Reviews tagging 'Racism'

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

114 reviews

amylou78's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

As a mystery fan, you sometimes feel like you’re reading the same basic book over and over. Not that that’s a bad thing, but it usually goes something like: establish the crime, establish the ”detective,” introduce the cast of quirky characters and potential suspects. Then, after a series of aha moments, flip through the pages as the detective closes in on the perpetrator. I loved this book for taking a fresh approach to the standard Dead Girl mystery. 

Makkai has already won a Pulitzer prize, so you know her prose is up to snuff. It’s never overly flowery, with plenty of artful observation and psychological insight. She’s not just walking us through the facts but the digressions never feel indulgent. 

I particularly appreciated the way she contextualizes the body of “yet another dead girl” in world that unfortunately, yet undeniably, produces an inappropriately high number of them. 

And for any formally awkward Gen Xers out there, this is a fun, nostalgic ride that does a lovely job of conjuring what it was like to experience high school in the ‘90s. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Racism, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cancer, Child death, and Car accident

fkshg8465's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.75

Sat through waiting for the big moment of the good triumphing over bad, but it never came. Felt like I ate a giant dinner but was still hungry.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Eating disorder, Racism, and Murder

lindsayerin's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Vomit, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, and Pandemic/Epidemic

hanhantap's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infidelity and Forced institutionalization

eicart_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.5

I almost put this book down because I thought it was kinda boring at first (maybe the first 35 percent.) I expected a fast paced thriller/mystery, but that's not what this book is. I started to understand the bigger picture, let go of the idea that it was a typical thriller, and kept listening. I'm so glad I did because I ended up loving this! The book has so much to say about so many things: violence against women, racism in policing and criminal investigations, memories, family relationships, misogyny, social/economic class privilege, the use of social media to examine crimes... and a lot more.

The storytelling device used by the author to bring attention to the ever present news stories of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and violence against women was equal parts brilliant and heart wrenching. 

If you're looking for a mystery/thriller/true crime book that is straightforward and wraps things up in a neat bow, this is not the book for you. 

The audio is fantastic, narrated by Julia Whelan with a small cameo by JD Jackson. 

There is a lot of potentially triggering content in this book. Be mindful and maybe check The StoryGraph before diving in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, and Classism

Minor: Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, Self harm, and Terminal illness

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I like a book that makes me think. SOME QUESTIONS had me reflect on how we so often only construct narratives around justice to serve ourselves, as well as the sheer challenge of being a woman in this world. It made me angry—not because of the book itself, but rather because I share in its exhaustion over the many harmful ramifications of the patriarchy.

I know it's not perfect—some characters are thinly fleshed out, it critiques true crime as a genre without ever truly being able to escape it—but it had me hooked and it had me ponder and, for me, that's enough.

(I also found it cathartic reading about a private school and realising what bizarre, intense, and intoxicating places they can be.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Rape and Sexual content

Minor: Suicide attempt

ecn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

katarinabee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book is like the first season of the Serial podcast, crossed with the dark academia vibes of Tartt's "The Secret History".  It examines true crime as a genre - such as how invested we can get in a crime; how difficult it can be to find the "truth"; and the power/limitations of "citizen detectives". There's also a deep dive into cancel culture - how it can be important and useful for challenging abusers in positions of power, but also looking at  problematic aspects too. I watched Contrapoints' video essay on YouTube about cancel culture around the same time as reading this book, which was a really nice complement. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Racism, Grief, Car accident, and Alcohol

adlane22's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Murder, and Sexual harassment

kathleenthebean's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment