Kindle Unlimited: Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson

Published: 5/22/2018

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 432

Genre: YA/ Realistic Fiction

Review: kindle unlimited

Amazon

Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable—more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried.

When she doesn’t show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn’t just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year’s rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now Claudia needs her best—and only—friend more than ever. But Monday’s mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday’s sister April is even less help.

As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?

This book was a recommendation in a book group I am in and I was so glad it was recommended. This is a book I plan on putting in our school library. 

TW: homophobia, slut shaming, child neglect, PTSD

Monday and Claudia are two best friends. Claudia goes to her grandmother's for the summer and when she comes back her whole world is different. Monday is not showing up to school, she isn't answering her phone calls what is going on? When Claudia brings it up to multiple people they sorta brush her off and give her answers of "maybe she doesn't want to be friends, or she is with her family". Excuses that Claudia deep down knows are not true. You have to pay attention to the timelines that are given it is confusing if you are not truly taking the time to read it. We have the Before (this is before Monday goes missing), then we have the After (this is the after we know Monday is missing), Two years Before the Before (where it is where the girls are at in their life before (Monday goes missing) One year Before the Before  (this is again where the girls are at in their life one year before she goes missing), and so forth. I do know it is confusing and I had to make a stop and check where I was at in the story to fully understand. The friendship that Monday and Claudia has is amazing, they are two halves of a whole. Those friendships are super rare but amazing to have. So you can just imagine the war that Claudia is having within herself as her sister, her best friend, her other part of her is not around right now. It is difficult to truly find who you truly are. 

Now at times, I wondered about Claudia and her age. At times she seemed younger than what the author was portraying her and I am not sure if that is because of her cognitive ability or what. Then other times she seemed her normal age. It just didn't seem to flow too well for me on that. 

This book is a bit heartbreaking because people should have done their jobs you will know what I mean when you dive into the story. We hear about these situations a lot and yes we can put the blame somewhere but at the end of the day, there is a system that fails our children, especially children of color. This is a story that will leave you shaking your head and giving you the feels. There is so much more I want to say but I feel like I would be giving it away. 

Solid five for me. Though, I felt the way the author gave the girls a "secret language" was just beyond crazy. I think that could have been omitted as I was a bit confused even though the author tells us what was being said it just was not flowing. To me it was kind of stupid. I do know kids make up secret languages to hide what they are talking about, but to see it in writing is just bothersome. Though again as we got to the end of the story I could see why the author included it. Just for me I did not like that. 

Tiffany D. Jackson is a TV professional by day, novelist by night, awkward black girl 24/7. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Film from Howard University and her Master of Arts in Media Studies from The New School University. A Brooklyn native, she is a lover of naps, cookie dough, and beaches, currently residing in the borough she loves most likely multitasking.