Monday's Not Coming

This is the story of how my best friend disappeared. How nobody noticed she was gone except me. And how nobody cared until they found her . . . one year later.

Why isn't there, at this moment, a cover image tied to the Kindle edition? The author, the book, and whomever did the cover art deserve that respect.

Okay...

Neutral: I figured out the twist right away. I think that has to do with my being an adult YA reader who read a similar twist in a book by an author who also happens to be mentioned in this novel.
spoiler: My Sweet Audrina, VC Andrews The structure, in order to make sense, also gives a big clue.

I'm not mad about finding out. It's a good twist and I enjoyed tracking it playing out.

Positives: The friendship between Claudia and Monday is beautiful. The comment that Claudia had been saving Monday all along by being her friend and showing her a glimpse of a healthy family life was on point. I cannot say enough about this aspect when all too often we're fed a narrative that girls can never really be friends. Claudia never, ever forgot about Monday or stopped loving or missing her.

This is an OwnVoices book, which is incredible, and something that people should seek out. Anyone can tell a story about anyone, and the results can be terrific, but people with less amplification, less representation, of their own lives and stories should absolutely get several seats at the table for the good of art and for the good of humankind. And, frankly, for the good of readers who are rewarded with complex and truthful stories.

The truth at the center of this novel is an important one. Who is looking out for the poor child, the minority child, the child from a broken home? Who cares when one of these children disappears? Who listens when another marginalized child comes to the system that is supposed to be the safety net and reports someone she cares about is in danger?

Claudia, the POV character, has parents that will not let her fall through the cracks. They will do what it takes, even when extra obstacles are stacked in Claudia's way, to make sure she will succeed. Every child deserves that, but even with loving parents, not every child receives that.

Negative: My only criticism is that the twist – as much as I felt it clever and even understandable from a character standpoint – created some implausibility and pacing issues. I think every novel with a suspense or mystery element gets to play the timing card, where the main character is about to find out something important, but is interrupted. In service of the twist, this book greatly exceeded that quota, creating frustration, making scenes come across as filler, and just generally creating narrative issues, all in service of running out the clock before the reveal can happen.

I would eagerly read another book by this author.