Thanks for the ARC Netgalley! This book is EVERYWHERE right now for good reason. This book is a really tough read due to the brutality depicted, let alone the real murders that are described. I sat with my feelings on this one for a while because while I loved it, I have one huge qualm (see below.) But ultimately, this is an important and masterful piece.

In 1978, Pamela’s sorority house is attacked by a madmen who injures and murders multiple women. She is thrust into the police investigation and trial, upending her entire life. Told in alternating timelines, the other perspective in this novel is Ruth set in the early 70s, struggling to find herself after a painful divorce. She becomes close with a woman named Tina and her life begins to blossom. Ruth goes missing and Tina has spent decades trying to find out what happened to her. Tina and Pamela cross paths and embark on a journey for truth.

I am a true crime fan and thought Knoll’s retelling of the infamous Ted Bundy crimes but centering the story around the victims was brilliant. He’s referred to as “The Defendant” throughout, his first name only appearing once on the page. The struggle I have with this book is that I don’t understand why Knoll used quotes from his trial (which include a flipping of the script for the title of this book - Bundy was referred to as a “bright young man”) and details from actual victims cases but changed some names/edited timelines/combined victims cases. The book’s core is honoring and centering the victims but this fictionalized piecemeal doesn’t gel with that message. It’s the one thing I can’t get past.

✨Trigger Warnings: Murder, Rape, Sexual Violence, Homophobia, Grief, Gore, Adult/Minor Relationship, Child Death, Infidelity

I’m taking a cue from the author, Jessica Knoll. I will not call the American serial killer at the center of Bright Young Women by his name. Because names have power, and to bring any further recognition to the monster’s memory is a dishonor to the 30+ women he murdered. Infamy is what he most wanted, this supposedly bright young man.

Instead, and again like Knoll, I will focus on the women in this fictionalized account of The Defendant’s final 1978 killing spree inside a Florida State University sorority house – the women who lost their lives and those who afterward fought to bring The Defendant to justice.

Knoll gives us two narrators: Pamela Schumacher, the president of the FSU sorority house, and Ruth Wachowsky, a missing victim of The Defendant living in Seattle. Pamela and Ruth’s stories are told in an alternating fashion, with the link between the two women being Tina Cannon, Ruth’s intimate friend. When Tina hears of the latest attacks in Florida, she travels there and works with Pamela to catch him, knowing The Defendant is the reason for both Ruth’s disappearance and the Florida tragedy.

Bright Young Women is an intense literary crime novel that combines smart storytelling with propulsive readability. And in it, Knoll knocks The Defendant down a notch by bringing to light his many ineptitudes, including his idiocy, and shows us that he wasn’t the bright young man that a judge once praised him to be. That the positive press attention was misguided and, in reality, a way for the police to cover up the mistakes that allowed The Defendant to twice escape prison and continue killing.

Knoll’s book has fired me up. I’m angry with the press for the erroneous narrative they created about The Defendant. I’m angry with the police for their bumbling mistakes. And of course, I’m most angry with The Defendant, for being the monster he was and for the women whose lives he cut short.

But I’m proud of the women in this story, though a fictionalized account it may be. I’d like to think there actually was a real-life Pamela and Tina doing their best to put The Defendant in prison, their identities anonymous and contributions minimized. In fact, I’m sure there was.

I wish I knew their names. I’d say their names over and over, to myself and all who would listen.

I went into this book pretty blind other than knowing it is a fictionalized twist on some of the murders committed by Ted Bundy. I don't have a depth of knowledge about the real-life events but I don't think that deterred my reading at all.

I did have a bit of a hard time with the time jumps and it would take me a bit to get into the groove of the story with them but once I was more familiar with the writing style, it was smoother to read.

A fictionalized presentation about some murders committed by Ted Bundy. Previous reviews are in such depth that I can't add additional value to theirs.

The takeaway is that monsters live amongst us and women need to keep their eyes open and depend on friends to watch each other's backs.

Bright Young Women

I Loved This Book. It’s partially based on the Ted Bundy murders, but with the author’s own spin on it (it is fiction, after all). It was slightly confusing when things would switch between characters and decades, but as I got into it, it was easy to tell what was going on. I was sucked in to the story, even though I’ve seen all of the things about him and sort of knew where things were going. This story was a reminder that the victims of serial killers were people with futures and loved ones. We tend to focus on the killer themselves, and learn all of those details, but very seldom try to learn about who the victims are, and there’s so much more to them than just their deaths. “Bright Young Women” also reminds us that those who are killed/attacked are not the only ones who suffer when a tragedy like this happens. Their loved ones, and even the loved ones of the killers themselves, all struggle to deal with it as well. With all that being said, if you enjoy true crime, and you’re fascinated with the Bundy case, this is a fantastic read.

I swear Knoll doesn’t write anything less than perfect and down right phenomenal!
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is an unforgettable story that is inspired by the real-life sorority targeted by America's first celebrity serial killer in his final murderous spree.
This thrilling and fictionalized true crime story was an intense, thought-provoking and a meticulously crafted psychological thriller that will keep readers engrossed from start to finish. Knoll's storytelling prowess shines as she navigates the complexities of fear and mistrust, delivering a suspenseful and thought-provoking narrative. This is a must-read for fans of domestic thrillers and psychological suspense.
She is one damn good writer and it shows inside this book!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon Element, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Wow

This was such a powerful and engaging read. I have too many thoughts to fully organize them for this review rn but this book truly deserves the attention it’s getting. I read LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE last year and Knoll’s is so much more literary and mature in this one.

The story Knoll sought to cover is quite the undertaking, and she brought such life, resilience, and strength to the women affected by The Defendant. I found so much validation in so much of this story. She makes it so clear how painful it is for these women when the verdict of what they witnessed/experienced becomes the decision of someone else who wasn’t there. Knoll even writes in a way that has me questioning Tina’s motives, and I think that was a writing technique she employed to get at the many ways women are misconstrued as conniving and manipulative and weak.

I could go on and on but I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. It’s suspenseful but not scary, a page turner but also a slow burn, and feels like an important read as a unique take on a well-known tragedy.

Bright Young Women was PHENOMENAL!!! This is my second Jessica Knoll novel and was by far my favorite. There was great character development and being parallel to the true story really kept me invested in the story. Highly recommend Bright Young Women!

I went into this book blindly, and was not expecting this story to revolve around a true crime case. Bright Young Women delves into the horrific murders of Ted Bundy’s victims, but gives a voice to those whose lives were tragically affected by his heinous crimes. All too often, true crime cases hyper focus on the serial killer, but this time, they take a back seat to the story.

This book is extremely dark and absolutely heart wrenching, and at times, extremely infuriating having to read how the women were treated after what they went through, but Jessica Knoll was absolutely the author to tell it. I would highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I will be posting this review to GoodReads as well

Jessica does it again! Loved the luckiest girl alive and loved this one as well! She had a great talent for story telling and I couldn’t stop reading. Loved it! Thanks NetGallery!

After a sorority house endures a tragic attack the President, Pamela, is left picking up the pieces. While trying to bring justice to her sisters, she unravels a web of murders and attacks more brutal than she could have possibly imagined.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. The pacing started off strong but slowed way down by the 25% mark. The jumping perspectives did not flow in any way and the most relatable character (Tina) did not have a narrative. By the conclusion, this retelling of Bundy's string of murders and attacks from the point of view of his survivors just did not come off as compelling as it should have.

This was an interesting account of Ted Bundy’s murders. I was hooked from the beginning and it made me think about the various perspectives of the crimes and victims.

Bright Young Women is the fictionalized account of the Ted Bundy murders in the late 1970s, told from the perspective of the woman who found 2 murdered girls in her sorority house, and also from the perspective a a young woman that Bundy had murdered previously. The story is gripping and compelling, and hard to put down. It is well written and moves from current times to previous times with ease. It ends the way it should, with survival and triumph.

Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Bright Young Women.

Alternating timelines of a murder of several girls in a sorority house in 1978 and the murder of a girl alone on the beach across the country that increasingly appear to be related.

Told in the past and the present focusing on Pamela, the president of the attacked sorority and she is soon after connected with Tina, a friend of Ruth who Tina believes was murdered by the same man.

It’s very apparent who this story is based upon but I LOVED that this focused on the women and their grief and trauma and the horror “the defendant” put them through and the blatant mysoginy so prevalent in the 70s and 80s (and let’s be honest it’s still pretty awful now). It also shows that even many of the men we trust end up being dangerous and disappointing. It also highlighted how society turns on women when an attractive young man has “potential.”

An excellent read.

5/5 stars

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this novel was incredibly moving. I’ve never read a book that examines our cultural obsession with crime through the lense of the victims. It was thought provoking about how these criminals are sometimes glorified, even to the point of becoming cultural icons. I found the story to be highly engaging and interesting at the same time. As is the case with many stories, I did find it got slower in the middle part, but I’m happy I pushed through that and finished it. Definitely would recommend.

Thanks to netgalley for my arc!

I was drawn to this book by its focus on the victims and their stories, but I found the pacing too slow and the characters limited. I could not connect with the story— maybe the wrong target audience. I feel like this was written for an older demographic. Loved the concept and cover and would have purchased.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is a captivating and insightful fictional retelling of an infamous serial kil1er known in this story simply as the defendant. Because evil people don’t deserve to be the ones we remember.

In this story we follow two women across two timelines. A survivor, and a victim, both with whole human lives that deserve recognition and respect.

Bright Young Women challenges the cultish mentality around true crime. Knoll doesn't shy away from the dark side of this obsession and she also explores the ways in which it can be exploited and manipulated. She also highlights the importance of honoring the victims and their families, and the dangers of sensationalizing violence.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a well-written and thought-provoking fictional retelling of an infamous case. Knoll does a fantastic job of highlighting the resilience of women in the face of adversity, as well as the incompetence and misogyny in law enforcement and the selfishness and greed within the media.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is a captivating and insightful fictional retelling of an infamous serial kil1er known in this story simply as the defendant. Because evil people don’t deserve to be the ones we remember.

In this story we follow two women across two timelines. A survivor, and a victim, both with whole human lives that deserve recognition and respect.

Bright Young Women challenges the cultish mentality around true crime. Knoll doesn't shy away from the dark side of this obsession and she also explores the ways in which it can be exploited and manipulated. She also highlights the importance of honoring the victims and their families, and the dangers of sensationalizing violence.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a well-written and thought-provoking fictional retelling of an infamous case. Knoll does a fantastic job of highlighting the resilience of women in the face of adversity, as well as the incompetence and misogyny in law enforcement and the selfishness and greed within the media.

Bright Young Women is a thriller/mystery that read like a true crime novel. It is based on the killings by Ted Bundy but is a fictional account told from the perspectives of a victim and a survivor with various time jumps.

This book immediately sucked me in from the first page and I didn’t want to put it down. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style that gave a distinct voice to each of the characters. At first the switching of POV jarred me as I was very invested in the i rial story. But after a few chapters I was equally invested in Ruth’s story and liked how they intertwined.

If you like a fast paced thriller with lots of twists- this is not it. This is more a slow burn true crime story that unfolds slowly. I found it really refreshing and interesting!

Now I’ll be over here googling about the author and the research she put into this work of fiction because it seems like she must have done a lot! I would have loved an author’s note with some info on that!

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Several years ago, I was enchanted by an extremely famous podcast.

The Accused was declaring his innocence, spending his life behind bars as a result of an unjust and inaccurate conviction.

This was a serious allegation against the legal system, and The Accused sounded so sincere.

Of course, Super Lisa was going to solve this crime. I became obsessed with the case: reading the trial transcripts, pleadings, attorney notes, and reviewing the police file.

Spoiler Alert: The Accused is guilty.

But the things is…..the thing that moved me the most was The Victim’s diary.

The media gave all of the airtime to The Accused, that The Victim’s voice was lost in the circus of amateur sleuthing and sensationalism.

The Victim’s diary transported me back to my teenage years, back to the exquisite, boundless hope of the future, endless possibilities. The Victim was experiencing all of the firsts of adulthood: getting her first car, preparing for college, waiting for decision letters, planning for her first trip to Europe. She was still enjoying the naïve innocent days of being a giddy teenager before the cynicism of life could creep in.

Not only did The Victim prove The Accused was lying, but she made me realize all that she would miss: going to college, earning a living wage (actually enjoying not being broke as a joke), sharing her life with a partner, holding her newborn baby in her arms, watching it grow up, guiding it, traveling the world.

Bright Young Women is a fictional story which focuses on the victims and survivors instead of the offenders. It proposes taking back the narrative from attention-seeking criminals.

Personally, I love the concept (especially given my above experience with True Crime), but the execution left much to be desired.

The book has two POV’s in different timelines. One follows Pamela, the sorority President who is reeling after discovering four of her sisters were attacked in her own house. The other POV is with Ruth, one of the victims.

This is one of those cases where less is more. If the author had Ruth’s diary and wove in Pamela’s experience of mourning the loss of her friend, the book could have been more moving. It felt like the author was trying to do too much. Even though this book is a bit long for a thriller, I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters—the characters didn’t speak to me. The author spent too much time on backstory, covering what seems to be the entire lives of multiple characters.

Further, the pacing was too slow. The book could use a trim of about 100-200 pages. I wanted to feel Pamela’s thoughts flicking back and forth like she couldn’t catch her breath or still her mind. Some pages I just wanted to skip to the dialogue. Ruth’s part was overly depressing with nearly everyone in her life doing her wrong.

Overall, a good reminder to question the media portrayal of true crime and a perfect book to discuss at a book club.

*Thanks, NetGalley and Edelweiss, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.