“Monday’s Not Coming” by Tiffany D. Jackson is a book set outside Washington D.C. where Claudia Coleman’s best friend, Monday Charles, goes missing and nobody seems to notice. Only when she is found do people start to care.
Before starting this book, the title had already stood out to me. What does the author mean by “Monday’s Not Coming?” Does she mean the day of the week or someone whose name is literally Monday? Starting off with such a vague but also unmistakable title stands out to most readers, especially since many titles now all seem the same. In addition, the blurb for the book is also remarkable. How does a 13-year-old girl go missing and nobody seems to care? Judging the book by its cover, which you should never do, “Monday’s Not Coming” already gives the impression of being a notable book, and the contents inside appear to solidify that into place.
In the beginning, the book may seem confusing with chapters named “Before” and “After”, but after discovering what happened to the characters, the reason behind the separation of chapters makes the story much better. Despite this small confusion initially, the book isn’t complicated to understand and is beautifully written.
Jackson’s writing style is unique and isn’t like anything I have read before. It was like I was really in the mind of Claudia. It wasn’t written like how people assume 13-year-olds think and act. Even though the book was fiction, the story felt real, and when reading it, I felt invested in what was happening. Jackson has an amazing talent for building descriptive scenes and weaving a story that keeps you wanting to continue.
Another notable thing about her writing style is how she writes about heavy topics. She doesn’t shy away from it and sheds light on topics that aren’t talked about often. Furthermore, she approaches the topics in a way that makes them easy to read and makes the reader look deeper into the meaning of the book. This book, and most of her other books, have jaw-dropping twists that leave you thinking.,
Overall, “Monday’s Not Coming” was a beautifully written book about a teenage girl’s disappearance and how the truth about it can have traumatizing effects. Jackson was able to paint a story using a teenage girl’s inner thoughts, making it compelling and worth the read.
