Claudia’s Middle School, Washington, D.C., 2010s

Claudia attends middle school for a majority of the events covered in the novel. In the time “Before the Before,” Claudia and Monday spend time in school together. In “The Before,” Claudia uses her time in school to figure out what happened to Monday. This is also where she learns that she has dyslexia and begins to go to the Learning Center for extra academic help.

Ed Borough Complex, Washington, D.C., 2010s

Monday and her family live in Ed Borough Complex, which is a poor neighborhood development that Claudia’s family views as unsafe. Throughout the book, developers threaten to evict everyone who lives there. Claudia is trapped in Monday’s bedroom at one point, trying to escape Mrs. Charles’ notice. In the end, she discovers that Monday and August died in the freezer in the Charles’ house. Claudia goes...