I expected a run-of-the-mill psycho child thriller that lives in the same vein as Baby Teeth and The Push. While I got elements of this, The First Day of Spring dives deeper, a character study, a redemption story outlining Chrissie’s past and present experiences in detail. The narrative moves through time, following Chrissie directly after she murders Steven and then again as an adult with her own child. The portions that outlined Chrissie childhood are fast-paced and full of woe, while the portions where she is a mother herself are more slow and mundane. The present feels eventless compared to her past. Tucker’s writing style is hypnotic, throughout portions that were uneventful I was still glued to the page.

Chrissie’s want to be visible to those around her is evident. The jealousy she feels for not having what other children have: love, stability, routine, food bubbles and oozes over until it’s too much for her to bear or control. She feels the need to inflict pain because she has been pained since birth. Chrissie’s story prompted me to reflect on the concept of nature vs. nurture. Will we ever be able to fully ascertain the notion that someone is born broken or shaped to be that way? Probably not. In Chrissie’s case it’s evident she was neglected so wholly, so fully this is what (mostly) led to her becoming a murderer at age 8.

Themes of unconditional love shine through the narrative unexpectedly, when Chrissie feels she least deserves it. These are brought to light through the unwavering loyalty of her childhood best friend, Linda, and from her daughter, Molly. Chrissie’s relationship with her daughter is multifaceted and my favorite portion of the novel. Tucker lays out Chrissie’s fear of failure for all to see: every minute must be filled, every safety precaution taken, every detail thought through so that there is no room for Chrissie to fail. She has to prove she isn’t a bad seed. She isn’t a bad seed.

The First Day of Spring is a fresh take on a classic horror/thriller trope. Read this if you’re in the mood for something dark, character driven, and pensive.