A review by lifewithjoce
I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

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

5.0

Rebecca Makkai’s latest novel is, to be honest, nearly too overambitious. It shoots to have a perspective on everything, and while most of the time that misses for me, I Have Some Questions For You manages to pull it off by leaning directly into the unlikeable narrator quality without undercutting my investment in the story.

The book takes place in the aftermath of #MeToo, with our now adult narrator looking back on her days at her high school boarding school while also going through things in the present day. The true “mystery” of this book revolves around a 15 year-old murder that resulted in a Black man being imprisoned. While there are some conspiracy theories that he did not actually do it, for the most part it is believed.

It is only now, all this time later, that our narrator takes the time to think about whether Omar could have possibly actually done it, and what it means if he didn’t. What complicates this story is that rather than just exploring this one mystery, we are also exploring what it means to live in a post-#MeToo Trump era.

Full Review: https://writethroughthenight.com/2023/03/23/i-have-some-questions-for-you-a-messy-thriller-even-messier-protagonist-review/
Expand filter menu Content Warnings