"I Have Some Questions for You" by Rebecca Makkai

January 7, 2024

“I Have Some Questions for You” follows Bodie, a podcaster and former student at a prestigious boarding school. During her time as a student, Bodie’s roommate, Thalia, was murdered, and a school staff member, Omar, was imprisoned for the crime. The story bounces from the past to the present, where she returns to school as an adult, but this time as a teacher. As per a class project, one of her students decides to complete a podcast on Thalia’s murder to uncover potential errors that might’ve falsely imprisoned Omar and left the real killer free. 

The story had great potential and could’ve honed in on some daring themes otherwise unseen in mainstream literature. For example, Makkai decided to touch upon concepts of the Me Too movement, cancel culture, systemic racism, classism, and grooming, among other topics. Although each idea could create a moving and powerful narrative, they didn’t synchronize well and overwhelmed the story’s main point. Including too many themes made it seem like several stories within one story, which stirred my focus away. 

As a result, I found myself disengaged from Thalia’s murder and the core objective of the podcast. At times, I lost sight of the novel’s purpose to solve a murder, which grew a sense of monotony. By the time the plot twist was revealed, the narrative had already lost its impact and made the twist feel underwhelming. The abundance of subplots diluted the story and left little room for me to form a meaningful connection with the main idea.

As the only point of view, Bodie guides us through her relationship with several supporting characters. I didn’t care for any of the characters, nor did any character in the story feel very dynamic enough to give me that feeling. Makkai had the opportunity to create memorable and very complex characters, particularly given the opportunity to explore their development from childhood to adulthood. However, they remain relatively stagnant and include details that are generally unnecessary to the novel’s main points. One could think of Bodie as an underdeveloped main character. Despite her role as a mother and separated wife, neither idea serves much purpose in the story, as she rarely mentions her kids. Even Yahav is a character that doesn’t add any depth to the story and mindlessly wanders in the background. I found it difficult to connect with any of them or feel invested in their journeys, as none demonstrated the dynamism needed to create a meaningful bond with the reader. 

In the end, while the novel held potential through its intriguing plot and rich writing, its execution ultimately felt scattered and muddled. The absence of a clear and compelling connection with its characters and the overwhelming subplots detracted from the story’s impact. And despite its bold ideas, the narrative struggled to bring them together in a way that resonated meaningfully and felt more like a missed opportunity.