future. I’d recommend The First Day of Spring and I’ll look out for this author too!

I adored this book, such dark subject matter but oh what a wonderful story and book, a true gem…if I could read it all over again I would…fabulous

While this wasn't a page turning read, it left me living in the grey area of right and wrong which is what makes it so compelling to read.

I’m really sorry but I couldn’t read this book after a few chapters in. I just can’t get myself to finish it due to the main plotline. It’s all on me and my fault that I haven’t read and research more the title before requesting it.

This book was extremely sad and compelling to read. We follow Chrissie who aged 8 kills another child, then we follow her 2 decades later after release from a secure detention center.

Throughout the Chrissie chapters we see her horrendous home life and the ways that she was failed repeatedly that led, in part, to the crime she committed.

During the Julia chapters we see her as a single mother struggling with the guilt of what she did and trying to raise a child when she was never shown how to.

This book analyses some very difficult subjects in a sensitive and non sensationalised way. The way the story is told we are shown that there is some sympathy due to some people who have committed the worst crimes. It also touches on institutionalisation, mental health issues and poverty through the eyes of a child, which for me made it even more sad.

This is a book that will be staying with me for a while.

The first part of the book was engaging, but I found it slow-moving and slow to continue. It’s a difficult trigger subject of child and domestic abuse, murder of children, and a girl who is a handful and who wants to be loved but has absent parents. The story is set between the child’s 9 or 10 year age and adulthood when she’s got a child herself. It’s s psychological story involving motherhood. It’s a sad book, but the girl eventually grows up to come to terms with things and to be the mother she never had to her child.

This book will be staying with me for a long time. I was hooked from the first chapter, and the way in which the author captured the essence of the 8-year old protagonist was unparalleled - it became impossible for me to hate the character despite her being utterly unlikable. Heartbreaking. A tremendous debut, and will be looking out for Nancy Tucker's future works.