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A review by themoonwholistens
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
3.0
This was a really sad, heavy, and dark read but I can't get over how Tiffany D. Jackson manages to humanize all of her characters while still putting their flaws at the forefront. It makes for an extremely satisfying character development, especially with how she ties her endings so well.
— overall thoughts: 3.5 —
⇢ content warnings//
⇢ representation: Black characters, Dyslexic character
The timeline of the narrative does go back and forth just like [b:Grown|49397758|Grown|Tiffany D. Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579764388l/49397758._SY75_.jpg|67096697] which I loved because it leaves some things to piece together for the readers. It essentially follows Claudia as she figures out what happened to her best friend, Monday, who she used to spend basically every moment of every day with. The plot was definitely intense the whole way through which I love for mystery-thrillers. I do wish that I was more hooked in Claudia and Monday's friendship during the "Before" chapters but I don't think it kept me from crying any less during the present day chapters.
Furthermore, I think this quote perfectly sums up the core theme of the book and the message it tries to get across:
In case you didn't know, this is a tragic book.
It is slow-paced, which isn't usually my style and I did think some scenes felt a little redundant in the middle, but it was a great build up that still made me tear up and pause and stare at my wall.
There are definitely complex characters at its center. The way the author portrayed Monday's character made you want to hate her and feel bad for her. Until know, I don't really know which one I feel for her more. Complicated feelings will arise, I don't blame the amount of people who said this broke them.
Tiffany D. Jackson always incorporates familial relationships so well into her story that it makes you feel invested in the cast that much more. I get so easily invested in platonic and familial dynamics in stories so if you're like me, you will feel all of the emotions. Especially for her contemporary/mystery-thriller novels.
I did enjoy [b:Grown|49397758|Grown|Tiffany D. Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579764388l/49397758._SY75_.jpg|67096697] more because I felt more personally connected to the story and I think the story felt more layered while being more thought provoking. This was mostly plain old heartbreaking (which isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself).
↣ I wouldn't recommend this if you have a hard time handling heavy topics like grief and abuse but if are fine tackling those, it is a hard hitting read that I'm not surprised it has resonated so deeply with so many people. I lost count of how many times this book made me contemplate my own real life relationships... and isn't that what we all need sometimes? ↢
— overall thoughts: 3.5 —
⇢ content warnings//
Spoiler
Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse (including neglect), Character death (graphic), Domestic abuse, Domestic violence, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, PTSD, Racism, Trauma, Violence⇢ representation: Black characters, Dyslexic character
The timeline of the narrative does go back and forth just like [b:Grown|49397758|Grown|Tiffany D. Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579764388l/49397758._SY75_.jpg|67096697] which I loved because it leaves some things to piece together for the readers. It essentially follows Claudia as she figures out what happened to her best friend, Monday, who she used to spend basically every moment of every day with. The plot was definitely intense the whole way through which I love for mystery-thrillers. I do wish that I was more hooked in Claudia and Monday's friendship during the "Before" chapters but I don't think it kept me from crying any less during the present day chapters.
Furthermore, I think this quote perfectly sums up the core theme of the book and the message it tries to get across:
“Rumors are born with legs that can run a mile in less than a minute.
Rumors eat up dreams without condiments.
Rumors do not have expiration dates.
Rumors can be deadly.
Rumors can get you killed.”
In case you didn't know, this is a tragic book.
It is slow-paced, which isn't usually my style and I did think some scenes felt a little redundant in the middle, but it was a great build up that still made me tear up and pause and stare at my wall.
There are definitely complex characters at its center. The way the author portrayed Monday's character made you want to hate her and feel bad for her. Until know, I don't really know which one I feel for her more. Complicated feelings will arise, I don't blame the amount of people who said this broke them.
Tiffany D. Jackson always incorporates familial relationships so well into her story that it makes you feel invested in the cast that much more. I get so easily invested in platonic and familial dynamics in stories so if you're like me, you will feel all of the emotions. Especially for her contemporary/mystery-thriller novels.
I did enjoy [b:Grown|49397758|Grown|Tiffany D. Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579764388l/49397758._SY75_.jpg|67096697] more because I felt more personally connected to the story and I think the story felt more layered while being more thought provoking. This was mostly plain old heartbreaking (which isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself).
↣ I wouldn't recommend this if you have a hard time handling heavy topics like grief and abuse but if are fine tackling those, it is a hard hitting read that I'm not surprised it has resonated so deeply with so many people. I lost count of how many times this book made me contemplate my own real life relationships... and isn't that what we all need sometimes? ↢