I wasn't sure I'd love Bright Young Woman at first, as it was a back and forth narration that cut between narrators and between past and present, which isn't my favorite. But I stuck with it and was, in the end, very impressed with what this author did. Inspired (I assume) by some of Ted Bundy's crimes, she de-emphasized the perpetrator and made this story about two women, each of whose life was shattered by a terrible crime.

I need to see what people are calling this. It's not true crime, it's not really fiction, but it was really chilling and compelling.

More and more, we’re talking about the ethics of true crime. Is it ethical for crime to be entertainment? Do victims and their families deserve a say in how their stories are told?

The women in this book feel real. But they aren’t. Ted Bundy gets his story told almost exactly. But the women are fictionalized. It feels like it contributes to the erasure of the actual victims that we get these made-up stand ins instead of the very real women who experienced these horrors. Regardless of the intentions of the author, this book is for entertainment purposes.

The timeline in this book is a little muddled from all of the different characters and timelines. I think that could have been done in a more concise way. But the storytelling is compelling, and it should be. The true story is also. At the end of it, I’m left wondering how to feel.

True crime isn't usually my genre of choice. However, I found it compelling to read a story that focused on the affected women and how they worked to get a serial killer who hurt them or their friends behind bars. Even without much true crime knowledge, the story was pretty obviously based on Ted Bundy.

Knoll did a great job making our MCs come to life and showing how the current climate and the way they were raised affected their reactions and their actions. I could have done without detailed descriptions of the crimes he committed. I know they served a purpose in how they affected our MCs, but they felt a bit trauma porny to me. Still, the majority of the book was very focused on the strong female MCs and their teamwork to get Bundy - not on the sensationalization of his crimes, which I appreciated.

Worth the read even if you aren't into true crime but especially if you are.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

An extraordinary novel inspired by the real-life sorority targeted by America's first celebrity serial killer in his final murderous spree.

Well-written and very suspenseful.

This was such a sweet heartfelt story. Def one to make you feel good about the world. I greatly enjoyed it.

Note: Thank you NetGalley and the Team at Simon Element/Marysue Rucci Books for giving me an ARC.

WOW! This story although a work of fiction, read like a true crime/nonfiction account of events involving the women that were impacted in the wake of the Defendant’s (Ted Bundy) actions. The author expertly weaved this masterpiece together by shedding light on the victim unlike previous retellings of this narrative. Although I normally like to binge read books in a couple of days, I caught myself savoring each and every word to ensure it was all fully comprehended as I believe this will one of the most influential books of the year.

This was a refreshing take on a well known story. I really appreciate that the author focused on the victims and didn’t glamorize the killer (as so many have)! A great read through and through.

Read this if you like crime stories as told from a new perspective.

This was powerful, smart, and very well done. Very different reading experience than her first novel for me. Good writing and characters.

A surface good story, and deeper a social commentary on so much! Lots to unpack on feminism and sexuality and violence against women and what is acceptable to society through the arc of the book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I bought the book to own.

I'll be honest, I had no idea what I was jumping into with this book, but after the first chapter, I was hooked on this riveting narrative of this horrifying, American tragedy. Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is a haunting and thought-provoking exploration of trauma, the justice system, and the enduring effects of violence, specifically the deep-seated societal understanding and seeming acceptance of men's violence against women. Knoll's narrative blends psychological suspense and true crime elements, plunges readers into a chilling world where the lives of two women from seemingly disparate worlds collide after the heinous acts of a serial killer. The story is painful and poignant, delving into the deep and lasting psychological scars left by violence and the relentless pursuit of justice. Pamela Schumacher and Tina Cannon, brought together by their shared trauma, become symbols of resilience and determination. Their quest for answers is a testament to the strength of surivors.

Knoll's storytelling is masterful, creating an atmosphere of dread and anticipation that lingers throughout the novel. The final confrontation is as shocking as it is inevitable, leaving a lasting impact on the reader. Bright Young Women is a stark reminder of the darkness that exists in our world and the courage it takes to confront it. It's a painful and thoughtful read that will leave you reflecting on its themes long after the last page is turned.

Thank you to Simon Element, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for the advanced reader copy via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was an incredible novel that brings to the forefront the women who get lost when we focus on serial killers. I’m not a true crime junkie but I loved this book. I’m obviously familiar with the story of Ted Bundy and this felt like a moving fresh take. It doesn’t mention his name once which brings home the point to remember the women and the people they were. Highly recommend!

Again, despite saying that I don't do serial killer books, I found myself picking up a serial killer story - but that's because, like a couple of others I have found this year, it centers the stories of the women, never even mentioning the killer's name and disputing the common societal myth that serial killers are some sort of brilliant masterminds. What made this one particularly interesting to me was that it is based on a true story of a series of killings at a sorority at Florida State University that went 1970s version of viral, with sensational reports in the papers and teenage groupies of the killer who was described as Kennedy-esque in his looks and charisma.

Pamela, a go-getter, pre-law student and president of her sorority is the first narrator, telling about the night of the attacks and the subsequent investigation/trial as it happened, and looking back on the time from years later when she is a successful lawyer and mother but still has (of course) baggage and anger from that time. Her narration makes for pretty quick/juicy reading, but it's not a thriller - it's more about the personal and societal effects of a serial killer, and also about themes of inherent misogyny, about how women's exceptionalism is quashed in so many small ways (like Pamela not wanting to tell her boyfriend she got into Columbia Law when he didn't) and big ways (women always having to live with the fact that there are men in their lives, not just the statistically rare case of a serial killer, who will harm their bodies). I appreciate that it was only from the women's perspectives and avoids getting in the head of the killer - I don't need any of tha ick in my own mind, part of why I avoid serial killer books.

What didn't work as well for me was the alternate narrator, Ruth, one of the killer's victims from a couple of years earlier. I think the author was purposefully using the story of a survivor and a victim to capture the full range, but the way Pamela's narration went it sort of broke the 4th wall, like she was talking directly to the reader. So then it felt weird to insert narration of a character that we know was a victim - just didn't mesh quite right in terms of narrative style, and there were a few vague things in both characters' storylines that didn't get quite fleshed out enough to make it fully work for me.

If you like stories of sort of a "behind the true crime" bent, that show how things came to be, in terms of certain social fears like serial killers or "stranger danger", or what it was like to manage crime investigations before we had certain laws/databases (I'm thinking of books like When the Stars Go Dark, that through fiction also represents the advent of laws/databases to help in kidnapping cases, or some podcast series I've listened to about cold cases and putting together law enforcement databases to actually track cases across states so that criminals don't slip through the cracks - something that's a major factor in this story), this one is definitely interesting. It's the real-life case that really made serial killer stories a fascination in the public conscience, so quite an interesting take on how we got to our current true crime obsession by setting a story here. I also appreciate how the book took on the theme the hole in society left by the cutting short of these women's lives, like recent books I thought were very well done - My Murder (speculative fiction) and Notes on an Execution (literary fiction). It is more of a commercial fiction writing approach, somewhat literary.

3.5⭐️

There was a lot to like about this book, and overall I enjoyed it - 3.5 stars rounded up. I loved the focus on the victims and survivors of the Defendant vs the man himself and thought this book was extremely well researched. I think my biggest issue was that there was a lot of jumping around that ultimately made things somewhat hard to follow and I think also caused me to feel like it moved along more slowly than I needed to stay fully engaged. I would definitely recommend this to true crime fans, just go in expecting something slower and a bit more literary vs a thriller!

Bright Young Women is based on Ted Bundys killing spree at an FSU sorority in 1978. Author, Jessica Knoll, could not stop thinking about the young women whose lives he interrupted so she set out to tell a story we've all heard before, from a perspective we have not. Bundys targets were mostly young women with promising futures. And yet when Bundy was finally convicted in 1979, it was the loss of Bundys future that the judge lamented, calling him a "bright young man".

Bright Young Women braids the stories of two survivors, Pamela and Tina, and their fervent bond forged through grief and a pursuit of justice. This story shines an unflinching light on the attention that was given to the defendant compared to the victims of his crimes.

This book was extremely well written and researched. Perfect for fans of true crime. I ultimately knocked a star off because there were several POVs/time jumps and at times, I had trouble keeping track of where I was in the story. I also thought it was odd that although this is a work of fiction, it is heavily inspired by true events and is essentially a retelling. I expected an authors note or acknowledgement from Knoll addressing such.

There was a lot to like about this book. Everyone knows the horrific path of the serial killer, Ted Bundy and his night of terror at a Florida dorm. What we didn’t know was how life moved on in the aftermath for its survivors! My critique is that it jumped around too much and moved a bit slower than I needed it to in order to make it the great look I’d hoped for. I’ll give it a solid 3 stars! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this uncorrected proof in exchange for my honest review!

Jessica Knoll's Bright Young Women is a true gem that captivated my attention from start to finish. As a true crime enthusiast, I had high hopes for this book, and it did not disappoint.

The story begins with a chilling sorority house attack in Florida, and Knoll's vivid description creates a heart-pounding atmosphere. However, what sets this book apart is its focus on the women involved. It delves into the experiences of not only the killer's victims but also his survivors. The unnamed killer, clearly based on a real-life figure, is portrayed as an average, unremarkable man, stripping away the mythos that often surrounds such criminals. Knoll's narrative challenges the glorification of these individuals and instead highlights the strength and resilience of the women involved.

One of the most powerful aspects of Bright Young Women is its exploration of how society expects women, especially those who have endured trauma, to diminish themselves to make others comfortable. It confronts the many ways women are expected to suppress their fears and complaints. While the book doesn't provide a neatly tied ending, it offers a glimmer of hope and underscores the importance of elevating female experiences and honoring the lives of the victims. This thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel is a must-read for anyone seeking a fresh perspective on true crime narratives.

Thank you to Simon Element and Netgalley for the eARC!

I came back to change this rating to 5 stars because this book really stayed with me. It's advertised as a story about a serial killer that re-centers the women affected by the killer - those who died and those who survived - and it really does that and it does it well. The women in the story constantly remind us that the supposedly brilliant and handsome killer, unnamed for the entire book but clearly inspired by Ted Bundy, was nothing special and point out all the ways in which other men - partners, law enforcement, media, lawyers, judges - let them down as they fight for justice and strive to move on, stronger and brighter than before. Parts of this book are so thoughtful and powerful. If you enjoy a good crime story, but get a little weirded out about things like Dahmer, I highly recommend this.

(I did receive a free copy of this book from NetGalley.)

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy of this book.

I think it was a timing thing for me, because I read the first 1/3 of this book and found it extremely boring. I just couldn't get into it. So I have to set it aside for now. I may come back to it another time - it has many 5 star reviews.

On a muggy night in 1978, a Florida State University sorority girl decides to not go out with her friends—a decision that saves her life. In the early morning, Pamela investigates a noise in the house, sees a man leaving, and discovers a brutal crime. With her sorority sisters brutally murdered, Pamela finds herself in the deadly web of one of the most prolific serial killers in history.

On the opposite side of the country, Tina believes the man responsible for her best friend’s disappearance is the same man who committed the murders in Florida. Tina’s search for justice will takes her on a journey that unites her and Pamela in a shared goal.

Bright Young Women is the latest from Jessica Knoll (Luckiest Girl Alive). While it’s quite apparent that Ted Bundy is the killer, Bright Young Women is a unique story in that Knoll doesn’t specifically name him, a technique to ensure the focus of this book is the two ladies who are bonded together over their shared tragedies. Knoll has done a fantastic job in ensuring the reader is absorbed into every aspect of this story. From the anticipatory chaos of the sorority house as the students prepare for a night out, to the gut-wrenching, enduring grief both Tina and Pamela endure, every emotion is palpable and the anticipation intense.

Bright Young Women is available now.

*I received a copy of from Simon Element and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

You know when you watch a movie and you were emotionally rooting for the hero/heroine? That was me while reading this.
Yes, honestly it was harrowing plot and this is based on Ted Bundy's spree. I liked how Jessica Knoll wrote this without making that guy the main focus and romanticizing him. Because honestly, many writers who try to have a book loosely based on serial killers make the SKs the central point of it all and not the victims.

Good plot but just kind of had some loose threads in between. still got my attention tho.

3.5

Yes! Jessica Knoll has become an auto read author. Loving her style! Give this one all the stars and jump in!! Thank for allowing me to read an advanced copy!