I Have Some Questions for You

Bodie Kane, a successful film professor and podcaster, returns to teach at her elite New Hampshire boarding school, where she encounters memories of an unsolved murder from her teenage years. Her former classmate Thalia Keith was killed in 1995, and the school's athletic trainer Omar Evans was convicted of the crime. As Bodie's students begin investigating Thalia's murder for their podcast project, she finds herself drawn into re-examining the decades-old case. The search for truth leads her through the complex web of relationships, power dynamics, and institutional pressures that existed at Granby School in the 1990s. Set against the backdrop of both past and present, the narrative shifts between Bodie's memories of her boarding school years and her current life as she grapples with questions about memory, justice, and responsibility. The novel explores themes of privilege, gender, race, and the ways social media and true crime podcasting have transformed how society engages with criminal cases. Through its structure and storytelling, it raises questions about whose stories get told and who gets to tell them.

Readers view this book as a slow-burn literary mystery that tackles themes of memory, media coverage, and power dynamics in academia. Positive reviews highlight: - Complex narrative structure and layered storytelling - Commentary on true crime podcasts and media sensationalism - Rich character development and nuanced relationships - Integration of social commentary without being heavy-handed Common criticisms: - Second-person narration feels distracting - Plot moves too slowly, especially in first half - Too many side stories and tangents - Ending disappoints some readers Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (126,000+ ratings) Amazon: 3.9/5 (11,000+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.0/5 (1,200+ ratings) One reader noted: "The structure mirrors how memory works - fragmented and unreliable." Another said: "The podcast elements feel authentic but the narrative voice kept pulling me out of the story."

Truth Be Told by Kathleen Barber A true-crime podcast host returns to her hometown to investigate a murder from her past, uncovering buried secrets and institutional failures that mirror her own memories.

The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman A Latin teacher at a boarding school confronts deaths that echo a tragedy from her student days at the same institution.

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka The perspectives of three women intersect to reveal the life of a death row inmate and explore questions of guilt, memory, and justice.

Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber A woman's carefully constructed life unravels when a podcast reopens her father's murder case and forces her to confront long-buried family trauma.

Confessions by Kanae Minato A middle school teacher delivers a last lecture to her students, revealing the truth behind her daughter's death and setting in motion a complex chain of revenge.

🔍 Rebecca Makkai was a National Book Award finalist for her novel "The Great Believers," which chronicled the AIDS crisis in 1980s Chicago. 📚 The book's boarding school setting draws from Makkai's own experience teaching at the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop. 🎙️ The podcast element in the story reflects the real-life true crime podcast phenomenon, particularly series like "Serial" which have helped reopen cold cases. 🏫 The novel's 1990s prep school sequences capture a specific moment before cell phones and social media transformed teenage social dynamics. ⚖️ The story was partly inspired by the increasing number of wrongful convictions being overturned through DNA evidence and media attention, with over 3,000 exonerations in the US since 1989.