I Have Some Questions for You – Rebecca Makkai

Expectation: A straight-forward mystery thriller framed around 90s nostalgia. 

Reality: More literary fiction than traditional suspense, Makkai’s use of hindsight evaluation to move the plot forward had me hooked.  

My Take:

Bodie Kane, a successful journalist, returns to her New Hampshire boarding school to teach a two-week micro-semester, but the return proves to be more hell than homecoming as it forces her to reconcile lingering doubts about the investigation of her murdered former roommate. 

Don’t be fooled, dear reader, “I Have Some Questions for You” is not your run-of-the-mill whodunit. With the mystery of a traditional thriller, but the depth and character development of literary fiction, this is a page-turner tailor made for people — like me — who spurn the suspense genre.

Rebecca Makkai weaves together an interconnected narrative that sometimes asks a lot of a reader (it can get repetitive, even extraneous), but it will also have you wrapped up in this (faux) crime story like it’s Serial circa 2014. 

Following up “The Great Believers” was a tall order, but the author succeeds here, in large part, because she didn’t try to replicate its formula. This is a dark story that leans into its murky edges. 

Makkai’s matter of fact exploration of the compounding problems related to Thalia Keith’s death are equal parts engrossing and infuriating as Bodie’s hindsight and adult sensibilities give the events a different sheen.

This is what makes the novel literary — lots of reflection and backstory — but it also helps move the plot forward. In trying to determine if the wrong person was convicted of Thalia’s death, Bodie is forced to confront the biases she held, and how the systems meant to protect also failed her and other Granby students. 

Teens in the 1990s (I was one of them), didn’t have the vocabulary to name a culture that frequently marginalized and devalued women and minorities. In reckoning with the sins of youth as an adult, you’re forced to confront your own role in perpetuating someone’s downfall. 

This approach – combined with commentary on the dangers of a chronically online life (i.e. how social media breeds a belief we’re closer to people than we really are), the ethics of amateur sleuthing and dehumanization of true crime infotainment — gave Makkai an ingenious structure to introduce suspects and explore dead ends. I was hooked.

While some sections felt a little tonally off — maybe a tad kitschy or too contemporary — my general feeling at the end was that of unease. There’s no happy ending. How could there be? Many people had lost so much already. 

Was this the best book I’ve ever read? No, but it elevated a genre I typically ignore and is one of only a handful of books I’ve read in recent years that I had difficulty putting down. 

Part of this is also due to the phenomenal narration by Julia Whelan, who, while an audiobook all-star, has a tendency to phone in performances. She was more committed here, giving each character a unique voice — especially the Granby kids — and it seemed like she was as invested in the story as I was. JD Jackson, another all-star, has a small but pivotal cameo that further sealed the deal. 

Finally, [spoiler alert], let’s discuss who murdered Thalia. I do think that Omar is innocent and was wrongfully accused by the Granby kids due to unconscious bias. Robbie Serenho, the boyfriend, seems a far more likely candidate than the lecherous teacher Denny Bloch, but the evidence on both is still largely circumstantial. While some readers might hate this lack of closure, I think Makkai presents a situation closer to real-life. 

Thank you to Libro.fm, Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group and the author for a free copy of the audiobook. This exchange of goods did not influence my review. 

Rating (story): 5/5 stars

Rating (narration): 5/5 stars

Format: Audiobook (personal library)

Dates read: March 9 – March 13, 2024

Multi-tasking: Okay. I devoured this over three long listening sessions (one walk and two drives), and honestly it was the best way to get immersed in the story. All that to say, ensure you are participating in activities that allow you to pay close attention to details.