Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

71 reviews

_maddy's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Rape, and Pedophilia

Minor: Death of parent

blackeyedsuzi's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Death of parent, Death, Fatphobia, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Classism, and Bullying

addie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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: Murder, Domestic abuse, Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Child death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Rape, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, and Classism

Minor: Self harm, Stalking, and Cancer

nadia_luq's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

roniiweasley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Murder, and Death of parent

Moderate: Racism, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Eating disorder

alaina's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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? Yes

5.0

A literary take on the true crime/thriller genre. Great scene setting. Believable whodunnit. Masterful integration of real events (me too, pandemic, politics)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Bullying, Murder, Death, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Moderate: Eating disorder and Racism

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Terminal illness

mads_jpg's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

As someone who isn't a big fiction reader, I probably would never have read this book if it weren't for my work book club, but I'm so glad I did. 

I'm also really skeptical about the true crime entertainment industry, so this book's take on the genre was incredibly refreshing. The author's frequent references to real life cases, and her deliberate choice to not name perpetrators and instead center the experiences of both victims and survivors was fantastic. This book left me angry at the injustice of the justice system and the microagressions that eventually lead to violence against women and people of colour. 

Overall, it was an insightful take on true crime as a form of entertainment, and my only real critique was that the ending left me somewhat wanting.

While I'd loved the use of "you" as this ongoing mystery, I was disappointed we never had any kind of climax/closure with Mr Bloch. And while I know in reality Omar would probably never get justice, I really hoped the book would opt for a happy ending for him. Lastly, the final chapter felt like an odd way to finish the story. Aside from Bodie reflecting on Carlotta's death, it just felt like a moment of pause before the actual ending, so I was genuinely surprised when I realised it was over.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Drug use, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, and Sexism

sunbathingturtle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Could not put this book down. Thought about it constantly. Once the main storyline began, it swept me under. And the social commentary felt so sharp and real, because there were allowed to be no real answers. Just questions. As the title would suggest ;) 

Only reason this isn’t a 5 star read for me is because I was hoping for just a bit more from the ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Child death, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

Minor: Mental illness

deetabz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Murder, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual content, Racism, Self harm, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Cancer, Classism, Eating disorder, Rape, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Death of parent, Body shaming, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Stalking

katiecentabar's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

The pacing was off for me. It took a minute to get into and it was very myopic in places. I think some of the critique got lost in the theorizing 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Murder

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

Minor: Suicide