I’m not usually a fan of true crime, but this was a great read—one of the best books I’ve read this year. I found the women’s perspectives to be a creative and emotional way to tell the story of crimes that the media has portrayed very differently, and I enjoyed the author’s portrayal of gender norms over the decades. This book was one I struggled to put down and one that I recommend reading.

“Take care of yourself, young man. I say that to you sincerely; take care of yourself. It is an utter tragedy for this court to see such a total waste of humanity, I think, as I've experienced in this courtroom. You're a bright young man.” These are the words the judge spoke to Ted Bundy after announcing his death sentence and every time I’ve heard them they have disgusted me. They helped create the myth of Bundy- so handsome, clever and charming. So bright.

Well what about the bright young women that he killed, maimed or left traumatized? They were everything the judge insinuated he was- beautiful, intelligent, with the world at their feet. This is who Jessica Knoll centers her powerful new novel around.

The book begins early one morning in the Chi Omega sorority house in Tallahassee, Florida where Pamela, president of the sorority, is awakened and sees a man running out the door and subsequently finds two of her sisters dead and two severely injured. And so begins this harrowing but also uplifting novel. Knoll does an effective job of intertwining fact and fiction and the result is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Weaving together Bundy’s crimes out west with his killing spree in Florida, the breadth of the destruction left in his wake is on full display.

But this book is not about Bundy, in fact his name is never used. It is about the victims and the survivors and making sure their voices, and struggles are recognized. This book is beautifully written and so well plotted that I was never quite sure where it was going. A character driven novel that pulls you in and lingers and thrills in a powerful way. It haunted me in a way few books do and I imagine it will do so for years to come.
Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

I would recommend this for everyone. Everything was so well done. It's important to show how horrible Ted Bundy was and this book did that

Knoll dives deep in destroying the mystery and glamor of one of the 70s most notorious serial killers. Referring to him only as The Defendant, she keeps the focus on the Florida sorority sisters in the aftermath of the attack and their support network. There's also a thread taking place in Washington state a few years earlier telling the story of an earlier victim.

The book is engaging. We feel for the women and what they experienced. Rampant misogyny, condescending detectives, petulant boyfriends, homophobic parents. Then the fawning over The Defendant (by the court, the media, female "fans"). Ick.

This is an odd book to review. It's fictionalized true crime, but not really true crime and not really fiction. I wanted to know more about Knoll's inspiration and motivation, the research she did, who she consulted, why she framed it like she did, etc. but unfortunately the advance copy didn't include the acknowledgements.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element/Marysue Rucci Books for the ARC. Bright Young Women was published in September 2023.

I read this book with my Instagram book club and many of the women loved it so I was looking forward to reading it. For me, this book was a slow burn. I had difficulty switching between the chapters. The way the chapters were labeled by days was a bit confusing. I found that it was difficult for me to go back and forth between Ruth and Pamela’s chapters.

I would rate this book a 4.8 overall. Jessica Knoll's Bright Young Women is a thriller novel from the perspective of the victims, rather than the killer and the detective as it is usually found in so many murder/thriller novels. The novel follows Pamela Schumacher and Tina Cannon and the bond they eventually form together as they try to piece together the real story of what happened to their loved ones.

The novel is interesting in its focus on the victims, as it allows the reader to see the long-term effects of violence against women. Knoll explores the trauma of the survivors and how it has shaped their lives. Pamela and Tina are both complex and well-developed characters, and the reader cares deeply about their journey separately and together as they develop a deep friendship throughout the story.

The novel is also suspenseful and well-paced, my attention was kept through reading this book. The reader is constantly kept guessing about the identity of the killer. Overall, Bright Young Women is a must-read for fans of thrillers. It is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

Additionally, the novel's focus on the victims is interesting because it subverts the true crime genre. Traditionally, true-crime stories focus on the killer, their motivations, and the crimes they committed. However, Bright Young Women focuses on the survivors and their experiences. This allows the reader to see the human impact of violence, and it also challenges the narrative that victims are weak or helpless.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

such a great thriller. i am a fan of jessica knoll's work. this is a great one! It is riveting and keeps your attention the entire time.

WOW! What a fascinating read!

Jessica Knoll’s BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN is a deep dive look into a serial killer (thankfully unnamed) and the lives shattered and left behind in his wake.

When “Perfect Pamela” Schumacher, president of her Florida State University sorority is awoken in the early morning hours of January 14, 1978 and goes out to investigate, she sees the shadowy figure of a man in the hallway and initially suggests that it was best friend, Denise’s boyfriend sneaking out of the house. What they all wake up to, however, is the stuff of real life nightmares.

Then we meet Ruth Wachowsky who, after her father’s death, enters therapy in a complex grief group and meets rich intern Tina Cannon. The two embark on an intimate relationship which ends when Ruth disappears from Lake Sammamish State Park. Tina is crazy with grief and then reaches out to Pamela when it is revealed that the two crimes are connected. Pamela begins working with a journalist to put the pieces together forty three years later.

As a huge fan of true crime, this one was very interesting to me. I guess it would be ‘inspired by true events’ but I did learn a few things about the unnamed killer that I had not previously known. When I fact-checked those points, they were indeed true. I enjoyed the writing style and felt the adrenaline coursing through my veins as I considered all of these acts through the viewpoint of the survivors. I absolutely loved the fact that the author didn’t even mention his name. #Me too? How ‘bout #Not them!

Thank you to Netgalley and Mary Sue Rucci Books for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

I am not super into true-crime stories, so I liked how this felt more personal coming from the different point-of-views.

Pamela and Ruth's stories were well written, but the language that was used make it feel less personal or less emotional at time that I wasn't connected to them too much.

Overall, the book was good but I struggle to give it more than 3 stars.

Extremely interesting read based on a victim in Seattle and the victims in Tallahassee, Florida of a serial killer during the 1970’s. I applaud the author for getting into the headspace of the survivors and the era.

Deep, food for thought, and justice for the bright young women who died at the hands of a serial killer.

Insight into the tragic events, the ridiculousness of the Defendant’s lawyer tactics, and life’s consequences, struggles and inspirations.

I have to start by saying whoever designed this cover art deserves a raise. Okay, onto the book.

While not a thriller, Bright Young Women is creepy, sinister and suspenseful. Knoll deftly navigates telling the stories of two women affected by the murder of people close to them at the hands of the same serial killer. She flips the typical take on these kinds of crimes by focusing on the victims and survivors instead of the perpetrator who ends up a celebrity.

I liked this book a lot more before I googled and realized how many details were taken from the Ted Bundy case. A big point of the story is stripping the serial killer of his power by not naming him and not celebrating his crimes but in a way, it feels like using Bundy's story does just that. I still think it's a worthwhile read (although the end left me scratching my head) - I just wish it had been purely fiction.

Thanks to Marysue Rucci books for the copy to review.

I am in love with this book. The way Jessica Knoll follows the life of Pamela throughout her time grieving the loss of her best friend had me so invested it was hard to put this book down. While also intertwining the life of Ruth, Knoll gives her readers lives that they can get sucked into. The girls in this story are so relatable in their struggles, and the circumstances they are in leaves readers mourning their losses with them.

A refreshing take on the true crime trend. I loved that the author chose to re-tell a well known serial killer's story from the perspective of the victims and their loved ones.

Wholeheartedly recommend this book! It's written so well and is very different than the typical thriller. I can't imagine anyone actively disliking it.

Bright Young Women is based on the murder victims of Ted Bundy, Margaret Bowman, and Lisa Levy. The story closely follows the events in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 15, 1978. The book is exceptionally well written, but I think it’s a little too slow-paced for me, and while I wanted to like the fictional story, I couldn’t get into it. I realized I wouldn't say I like books based on real-life events that are not nonfiction.

However, I would still recommend this to people who are into true crime.

I am a big true crime fan so when I saw this was a a story based on a true crime I new I was going to need it.
This was a fun take on a story so we'll known, but I loved that it was told only from the side of the people who were affected by the crimes. I definitely feel victims should be the main focus but we lose that sometimes when it it comes to crimes.
This was a beautiful book about finding justice for victims and show casing them instead of the people behind these terrible crimes.
Definitely check this one out.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I first read Jessica Knoll when I stumbled on Luckiest Girl Alive. I thought that book was ok - I didn’t love it like so many people did. I figured I’d give her new book a shot. And again I thought it was just OK. I’m guessing that I am not a fan of her writing style. This story flipped back and forth between people and timelines. It got really confusing. I had to go back and re read pages several times because I didn’t understand or it didn’t make sense. I still don’t feel like I have full knowledge of what exactly happened.

I wouldn’t run out and buy the book - unless you’re looking for a mediocre story.





#BrightYoungWomen #NetGalley

I’d like to start out by saying that I went into this book without a lot of knowledge of the details of these crimes. I only knew the basics.

I truly appreciated the way the author focused on the stories from the victims’ perspectives. She completely takes the spotlight off of The Defendant by not even acknowledging his name. It was used only one time near the end. She also shone a light that wasn’t depicted by the press. She outed him for his lack of education and the mistakes made by the police that ultimately led to his ability to escape, twice. It wasn’t that he was actually the “brilliant young man” he was made out to be.

I will say, however, that I thought all the jumping around between timelines and Pam’s perspective versus Ruth’s was quite confusing. Using the number of days as the chapter titles didn’t help. I think it would’ve been easier to just say how many years ago it was, during trial, present day, and so forth.

Overall, I’m glad I picked up this book. I wish more big cases like these were told from the victim’s perspective instead of shining the spotlight on the serial killer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for the digital reviewer’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

Well-researched novel about the women affected by the murderer who killed their friends. This book is written from the perspective of two women, Pamela and Ruth, and from differing timelines.-before, and after the murders. I was captivated from page 1, and couldn’t put it down. The women’s stories were moving beyond belief. I really liked the fact that the author did not give the killer any more power over these women, calling him “the defendant“ instead of using his name, which has been sensationalized by public and press for years. The book uncover is the ineptitude of the police who let him escape twice to go on to commit more murders. This book is a chilling retelling of a well known story from the Women’s point of view. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

📕If you have slight interest in true crime, you are going to figure out what this book will be about after few pages. I’m not going to name names following author’s way appreciating her trying to remove him from the story to make this more about victims
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📗For someone who loved to be acknowledged and remembered, this was a great take. Let’s call him only The Defendant like New Zealand’s PM did after terrorist attacks by not naming the a-holes. Yet, I’m two things in and still talking about him instead of victims. I wanted more emotions. I wanted probably more drama
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📘I understand the Perfect Pam’s character. I understand how she could be perceived so cold even though she was burning inside. Her prepping for law school at the time of the attack and now being a proper lawyer didn’t help her voice. I saw this as reading the story I know one more time with applauding Pamela only when she chose Columbia over that stupid boy