The premise of this book sounded intriguing to me, especially being a true crime lover, but the execution fell a little flat for me. I liked that the focus was on the women in this story rather than 'The Defendant' but I didn't find the writing or the character development to be very compelling. I felt like these women's lives and personalities could have been given far more credit than what was done with this book, especially given the time period when women were often overlooked and under-valued. Even the main protagonist came off as a bit one note and less interesting than her background and life would suggest. The best parts of this book were that of Ruth and Tina's story. I hate giving this only 3 stars because I wanted to like it much more than I did, but it just wasn't it for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Content warnings: graphic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, murder, blood & gore

I really wanted to like this book but I am so intensely disturbed, I’m having a hard time. It’s well written and the characters are well fleshed out. If you’re interested in a book about a serial killer that spares absolutely no gruesome detail, this is for you! If you’re a woman, it will extremely piss you off, too. Anyway, I won’t be sleeping for a week or so, don’t mind me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance reader’s copy.

When Pamela Schumacher was awakened in the night at her Florida State sorority house, she walked through picking up after her sorority sisters as usual, being the president and a mother hen. She saw the television left on and the dirty plates. And then she saw the intruder. A man was leaving by the front door, crouched, holding something. Pamela saw his face before he opened the door and ran out.

She was never the same.

Pamela went upstairs to check on the girls and found two that were badly wounded. The two that were killed she didn’t know about until later. She knew that they had been injured too, but her shock kept her from understanding the full extent of what she was experiencing until hours later, when a nurse and former sorority sister had called to check on her, and the rest of the house. That was after they had been swarmed with police, EMTs, crime scene technicians, and reporters. So many reporters, all standing outside the house.

Pamela took the lead as best she could inside the house. She tried to help find the girls places to stay, to get them packed as they were allowed back into their rooms, to help the police with their investigation. She had seen him, after all. But she was also devastated. One of the young women who had been killed, Denise, had been her best friend.

Meanwhile, another woman, had arrived in Tallahassee with a purpose. Tina was hunting someone, a man, the man that she thinks killed her friend back in Seattle. He had killed others. He was known for his brutality. He had been caught in Colorado and escaped. Twice. And now he had struck in Florida, and she wasn’t going to let him get away with it any more. She found Pamela and showed her the mug shot. Pamela knew at once that it was the man she had seen leaving that night. He was the one who had killed her best friend.

These women could have succumbed to the fear. They could have made quiet homes for themselves and let the police handle it (not that they’d done a great job so far). Instead, they used their trauma to make themselves strong. They fought back. They remembered. They became the part of the story that should be told. They were Bright Young Women, and they deserve to have their stories told.

The new novel from bestselling Jessica Knoll is a study of the women who survived Ted Bundy. The ones who lost friends, family, lovers to the hands of a brutal killer and kept moving forward. Despite the crimes and the criminal, the missteps of police and mistakes of judges and insensitivity of the press, the women take over this story and show just how important it is not just to survive in life but to thrive, to live well, and to keep your power.

This novel is powerful and shattering. Knoll’s way with words brings scenes to life with a desperate accuracy that is heart-breaking and soul-crushing. It is not for the weak, not for the traumatizes, definitely not for everyone. But it is also inspiring and real and brutally honest and a celebration of hope. Bright Young Women is the flip side to the story every hears about serial killer Ted Bundy. It tells the story of the women he left behind, the ones who he didn’t touch but left scarred by loss anyway. It’s the story of how crime affects us all, cuts us, disarms us, wounds us, but doesn’t kill us. And we can use our strength to remember, to change the system, to take away the power from the men who kill and return it to the Bright Young Women who shine so brightly, in life and in death.

This book is for the survivors.

Egalleys for Bright Young Women were provided by Marysue Rucci Books/Simon & Schuster through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to get my hands on an ARC of this book. I’m gonna be generous and say this is 3.5 rounded up.

Truly, I don’t have a lot to say about this book. The description sounded like something I would love but it just failed to hook me. There was nothing I disliked about it, but I just… didn’t love it. I think the timeline jumping was a little jumbled and difficult to follow.

Still thankful I read this book! I still say pick it up and give it a chance if you like true crime, but a warning that the lines between fiction and non-fiction in regards to the Ted Bundy story are a bit hard to decipher.

Murders at a sorority house in Florida in 1978 lead two women from separate coasts to embark on a journey to find justice for those they love. This book is fiction meets true crime, and it is written in such a way that it focuses on the victims, the survivors, their friends, and families. It does not focus on the killer. In fact, he is referred to as only The Defendant throughout the book. The two main characters, Pamela and Tina, are courageous women who persevere to ensure The Defendant pays for his crimes. Two of Pamela's sorority sisters have been killed and two others horribly injured. Tina's girlfriend, Ruth, is missing, and Tina believes she is a victim of the same killer. They soon meet and join forces.

The story goes back and forth to different time periods. We learn how Ruth meets Tina and what happens to her. The ending of this book is satisfying, albeit sad.

This book will be one of my favorite books of 2023! The author is an amazing writer. She made me laugh once or twice, and she brought me to tears more than a few times. You care about the characters and what happens to them. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a thriller or even true crime.

4.5 stars. Fantastic novel! I love a novel about a serial killer that refuses to focus on the killer, and instead focuses on the victims. Pamela is a wonderful character - strong and determined. Tina is persuasive and intrepid. This book focuses on the extraordinary women - the victims and survivors - of a prolific serial killer. "Things grow differently when they're damaged, and it is within us to make use of strange new grounds to bloom red instead of green. We carry on, brighter than before."

"January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Tonight is a night of promise, excitement, and desire, but Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home—a decision that unwittingly saves her life. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime that’s captivated public interest for more than four decades.

On the other side of the country, Tina Cannon has found peace in Seattle after years of hardship. A chance encounter brings twenty-five-year-old Ruth Wachowsky into her life, a young woman with painful secrets of her own, and the two form an instant connection. When Ruth goes missing from Lake Sammamish State Park in broad daylight, surrounded by thousands of beachgoers on a beautiful summer day, Tina devotes herself to finding out what happened to her. When she hears about the tragedy in Tallahassee, she knows it’s the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer. Determined to make him answer for what he did to Ruth, she travels to Florida on a collision course with Pamela—and one last impending tragedy."

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

This fictional story tells of the true crimes committed by an infamous serial killer in the 1970's. And as an ode to Knoll's conscious decision to not once call the killer by name in this book (but rather refers to him as "The Defendant" as he was called throughout the court proceedings), I will also not be naming the killer in my review. Told from two points of view, Bright Young Women focus on the perspectives of the victims and their loved ones instead of the killer himself. This book reads much like a true-crime novel, and though it is technically a work of fiction, Knoll put so much research into this book. The dates, locations, names of the real victims, and quotes from court reports all help blur the line between fiction and nonfiction and beautifully bring to life the experiences, emotions, and tragedies of these fictional characters while the reader imagines them as real people. The writing throughout this book was smart and wonderful to read, even when the subject matter was heavy.
 
The story of Bright Young Women seamlessly swaps back and forth through two points of view in different timelines. In 1974, Ruth is a 25 year old woman struggling to find out who she is and how to not only find her place in the world, but also to fit in with her family. After a divorce, her life is tragically snuffed out after she has finally found her way to happiness.  In 1978, Pamela is the president of the most prestigious sorority at FSU, tasked with overseeing the sorority house, their philanthropic activities, and enforcing the rules among her friends/sorority sisters, earning her the nickname of “Pam Perfect.” When an intruder enters the sorority house and murders two sisters and seriously injures two more, Pamela is the only eyewitness who can identify him. We get “then” and “now” chapters from this narrator, the timeline amazingly measured in the amount of days that have passed since the attacks. Taking place in the 1970’s, this story also accentuates the problematic judgement and treatment toward women in general.

The ending of this book, just wow. The last few chapters held so much weight for me, I will be thinking about this book for a very, very long time. Ruth's final chapter was so beautifully and heartbreakingly written, I had to read it twice and had tears in my eyes. I adored how Knoll put Pamela in a coffee shop in modern day when she sees a group of young women watching court videos of the killer on their phones and discussing it. Knoll's stance on romanticizing true crime is made clear throughout this novel without her having to explicitly say it, but this scene at the end through Pamela's POV really drove the point home.

This book is out TODAY 9/19/23! Thank you to #MarySueRucciBooks, #SimonandSchuster, and #NetGalley for this eARC!

This book surrounds the tragedy that happened at a Florida sorority house in Tallahassee and committed by Ted Bundy or as he’s called in the book the defendant. It’s told and two timelines and three narratives one is around the time of the event told by Pam Schumaker the president of the sorority and a modern-day point of view by her as well and then there’s the historical viewpoint of Ruth she was another victim of the defendant who we get to know throughout the book. When Pam wakes up she’s not sure what woke her up but wants to go down to the kitchen and on her way there she hears footsteps and this is when she sees the defendant hunching by the door under the chandelier and at first glance she thinks it is her best friend Denise‘s boyfriend Roger but after taking a better look she knows it’s not him. Because Pam is honest and tells the truth this will be the statement that gets her best friend who was one of his victims boyfriend Roger arrested but when she meets a girl name Tina she will show her a wanted poster of the defendant and Pam will know he is the one. In the beginning of the investigation it seems the cops clutch on to her saying she initially thought it was Roger and refused to believe any other statement she wants to give so when Roger kidnaps her The sheriff and his sidekick pickles believe this is the nail in Rogers coffin especially when you add this incident to the lies in the double life he was living that recently came to light. Pam however will not be persuaded she will even take a trip with Tina to Colorado to try and get proof. Tina is certain the same person that took her beloved Ruth attack the sorority sisters. Tina was a very rich lady because as a 20-year-old she married a 83-year-old millionaire who recently passed away so she had all the finances and time to hunt down whatever proof she could to make him pay the only problem was there was no actual proof he killed her girlfriend Ruth. Ruth was a girl with a lot of problems she didn’t get along with her mom ever since the incident in high school her Family treated her with disdain and her dad passing away made it even worse. His death however was the catalyst for her meeting the beautiful Tina they both went to the same support group meeting for those mourning the loss of someone they had a difficult relationship with. It seems like thanks to Tina Pam will get justice for her sorority sisters but will Tina get the justice she seeks? I really could’ve went either way with this book although I love true crime stories and historical facts weaved into a fictional tale
There were A few little things I didn’t like about the book for example how Pam couldn’t wait to tell Tina she stood up to her mom and thought they would laugh about it and I don’t think hurting someone would be a reason to celebrate no matter what got you to that point it’s never a funny or celebratory thing to hurt someone else.
I also thought Pam insinuating that her dad was gay just because he was sensitive, not a manly man and liked to cook is the same as stereotyping someone who is over masculine and so I thought that was out of the box and ridiculous. I also found Tina to be unlikable in the fact that she bragged about getting all her husbands money and his five kids not getting any made me like her even less. However I do think most people will like this book and I have to be honest it is a long book and I read the whole thing from cover to cover it so it is very interesting they were just a lot of very unlikable things I did like Pam and I think it was her chapters that kept me invested so I do recommend this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

A truly remarkable read!

BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN tells the 43 year long story of Pamela, who was the President of her FSU sorority in 1978, when a man entered and brutally attacked 4 of her sisters leaving two dead. She was the only one who was also an eye witness of the attacker.

During a time when misogynistic ways were the norm, Pamela fought to make sure the right man who killed her best friend was brought to justice. Especially after realizing this man, has been killing years before and in many states.


I loved that the focus was never on the killer himself and he was only ever referred as ‘The Defendant’. There has been so much focus on these killers themselves, but reading the perspective of the victims family, friends and lovers…it is truly terrifying.

I highly enjoyed this book! This releases today and I definitely suggest you pick it up!

Typically, I enjoy fictional murder mysteries, and given that this is based on actual events, it was fabulous. I was so excited to read this, and it did not disappoint! I loved to dual POVs and timelines! I knew a little about Ted Bundy going in, however, I loved that this was from the POV of the best friend of the victim and an actual victim. Knoll absolutely brought it with her research of these women!!!

Bright Young Women is a true crime novel about a victim, and someone affected by Ted Bundy. I could not put this book down and was completely captivated by the characters! The fact that this book never actually mentions Ted Bundy is amazing, but you KNOW who Knoll is talking about! I was hooked by the first chapter!

You should absolutely add this to your TBR!!!

Pamela stayed home from the party at college. Doing so saved her life. When awoken in the middle of the night, Pamela lands in the middle of a horror movie. Friends within the sorority have been brutally attacked and two even murdered. The days that follow will test Pamela's strength and endurance, leaving her with even more questions.

Enter Tina. Tina has been on the hunt for several years looking for Ruth's killer. When news of the sorority slaying reaches the news, Tina feels sure it's the same man. Tina pushes for Pamela to join her in figuring out where the killer is hiding and where he may strike next.

This is the story of two women who want justice for those they've lost. It is extremely character driven, there is a slow burn. I was immediately intrigued when I started, but slowly lost interest as the book kept going. Due to the focus of characters, I feel that I missed the thrill. Jessica Knoll switched gears with Bright Young Women. It's a well written book but a switched from her previous work. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

I loved this story! It is a true crime retelling of real life murders of two sorority members who were victims of Ted Bundy. What I loved most is that you never are told it is Ted Bundy but you can follow along and know for sure based on context clues. The characters are so well developed and fell so real.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A big thank you to @simonandschuster & @marysueruccibooks and @netgalley for the eARC. Pub day is today! 🎉

Ted, who? While the plot followed Ted Bundy’s crimes, this story focused only on the victims and the women who tried to get justice for them. I loved the author named him The Defendant and never glorified the killer while making sure the victims and women fighting for them were well known.

Told from two different POVs, this story didn’t offer any twists (if you’re familiar with the crimes), but it did unfold nicely. The women battled sexism, homophobia, and misogyny. It had strong themes of sisterhood, resiliency, tragedy, and justice.

While I wouldn’t call it a mystery/thriller due to the slow burn and lack of plot twists, I would call it crime-fiction inspired by true crime. Check this one out if you are a true crime lover!

What a fun and exciting story. Bright Young Women tells the story loosely based on Ted Bundy in multiple timelines and voices. Knoll does an excellent story of weaving the multinarrative story together in an extremely compelling way. I was hooked on this book from the first page and completely invested in each character's story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller. I've been a fan of Knoll since Luckiest Girl Alive and Bright Young Women does not disappoint.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2023. I loved Luckiest Girl Alive so much and really enjoyed The Favorite Sister. This focused on the victims and really looked into the aftermath of the killings. Calling the killer “The Defendant” instead of giving him a name was an excellent look into how we treat killers. Now, I don’t know if I can call this a thriller. Yes, there were a few parts that had aspects of a thriller but overall it is more literary crime fiction and a study at how killers and their victims are portrayed. Either way, an excellent read!

Wow! When I say this was a powerful read, I mean it!

Bright Young Woman is a fictionalized novel based off the true story of a well-known serial killer. The title is a clever play on words in reference to a statement by the judge at the defendant’s sentencing, where he wished him well and called him a “bright young man.”
I appreciated that Knoll never once mentions the murderer by name, and instead refers to him as the “defendant” throughout the novel. We know who he is, but he doesn’t deserve any additional fame or notoriety for his crimes.

The story focuses on the true heroes, the strong and capable women. Primarily told through Pamela’s point of view, we follow her life immediately after a double murder at the sorority house on the Florida State University campus. Pamela is the only eye-witness to the crime, and eventually the prosecution’s key witness in the trial. The story hops back and forth between present day (2023) and the year of the murders (1978). Additionally, we meet Tina and Ruth, two other strong women that have their lives forever changed by the defendant.

While this was a slow burn, I was completely captivated throughout. Knoll does an excellent job at character development, showing us the struggles and motivations of the women. While certainly not a man-hating book, you feel the influence of the women’s liberation movement as well as the frequent ineptness of men.

If you enjoy true crime, you must read this brilliant story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Original and riveting. This book is not just unputdownable, it is the best and most insightful look at how we treat true crime as consumers that I've read (and this has been a hot topic). It's deeply and wholly focused on the victims, survivors, and witnesses, with the killer only ever referred to as The Defendant, reminding readers that it's not the monsters who matter in these stories. This felt quite different from Jessica Knoll's previous books, but this is her best yet and worth the wait.

✨ Bright Young Women ✨⁣
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⁣Holy moly! This book snuck in and surprised me! Bright Young Women is inspired by the story of a real life sorority house and the first celebrity serial killer. It’s a unique blend of fiction and non-fiction and captivated me from the very first page. ⁣
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⁣This book is about Ted Bundy’s victims— a group of young, bright women that are intent on getting justice for their friends. Pamela, the sorority chapter’s president and future lawyer, is careful to never give Ted Bundy the gratification of using his name. I really appreciated that and it helped to get the focus on the story! ⁣
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⁣I couldn’t put this book down and finished it in a little over twenty-four hours. It reminded me a lot of Notes on an Execution and The Quiet Tenant. It’s a dark, emotional, creepy story that transported me back in time. This would be a fantastic book club read! ⁣
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⁣Five stars! Read this if you have any interest in true crime! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Young Bright Women is out today- September 19! Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for my ARC in return for an honest review.

"Bright Young Women" is an extraordinary novel that draws inspiration from a chilling real-life story. The narrative is a gripping exploration of a sorority's encounter with America's first celebrity serial killer, set against the backdrop of a dark period in history.

The author masterfully weaves together the lives of two women, Pamela and Tina, from opposite sides of the country, united by their unwavering determination to uncover the truth. The book delves into the harrowing events of the past and presents a new perspective on a notorious criminal, challenging the conventional narratives.

While the story is undeniably compelling and thought-provoking, it falls just shy of a perfect five-star rating due to occasional pacing issues. Nevertheless, "Bright Young Women" earns a solid four stars for its engaging storytelling, well-developed characters, and the fresh lens through which it examines a decades-old mystery. A must-read for those who appreciate historical fiction with a dark and captivating twist.

Bright Young Women is a gripping crime fiction that very heavily rely on the fictionalization of the Ted Bundy murders. There were a few details thrown in that were fact, I wasn't sure how I felt about that. This was a bit of a hard book to get through as there was a lot going on and told from multiple points of view, but I am glad I finished it. This felt like a unique read full of power and strength for the women who are victims but overcome their traumas and stand up for what is right. This book was brutal at times due to the nature of knowing it was based off what Ted Bundy actually did to his victims. I am glad the author focused on the power and the stories of the women and only called him The Defendant, I think the name Ted was only mentioned a few times as to take the story and the power away from him. This was an extremely well written and powerful book and I definitely recommend it to true and fictional crime fans.