It took me quite a while to get into the story (and I'm not sure I ever really did). Part one served as introduction of the main character Bodie and her perception of herself as well as her struggles. It was definitely interesting reading about Bodie questioning her own character but it was also kinda slow and lengthy especially if you are expecting a murder mystery. I did like some of the themes addressed in the book but ultimately just think that there were too many and none developed fully. There were too many storylines addressing powerful topics such as the metoo movement, true crime podcasts, cancel culture, misogyny, racism and so many more and as a result many were just addressed on a surface level rather than really honing in on one or two and exploring those thoroughly. I went in with the wrong expectations, assuming this would be a typical murder mystery, I was missing the usual genre typical twists and turns. Once I adjusted my mindset and got interested in the themes, I felt overwhelmed by how many the author tries to pack in. I’m glad I read it, but I wouldn’t call it a must-read

3,5 ⭐️. This book was definitely something else. Different from what I‘d expected it to be. I heard so many mixed reviews of this as well. I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and I read it in just a handful of sessions. Which is quick for me. It could have been 100-150 pages shorter, sure. It was still an enjoyable and decent read for me.

After loving "The Great Believers" to a ridiculous extent I had to pick this up when I saw it in the bookstore. There are a lot of themes in here. Maybe too many? But who am I to judge. A boarding-school/coming-of-age drama, a whodunit, at least a sideways glance at the true crime genre and its problematic-ness, and of course, mainly, a meditation (maybe/probably not the right word) on violence against women and girls and how the world (and the justice system) treats this violence. I feel somewhat haunted by this book and deeply uncomfortable. But I guess that's a good thing. People wanting to be comfortable is how we ended up here.

First of all: an "The great Believers" kommt der neue Roman von Rebecca Makkai nicht heran. Aber das macht gar nichts. Diese Geschichte, die sich um einen mysteriösen Todes(Mord-?)Fall der 17-jährigen Thalia Keith in einem Internat in New Hampshire in den 90ern dreht, hat mich von der ersten Seite an gekriegt. Die frühere Mitbewohnerin der Toten, Bodie Kane, ist heute erfolgreiche Podcasterin und kehrt an die Schule zurück, um die Schüler*innen zu unterrichten. Dabei wird sie mit ihrer Vergangenheit konfrontiert und stellt nicht nur die offizielle Version der Geschehnisse in Frage, sondern auch ihre eigenen Erinnerungen. Super spannend und gesellschaftlich relevant (Rassismus, Klassismus, Machtmissbrauch, Sexismus und "True Crime" sind nur ein paar der Themen, die hier verhandelt werden.) Im zweiten Teil hat es ein paar Längen, aber es hat mich nie verloren. Ich hatte immer richtig Bock, weiterzulesen. Und das, obwohl ich die Hauptfigur, mit ihrem um-sich-selbst-Kreisen und dem permanenten diet talk, echt nicht leiden konnte.