Status
Available
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Publication
Katherine Tegen Books (2019), Edition: Reprint, 464 pages
Description
Suspense. Thriller. Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. HTML: "Jackson's characters and their heart-wrenching story linger long after the final page, urging readers to advocate for those who are disenfranchised and forgotten by society and the system." (Publishers Weekly, "An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List") From the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly, Tiffany D. Jackson, comes a gripping novel about the mystery of one teenage girl's disappearance and the traumatic effects of the truth. 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 g… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member lflareads
Monday’s Not Coming is a YA novel for Mature 8th graders and up. Claudia’s best friend, Monday is like a sister to her. They are inseparable at school and Monday stays over at Claudia’s often, but then everything changes. Monday is not at school. Days turn to weeks and Claudia is worried.
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Claudia knows Monday would never leave without telling her. Claudia begins to wonder if she truly knows Monday, as she tries to find answers. Monday’s Not Coming will stay with me for a long time...#yareads #secondaryela #hottingerhighlights #booklove #booknerd Show Less
LibraryThing member acargile
This realistic fiction novel left me haunted.
Claudia returns from the summer where you always visits her grandmother to find Monday gone. Everyone tells her different stories--she's with her aunt or with her dad, but Claudia knows that her best friend wouldn't leave her. When Claudia tries to get
Claudia and Monday resemble each other, almost looking like twins. They go to school together and love dancing. It's never occurred to Claudia to seek another friend. As she looks for Monday, she begins to realize she didn't know her as well as she thought. Monday started to be interested in boys and may have been dating. Claudia also learns that Monday never told her about her family--Claudia knows them but she didn't know what was really going on. Alone, Claudia is forced to find out who she is without Monday. She truly is a good dancer, but her own secret about school can't be hidden without Monday.
The novel progresses as Claudia finds out that others will be her friend and that people do like her. She doesn't need Monday to have friends. Michael, a friend from church, keeps an eye on her and listens to her and helps her as she keeps asking about Monday. Only one teacher agrees that everyone should be worried about Monday's disappearance. When she steps in, events quickly transpire.
When I finished the novel, the haunted feeling enveloped me. The novel is about people--what we are capable of. You won't forget this novel.
Claudia returns from the summer where you always visits her grandmother to find Monday gone. Everyone tells her different stories--she's with her aunt or with her dad, but Claudia knows that her best friend wouldn't leave her. When Claudia tries to get
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people to listen, no one does except one teacher. Where is Monday?Claudia and Monday resemble each other, almost looking like twins. They go to school together and love dancing. It's never occurred to Claudia to seek another friend. As she looks for Monday, she begins to realize she didn't know her as well as she thought. Monday started to be interested in boys and may have been dating. Claudia also learns that Monday never told her about her family--Claudia knows them but she didn't know what was really going on. Alone, Claudia is forced to find out who she is without Monday. She truly is a good dancer, but her own secret about school can't be hidden without Monday.
The novel progresses as Claudia finds out that others will be her friend and that people do like her. She doesn't need Monday to have friends. Michael, a friend from church, keeps an eye on her and listens to her and helps her as she keeps asking about Monday. Only one teacher agrees that everyone should be worried about Monday's disappearance. When she steps in, events quickly transpire.
When I finished the novel, the haunted feeling enveloped me. The novel is about people--what we are capable of. You won't forget this novel.
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LibraryThing member fingerpost
Claudia, who tells the story, is an only child who lives with her parents in a middle-class black neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Her best friend in the world, Monday, lives with her single mother and three siblings in some nearby black housing projects for those in poverty.
Claudia spends every
It seems that no matter who Claudia asks or where she turns, no one is particularly concerned the Monday seems to have vanished from the face of the Earth. But she is determined to solve the mystery and find her friend.
A few notes about this book, without giving away too much.
It's unusual in that the protagonists are 13 years old, in a book aimed at teens. This is definitely not YA fare.
There are parts that are particularly grim and perhaps shocking.
The timeline is confusing. It bounces back and forth, and the chapter titles (used multiple times) are "The Before," "The After," "Before the Before," "After the After," and a few very short chapters the titles of which are the name of a month. I had a little trouble keeping up with it all, but I'm not sure how else this story could have been told. Before and after ~what~ you may ask. And that is something that won't be made clear until the last 50 pages or so, where you will find that some of what you have been assuming about the story isn't what you thought.
Well written, intricately plotted, with a fairly realistic (I assume) look at life in poverty stricken housing projects.
The intended audience is probably black teen girls, but this white adult man found it powerful and moving.
Claudia spends every
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summer with her grandmother down south. As the book opens, she is returning home for the school year, a little concerned because Monday never wrote her during the summer like she has in the past. Then school starts, and Monday isn't there either.It seems that no matter who Claudia asks or where she turns, no one is particularly concerned the Monday seems to have vanished from the face of the Earth. But she is determined to solve the mystery and find her friend.
A few notes about this book, without giving away too much.
It's unusual in that the protagonists are 13 years old, in a book aimed at teens. This is definitely not YA fare.
There are parts that are particularly grim and perhaps shocking.
The timeline is confusing. It bounces back and forth, and the chapter titles (used multiple times) are "The Before," "The After," "Before the Before," "After the After," and a few very short chapters the titles of which are the name of a month. I had a little trouble keeping up with it all, but I'm not sure how else this story could have been told. Before and after ~what~ you may ask. And that is something that won't be made clear until the last 50 pages or so, where you will find that some of what you have been assuming about the story isn't what you thought.
Well written, intricately plotted, with a fairly realistic (I assume) look at life in poverty stricken housing projects.
The intended audience is probably black teen girls, but this white adult man found it powerful and moving.
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LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
I just could not get into this book. The different timelines were confusing and jumped around too much so that I never felt really comfortable reading it.
From the start I had an inkling about Monday's disappearance and, sadly, I was proved right at the end. I didn't like the protagonist, Claudia,
While "Monday's Not Coming" was dark and heart-breaking, the mystery was lackluster and the execution mediocre.
From the start I had an inkling about Monday's disappearance and, sadly, I was proved right at the end. I didn't like the protagonist, Claudia,
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despite her determination to find her best friend, Monday. I admired her dedication but I never felt connected to her, and she felt much younger than she actually was.While "Monday's Not Coming" was dark and heart-breaking, the mystery was lackluster and the execution mediocre.
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LibraryThing member CK31
I enjoyed this audiobook so much. Definitely a book which made me think a lot and stayed with me even after finishing it. Even now after some time, I'm still thinking of this book and can say it's one of the best books if read so far in 2018.
LibraryThing member ewyatt
Claudia gets back after a summer with her grandma and her best friend is not around, school starts and she's still not around.
The book jumps to multiple time lines for the story, The Before, The After, and a couple of time periods before The Before. It takes a long time to figure out what has
The book jumps to multiple time lines for the story, The Before, The After, and a couple of time periods before The Before. It takes a long time to figure out what has
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happened to Monday. Claudia is persistent and struggling with her own growing up, learning disabilities. Its clear that there have been things that Claudia didn't see, but her dogged persistence helps solve the emptiness left when Monday is no longer there. Show Less
LibraryThing member JRlibrary
This is much too mature for me to recommend to students. It contains profanity and some references to sexual activity. It is however a gripping and disturbing story of how someone can go unnoticed in a community. This will stay with me a long time.
LibraryThing member NykiK
I can't say enough about this book ... It is so moving and brings you through so many emotions as you are turning the pages. The topics that the book touches on really do tell a story, and allows you to see this could be happening right next door to you while you are completely unaware! I
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definitely recommend this read to anyone who is willing to take a dive into an uncomfortable space, where young children's lives are completely dictated by their home surroundings. You won't regret reading it! Show Less
LibraryThing member deslivres5
Utterly heartbreaking YA about a enduring friendship bond between two Washington, D.C. girls and bullying/abuse. The time frame jumps of the chapters (Before, After, etc.) confused me at first, but I understood their important significance at the end. Although the main character is mainly portrayed
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as an 8th grader on the cusp of high school, I definitely would only recommend this to older teens due to language and themes. Show Less
LibraryThing member fromthecomfychair
I would give this story a much higher rating, but the format of the chapters was so mystifying, right up til the end, that I wouldn't have even finished the book if I weren't reading it for a book club discussion. You don't find out, until the end, what the "Before" and "After" chapters referred
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to. Before what? After what? There are many things I can praise about this book, the story, which is gut-wrenching, the writing itself, which is good, and the use of vernacular, which is familiar to me after working in city schools for a decade. But man! Couldn't some editor have helped her find a different format? Show Less
LibraryThing member readingbeader
This was such a hard read, I felt so much for Claudia and Monday. I did get a bit confused with the timeline switching and had to back track to keep up.
Claudia is the only one who seems to notice that Monday, her best friend, is missing. She won't give up looking for her even when not one else
Claudia is the only one who seems to notice that Monday, her best friend, is missing. She won't give up looking for her even when not one else
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seems to care. Show Less
LibraryThing member words_reviews
Friendships during your teen years can often feel like a lifeline when you’re navigating home, school, hormones, and the rest that comes with transitioning from a kid to a young adult. That is absolutely the reality for Claudia and Monday, best friends who are on the brink of 8th grade. Although
That changes when Claudia returns to Washington, D.C. from her annual summer vacation to Georgia. Despite promises, Monday hasn’t written a single letter and doesn’t show up for school for months. No one notices, no one looks, and no one cares about Monday’s disappearance except Claudia. Early in the book, Claudia asks: “How can a whole person, a kid, disappear and no one say a word?” This is central to the plot of the book, which follows Claudia in her pursuit of the truth about where Monday’s been.
With Monday’s Not Coming, Jackson has given a voice to stories that often go unheard. Missing black girls and women do not get the same media coverage as other demographics, though their absence is no less troubling. I found it poignant that this story is set in Washington, D.C., which has had several high profile incidents of missing black girls, so much so that it sparked a hashtag, #missingDCgirls in 2017. Jackson’s careful examination of what happened to Monday was like peeling an onion, showing how someone can fall through the cracks, even when seemingly under heightened scrutiny. She sheds light not just on school officials, but also social services, law enforcement, and local communities’ roles in addressing issues around child welfare.
Jackson’s writing style in Monday’s Not Coming can be confusing, but is clearer on a second read. She tells the story chronologically, but hops back and forth in time by month and year. In so doing, she sheds light on the girls’ friendship, Monday’s disappearance and the search for her, and Claudia’s response to the truth. Admittedly, I didn’t understand it completely on the first read. But going back with clarity allowed me to see the skill in Jackson’s approach. Things I hadn’t picked up on the first time were glaring, and the theme of “breadcrumbs” became even more apparent.
Monday’s Not Coming strikes close to home — as a parent of a young black girl approaching Claudia and Monday’s age, I couldn’t help but put myself in the shoes of people throughout this book. I constantly asked myself how I would respond in a similar scenario. This isn’t an easy read by any stretch of the imagination. It was frustrating, angering, and heartbreaking. Nonetheless, it is a story that needs to be more widespread and is so critical in highlighting what is not uncommon in communities around the world.
Monday’s Not Coming is an emotional read, but so necessary. It is filled with suspense and angst about how a child could disappear with so little attention called to them. But more than that, it offers a critique of systems put in place to protect children and how they can so readily fail at their purpose. As with her previous release, Allegedly, Jackson has presented a book that lacks a neat, happily-ever-after but instead forces you to open your eyes and think.
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their home lives are markedly different, the two are kindred spirits facing life together.That changes when Claudia returns to Washington, D.C. from her annual summer vacation to Georgia. Despite promises, Monday hasn’t written a single letter and doesn’t show up for school for months. No one notices, no one looks, and no one cares about Monday’s disappearance except Claudia. Early in the book, Claudia asks: “How can a whole person, a kid, disappear and no one say a word?” This is central to the plot of the book, which follows Claudia in her pursuit of the truth about where Monday’s been.
With Monday’s Not Coming, Jackson has given a voice to stories that often go unheard. Missing black girls and women do not get the same media coverage as other demographics, though their absence is no less troubling. I found it poignant that this story is set in Washington, D.C., which has had several high profile incidents of missing black girls, so much so that it sparked a hashtag, #missingDCgirls in 2017. Jackson’s careful examination of what happened to Monday was like peeling an onion, showing how someone can fall through the cracks, even when seemingly under heightened scrutiny. She sheds light not just on school officials, but also social services, law enforcement, and local communities’ roles in addressing issues around child welfare.
Jackson’s writing style in Monday’s Not Coming can be confusing, but is clearer on a second read. She tells the story chronologically, but hops back and forth in time by month and year. In so doing, she sheds light on the girls’ friendship, Monday’s disappearance and the search for her, and Claudia’s response to the truth. Admittedly, I didn’t understand it completely on the first read. But going back with clarity allowed me to see the skill in Jackson’s approach. Things I hadn’t picked up on the first time were glaring, and the theme of “breadcrumbs” became even more apparent.
Monday’s Not Coming strikes close to home — as a parent of a young black girl approaching Claudia and Monday’s age, I couldn’t help but put myself in the shoes of people throughout this book. I constantly asked myself how I would respond in a similar scenario. This isn’t an easy read by any stretch of the imagination. It was frustrating, angering, and heartbreaking. Nonetheless, it is a story that needs to be more widespread and is so critical in highlighting what is not uncommon in communities around the world.
Monday’s Not Coming is an emotional read, but so necessary. It is filled with suspense and angst about how a child could disappear with so little attention called to them. But more than that, it offers a critique of systems put in place to protect children and how they can so readily fail at their purpose. As with her previous release, Allegedly, Jackson has presented a book that lacks a neat, happily-ever-after but instead forces you to open your eyes and think.
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LibraryThing member purple_pisces22
Again, another amazingly sad story. So much truth to it, but so sad. I like the way the character went back-and-forth in time and I found it easy to follow. Guessing the outcome wasn’t hard but it didn’t make it any easier. The little twist toward the end of the book regarding Claudia’s
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memory was brilliant! I totally did not see that coming. In fact I was expecting something completely different. Show Less
LibraryThing member reader1009
diverse realistic fiction (7th grade and up); suspense/mystery; mental health/dealing with loss; bullying.
Wow, this had so much more going on than I expected. A riveting read and one I'll not soon forget. And all the teens I know are going to want to read it for sure.
Wow, this had so much more going on than I expected. A riveting read and one I'll not soon forget. And all the teens I know are going to want to read it for sure.
LibraryThing member bookbutterfly
"But when help isn’t invited, it ain’t nothing but an unwanted houseguest."
This book broke my heart. I watch, listen, and read things about BIPOC not being given the same priority in missing person cases. This really put things into perspective for me. I was so angry that nobody would do
This book broke my heart. I watch, listen, and read things about BIPOC not being given the same priority in missing person cases. This really put things into perspective for me. I was so angry that nobody would do
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anything to help find Monday! This evoked a lot of emotion in me. Show Less
LibraryThing member cougargirl1967
Wow, hits you right in the gut! I think everyone should read a book that causes you to face the reality of abuse that many people "refuse' to see. This shouldn't be banned, it's raw and young people need to know.
LibraryThing member LynnMPK
Holy sh*t, that was rough. I don't know if I can write a review that makes sense right now, but woo boy, this book packed an emotional punch that I was not ready for. It's extremely sad, but also extremely hopeful and joyful. Imma go cry now.
LibraryThing member rgruberexcel
RGG: Amazing, intense, horrific, realistic, readable. Child abuse, neglect, poverty, sexual abuse, sexualization of young women, learning disability, family love and support, friendship, first romance. Reading Interest: 14-YA.
LibraryThing member Jessika.C
Claudia and Monday have been best friends since forever. Monday has been the one constant in Claudia's life since she could remember and for the first time ever they were going to be separated for months while Claudia was away visiting family. They both counted down the days until the duo could
But then Claudia comes back and Monday doesn't reach out. Claudia waits for Monday so they could brave a new school year together but Monday never shows. She asks her teachers what happened to Monday and no one seems to know. She asks Monday's mom where her best friend is and she's told her best friend left her without saying goodbye. No one wants to give her answers she desperately needs and school isn't the same without her friend.
It's a heartbreaking story told in flashbacks and flashforwards. The present day blends in with all of those other moments to weave the story of friendship and tragedy. Claudia was a girl who needed her best friend to help her navigate the drama of life as a middle schooler and now as a high schooler she looks back to see where it all went wrong.
It's a story that seems so crazy that it would never happen but it does. Thousands of young black girls are lost and it doesn't matter how. The tragedy happens when someone reaches out to find the truth only to be ignored or pushed aside because they don't have the "time" or "resources" to investigate the case of a young black girl who "probably ran away from home" without giving a second thought to the fact that maybe she needs help. Even though it's a good lesson for everyone this book doesn't focus solely on that, it shows us Claudia's past as a lost teenager and then her growth as she finds help and slowly recovers from her trauma because what happened to Monday Charles didn't only affect Monday Charles.
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reunite on the first day of school. But then Claudia comes back and Monday doesn't reach out. Claudia waits for Monday so they could brave a new school year together but Monday never shows. She asks her teachers what happened to Monday and no one seems to know. She asks Monday's mom where her best friend is and she's told her best friend left her without saying goodbye. No one wants to give her answers she desperately needs and school isn't the same without her friend.
It's a heartbreaking story told in flashbacks and flashforwards. The present day blends in with all of those other moments to weave the story of friendship and tragedy. Claudia was a girl who needed her best friend to help her navigate the drama of life as a middle schooler and now as a high schooler she looks back to see where it all went wrong.
It's a story that seems so crazy that it would never happen but it does. Thousands of young black girls are lost and it doesn't matter how. The tragedy happens when someone reaches out to find the truth only to be ignored or pushed aside because they don't have the "time" or "resources" to investigate the case of a young black girl who "probably ran away from home" without giving a second thought to the fact that maybe she needs help. Even though it's a good lesson for everyone this book doesn't focus solely on that, it shows us Claudia's past as a lost teenager and then her growth as she finds help and slowly recovers from her trauma because what happened to Monday Charles didn't only affect Monday Charles.
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LibraryThing member Kristelh
Reason Read: I read this as a TIOLI for August 2023 and it is a ROOT. On my shelf since 2020. This is realistic fiction featuring two young friends who are in middle school transitioning to high school. I read it because one of the gals has dyslexia but this only played a small part in the story.
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The point there is if you have problems learning, don't cover it up, find help. The main story is a mystery. One of the girls goes missing and no one seems to really care that she just disappeared. It has a back and forth time line with Before, After, One year Before the Before. I found the story very interesting and I did not fully see the ending. Show Less
Awards
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (Fiction — 2018)
Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
Gateway Readers Award (Nominee — 2021)
Garden State Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
Thumbs Up! Award (Top Ten — 2019)
Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award (Nominee — 2020)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Almost Made It — 2020)
Coretta Scott King Award (Winner — 2019)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2021)
Delaware Diamonds Award (Nominee — 2020)
Three Stars Book Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2020)
Walter Dean Myers Awards for Outstanding Children's Literature (Honor — Teen — 2019)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Top Ten — 2019)
Penn GSE's Best Books for Young Readers (Selection — Young Adult — 2018)
Project LIT Book Selection (Young Adult — 2020)
Physical description
464 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0062422685 / 9780062422682