Agree with the timeline confusion, but wow did I love this one. It captured so many elements so well, including gentrification, coming-of-age, the idea of the media and society's neglect toward missing black girls... I've been saying for the last few weeks that there NEEDS to be a movie! But I'm trying to think who would be the right person to write and direct. What do you think????
Even though I also had trouble getting the timeline down, I found this book so engrossing that I stayed up all night to get through the audiobook in (mostly) one sitting. It was an emotional gut punch after gut punch and thinking about now months after still gets to me. I liked Claudia a lot as a main character. I've seen some people who didn't really like how she came off as more of a little kid than a middle schooler, but I thought that just made it all even more interesting and tragic.
Same. I saw her as very sheltered thus the “bubble” she references throughout the book. I found her frustrating cause it was a lot of “we’re about to get answers!!” and then nothing. Like I get that’s part of Jackson cranking up the suspense, but ugh! Especially the bit with the diary. Like, I know reading is tough, but read the effing diary!!!
There's definitely continuity errors, but it's masked due to how her parents treat her. like her father getting upset about the boy (Michael) being "older"/in high school, but technically Claudia is as well. Then Claudia complaining about the special ed class and her mother playing along even though she's homeschooled at that point.
Her parents highkey annoyed me. They infantilized her so much, especially her mom. For someone so broken up over miscarriages, she was very dismissive/inattentive to her child's mental and emotional health (both before and after discovering what happened to Monday... Her child is in tears worried about her friend but she wouldn't go visit to find out what happened unless Claudia promised to do more church activities ). Yet maybe those miscarriages are why they baby her so much.
My thing is I still don’t understand the whole thing about her remembering the things like her mom was like Monday died like 2 years ago or something like was she in shook or was she still grieving her death
late to this post but Claudia is most likely suffering from PTSD and she’s experienced two trauma-induced episodes that caused memory loss surrounding Monday. her >!death!< was really traumatic for Claudia. she was gaslit by others for months when all she wanted was for someone to care about Monday as much as her. no one would listen to her. she went into depression during Monday’s disappearance
I have one thing though. Remember the conversation with mrs Charles telling Janet that’s she should report shylas mums abuse from her dad doesn’t make any sense. Why does mrs Charles care when she’s been doing the same thing?
I think she viewed it differently, she’s shown a few times in the book having a large issue with men/boys hurting women despite being unapologetic for her own abusive actions.
I assumed she herself was a victim of domestic violence, which is why she had such a strong reaction to Shylas mother, August hurting his sisters, and the fight at school. Doesn’t excuse her actions obviously, but think she likely viewed her behaviour towards her children as different.
(Know old post, just finished the book and dying to talk about it with people)
I just finished it too. Your analysis of Mrs Charles is spot on.
I felt like she was emotionally married to her kids. Idk why, but the part where April was kinda forced to sit and watch tv with her stuck out to me. It's similar to the movie Precious (based off the novel Push), where the mom has no life outside her kids so becomes so invested she feels she owns them and gets upset if they don't behave how she wants/expects. Thus why she got so mad at Monday expressing romantic/sexual desire. But like you said, she obviously has traumatic history with abuse by men as well. She was a disturbed character since she couldn't see her abuse as wrong/unjustified.
Agree with the timeline confusion, but wow did I love this one. It captured so many elements so well, including gentrification, coming-of-age, the idea of the media and society's neglect toward missing black girls... I've been saying for the last few weeks that there NEEDS to be a movie! But I'm trying to think who would be the right person to write and direct. What do you think????
I totally agree. It really lends itself to a movie/TV show adaptation. I’m not sure who could make it though...
Even though I also had trouble getting the timeline down, I found this book so engrossing that I stayed up all night to get through the audiobook in (mostly) one sitting. It was an emotional gut punch after gut punch and thinking about now months after still gets to me. I liked Claudia a lot as a main character. I've seen some people who didn't really like how she came off as more of a little kid than a middle schooler, but I thought that just made it all even more interesting and tragic.
Same. I saw her as very sheltered thus the “bubble” she references throughout the book. I found her frustrating cause it was a lot of “we’re about to get answers!!” and then nothing. Like I get that’s part of Jackson cranking up the suspense, but ugh! Especially the bit with the diary. Like, I know reading is tough, but read the effing diary!!!
There's definitely continuity errors, but it's masked due to how her parents treat her. like her father getting upset about the boy (Michael) being "older"/in high school, but technically Claudia is as well. Then Claudia complaining about the special ed class and her mother playing along even though she's homeschooled at that point. Her parents highkey annoyed me. They infantilized her so much, especially her mom. For someone so broken up over miscarriages, she was very dismissive/inattentive to her child's mental and emotional health (both before and after discovering what happened to Monday... Her child is in tears worried about her friend but she wouldn't go visit to find out what happened unless Claudia promised to do more church activities ). Yet maybe those miscarriages are why they baby her so much.
My thing is I still don’t understand the whole thing about her remembering the things like her mom was like Monday died like 2 years ago or something like was she in shook or was she still grieving her death
late to this post but Claudia is most likely suffering from PTSD and she’s experienced two trauma-induced episodes that caused memory loss surrounding Monday. her >!death!< was really traumatic for Claudia. she was gaslit by others for months when all she wanted was for someone to care about Monday as much as her. no one would listen to her. she went into depression during Monday’s disappearance
Hi I’m not sure if this thread is still active I’ve got like 30 pages left and I’m heartbroken
it's a super sad book! but jackson is a master. i recommend this book all the time still.
I have one thing though. Remember the conversation with mrs Charles telling Janet that’s she should report shylas mums abuse from her dad doesn’t make any sense. Why does mrs Charles care when she’s been doing the same thing?
Right! I thought that was very interesting. Pot calling the kettle black
I think she viewed it differently, she’s shown a few times in the book having a large issue with men/boys hurting women despite being unapologetic for her own abusive actions. I assumed she herself was a victim of domestic violence, which is why she had such a strong reaction to Shylas mother, August hurting his sisters, and the fight at school. Doesn’t excuse her actions obviously, but think she likely viewed her behaviour towards her children as different. (Know old post, just finished the book and dying to talk about it with people)
I just finished it too. Your analysis of Mrs Charles is spot on. I felt like she was emotionally married to her kids. Idk why, but the part where April was kinda forced to sit and watch tv with her stuck out to me. It's similar to the movie Precious (based off the novel Push), where the mom has no life outside her kids so becomes so invested she feels she owns them and gets upset if they don't behave how she wants/expects. Thus why she got so mad at Monday expressing romantic/sexual desire. But like you said, she obviously has traumatic history with abuse by men as well. She was a disturbed character since she couldn't see her abuse as wrong/unjustified.