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A review by erinlcrane
The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker
4.0
The cover of this one doesn’t really tell you what you’re in for, but the first chapter does! I’m not sure how this should be classified, thriller or horror or something, but on the literary side. It’s very slow and more of a character study on how neglect and abuse affect a child’s mind.
I found Chrissie’s perspective the most interesting, and I was just so impressed by the way the author got into her mindset in a believable way. Sometimes stories grab onto trauma and mental illness for easy storytelling purposes, but here it felt thoroughly explored. I couldn’t say how well it was done as someone who hasn’t experienced any of this, but it felt nuanced and sympathetic.
My main complaint is just that it was too long. It would’ve been sharper for me as a shorter book. It was also overwritten for me at times, but I would say I mostly enjoyed the style. Descriptive usually in a unique, helpful way.
I found Chrissie’s perspective the most interesting, and I was just so impressed by the way the author got into her mindset in a believable way. Sometimes stories grab onto trauma and mental illness for easy storytelling purposes, but here it felt thoroughly explored. I couldn’t say how well it was done as someone who hasn’t experienced any of this, but it felt nuanced and sympathetic.
My main complaint is just that it was too long. It would’ve been sharper for me as a shorter book. It was also overwritten for me at times, but I would say I mostly enjoyed the style. Descriptive usually in a unique, helpful way.