Book Review: I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU by Rebecca Makkai

I Have Some Questions for You 

by Rebecca Makkai

Viking, 2023

448 pages

audio edition narrated by Julia Whelan

Penguin Audio, 2023

14 hours and 4 minutes

Motivation for reading:

I loved Makkai's earlier novel, The Great Believers, and have been eagerly awaiting her next offering.

Source:   ebook and digital audio borrowed from the library

Publisher's summary:

A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past—the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable years at a New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate, Thalia Keith, in the spring of their senior year. Though the circumstances surrounding Thalia’s death and the conviction of the school’s athletic trainer, Omar Evans, are hotly debated online, Bodie prefers—needs—to let sleeping dogs lie.

But when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie is inexorably drawn to the case and its increasingly apparent flaws. In their rush to convict Omar, did the school and the police overlook other suspects? Is the real killer still out there? As she falls down the very rabbit hole she was so determined to avoid, Bodie begins to wonder if she wasn’t as much of an outsider at Granby as she’d thought—if, perhaps, back in 1995, she knew something that might have held the key to solving the case.

My thoughts:

If I had not read and loved The Great Believers, I probably would not have picked up this book based on the plot description. Additionally, if loving The Great Believers, was my sole motivation for choosing I Have Some Questions for You, I would have been sorely disappointed. Luckily, I had been forewarned that the two novels were completely different... and decided to read it anyway.

At it's heart, I Have Some Questions for you is a literary murder mystery, and a really good one! Makkai's writing is crisp, fresh, and pulled me right into the story. I'm always down for a good boarding school novel. Plus, I enjoyed the reminiscences of the 90s and the aspect of high school memories and re-examination of those experiences as an adult. I also loved the legal drama aspect. (Note to self: read this type of book more often.)  

What surprised me though, was everything else I found in the novel - a #MeToo movement storyline, the social justice aspect, and even some feminist rage. There is a lot here and Makkai does it very well. I found this to be an enjoyable page turner from a talented author.

A note on the audio production:  Like most of my reading lately, I Have Some Questions for You  was a read/listen combination. Over the past few years, Julia Whelan has become a favorite narrator. Her voice has a slight edge, maybe even barb, to it and that really suits this story perfectly. I'm glad I added the audio to my reading experience.

Bottom line: This IS NOT The Great Believers, but if you're open to something totally different from a proven talent, I Have Some Questions for You  could be just the thing!

My rating: