I struggled a bit with this one. It’s written as a letter to a voiceless character, and essentially reopens a murder investigation of a young woman at a boarding school who the narrator was once roommates with.

There wasn’t anything wrong with it, I just didn’t connect with the characters or the plot in a way that engaged me.

A perfectly pleasant read but that was all for me.

Fans of dark academia and Donna Tartt's The Secret History will enjoy this new book by Rebecca Makkai. Its interesting to see how popular this genre has remained over the years. Its 2018 and Tump has been in power for a year. Bodie Kane, a 40 year old Professor of Film, returns to her alma mater of Granby, an elite New Hampshire boarding school to teach a short course in podcasting. Bodie herself is a well-known podcaster and has always been obsessed by the death of her former room-mate, Thalia Keith and the subsequent (dubious) conviction of a (black) athletics trainer for her murder. When one of her students makes this the subject of her podcast, Bodies memories of those days in the 1990s resurface.

There have always been rumours about an older un-named lover, a mysterious and predatory boyfriend. The "You" referenced by Bodie throughout the novel is a Mr Bloch, a drama teacher and in Bodie's mind, the true murderer. Bodie sets out to prove his guilt through her student's podcast, poring over old court transcripts and contacting former students.

This is very much a #metoo novel. Makkai peppers her story with references to the murders of several young women over the years and in doing so, reveals our obsession with true crime. This device also shows how violence against women has become so ubiquitous. This is a book that's best read in one or two big chunks. I made the mistake of reading it over several days and the uneven pacing became an issue for me. If you like your novels dark and character drive, this I recommend this to you. 3/5

I previously read The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai and didn’t really get on with it, for reasons I now can’t remember, but the sound of I Have Some Questions For You made me think that I should revisit Makkai’s writing. I’m glad I did as I really enjoyed this literary mystery set at a New Hampshire boarding school.

Bodie Kane, is a successful podcaster who is invited back to her alma mater to tutor students in the art of the medium. One student, however, wants to make a podcast about the 1995 murder of Thalia Keith, and what they consider to be the wrongful conviction of her killer. This causes a dilemma for Bodie, as she was a classmate of Thalia and always had her own theory about who was responsible for her death.

Makkai covers a lot of themes here; exploring the #MeToo movement and the insidious nature of violence against women, the morality of true-crime podcasts and very nature of truth itself, but she does so with a sharpness and sensitivity and never sacrifices the propulsive nature of her plot.

The most beautifully written, compelling, emotional thriller, and the term thriller somehow doesn’t seem to do it justice. So much detail, so much compassion - and rage - characters you just feel you can picture; who you know. I was desperate to find out what really happened, and by the end felt as if I was fully stitched into the story. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Rebecca Makkai is truly a genius. This felt so original and fresh, from someone who has read a lot of similarly set up novels. The writing is incredible, the pacing, the structure, the commentary. Recommending this to everyone!

"I Have Some Questions for You," a novel by Rebecca Makkai, is a look at the balance of law and order, memory, and social problems. Thalia Keith, a high school student, is murdered, and Omar Evans, a young Black athletics trainer, is convicted of her crime and sent to jail. In addition to discussing the influence of true crime podcasts on the legal system, Makkai masterfully incorporates discussions of racism, misogyny, power, and class.

Bodie Kane, a former classmate of Thalia's and current professor and podcaster, narrates the narrative. By following Bodie's thoughts and actions, the reader is challenged to reflect on his or her own relationships, the shortcomings of the legal system, and the effects of social media. Writing with delicacy and complexity, Makkai investigates these issues thoroughly.

One of the things that sets "I Have Some Questions for You" distinct from other crime fiction is that it doesn't have a neat ending. The reader is not spared from Makkai's unblinking stare, which pushes them to face unsettling realities about the flaws in our society. This isn't the book for you if you're hoping for a straightforward murder mystery; instead, it's a look at the intertwined natures of justice and memory. If you're searching for something interesting and thought-provoking to read, this may the book for you.

In this sophisticated whodunnit, Bodie Kane, a successful journalist, returns to her alma mater, a New Hampshire boarding school, to teach a course on podcasting. One of her students decides to focus her podcast series on the 1996 murder of Thalia Keith, Bodie’s beautiful former roommate. Thalia’s death has always been an obsession of Bodie’s. She very much doubts that the man who went down for the killing, the black athletics trainer Omar Evans, is guilty.
The book is written as an address to Denny Bloch, a teacher at the time, who Bodie suspects was having an affair with Thalia. As Bodie gets drawn deeper into the podcast research she cycles through all other the various scenarios and possible suspects, including Thalia’s boyfriend at the time, the jock Robbie, and even herself.
This book by the Pulitzer Prize finalist is a clever novel that plugs into the #MeToo movement. With its twists and turns the reader is kept guessing, but somehow Bodie isn’t a convincing character and the whole enterprise feels curiously bloodless. Fans of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History may like this, but it isn’t remotely as good.

Invited by Granby school to present a 2 week course on podcasting to a group of students Bodie, now a leading podcaster, is happy to accept. It is 25 years since she was a pupil there and she is curious to see how things have changed.
When one of her students proposes the subject of her podcast project being a fresh look at the murder of Thalia - a fellow student of Bodie's back in 1995 - a lot of memories are re-awakened - and Bodie is inexorably drawn into her student's investigation.
I admit to having some issues with this novel the greatest of which is that I was confident I knew the culprit well before the end and that undoubtedly removed a lot of the suspense. Secondly, I was a bit swamped by the number of characters - too many to get to know and therefore empathise with. Finally, I felt a number of the plot lines felt contrived and arrived with a bit of a clunk! For example, Bodie's partner getting attacked on Twitter for something that happened 20 years previously.
Not all reviews can be positive but it is important they faithfully reflect the opinion of the reviewer. Every opinion shall be different and my review should not deter a reader but rather drive them to read others to get a spread of opinions.

I did enjoy this book but it didn't blow me away. I think this is because it sold itself on being a thriller-eque and it wasn't a fast paced book. I did really love the storytelling of the book and the writing is gorgeous.

Star podcaster and professor Bodie Kane is returning to her alma mater, Granby, a secluded and exclusive New Hampshire boarding school, to instruct the next generation in journalism and podcasting. Her return to the school is a mixed bag of emotions: Bodie’s deftly avoided all the big reunions so far, only venturing back on campus to keep in touch with her childhood friend Fran, who also attended Granby and has ended up working and living at the school. Waves of nostalgia crash over Bodie relentlessly, but it’s not just memories of her traumatic pre-Granby adolescence that are causing such discomfort: the return forces her to confront the tragedy that hangs over the whole school, the violent murder of Bodie’s roommate, Thalia Keith, in their senior year, which rocked the nation and is now the subject of mass speculation about the convicted man’s guilt. Every shred of evidence from 1995 is being re-examined online and hotly debated by amateur sleuths, who are starting to question the verdict which saw a young Black man jailed for Thalia’s murder. As part of the course, Bodie has asked her students to make a short podcast on a specific topic: when a student suggests re-investigating Thalia’s murder, Bodie realises with a jolt that finding out what happened might be the real reason she accepted the job. But it quickly becomes apparent that we’re not alone in Bodie’s head and there’s someone else in the audience with us: she is directing her narrative to one of the faculty who taught Bodie in her teenage years. “I didn’t understand yet that I was there on your trail, that I wanted answers from you,” she says. “But the subconscious has a funny way of working things out.” Like all of Rebecca Makkai’s novels, I Have Some Questions For You is immersive and irresistible from the get-go: the central mystery is compelling enough on its own as a blend of Serial and The Secret History, but the book also offers up a hypnotic and provocative mix of dark academia, true crime podcasting, the Me Too movement and third-wave feminism that together, makes it impossible to put down.

Whilst this was a compelling literary mystery, it didn't work for me as much as I wanted it to, because I felt there was a big disjuncture between what the novel was trying to do, and what it actually did. It simply tried to tackle too many complex issues at once, and hence simplified them. It seemed like Makkai wanted to explore racism, the prison system, justice, #MeToo, predatory relationships, violence against women, and much more, but simply mentioned these topics without meaningfully engaging with them. This was disappointing.

A Campus Novel whodunnit with relevant commentary on timely themes. Bodie Kane returns to her New Hampshire boarding school over 20 years after she left. the same year one of her classmates and former roommate was killed. Omar Evans was declared guilty but there is more to the tale..

Whilst the mystery of who killed Thalia Keith is the thread that pulls you through the book, it was the wider discussion of male violence against women, cancel culture and online witch-hunts that made this a real standout read for me.The Granby campus deep in the woods gave me Secret History/dark academia vibes, but with a true crime podcast/documentary element woven in this story has an edge that made it feel very modern.

I loved Makkai's last novel, The Great Believers when I read it a couple of years ago and her latest offering hrs cemented her as a must read author for me. I'll be looking at picking up her two backlist books before too long.

This is an odd little book. Mostly it's a murder mystery 20 years after the fact but it is also a coming of age story. The protagonist is Bodie, an awkward fat girl who was sent to this boarding school full of preppy, entitled kids. The story is told from Bodie's perspective as she returns as a guest teacher and her memories of the two years she spent there as a teenager.

The story can be a bit confusing, especially in the beginning as it's a first person account told to unknown person (in the beginning). The narrative also jumps around in time so much it can be highly disorientating. An interesting read but I am still not sure if I liked it.

There were quite a few bits of this book that bothered me, many issues that could have been explored but weren't. As it is told from a first person perspective we get to know Bodie very well, probably too well. All narrators are unreliable and despite her attempts at impartiality she has her own prejudices and biases.

The aspect of a grown woman returning to a place that was so influential in her youth was interesting in contrast with a school-friend of Bodie's who had returned to teach straight after university. I went to a small independent school as a day pupil and there were a couple of teachers who where ex-pupils so I guess it it's not an uncommon phenomena.

Bodie was a slightly overweight girl who in her teenage form presents a edgy, unapproachable front to protect her from any potential attention. The fact that she became an 'internet famous' podcaster, specializing in true crime was a bit odd but hey, I am sure they exist somewhere (but I can's see it something you can make much of a income from).
3.5 stars

Now. What the fuck was this?

Let's start with the general things: The writing was gorgeous, engaging, gripping even. Sentences expertly crafted. The mystery was certainly intriguing, and I found myself turning the pages wanting to know what happened next - until I realized the chapter titles give away the culprit. Wow. Okay. Still - an engaging read, with relevant topics, and that bitter note swinging through concerning adult-minor-relationships. This book had important things to say, and it said them.

Until the sideplot began.
Tell me, does the author think that this sideplot supports or undermines her point? Because I do not understand how a book that has this kind of message (that adult-minor-relationships are inherently abusive, that pedophilia is capital B BAD, that power imbalances in a relationship are dangerous) turn around and add a plotline that presents a sexually abused woman and paints her as a lunatic? A side plot that takes a young woman in a relationship with a much older man who is in a position of power over her, and clearly takes the stance that this woman is wrong? Characterizing her as an overdramatic little girl who takes what was a "consensual relationship" and turns it into a #metoo twitter campain, damaging the poor promising grown man's reputation with what is "clearly" a lie? Does it amuse the author to have her main character, who seems in all points a liberal, be confronted with the "bad" side of #metoo? Was there supposed to be some learning experience where she experiences that Not All Men Are Bad? I don't get it. How do you have a book with that message - believe the accusers! - and then have a sideplot that basically undoes all of that?

Anyway, I don't understand it. I wish this sideplot had been cut, because it destroyed the book for me. Reading it made me feel like both the main character and myself are hypocrites of the highest degree. In Conclusion, believe the accusers. Support women.
The End.

I had seen some hype reviews of this one so I was excited to be approved. Unfortunately I couldn’t connect with the book at all. It took me weeks to read, because I had no desire to pick it up. It captured my interest a bit more from 70% but overall it just felt very meandering and slow. Not for me but it was for many others so if you like the sound of the blurb I’d give it a go anyway!

A quick but explosive read. Gripping from page 1 right up until the ending. One to recommend. 5* from me. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

‘I Have Some Questions for You’ plays upon the contemporary fascination we all have with true crime podcasts. There is a level of investigation and tension that Makkai weaves effortlessly into this thriller. I loved the stylised way in which she constructs everything in this novel.
Essentially the plot centres upon a murder at a prestigious school in the 90’s with the narrative told by the victim’s roommate. Bodie was not exactly friends with her roommate Thalia but now as an adult and successful podcaster, she is using her unique perspective on the crime to directly address who she thinks is the murderer.
I think Makkai flows between the past and present reflections with mastery and makes the entire novel really easy to read and enjoy, just as you would devour a gripping podcast on an awful but intriguing crime. I also think the setting of a boarding school is the perfect environment for this type of plotline because it automatically narrows the potential suspects and the insular sense of place echoes in both Bodies past and present experiences as she narrates Thalia’s investigation.
Really original and very intriguing and perfect for the Netflix crime doc culture we are living in.

Like Bodie I was drawn into the investigation of the murder of Thalia. A book you can't put down. And sometimes I even had to remind myself to breathe. If you're looking for a mystery with relateable characters, this is the book to read.

4,5

I enjoy a good true crime series every once in a while. It's a guilty pleasure. But fictionalising true crime - which is what Rebecca Makkai does in this book - is something completely different: it takes away the crucial ingredient that makes it so harrowing and addictive, namely the fact that it all really happened.

So we have a meticulously invented crime: a murder at a prestigious New England boarding school in the mid-90s told from the first-person perspective of the victim's former roommate. There is a conviction, a podcast, new details emerging, scientific research, revelations, an investigation, and a possible re-opening of the case. Rebecca Makkai digs as deep in her not-true crime as Serial would in a real one, and I found it really well done.

And it is also clear that this structure allows her to raise the more interesting ideas things she really wants convey: #metoo, race, classism, cancel culture. And most of all: can we learn something about ourselves and our prejudices when we look back at the past with our modern post-metoo and BLM eyes? And is there a risk we are replacing one set of prejudices with another?

I found it really interesting. The plot stays central, which is good, the writing is excellent and the whodunnit intriguing enough also thanks to the fact that form of the novel is directly addressing a former teacher who may be involved ("I have some questions for you"). This was my first Rebecca Makkai and I am impressed by how smartly it was all put together.

I do see a risk this neither fully satisfies a crime audience nor a literary audience - both groups' expectations may not be fully met. And I have to admit it kept feeling strange to be listening to un-true crime.

I thought this was fantastic. I love books that cross that boundary between literary fiction and crime – my two favourite genres – and I thought this one was done so well. The characters (and there were a lot of them) had depth, they felt real and nuanced; I enjoyed the social commentary about racism and sexism and the #MeToo movement; I loved the setting. I thought the story itself was really well-done – I sometimes don't love stories which flash back in time so heavily, but I thought it worked really well here. I loved it all! So much so that I went straight back to reread The Great Believers. I can't wait to see what Rebecca Makkai does next!!