MONDAY’S NOT COMING By Tiffany D. Jackson

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 5/22/18
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 448
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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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?

Short and Sweet

After returning from her trip to Georgia all Claudia wants to do is talk and hang out with her best friend Monday, but somethings wrong. Every time she tries to call Monday’s house the operator tells her that the phone is disconnected and when she sees Monday’s sister April even her answers about Monday’s whereabouts don’t feel right to Claudia. Monday wouldn’t just leave Claudia, and deep down she knows somethings wrong especially when no one seems to give her a straight answer or tell her the last time they saw Monday.

Characters

Claudia: Claudia is our main character and in my opinion she’s pretty complex. Claudia and Monday are more like sisters than friends so Claudia is very dependent on that friendship, its also the only one she has. Though it was strange to me that Claudia only had Monday as her friend, because once Monday was gone Claudia had nobody and it was hard for her to try and find new people to talk to. Claudia is also a little childlike, but we learn more about why later, she also struggles in school which is difficult for her to handle especially because Monday would help her with assignments so she feels like Monday left her high and dry.

Monday: Monday is Claudia’s best friend. Theres so much to Monday’s character that we don’t know about because everything we learn about her is from Claudia’s flashbacks. Monday is struggling with her own secrets and keeps them to herself. From what I read Monday is an amazing friend to Claudia and tries to protect and help her however she can.

Michael: A boy from Claudia’s church that she begins talking to and on occasion hangs out with.

Romance

Claudia and Michael: Michael and Claudia have always gone to church together but she didn’t really talk to him, but they meet up again during Halloween at the church and start talking and things took off from there. Michael tries to make Claudia laugh and help her deal with the fact that Monday is gone. I think they have good chemistry I just feel bad for Michael because sometimes Claudia would get mad at him for saying something that would bother her but he would say these things to try to make her feel better, like letting her know that she’s not the only one with learning disabilities she felt like he was being insensitive.

Quotes

~”Everyone was looking for these girls, while I was the only one looking for Monday.”

My Thoughts

~ So, I finished this book a few days ago and thats how much time I needed to wrap my head around everything. Theres just so many questions I have it just baffles me that no one knew that Monday was missing.

~ Lets start with this, the book is told in alternate timelines: before, after, one year before the before, or two years before the before. At first I didn’t understand the timeline, but after the first few chapters it was easy to understand what was going on. The alternate timelines are a way for the readers to try to piece together Claudias clues about what happened.

~ This book is so captivating, like I said it blows my mind that Claudia was the only one who seemed worried about Monday’s wellbeing. It seemed like once Monday was gone nobody seemed to remember her at all.

~ Claudia, depends on Monday, mainly because thats her only friend. Claudia and Monday would do almost everything together and I felt bad that Claudia only had that one relationship. So its understandable why Claudia is so desperate to find Monday.

~ I can’t say it enough, I’m disturbed that a girl can just go missing like that and no one seems to care… it eerie.

~ Earlier I mentioned that Claudia doesn’t act her age and I won’t give any spoilers but thinking back it works perfectly to how the story is told. Claudia is naive and has an innocence to her and it just makes you wonder why is she like this.

~ I also liked how Claudias parents were so involved and tried to comfort Claudia because they knew she needed to be able to express how she feels.

~ Again the ending just messes with my head so much and it kept me up all night just thinking about how things can go so wrong, and its sad that this happens all the time, girls go missing but how many people are actually looking for them?

~ I like that we can see how Claudia lives her life with and without Monday in it, without Monday she’s just trying to make it through each day, and with Monday she feels safe and has someone to confide in.

Overall

Jackson is an amazing storyteller I didn’t want to put this book down at all. It’s just so crazy how everything unravels and things piece together in the end. Its so easy to becoming engrossed in the mystery surrounding where Monday is and what happened the ending is mind-blowing! This is a book I won’t forget about anytime soon. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends, family, and you guys!