I loved this book! Great for thriller and true crime fans. Also covers the complexity of relationships in a really beautiful and real way. I knocked one star off because of how obvious it was the Defendant was basically Ted Bundy. I’m sure that was intentional, but I think it would have been more unique if he wasn’t so similar. Overall a great read!

It’s Florida in 1978 and a soon to be infamous serial killer is about to enter a sorority house. Surviving the gruesome attack is Pamela, the sorority president. Across the country, Tina, thinks her friend was also murdered by the same person. They soon join forces to bring the killer to justice.

This book is based on a true crime and can be very descriptive at times of murder and sexual assault so if you are sensitive to that, be warned. I was so happy to be able to read this book, I loved all of Jessica Knoll’s books and this was probably my favorite! There are multiple time lines weaved through the book which kept this book face paced and me wanting to read on and on. It also brings up themes of misogyny and sexuality which complicates the road to justice. I love how Knoll does not even mention the serial killer’s name making sure this book focuses on the victims!

This book truly had the potential to be 5 stars. It is a story similar to that of the Ted Bundy murders. It intrigued me and I was pretty hooked from the beginning...until the jumping of timelines became so hard to keep up with. I usually love multiple perspectives and books that span across many years, but the author jumped around so much I felt like I was getting whiplash. I feel like this type of writing would have benefited from a before and after type of book.

A gripping books with uneasy characters. This was a great read. It felt like all the strings were attached at the end.

Was a bit hard to follow, but did appreciate the pacing and cuts to multiple timelines and perspectives. The beginning was unnecessarily dark and haunting, and could have greatly been softened to still achieve same effect.

Really interesting approach here to a story that has obviously been told so many times. All of the women were drawn with such specificity and tenderness, which I think is ultimately the point of the book: giving these women all the treatment they never got at the time. The last 25% meanders more than it should, but overall a strong book with a very compelling perspective. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for this review.

Somewhere between a 3.5 and 4.

Inspired by Ted Bundy, Bright Young Women is a character-driven, true crime story told through dual POVs and timelines. I originally opted for the audiobook (I LOVE Sutton Foster); however, the two narrators' voices were pretty similar, and the nonlinear timeline made it difficult to follow. One of the most remarkable parts of this story is that the Ted Bundy character is solely referred to as "The Defendant," taking power away from his personal identity and allowing the reader to focus on the victims' names and stories instead. This one started off really story, and I enjoyed some of the sub-plots, but there were sections where it also dragged.

Read if you like:
-True crime
-Character-driven stories
-Victim-centric stories
-LGBTQIA+ representation
-Nonlinear timelines
-Dual POVs

I recently finished the arc of bright young women by Jessica Knoll.

Bright Young Women is based on the real life murders of two sorority members by Ted Bundy.

I rated Bright Young Women four stars. I enjoyed the main character Pamela a lot. I deducted one star from my rating because it was a very close retelling of Ted Bundy so there was not a lot of suspense for me.

If you liked The Girls by Emma Cline and the movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile abut Ted Bundy, you’ll like Bright Young Women

One of my favorites for 2023, hands down. This is a complex true crime thriller that follows a serial killer making his way around the United States, somehow escaping the law multiple times over. The story focuses mainly on the victims and those working hard to bring them justice, NOT the serial killer. I love how Knoll doesn't even name him, simply titling him "The Defendant".

I was so frustrated to read how women were treated in the 70's, not taken seriously, and seeing the significant impact that had on his delayed imprisonment and prolonged trial. Some parts of this book were difficult to read, and while this is a work of fiction, its storyline is parallel to many terrible acts in the 70's and 80's.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own. This book is out September 19, 2023

This book has it all: a serial killer, a sorority house, and lots of suspense leading up to the conclusion! Beginning with Pamela who is the chapter president of The House, the novel details her discovery of young women attacked and left for dead, even as she catches a quick glimpse of the intruder. And we're off...! Alternating in time from 1978 to 2021, the book is loosely based on real crimes as witness Pamela tries to make sense of what she saw, what she heard, and what other's reactions are. It's a fascinating look at how families, loved ones, and outsiders react when confronted with horrific crimes as suspicions run rampant in the efforts to protect other young women. Fast-paced and chilling, the book reminds us all to be vigilant as even the most un-assuming men can be capable of more than is ever imagined!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

As a young woman, I understand every aspect of this novel deeply. Even though most of us don’t deal with serial killers, we deal with men who harm and invalidate us in a million other ways. Knoll’s prose is gripping, and the plot never drags; every scene is necessary to paint the entire picture. My main gripe lies in the fact that I don’t know if a rich girl was the best vessel in which to tell this story. She had access to resources that most of us can only dream of having. However, it does go to show that no amount of wealth or privilege can shield you from misogyny.

Thanks to @Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

While i would not recommend this book electronically, i would recommend it in paper form. This book has chapters that vary between different characters and different time periods. it would be easier to keep track with a physical book.

i was completely entertained. i was hoping for a little more, but overall a good solid read.

Thank you NetGalley & Simon Element for this advance copy.
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I don’t usually enjoy fictional true crime books based on real life events. For me, they read like the author is exploiting the victim’s trauma for personal gain. I did not feel that was the case with Bright Young Women. If anything, Knoll downplays the grizzly parts and honors the victims and the women who fought for justice by bringing them to life through this slow paced character study. She paints a picture of how society, the media and the judicial system treated women during the late 1970s. We also get the coming of age stories, family dynamics and expectations that shaped these women. There were a few things throughout the story that felt oddly placed and the erratic pacing created confusion in some places. For the most part, it all wrapped up in a profound conclusion. Bright Young Women is wholly unique and rife with book club discussion topics. I’m really torn on how to rate this one, because even though I had a few quibbles, this book will stick with me for a long time.

Bright Young Women follows the story of the murders of two college women in their fraternity house, commited by a serial killer on the run. Pamela, the sorority's president and only eyewitness, makes her purpose to put the killer behind bars and never hurt another woman ever again. During the investigation, Pamela meets Tina, who is also seeking justice for the murder of her friend Ruth.

This book includes Pamela's POV both during the time of the murders and present time, and Ruth's, leading to the events of her unfortunate encounter with "The Defendant". I personally found Ruth's story way more interesting than Pamela's, but the both tellings worked very good together. As a good thriller, the author throws some hints here and there about some facts that are later revealed, but weren't well explained as I would have liked. For example, why and how Ruth's father died. It is hinted, but not totally confirmed. This guessing will make this book great for debates on book clubs, for sure.

Overall a great book with outstanding writing that kept me at the edge on my seat. It's perfect to read in a couple seatings.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc.

Thank you to the publisher for this eARC. As a fan of true crime, I'm happy to see a thriller that is based on some of the famous serial killers of the 70s. However, it deviates from the norm in that this story intertwines two narratives and several time periods. Though some might consider these competing narratives confusing, the headings at the change of chapters make it clear. The pacing is fantastic - whenever I put the book down, I would be thinking about it. I've read plenty of thrillers, but the focus on the female victims instead of the perspective of the killer himself, not even deigning to give him the glory of a name, embodies the new focus of contemporary true crime writing. The ending and the lead-up to it was so satisfying.

In January 1978, a normal night at a sorority house at Florida State University turns deadly. Sorority president Pamela Schumacher is the only person to see The Defendant leave the house, a man she soon learns has killed two of her friends and injured others. As the nightmare unfolds, Pamela feels responsible for seeking justice for her friends, while proving that she is a credible witness. Meanwhile, Tina Cannon appears and reveals The Defendant’s connection to her own friend’s disappearance. Tina then urges Pamela to help her nail the man who has ruined both of their lives.

Bright Young Women was a slow burn and very character driven, allowing the reader to feel immersed in the stories of Pamela, Ruth and Tina. The book aims to challenge The Defendant’s depiction by the media as a smart and handsome alleged criminal, instead highlighting how the principal women in the story are more brilliant and resilient individuals. It combines courtroom drama, female empowerment, societal expectations, and exposed secrets into a powerful narrative. Rather than focusing on the grotesque crimes involved, Knoll forces the reader to consider how lives were altered by a man who tortured young women with no remorse. The angle of the story felt original and was well done.

I didn’t know much about the story behind Ted Bundy before reading this and now I may have to go down the rabbit hole. Bright Young Women is a fictionalized account that focuses on some of the victims, both the ones who died and those who were collateral damage, of the infamous serial killer (whose first name is only used once in the book – giving him the anonymity that most of his victims generally suffered).

The prejudice that clouds the investigation and the prosecution of this horrific serial killer is infuriating. Pamela, an incredibly smart prelaw college student is the only eyewitness to his sorority massacre. As a woman in the 1970s she is treated like a nuisance and a potentially unreliable witness while Bundy is treated like a D list celebrity. Tina, who has been doggedly following Bundy and trying to catch him (since he killed her girlfriend), is treated as a dangerous element to the investigation (rather than someone who could be a strategic partner) because of her sexual orientation. The way the police treated the women is downright cringy – for example they took a while to get to the sorority house after he killed two women and brutally beat the other two because they thought that the girl who called 911 was probably being overly dramatic.

I thought the book was well written and the premise was extremely interesting – a look at how badly the police and court system treated the women/victims versus who should have been treated badly – the serial killer. The author didn’t want to give him any more fame than he has already received, and she juxtaposes this with the anonymity the victims have been given by giving them the voice in this book. At some points the story seemed to get a little slow and drag for me (and it kept going back and forth between two characters and three time periods which was made the read less smooth than I would have enjoyed). All in all though a worthwhile and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC.

4.25 star for me

4.5 stars

This one surprised me in a good way. As a brief review of the synopsis should clarify, the subject matter is tough, to say the least. But wow, does Knoll cover it in a pretty spectacular manner.

One essential feature of this novel is its constant time jumps. Readers get close to Pamela, the m.c., very quickly because we spend so much time viewing events through her perspective. Though Pamela is now an adult, a practicing attorney, and the mom of a 30-year-old, her earlier life held some truly shocking formative experiences. One night, her sorority house gets invaded by an absolute monster who brutalizes several of her sorority sisters/friends. As the president, Pamela takes on an incredible amount of responsibility in the aftermath. She cares for the house, the logistics, her surviving sisters, and truly everyone and everything else, really never wavering in a close to superhuman stance that once got her jokingly (but accurately) nicknamed "Pam Perfect." Pamela experiences some of the worst trauma imaginable, and it's no surprise that this shapes the entire rest of her adult life. Seeing the events as they play out but then in alternating past and present timelines is absolutely riveting. It also requires an attentive reader, so don't go listening to this one while drifting in and out of chores and distracting errands. She - and all of these women - deserve better from you, anyway.

Readers also see the world through Ruth's perspective, but we don't see her in the present day because she has been missing for years. Though she comes in later and in quite a different manner from Pamela, Ruth's story is in some ways even more compelling, and that is a real feat for Knoll. The tie between Ruth and Pamela is Tina, another fascinating character in her own right.

When I started this read, I struggled a bit with the timeline and also with the pacing. However, I grew to appreciate the choices surrounding both. These characters wait, and suffer, and live with their trauma forever. The desire for answers, clarity, and some kind of justification flow through readers as we wait alongside the characters, and this makes for some effective empathy building, which is another outstanding feature of the novel.

Knoll relentlessly focuses on the titular bright young women, giving NO sympathy or attention to the dirtbags who harm them along the way. It's painful to read about what happens to all of them in different ways and as a result of the general expectation that women's identities, choices, and autonomy are meaningless, even from the perspective of other women. The central crimes are just the impetus for the real atrocities these women - and, well, women in general - face.

It took me some time to get in the swing of this one, but between the fantastic ending and post-read rumination, I am already appreciating it even more. Readers who can handle this content will likely find themselves quite impacted by the journey. Recommended highly but with care.

Eh did not love this book. Jumped all over the place too much and was a bit confusing. Thought it was kind of boring and some story lines were not great.

I’m calling it now: this is THE book of the year. Wrap it up, DONE.

This book just hypnotized me, it was so good - and I wasn’t even sure I would like it at first, given the subject matter had been written about so much. But I should never have doubted Jessica Knoll and her ability to create completely compelling characters that will make you feel like you’re in the middle of the story. Silly me.

The story is a fictionalized version of events based on the crimes of “the Defendant,” who Knoll uses as an obvious stand in for a certain infamous serial killer (recently portrayed on Netflix by Zac Efron, hint hint). She states numerous times that she doesn’t want to name him because it takes his power away, and that it isn’t his story - he was, at the time and even today, portrayed as some sort of criminal genius; when in reality he was a petulant wannabe. He was sloppy and catered to, while his victims were smart and going places. And that’s really the theme of the book: the main characters are the president of the sorority in Florida he attacked, and the best friend of a woman in Seattle in murdered. Both women were successful and their friends were also going places. But their lives were cut short by this small man, and then they had to fight a sexist system to have their concerns heard. To get Justice for their loved ones. To take the focus off of the Defendant and try to put it on the people who mattered.

It was incredibly compelling. I was hooked.

Note: The book jumps between multiple timelines, including the present day; right after the murders; and during the investigation. But you can follow along easily. I didn’t have trouble keeping things straight.

It’s not only about their fight for justice in a system that’s against them, it also shows how people deal with these cataclysmic events. I mean, it’s almost unimaginable what college students would do after an attack like that. So you watch it unfold and see what happens. And it’s completely overwhelming and fascinating at the time.

Anyway, the bottom line is, GO GET THIS BOOK. It is easily the best book I’ve read all year, putting you through a whole range of emotions and drawing you in to a well thought out story that will make you think about the long way we’ve come - and have yet to go -when it comes to criminal justice and women’s rights.

And you’ll never look at a “serial killer” documentary the same again.