Book Review: Monday’s Not Coming

By Tiffany D. Jackson 

4 Stars 

Monday’s Not Coming is a YA mystery novel that follows Claudia, a young Black girl, looking into the strange disappearance of her best friend, Monday. When Monday doesn’t show up to school, Claudia senses that something is amiss and launches an investigation in spite of a lack of answers from those around her. Jackson’s novel takes a poignant look at the complete disregard and lack of care that cases of missing Black girls tend to be given, as well as how they tend to be dismissed as “fast” and somehow deserving of the harm that is imposed upon them. These labels and other pressures—familial structures, abuse, stereotypes, etc.—often force Black children to grow up too quickly. Watching Claudia navigate school and her personal life without the support of her best friend, without knowing if Monday was okay, and while struggling to come to terms with a learning disability was incredibly heartbreaking. This was definitely the kind of mystery that ropes you in and has you trying to decipher each new clue that the main character discovers. It will have you analyzing every interaction, leaving you frustrated when you still come up short.

I found the ending to be very shocking, but it still made sense within the context of the book, especially once you look back at the various hints dropped throughout the story. This was not at all a light read. I would suggest looking into trigger warnings and treading with caution when diving into this novel. Overall, Monday’s Not Coming is an extremely compelling novel that I would recommend to mystery lovers and non-mystery lovers alike. Tiffany D. Jackson knows how to tell a captivating story, and I would suggest checking out her other works as well, particularly if you enjoyed this read.   

Reviewed by Kyla 

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