Reviews tagging 'Child death'

I Have Some Questions for You: A Novel by Rebecca Makkai

57 reviews

arbramirez's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75


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courtneyclouts's review against another edition

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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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vavocado's review against another edition

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

3.0


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saraellenme's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75


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mraddd's review against another edition

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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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amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

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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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aubreystrawberry's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0


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amylou78's review against another edition

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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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lindsayerin's review against another edition

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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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bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

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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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