Book Review: Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

When fourteen-year-old Claudia Coleman returns home to Washington, D.C., after spending the summer with her grandmother in Georgia, she discovers that her best friend, Monday Charles, has mysteriously vanished. Monday has always been Claudia’s anchor—her closest friend, her defender, the person who understands her learning difficulties and stands by her. So when Monday doesn’t show up on the first day of school, Claudia immediately knows something is wrong. But no one else seems to care.

Teachers assume Monday transferred. Neighbors are evasive or dismissive. Monday’s mother, who has a history of instability and abusive behavior, offers excuses that don’t add up. The authorities insist that because Monday has a record of truancy, there’s no need to panic. Claudia becomes more and more alarmed, and increasingly determined to uncover the truth.

As Claudia pushes for answers, her story unfolds across fragmented timelines—Before, After, and The Before Before—revealing the depth of Claudia and Monday’s friendship, the secret struggles they shared, and the subtle signs that something had been wrong in Monday’s home long before she disappeared.

Claudia faces her own battles: dyslexia that isolates her at school, parents who worry she’s obsessing over Monday to an unhealthy degree, and the emotional and academic fallout of carrying a truth no one else will acknowledge.

Eventually, Claudia’s persistence leads to the devastating truth: Monday is dead—and has been for nearly a year.

Her body was hidden in her family’s home after she died from abuse and neglect at the hands of her mother. The novel’s disjointed timeline reveals that Claudia’s sense of “last seeing” Monday was distorted by trauma; she had actually been communicating with Monday’s sister, April, who pretended to be Monday through letters and messages to spare Claudia the truth.

The revelation shatters Claudia, who spirals into grief and survivor’s guilt, grappling with the horrifying reality that her best friend was suffering—and dying—out of sight while the school and institutions that should have protected her failed at every level.

Monday’s Not Coming closes with Claudia beginning the long process of healing while confronting the systemic silence, community neglect, and apathy that allowed Monday’s disappearance and death to go unnoticed. It is a powerful indictment of how Black girls often go missing without the world paying attention.

I’ve had this book on my TBR for a while, and I finally picked it up—and I’m so glad I did. Once I started reading, I burned through it in just three days because I genuinely couldn’t put it down. The writing pulled me in immediately, and the emotional tension kept me turning pages long after I should’ve gone to bed. I thought I had an idea of where the story was going, but I definitely wasn’t prepared for the ending. It completely caught me off guard in the best—and most heartbreaking—way.

In the end, I truly believe Monday’s Not Coming is a story worth picking up. It’s powerful, heartfelt, and incredibly impactful in today’s world, and it stays with you long after you turn the last page. That said, it does tackle heavy and sensitive topics, so I encourage you to go into it when you feel ready for a more emotionally rigorous read. If you’re looking for a book that’s both beautifully written and deeply meaningful, this one deserves a place on your shelf. I’m really glad I finally crossed it off my TBR, and I hope it finds a spot on yours too.

Book Review: Ninth House (Galaxy Stern- Book 1) by Leigh Bardugo

Hello everyone! It's been awhile! Here's a review of a recent book I've read. When I first started it, I wasn't completely sure if I'd like it as much as I did. It was definitely not something I would've picked up it I hadn't read and loved other books by Leigh Bardugo.

Ninth House follows Galaxy “Alex” Stern, an unlikely Yale freshman with a dark past. Despite dropping out of school and falling in with dangerous crowds, Alex possesses a rare ability: she can see ghosts; the “Grays” without magical aid. This talent earns her a mysterious second chance—an offer to attend Yale University in exchange for joining Lethe House, the secret society responsible for overseeing the university’s eight “ancient” societies.

These elite societies perform powerful magic tied to wealth, influence, and ambition—predicting the stock market, manipulating political outcomes, and even influencing the dead. Lethe monitors them to keep their rituals from crossing dangerous lines.

Alex is partnered with the charming, accomplished upperclassman Darlington, her mentor in the dangerous underworld of Yale. But when Darlington mysteriously disappears, Alex is left struggling to fulfill Lethe’s duties alone.

At the same time, a murder on campus appears unrelated to magic—until Alex notices signs that the ritual societies may be involved. Determined to uncover the truth, she digs deeper into secrets that Yale’s powerful alumni would kill to protect. As she investigates, Alex confronts her own past, her haunting abilities, and forces older and darker than anything she expected.

The book blends dark academia, fantasy, mystery/thriller elements and themes of trauma, privilege, and survival.

My rating: 8.5/10

Summer of Fun: The Addams Family (Part 2/2)

 Opening weekend of The Addams Family: Adaptive Edition was filled with a lot of back and forth and a lot of fun! We decorated the house to fit the mood, hosted a dinner with family before the Saturday show and stayed up way later than I was used to! 

Eva and I had lots of family and friends coming to each show. Opening night, my friend Erica from WALH and my respite worker Connie came to see the show as well as my friend Dylan from Camp Createablity and now a Penguin Alumni and Janelle, a former Camp Createability employee.

Saturday night was definitely my biggest night audience wise. I had a bunch of family join us from out of town. 

Sunday afternoon was a bittersweet closing show. While I didn't have a crowd as big as Saturday, we still had a few good friends come for the final performance.

I was so excited that my best friend, Parker was able to make the trip up with her dad to see the show, even if I was falling apart by the time she found me.

These next few pictures are of a few friends I had the pleasure of performing with and just a few of my personal favorites I didn't include in my previous post. Maya was an incredible Bride Ancestor and Xavier was the best Pugsley I could've asked for as Wednesday.

It was such a fun experience and I can't wait for Mary Poppins next year!

Summer of Fun: The Addams Family (Part 1/2)

This summer I was cast as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family musical that Penguin Project put on. It was a lot of hard work for 5 months of rehearsals, but it was so much fun!

My mentor, Maddie was amazing! She was a huge help with learning lines, blocking, vocals, and choreography. 

I absolutely loved my costumes for the show! I had some amazing props as well!

 

   

The set was so cool! It was amazing to see everything coming together on stage.

One of my favorite scenes was 'Pulled'. It was one of my biggest scenes and I spent lots of rehearsals working on it. During the last show, the wheel fell off, but I was able to keep going through the scene!

One of the biggest and most rehearsed scenes was 'Full Discolsure'. We spent a good chunk of practices just working on the blocking! I'm really happy with how well it went.

Another one of my favorite scenes was 'Crazier Than You'. It was even more challenging vocally than 'Pulled" because I was moving around the stage more.

I had such a great time and everyone in the cast was amazing! I can't wait to share more about this show in my next post!

Book Review: Bemused by Farrah Rochon

 

Synopsis

Bemused by Farrah Rochon is a young adult fantasy novel that delves into the untold origin story of the five Muses from Disney’s Hercules. This incredible prequel blends Greek mythology with themes of sisterhood and self-discovery.

The story centers on teenage sisters Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Terpsichore, and Thalia, who live in a quiet seaside village with their overprotective mother, Mnemosyne, the Goddess of Memories. After a disastrous public performance, Mnemosyne reveals their divine heritage but is swiftly kidnapped by Hades' minions, Pain and Panic. Under Calliope's leadership, the sisters embark on a perilous journey to rescue their mother, confronting mythical trials and uncovering their own powers along the way.

Bemused offers a fresh perspective on familiar characters, a story of the strength of familial bonds, and the journey from obscurity to heroism. It's a compelling read for fans of mythological retelling and Disney adaptations.

Thoughts
As a fan of both Disney and Greek mythology I loved this book! It added another layer to the Muses' characters and made me love them even more!

Rating

My rating for this book is a 10/10!

Night To Remember 2025: Out Of This World!

 This year was my second year attending Night to Rememeber on the Monona Terrace! It didn't take me long to find lots of friends to spend the night with!

While waiting in line, I saw my friend Jazz from Camp Createability (Red dress) and Caroline from Penguin Project! (Blue dress)

The theme was Outer Space/Star Wars (May the 4th be with you) and there were plenty of photo opportunities while in line.

I was paired with one of the art teachers from Camp Createability for the night! Maya is awesome!

Once we were in the dance, it didn't take long to find my other friends from Camp Createabilty! Noah, Dylan, and Jennifer are so fun!

Out in the lobby near the game tents, there were two aerial acrobats! It was so cool to see, especially the one girl in the wheelchair!

After a long but fun night of food, friends and fun, I was so tired, but it was worth it! I can't wait for next year!