Rebecca Makkai has amazing range as an author. A few years ago, I read and loved The Great Believers. It was a sweeping dual-timeline novel set in the 1980s during the AIDs epidemic and modern-day Paris. I Have Some Questions for You is completely different, but enthralling with mystery and complex characters that Makkai is known for. A murder mystery set in a New England boarding school in the mid-90s, we have a podcaster/former student, Bodie Kane, who strongly believes the wrong man is in jail. She comes back as a interim teacher and gets her students set on the project that delves into researching the truth behind what happened. Part crime novel, part me too movement, part armchair sleuth, and part character study, this novel is an interesting take on your typical whodunnit.
Review:
First of all, the queen Julia Whelan narrates the audiobook for I Have Some Questions for You. She could read me her grocery list and I would be hooked. Written in second person, which creates an ominous feel, the reader is immediately thrown into the story of Thalia Keith's murder and subsequent fallout. It is clear that Bodie believes a former teacher is at fault for Thalia's murder, but she dissects the evidence and peers into every possible suspect.
I found this one atmospheric with the east coast boarding school setting with gave off dark academia vibes. I also enjoyed the crime podcast aspect. Podcasts in thriller/mystery books seems to be the hot thing. What I enjoyed about this one is Makkai pulled in heavy themes like power dynamics between teachers and students, sexualization of teenage girls, and aspects of the Me-Too movement in a thought-provoking way.
My only complaint: could have been shorter. While I love a good Julia Whelan narration, this baby was a whopping 14 hours long. That is about 4+ hours longer than I needed....
Rating:
3.5 - 4 stars
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