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mxmaxreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Heartbreaking. Made me cry, and it’s hard to make me cry when it comes to books. I loved this so much! My only complaint was the formatting of going back and forth in time was a little confusing, but overall this was a moving story about grief and the power of friendship (and the systemic failures of the community organizations that are meant to protect us, like the police and social services).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
mikathereviewer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
‘A part of me was glad Monday wasn’t named Friday. It would’ve been too tragic.’
- Claudia
Most things I would like to say about this book would be spoilers and since I aim for spoiler free reviews I won't include them, hence making the review shorter than my usual reviews.
First of all, I really liked the plot (also the heavy themes were interesting) and how we got confusing timelines was (I think at least) supposed to foreshadow a certain plot twist which I thought to be quite cool. Also, I got 2 ideas how the time line in this book might work (I added it at the end of my review)
Another thing I liked was how not every character was likeable and not everything was perfect and we also got characters that were not one dimensional and we got more than enough story. I really liked the time leaps as they showed us the relationship with Monday and Claudia before the story started where Monday was already gone.
The healing process seems realistic and isn't downplayed. We don't get a 'after a week I recovered' kinda recovery we get one where it's open for the reader to decide how long it took. And we also still see while trying to recover that they still take steps back, but of course steps forward too.
Really disliked the foreshadowing as this ruined a bit the fun for me as I already knew the plot twists before they even came. Only one was there I didn't know of, but that was rather as I misunderstood the foreshadowing as Claudia being just nosy and jealous for absolute no reason.
Another thing I disliked which I mainly noticed at the end of the story was how the characters didn't always stay the same. One moment they were bad and the next they were good and kind again. I get it that not every person has always the same moods and we can also change as a person, but the switching was so out of control and at some point just didn't make any sense anymore. I really liked Monday at first until we got told stuff about her from April which I'm sure were true as I'm certain that it was a plot twist too, especially with that one thing that stood in that book, but then in the end we get a Monday that always 'loved' Claudia and saw her 'always' as a soulbond sister. And the way Claudia's mum didn't want to listen to her own child when she tried to explain where she was or was over controlling by letting Claudia ALWAYS leave breadcrumbs (letting her mum know where she was). And Claudia wasn't even better. I just say March the first The After, February the 2nd The After. And April? She wasn't good either. She knew what she has done. Jealousy consumed her. That's a sociopath. The only cool character throughout the entire book was actually Claudia's Dad. He was chill. Had reasons for disagreeing. And ALWAYS took great care of his child.
Here is a quick guide how I understood the time line and how you could use it too as many users said that they got confused with it
September
The Before (Before September)
The After (IN September)
One Year Before The Before (One Year ago shortly before September)
Example: 27. August > (The) BEFORE September
3. September > IN September
One Year Before the Before > from 27. August 2018 to 27. August 2017
All dates are only examples and we don't get a direct number or year date. We only get 'The Before' which I assume means before the month we are in and 'The After' which might mean exactly inside the month as the next chapter is already AFTER the previous month so that wouldn't make sense. The year leap I think is 1-2 (depends on chapter) years from the same month and date before.
This is only a theory and the words can actually mean something different, but it helped me with the time lines for this book!
———
The only month that didn't match the guide is December so I have a 2nd theory that we get the story pieces on purpose wrong so the titles are only meant to help us to understand in which order they are and it hasn't to do with before, after or in the month.
I also have a book guide for those who want to read books that are similar to this one.
Other books mentioned in this book:
1. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
2. Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
3. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
4. Push by Sapphire
These book all include either inc3st, sexual harrasment or even r@pe so make sure to read their content warnings before reading!
18. July 2024
- Claudia
Most things I would like to say about this book would be spoilers and since I aim for spoiler free reviews I won't include them, hence making the review shorter than my usual reviews.
First of all, I really liked the plot (also the heavy themes were interesting) and how we got confusing timelines was (I think at least) supposed to foreshadow a certain plot twist which I thought to be quite cool. Also, I got 2 ideas how the time line in this book might work (I added it at the end of my review)
Another thing I liked was how not every character was likeable and not everything was perfect and we also got characters that were not one dimensional and we got more than enough story. I really liked the time leaps as they showed us the relationship with Monday and Claudia before the story started where Monday was already gone.
The healing process seems realistic and isn't downplayed. We don't get a 'after a week I recovered' kinda recovery we get one where it's open for the reader to decide how long it took. And we also still see while trying to recover that they still take steps back, but of course steps forward too.
Really disliked the foreshadowing as this ruined a bit the fun for me as I already knew the plot twists before they even came. Only one was there I didn't know of, but that was rather as I misunderstood the foreshadowing as Claudia being just nosy and jealous for absolute no reason.
Another thing I disliked which I mainly noticed at the end of the story was how the characters didn't always stay the same. One moment they were bad and the next they were good and kind again. I get it that not every person has always the same moods and we can also change as a person, but the switching was so out of control and at some point just didn't make any sense anymore. I really liked Monday at first until we got told stuff about her from April which I'm sure were true as I'm certain that it was a plot twist too, especially with that one thing that stood in that book, but then in the end we get a Monday that always 'loved' Claudia and saw her 'always' as a soulbond sister. And the way Claudia's mum didn't want to listen to her own child when she tried to explain where she was or was over controlling by letting Claudia ALWAYS leave breadcrumbs (letting her mum know where she was). And Claudia wasn't even better. I just say March the first The After, February the 2nd The After. And April? She wasn't good either. She knew what she has done. Jealousy consumed her. That's a sociopath. The only cool character throughout the entire book was actually Claudia's Dad. He was chill. Had reasons for disagreeing. And ALWAYS took great care of his child.
Here is a quick guide how I understood the time line and how you could use it too as many users said that they got confused with it
September
The Before (Before September)
The After (IN September)
One Year Before The Before (One Year ago shortly before September)
Example: 27. August > (The) BEFORE September
3. September > IN September
One Year Before the Before > from 27. August 2018 to 27. August 2017
All dates are only examples and we don't get a direct number or year date. We only get 'The Before' which I assume means before the month we are in and 'The After' which might mean exactly inside the month as the next chapter is already AFTER the previous month so that wouldn't make sense. The year leap I think is 1-2 (depends on chapter) years from the same month and date before.
This is only a theory and the words can actually mean something different, but it helped me with the time lines for this book!
———
The only month that didn't match the guide is December so I have a 2nd theory that we get the story pieces on purpose wrong so the titles are only meant to help us to understand in which order they are and it hasn't to do with before, after or in the month.
I also have a book guide for those who want to read books that are similar to this one.
Other books mentioned in this book:
1. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
2. Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
3. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
4. Push by Sapphire
These book all include either inc3st, sexual harrasment or even r@pe so make sure to read their content warnings before reading!
18. July 2024
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Torture, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Dementia, Abandonment, and Alcohol
forza0930's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Murder
meeklovestoread's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I I'm not gonna lie, it's been like a week and a half since I finished this book so my memory of it isn't the most coherent, but I'll try my best. Okay, not gonna lie, I went into this book with the wrong expectations. I was kinda expecting it to be "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" type of format where the main character was discovering where her friend had gone and was gathering clues on what sparked her disappearance and the past timeline on the things that the main character missed. It's not really that so if you're like me don't go into this book expecting that.
No, this is more of a book about Claudia who throughout the book is concerned as to where her best friend has gone and scrambles to figure out why her friend would abandon her the way she did. Throughout the story you see Claudia worry and get dismissed by almost every adult she encounters. In the second half, she actively tries to find out what happened to Monday as well as simultaneously trying to figure out how to live her life without Monday.
There are a lot of important themesThemes of learning disability. And how people in the black community view them. How black girls are neglected by government officials in their times of need. As well as the influences that cause a lot of black trauma and how the girls especially are forced into adult-like situations and behaviors at such a young age. And just so much. in this book. And I feel like once you've finished reading, all the messages start to hit. However, I will say that the execution could've been better.
The past timelines are confusing and don't become clear till towards the end of the book. I feel like you've have to reread this book and have those timelines actually make sense. I'm still iffy on the twist.It kinda boggles me that everyone would just fall in line in pretending that Claudia is two years younger than she is and that no one would try to break her out of it. Also, it always feels cheap to me to use a form of mental disorder to shock the reader. Even with what happens in the end, I still can't fathom Claudia being a teenager. She literally thinks like a 10-year-old. I thought she was much younger than she was until they mentioned she was about to graduate middle school and head to high school.
I'm still annoyed that no one in this book pointed out how codependent Monday and Claudia's friendship was. Like she genuinely felt like she couldn't live without her; it was a little odd and obsessive for my taste. And they're also kinda fake to each other sometimes. Also the weird age gap between Claudia's mother (who met him at 19) and her dad (who met her mom at 29). Yes, they're both consenting adults, but she was barely a legal adult when she met the dad. I just found that creepy considering Tiffany D. Jackson literally has another book called "Grown" centered around the topic of grooming and pedophilia. I lowkey wanted the dad to end up being a villain or something because their age gap from when they met gives me the ick.
Another thing that bothered me was how underdeveloped certain characters were. Like Monday's sister for example even toward the end the motivations for her actions are still unclear to me, as well as why people kept calling her a hoe the entire book. I felt like there was more depth to that but it wasn't explored. Also, Monday's mother felt like a caricature.She literally kills both her children and acts all nonchalant about it. And if she was depicted that way throughout the entire I would've believed it more but her being this cold-hearted psychopath just doesn't suit the story in my opinion. Like why did she kill her children?! Her just being cold-hearted isn't cutting it for me. I did like the little romance between Claudia and Michael. I thought that was cute. I liked the whole colors thing too. Overall, a decent book. The Flowers in the Attic allusion was a nice touch. I literally watched the movie a few days later because of this book.
No, this is more of a book about Claudia who throughout the book is concerned as to where her best friend has gone and scrambles to figure out why her friend would abandon her the way she did. Throughout the story you see Claudia worry and get dismissed by almost every adult she encounters. In the second half, she actively tries to find out what happened to Monday as well as simultaneously trying to figure out how to live her life without Monday.
There are a lot of important themes
The past timelines are confusing and don't become clear till towards the end of the book. I feel like you've have to reread this book and have those timelines actually make sense. I'm still iffy on the twist.
I'm still annoyed that no one in this book pointed out how codependent Monday and Claudia's friendship was. Like she genuinely felt like she couldn't live without her; it was a little odd and obsessive for my taste. And they're also kinda fake to each other sometimes. Also the weird age gap between Claudia's mother (who met him at 19) and her dad (who met her mom at 29). Yes, they're both consenting adults, but she was barely a legal adult when she met the dad. I just found that creepy considering Tiffany D. Jackson literally has another book called "Grown" centered around the topic of grooming and pedophilia. I lowkey wanted the dad to end up being a villain or something because their age gap from when they met gives me the ick.
Another thing that bothered me was how underdeveloped certain characters were. Like Monday's sister for example even toward the end the motivations for her actions are still unclear to me, as well as why people kept calling her a hoe the entire book. I felt like there was more depth to that but it wasn't explored. Also, Monday's mother felt like a caricature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse and Grief
Minor: Cursing, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
teetea's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Miscarriage and Sexual assault
nicole625's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, and Sexual assault
violetbentbackwards1036's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
shinespike's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was heavy and it evoked an emotion out of me that I never felt before reading a book. I cried because I understood her grief and everything and it was extremely graphic. I felt heavy and sad after it. I don’t think I’ll ever pick this book back up too read but it really was good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, and Murder
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Well, that was not at all what I expected! This is not my favorite book by Jackson, mostly because of the back and forth time structure that was somewhat difficult to follow. I think the plot was shocking, revolting, and honest and the characters were gritty and real. This story would be a good read for hesitant teen readers because of its’ short chapters and engaging content.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
lil_wavy_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Great book, I was definitely not expecting the ending but it was worth finding out. I'm not gonna lie but this book is pretty long though
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Sexual assault