Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

88 reviews

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

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

jennabeck13's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai 

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

Genre: Mystery

About 435 pages

Bodie Kane had a tough time in high school. She never quite fit in at Granby, a somewhat snooty boarding school in New Hampshire, but yet over a decade later she finds herself back at the school teaching two mini-courses. Not only did Bodie have a tough time throughout her four years but she had to deal with the murder of her former roommate, Thalia, during their senior year. Being back at Granby has forced Thalia’s death to the front of her mind. Bodie can’t help but feel that the case was not investigated properly and that Thalia hasn’t received the justice she deserves. When a student of Bodie’s decides to cover the case for their podcast, Bodie can’t help but dive back into the rabbit hole herself. During the mini-semester, Bodie discovers she knew more than she realized about Thalia’s death.

I enjoyed this book and there was nothing I explicitly didn’t like. However, it felt like something was missing? If I was to try to point to something, I would argue that the pacing was off/too slow. I found the story interesting and I enjoyed Bodie as a narrator. I also liked how Makkai tackled some of the topics we have grown to find important in criminal cases such as racial profiling, grooming, privilege, etc., and the impact true crime shows/podcasts now have on investigations

Favorite Quote: “For a teenager, being seen a certain way is as good as being that way—and soon your vision became part of my self-image.”

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Physical abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Blood, Bullying, Death, Cultural appropriation, and Murder

Minor: Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, and Pandemic/Epidemic

smaravetz's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Murder, Death, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Bullying and Eating disorder

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

Minor: Cancer, Car accident, and Child death

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

laurenleigh's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I’ve been reading too much “meh” lately, and I’m so glad I finally found a five star! I adore Makkai’s work yet again. I’m fascinated by the range of her work. This novel is so of this time. You’ve got Covid, true crime podcasts, and the Me Too movement all in one. I would have enjoyed the boarding school murder mystery on its own, but the feminist layer on top made it even more powerful. Fair warning, this book may enrage you at some points. Perhaps it was even a bit heavy handed at times, like I could feel Makkai’s own rage. But it really hooked me, and I couldn’t put it down! The pacing and the main character (while morally ambiguous at times) was quite engaging.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Bullying, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, and Eating disorder

Minor: Blood

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: Murder, Child death, Sexual harassment, and Vomit

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

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

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

awderrick's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Classism, Racism, Violence, and Bullying