Claudia and Monday are inseparable. They've been together since kindergarten, and the only time they don't spend together is when Claudia is at her grandmother's house for the summer. Imagine Claudia's surprise when she returns from vacation to find that Monday is not waiting for her at the airport with Claudia's mother. Her confusion increases when she doesn't get a phone call from her best friend, and calls to her home are unanswered. Confusion turns to distress when the new school year starts, and Monday does not show up.
Claudia relies on Monday to help her complete her homework. Claudia is very artistic, but reading is tough, especially since the letters seem to get mixed up when she tries to read. Monday lives on the wrong side of the tracks, and Claudia's mother has always insisted that Claudia should never go there as the neighborhood is too dangerous.
Everyone around her seem unconcerned that Monday is missing. Her mother doesn't seem worried. Teachers barely noticed. April, Monday's oldest sister, tells Claudia to mind her own business. With Monday gone, however, Claudia resolves to visit Monday's house and find out why her best friend is suddenly missing. Monday's mother threatens Claudia, and she flees back to her own house. Where did Monday go?
The more she digs, looking for clues into Monday's disappearance, the more confusing explanations seem to become, and the more unmoored Claudia feels, living live without Monday. Did Monday leave her behind because Claudia was holding her back and cramping her style, as April implies? Did she go live with her father, as Monday's mother yells at her? What happened to Monday? Finding the truth might save Monday, but it could very well destroy Claudia ...
Fans of psychological thrillers and unreliable characters will appreciate this story. Claudia's anguish is real, and the steps she takes to find Monday are appropriate for a teen. Those who enjoyed this book should consider reading Thirteen Reasons Why, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, If I Stay, Zoe Letting Go, Black Box, The Vanishing Season, or Kiss of Broken Glass. All of these books feature a tragedy and a voyage of self-discovery as the central element of the plot.
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