Characters
This is the name of Monday’s older sister, who tries to protect her siblings but is trapped in her mother's cycle of abuse.
April
This academic struggle is a secret Monday and Claudia share, which tightly bonds them as they rely on each other to pass their classes.
Dyslexia
In a horrific discovery, the remains of Monday and her brother are found hidden inside this household appliance.
A standalone freezer
This specific setting serves as a safe haven for Claudia throughout the book, contrasting sharply with the terrifying atmosphere of Monday’s home.
Claudia's house
Monday often wore long sleeves and heavy makeup even in warm weather, a common behavioral sign used to hide this.
Physical abuse signs like bruising
This teacher is one of the few school staff members who expresses concern about Monday’s extended absence, though her hands are legally tied.
Ms. Valente
The novel heavily critiques this government system for failing to follow up on the welfare of Monday and her siblings.
Child Protective Services (CPS) or the DCFS
This shocking revelation about Claudia's timeline explains why she couldn't remember certain details about the year Monday went missing.
Monday had already been dead for two years (or Claudia's memory loss/trauma-induced amnesia)
The title of the novel refers not just to a day of the week, but to this specific, tragic reality.
Monday never coming home
The book emphasizes how this specific factor—the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood—contributed to the apathy of the police and social workers.
Poverty
This is the name of Monday’s brother, who also suffers from the severe neglect and abuse in the household.
August
This color is frequently associated with Monday's favorite things and becomes a symbol of her memory for Claudia.
Pink
This character is ultimately revealed to be the primary abuser responsible for the deaths of the Charles children.
Mrs. Charles (Monday's mother)
The tragic irony of the book's timeline reveals that Monday was actually killed during this specific month of the previous year.
June or July
This is the name of the boy Claudia develops a crush on during the novel, who provides a brief distraction from her intense grief and anxiety.
Michael
She is Claudia’s mother, a steady and protective force who tries to shield Claudia from the dark realities of Monday's home life.
Janet (Ma)
A major theme of the book is how the media and police systematically ignore missing children from this demographic group.
Young Black girls
This specific event in the neighborhood provides the distraction and cover that allows the gruesome truth of the Charles house to finally be uncovered.
An eviction
Claudia goes to this specific place—where she and Monday used to hang out and read—hoping to find her friend hiding there.
The public library
This is the name of the projects where Monday lives.
Ed Borough
Which character is a musician in a go-go band?
Daddy (Gerald)
Claudia realizes something is deeply wrong when Monday misses this specific, chaotic first milestone of the school year.
The first day of school
Claudia and Monday's friendship originally blossomed over this shared, high-energy extracurricular activity at school.
Dance (or the dance team)
This neighbor at the Edsel Turner Houses noticed the foul smell and strange occurrences at the Charles apartment but didn't intervene due tonot wanting to be nosy.
Mrs. Raintree
This is the city the novel is set in.
Washington, D.C.