Mondays Not Coming is Tiffany D. Jacksons third novel about friendship, mental health and often overlooked issue children of colour who go missing.
*Trigger warning: This novel deals with child abuse
The novel opens with main character Claudia who is returning home to Washington after a summer with her grandmother. In past summers, Claudia and Monday stay in touch any way they can, writing letters or talking on the phone. This summer was different. After getting no response from Monday all summer, Claudia's first thought when she returns home is to call her best friend. Again, she gets no answer.
On the first day of 8th grade, Claudia anxiously lines up with her class, looking left and right for Monday who loves school. When the day passes and there's no sign of Monday, Claudia begins to worry.
The story goes back and forth between "the before" and "the after." We follow Claudias journey as tries to locate Monday, leaving no stone unturned.
The book is incredibly suspenseful and I found myself on edge from start to finish. As Claudia begins to question her parents, her teachers and Monday's family, their response to her is frustrating. You feel her pain and anxiety as it seems like no one will listen or acknowledge that something might actually be wrong. There were moments when I sat there thinking "where the hell is Monday?!" because the plot was in no way predictable.
Mondays Not Coming is the first novel I've read from Tiffany D. Jackson and I wasn't disappointed. The story was beautiful in many ways as it illustrates the bond between best friends. Claudia never gave up on Monday, she was determined to find her even if no one else would. Through flashbacks, we get a sense of Claudia and Mondays relationship and the things they were facing as pre-teen girls.
The twist at the end (which I won't spoil) along with the reveal of what happened to Monday had me in tears. Through this book, I've developed a huge appreciate for Tiffanys writing. She wrote a compelling, thrilling and hard hitting YA novel that comments on social issues happening around us everyday.
I'd highly recommend adding this to your TBR list— you won't be disappointed!
My Rating: ★★★★★
