Reviews - Monday's Not Coming

5.99k reviews for:

Monday's Not Coming

Tiffany D. Jackson

4.24 AVERAGE

pinkbunnyy's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

ksl917's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

kattastic21's review against another edition

3.5

emotional

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

****some spoilers included****

I thought this book was okay. It kept my interest just because I wanted to find out what actually happened to Monday. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was cringey at times. The parts where the characters were using slang or AAVE sounded like an outsider who never actually speaks like that in real life reading off a page, very unnatural. I don’t know how to explain it but it just didn’t sound right but I don’t want to take points off the book itself for that. I found Claudia to be kind of annoying and selfish. I had to keep reminding myself she was only meant to be in middle school (sort of) but it was hard sometimes. Also how she was so hyper focused on Monday was strange as if she didn’t know how to exist and be her own person without her. I felt like the whole thing about her not actually remembering what happened to Monday was unnecessary to the story. Mrs. Charles was trash. That’s all I got.

Content Warnings

deereads1's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Prompt 43 explores social class

Sooooo sad, somber
Sooooo thought provoking

brittsbooksss's review against another edition

4.0

That hurt, but it was an impactful story I think others should read

lukekono's review against another edition

5.0

Wow. I have so many things to say about this book. Monday's Not Coming is by far my favorite book I've read by Tiffany D. Jackson.

I went into this book pretty blind, so I didn't know what the title was referring to until I got a bit into the book. Monday is the name of a young Black girl who goes missing suddenly. Her best friend, Claudia, is set on finding out what happened to Monday. She is consistently ignored by the adults around her even though she knows something is wrong.

This book alternates between different timelines. I'll admit: the timeline can be confusing, however, there is a plot twist at the end which reveals why the order of events is a bit weird. In fact, I think the twist at the end makes the way Jackson set up the timeline absolutely brilliant.

There are many serious/sensitive topics covered in , so I implore you to check out the content warning beforehand. This book heavily focuses on abuse, abuse which I could relate to in a few ways. While the book is certainly a thriller, the abuse is never glorified or used grossly for shock value. It is raw and deeply captivating. I could not stop reading this book. The pages kept begging me to turn them (well, not literally.) Every subject matter from abuse to gentrification, racism, homophobia, are all handled delicately and skillfully.

In Tiffany D. Jackson's debut novel, Allegedly, I found that the plot twist ruined a lot of the overarching themes in the book. However, in Monday's Not Coming, the plot twist at the end absolutely strengthened the themes of this book. It showed realistically how traumatic loss truly is. I was so shocked actually, that I had to put the book down to recover and re-read it a few times. The end of the book was also a major punch in the gut (in a good way), and gave me goosebumps.

Reading this book sent me through a whirlwind of emotions. The messages of this book are important and Jackson writes about it with just... perfection. I can't recommend this book enough.

ellejayspeaks's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This coming of age story about two best friends growing up in Washington, DC preparing to go to high school. But when one goes missing, no one seems to care except Claudia.

When Claudia returns home from a summer trip to see family, she’s excited to reunite with her best friend Monday. But there’s a problem… Monday is now where to be found. From her parents to teachers and school officials, Claudia can’t seem to get anyone to take her concerns seriously. She sets out to solve this muster herself and “find Monday.”

This emotionally charged story had my pulse racing as I felt sheer rage towards all the adults in the novel. The parents claimed to protect their daughters from danger but missed some of the clear dangers right in front of them. There were so many opportunities to protect the children in this story and the adults in their lives failed them. From the school staff failing to end blatant bullying to parents failing to listen to the children in their lives.

The story deep dives into the life of teenagers and the drama surrounding middle and high school. And the desperation to belong along with the constant peer pressure to behave in manners students may not otherwise. A page turner with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing, “where is Monday.” It also makes the reader think about community and when it’s appropriate to mind your business vs poke your nose in others business when something feels wrong.