What do you think?
Rate this book
Another Kind of Monday
When Mark discovers money and a note concealed in a copy of a library book, he undertakes a quest that leads to more knowledge of himself
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
4 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
William E. Coles Jr.
8 books1 followerWilliam E. Coles is the author of many books and articles on the teaching or writing and literature, and he has published three young adults novels. He teaches at the University of Pittsburgh.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 8, 2011
I didn't care for this book... at all, really. It just felt so awkward. The main character was written as if he was from the 1950s. I still don't understand what really happened at the end, with the last assignment, and I don't care to try and figure it out. Maybe it's just me, but I felt as if there was some awkward sexual tension between Mark and his mother. Some of my favorite WTF quotes regarding the two:
"'Ah,' she said knowingly. She ran the tip of her tongue lightly across her upper lip and then smiled at him again. Mark smiled back but felt himself flush. He looked quickly out the windshield."
"Once, when he'd been younger, in grade school, he'd been alone in the house and had gone into his mother's bedroom, where he'd opened the drawers of her bureau one by one. He'd found Tampax, though he hadn't known then what it was, and in another drawer, a small one, under a lot of handkerchiefs, there were several pairs of see-through black lace panties and a manila envelope full of what looked to be old letters. He'd run downstairs then and outside to the open air."
"He looked down at his mother's heaving shoulders, at her thick, dark hair, dark as a raven's wing, and into his mind came an image of her naked in a bed, moaning with pleasure. He shivered as though with a chill."
Maybe it was just to emphasize how his father wasn't around and the close relationship he had with his mother. The subject of his sexual nature, so to speak, was so touch and go though, that these quotes were the most sexually explicit in the entire book. It wasn't sexually explicit at all, which is why it stood out. And they were about his mother? Weird, man. Just weird.
Ah book sale finds. Off you go to the Goodreads book swap program!
"'Ah,' she said knowingly. She ran the tip of her tongue lightly across her upper lip and then smiled at him again. Mark smiled back but felt himself flush. He looked quickly out the windshield."
"Once, when he'd been younger, in grade school, he'd been alone in the house and had gone into his mother's bedroom, where he'd opened the drawers of her bureau one by one. He'd found Tampax, though he hadn't known then what it was, and in another drawer, a small one, under a lot of handkerchiefs, there were several pairs of see-through black lace panties and a manila envelope full of what looked to be old letters. He'd run downstairs then and outside to the open air."
"He looked down at his mother's heaving shoulders, at her thick, dark hair, dark as a raven's wing, and into his mind came an image of her naked in a bed, moaning with pleasure. He shivered as though with a chill."
Maybe it was just to emphasize how his father wasn't around and the close relationship he had with his mother. The subject of his sexual nature, so to speak, was so touch and go though, that these quotes were the most sexually explicit in the entire book. It wasn't sexually explicit at all, which is why it stood out. And they were about his mother? Weird, man. Just weird.
Ah book sale finds. Off you go to the Goodreads book swap program!
August 20, 2024
I love this book, mostly because it takes place in my city, the city of bridges. I read it in middle school but recently started rereading it because I don’t remember much from the first read through. I especially love when they mention Calvary Cemetery, the big Catholic cemetery located in Hazelwood because it happens to be the same cemetery my great grandmother is buried in. It’s really cool getting to learn about some of Pittsburgh’s history and makes me feel close to home.
July 6, 2010
This book started out as a very intriguing mystery, but the end just left me saying, "What?" Maybe there's some deep meaning I missed, but I found it disappointing.
Read
June 21, 2017Mark finds a book in the library which he discovers in between two pages an invitation for a mysterious quest. If he could complete the quest he would be rewarded a big fortune of wealth. In this story what happens is mark is taken in for hiring for a secret company where in a way links to child labor. "If you're caught, don't tell them you are associated with us in any way." (89, Chapter 2)
This indicated that the company he was working with encouraged him to do illegal things and in this case the illegal thing he was doing was working under aged.
The style of the book was written as if it was from the past considering this book took place in the 1950's, there for the vocabulary was in past tense. it was a unconventional story telling book because through out the story the book did not really stick to one main idea but several which threw me off near the ending. the pacing of the story was pretty fast considering this book had many several main ideas and charterer that were rushed through.
I honestly did not enjoy reading this book because one it the not stay committed to one idea but several which through me off completely and two they rushed the book when it could have been something more if they had really taken their time and efforts in completing the story line. I feel like this book would appeal to mostly teens because in the story the main character plays the role of a teen and how a teen would deal with ever day basis so i feel like teens would easily be able to relate to the main character.
This indicated that the company he was working with encouraged him to do illegal things and in this case the illegal thing he was doing was working under aged.
The style of the book was written as if it was from the past considering this book took place in the 1950's, there for the vocabulary was in past tense. it was a unconventional story telling book because through out the story the book did not really stick to one main idea but several which threw me off near the ending. the pacing of the story was pretty fast considering this book had many several main ideas and charterer that were rushed through.
I honestly did not enjoy reading this book because one it the not stay committed to one idea but several which through me off completely and two they rushed the book when it could have been something more if they had really taken their time and efforts in completing the story line. I feel like this book would appeal to mostly teens because in the story the main character plays the role of a teen and how a teen would deal with ever day basis so i feel like teens would easily be able to relate to the main character.
June 10, 2023
I picked this book up at a Little Free Library so I'm several years late in reviewing it. I'm also 57 years old, not a young adult.
A lot of reviews point out how confusing the last assignment was. It was not anything supernatural or wizardry; it was simply a medical condition. The character, Rose Tourette, states in chapter 26: "I am a Touretter so I call myself Rose Tourette." One has to be familiar with the condition of Tourette's Syndrome and the severity of it to understand what was going on: face contortion, yelling out, twitching, etc. In chapter 27, Zeena explains to Mark: "What we saw was a woman with a disease. An affliction, he calls it. I bet if we looked up Tourette we find it's some kind of condition." Bingo.
The book left me with more questions than answers. **SPOILERS** Who hit Mark in the face with a bottle? How did the quest writer know Pennyman and Rose Tourette would still be alive to provide clues to the beneficiaries? Was Rose Tourette the quest writer since she must have given Mark and Zeena the final envelope?
The last chapter was anti-climactic, however I do not need the end of a story to be wrapped up neatly with a happy ending, nor did I need to know who left the assignments and money. I prefer to use my imagination on how I think it ends. Overall, an enjoyable read for older adults as well as young adults.
A lot of reviews point out how confusing the last assignment was. It was not anything supernatural or wizardry; it was simply a medical condition. The character, Rose Tourette, states in chapter 26: "I am a Touretter so I call myself Rose Tourette." One has to be familiar with the condition of Tourette's Syndrome and the severity of it to understand what was going on: face contortion, yelling out, twitching, etc. In chapter 27, Zeena explains to Mark: "What we saw was a woman with a disease. An affliction, he calls it. I bet if we looked up Tourette we find it's some kind of condition." Bingo.
The book left me with more questions than answers. **SPOILERS** Who hit Mark in the face with a bottle? How did the quest writer know Pennyman and Rose Tourette would still be alive to provide clues to the beneficiaries? Was Rose Tourette the quest writer since she must have given Mark and Zeena the final envelope?
The last chapter was anti-climactic, however I do not need the end of a story to be wrapped up neatly with a happy ending, nor did I need to know who left the assignments and money. I prefer to use my imagination on how I think it ends. Overall, an enjoyable read for older adults as well as young adults.
November 16, 2025
Another Kind of Monday follows a teenager named Mark who finds $50 and a mysterious note in a library book that sends him on a city-wide scavenger hunt in Pittsburgh. As he follows each clue, the tasks push him to think about his life, his choices, and what kind of person he wants to be in the future. The journey takes him all over Pittsburgh, making the setting feel important to the story. Mark teams up with a girl named Judi, and their friendship adds emotion and depth to the hunt. The idea behind the mystery is unique, but some parts of the book feel slow and a little confusing, and hard to keep track of. Because of that, the story didn’t always keep my attention, and it was easy to lose focus. With all of that in mind, I rated this book 3 stars because it’s interesting and exciting at some points, but not consistently exciting.
June 10, 2024
For some reason the plot of this book really stuck with me. I read it in high school and am here at 36 years old still thinking about it. I don’t remember if it was “good” or not but there’s just something about it!
July 11, 2018
This book was...weird, to put it nicely. I got into the book because of the math involved and some of the mystery. There are many questions left in the end. I saw some of the logic involved in the end, but at the same time, there are loose ends that needed tied up.
The setting of where the book takes place is in question, except that the characters live somewhere in Pennsylvania.
The setting of where the book takes place is in question, except that the characters live somewhere in Pennsylvania.
July 18, 2020
YA book. Interesting stuff about Pittsburgh.
October 29, 2021
It was clever and it was Pittsburgh through and through. Using only 3 words to describe an entire book like on Netflix does for a show I would say: clever, Pittsburgh and unique.
March 17, 2024
This book does not necessarily deserve 4 stars, empirically, based on quality of writing, believability, etc. But it has 4 stars in my heart. You like what you like.
December 11, 2011
"I love you, I want to have another kind of monday with you," the main character says to whom he loves.
This near excellent book immediately sucks you in like dirt into a vacuum. I commend William E. Coles Jr.'s ability to keep Another Kind of Monday flowing throughout the entire book, but think he should add a bit more fervor to the book.
When Mark checks out Great Excpectations from his school library minutes before it closes, he has no idea what he is about to get himself into. Halfway through Great Expectations, Mark comes across two pages stuck together with evident but uncanny deliberateness; he opens them to find three one-hundred dollar bills and an anonymous letter inviting him to go on a hard but important quest. There are eight to this quest strewn out around Pittsburgh, each one leaving an obscure clue helping Mark find the next step. At one point he has to choose someone to continue the quest with him. He is required to choose a female who he doesn’t have a relationship with; he is prevented form choosing his loving but frequently irksome girlfriend, Merial, so should he choose a girl from school?
The main character of this book, Mark, is an extremely determined, tenacious, and intelligent young man, and he is aware of everything that goes on around him. He lives in the exciting city of Pittsburgh in a house with his divorced mom ( who has a boyfriend named Guy). Throughout this book while Mark is putting all of his time and energy into completing the quest there are several things preventing him from doing so: the constant wonder of where his dad might be, the frequent displeasure with Merial, the difficulty to work with whom he is partnering with for the quest, and the overt vagueness of the quest and where to find the other pieces.
While reading this book I noticed both good aspects and flaws. Also, I made correlations with other writing. What I enjoyed most about this book was the subtle but sure way William E. Coles Jr. sucked me into the story, and got me extremely involved, and it encouraged me to predict what might happen next. Before reading this book I didn’t even know Mark, but now, though he is fictional, I feel that I truly know him.
Along with the great things about the book, there were certain aspects about the book that didn’t appeal to me. This book often lacked energy, and to suck the reader in more the author should add in more. Also, I feel elaboration at the end of the book is needed because I can’t say that I was completely satiated. Conclusively, I think this would be an excellent book for Shoshana Goldman to pick off of the shelf. She would surely enjoy the well-written piece, how it flows, and its subtlety, and I think that she would take pleasure in getting to know all of the characters.
This near excellent book immediately sucks you in like dirt into a vacuum. I commend William E. Coles Jr.'s ability to keep Another Kind of Monday flowing throughout the entire book, but think he should add a bit more fervor to the book.
When Mark checks out Great Excpectations from his school library minutes before it closes, he has no idea what he is about to get himself into. Halfway through Great Expectations, Mark comes across two pages stuck together with evident but uncanny deliberateness; he opens them to find three one-hundred dollar bills and an anonymous letter inviting him to go on a hard but important quest. There are eight to this quest strewn out around Pittsburgh, each one leaving an obscure clue helping Mark find the next step. At one point he has to choose someone to continue the quest with him. He is required to choose a female who he doesn’t have a relationship with; he is prevented form choosing his loving but frequently irksome girlfriend, Merial, so should he choose a girl from school?
The main character of this book, Mark, is an extremely determined, tenacious, and intelligent young man, and he is aware of everything that goes on around him. He lives in the exciting city of Pittsburgh in a house with his divorced mom ( who has a boyfriend named Guy). Throughout this book while Mark is putting all of his time and energy into completing the quest there are several things preventing him from doing so: the constant wonder of where his dad might be, the frequent displeasure with Merial, the difficulty to work with whom he is partnering with for the quest, and the overt vagueness of the quest and where to find the other pieces.
While reading this book I noticed both good aspects and flaws. Also, I made correlations with other writing. What I enjoyed most about this book was the subtle but sure way William E. Coles Jr. sucked me into the story, and got me extremely involved, and it encouraged me to predict what might happen next. Before reading this book I didn’t even know Mark, but now, though he is fictional, I feel that I truly know him.
Along with the great things about the book, there were certain aspects about the book that didn’t appeal to me. This book often lacked energy, and to suck the reader in more the author should add in more. Also, I feel elaboration at the end of the book is needed because I can’t say that I was completely satiated. Conclusively, I think this would be an excellent book for Shoshana Goldman to pick off of the shelf. She would surely enjoy the well-written piece, how it flows, and its subtlety, and I think that she would take pleasure in getting to know all of the characters.
October 6, 2008
The best thing about this novel is that it is set in Pittsburgh. Mark is a senior in high school when he checks out a school library book that begins him on his "quest." This quest takes him on a scavenger hunt throughout the city; deciphering clues about people in the city's past.
I honestly didn't love the book and I am not really sure who I would recommend it to. It's definitely a teen book, and a little dated with the language and writing style... I know, thats not very helpful.
I honestly didn't love the book and I am not really sure who I would recommend it to. It's definitely a teen book, and a little dated with the language and writing style... I know, thats not very helpful.
November 14, 2010
The main plot is boring. But the sub plots about Zeena, Muriel, and Mark's mom are interesting. The ending was really confusing and pointless though. I'd rather the mystery just be taken out so the romance element could be built up more, and I usually think that's a bad idea. Mark was annoying at times and he needed more development to hold the story, the minor characters were definitely more interesting than him.
May 4, 2011
So I liked this book all the way up to the end. I found it very engaging. BUT.
*SPOILER ALERT*
When they went to the one chick to get their "reward," it (1st) FREAKED me out and (2nd) I just thought it was a really lame ending to such a great book. I mean, sure, have them have some kind of epiphany, discover treasure--even metaphorical treasure! or take the romance to a new level. But I didn't like what happened at all. So this book gets 2 stars from me.
*SPOILER ALERT*
When they went to the one chick to get their "reward," it (1st) FREAKED me out and (2nd) I just thought it was a really lame ending to such a great book. I mean, sure, have them have some kind of epiphany, discover treasure--even metaphorical treasure! or take the romance to a new level. But I didn't like what happened at all. So this book gets 2 stars from me.
January 6, 2011
Mark discovers a letter and 3 hundred dollar bills in a copy of Great Expectations. The letter offers a quest and the first of several clues. Mark works the first few out himself, then he gets a partner, Zeena. As the year goes by, the two live in their secret world of clues. They fall in love with each other as their quest goes on. What will be the end of their journey together?
June 22, 2012
The fact that this story took place in Pittsburgh made it fun to read since I had been to most of the places described in this tale. Part scavenger hunt, part Pittsburgh history, part literary reference, the story revolves around two teens are on a mysterious quest that sometimes puts them in dangerous situations. Although a bit far-fetched in parts, it was still a compelling read.
May 1, 2013
I really like the idea. Im only giving it a 3/5 because the ending with the last assignment is very confusing. I have no clue what happened there. But for the most part the book was good.The characters were not flat. Well most of them anyway. The idea was interesting so if I ever find out what happened at the end I woul probably give it another star but still a worthwhile read.
December 7, 2015
the most interesting part of this book is that, in its setting of 1996, the characters have to do a ton of research without the internet. microfilms, librarians, phone books, searching through entire books for slivers of information..... it's so unfamiliar even though I lived through it. the Information Singularity is already in our past.
August 5, 2010
When Mark borrows Great Expectations from the library, he discovers $300 and an assignment. With the help from a classmate, the two explore the history of Pittsburgh to determine who is hiding the assignments.
June 5, 2015
I wanted to like this book, a quest around Pittsburgh and a bit of a romance. But it is quite dated and the characters are off. The ending is abrupt and unconnected.
Definitely will not be adding this to the class to-read list.
Definitely will not be adding this to the class to-read list.
April 3, 2011
Good story that moves along, but the ending is too much like real life to be satisfying. It just ends. No resolution. Life goes on.
January 18, 2023
A guy finds three 100-dollar bills hidden in a library book and a note that invites him to do a search for other prizes. Set in Pittsburgh and its suburbs.
August 9, 2012
A friend recommended this YA book and it was very good. Full of little known Pittsburgh facts and local history with a good story and fully realized chacters
Read
April 7, 2011okee dokee
August 1, 2013
With twists and turns throughout the novel you won't be able to stop reading!
March 27, 2017
I thought that this book was just decent, nothing special. If I knew that it was going to be how it was, I would not have read it. Overall it was pretty boring and really predictable. The idea of a quest is good and interesting but nothing about what occurred on the quest was exciting. Not to mention I could see most of the events coming before they even happened. I feel that the book deserves this rating because it was really hard to finish it. I most likely would not have finished it if I did not have to for my English class. I would not recommend this book to anyone mainly because it moved slow and was boring.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews