Monday’s Not Coming

I was expecting a mystery type thriller when I picked up MONDAY’S NOT COMING, and I definitely got way more than I bargained for. I started to read this book on a random weekend, but then finished it up in one sitting on the following Monday. Cue me staring at my ceiling in bed unable to fall asleep for the next twoish hours. I know the word haunting gets thrown around alot to describe books but damn, this one is haunting. It is harrowing. And it is one of the best YA books I have read.

I obviously came at this book with a teacher’s lens and let me tell ya, it really made me think about the times that maybe I have failed students in my own classroom. And I know a lot of us can say “Oh that would never happen to me,” (and maybe not as extreme as this book, but heck even as I type this it still seems like me making excuses) but the fact of the matter is that it could. I am sure in some ways big and small I have failed kids in my classroom, and I am just one part of a vile system that continues to fail Black children across America. My heart ached for Ms. Valente. Could she have done more? Maybe? I don’t know. There is one part in particular where she apologizes to Claudia for failing her. And I felt that. I think I could be doing more. And yet…

There is so much more to this book though that I won’t unpack here. From family values, to how friendships between two girls can shift and change as they grow into teenagers, Tiffany D. Jackson has crafted a true standout in the YA genre. I will say this, the less you know about this book probably the better, but if you need content warnings, please check them out on stroygraph or you can DM me. Because when I say I was unprepared for that ending….I mean it. Some content warnings include descriptions of child abuse, addiction, and racism. Synopsis in the comments!
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