Reviews tagging 'Racism'

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

107 reviews

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

michmoo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Rape, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Self harm

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

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

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

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

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Infidelity

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

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

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

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