Reviews tagging 'Grief'

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

57 reviews

chelseylb1988's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Murder, Death, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Classism, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, and Cursing

courtneyclouts's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Bullying, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Mental illness, and Blood

Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Cancer, Classism, Self harm, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Eating disorder, Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Fatphobia

silverthistle's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

3.5 stars

I'll read just about anything if it is set at a boarding school/private school in New England. This was my first Rebecca Makkah book, and I'm eager to read others. I Have Some Questions for you had a great premise, but I ultimately couldn't figure out what Makkai wanted the book to be. Is it an unsolved crime story, a legal thriller, a dark academia novel, a court drama, commentary on injustice, a tribute to high school, or a critique of classism? 

More than anything, I think it is a novel about memory--when are one’s recollections from youth reliable and when are they not and how can our memories have lasting effects for better or for worse? I thought the "voice" of the novel was interesting. The writing style read like someone talking and reflecting in real-time, which lent itself nicely to the overarching podcast plot.

I recommend this book to people interested in crime, the 1990s, New England academic settings, #MeToo, or the injustice of the American legal system. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

nerdglasses08's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Eating disorder, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Abortion, Classism, Eating disorder, and Terminal illness

cseguiharris's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

I’ll think about this book for awhile. I was still hopeful and guessing through the very last sentence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Self harm, Classism, Gaslighting, Suicide, Body shaming, and Racism

Minor: Eating disorder, Cancer, Fatphobia, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic

late_nite_reads's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Wow….this book tackles a lot of topics ( American judicial system, memory, adolescence, #Metoo movement, victims of domestic abuse, the dark aspects of womanhood, and coming of age.) Plus Bodie’s voice was so STRONG. Like this read like an actual letter or diary, it felt so personal. Plus Bodie is super flawed which I think is Makkai’s point surrounding the plot of the novel. Like Bodie is conniving, manipulative, selfish, and hypocritical, and still naive. But that’s what made this story realistic. Bodie wasn’t a hero and her desire to be one was crushed by reality. This is the perfect book club book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Death of parent, Grief, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Blood, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Drug use, and Eating disorder

karen_lo's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

3.5 stars

It's confusing at the beginning, but once you pick up the pace, it's okay.

This is a very slow-burn book that reflects heavily on sexism, racism, gender-based violence, and memory.

I liked it, but I was expecting a confrontation that never came. I guess it's a parallelism with life, and how sometimes you're just left wondering the what-ifs, the could-haves, and the should-haves of important things.

I definitely wanted justice and liberty for the innocent ones.

It was a bittersweet read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Sexism, Violence, Rape, Racism, Infidelity, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Alcohol, Death, Sexual content, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Cancer, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder

Minor: Drug use, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Cancer, Mental illness, and Fatphobia

mraddd's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Blood, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Bullying, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Child death, Death, Stalking, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Suicide, Eating disorder, and Classism

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Self harm

katieritoch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, and Adult/minor relationship

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Classism, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Alcohol, Body shaming, Murder, Confinement, Death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Rape

Minor: Antisemitism, Colonisation, and Homophobia