Despite never being a true crime junkie, fictionalized true crime novels have really been working for me. BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN was inspired by Ted Bundy’s last spree at an FSU sorority. I was equally horrified and fascinated by his multiple escapes from jail and the ways in which he charmed the public and members of the judicial system.

We follow two women from across the country in past and present timelines who were both connected to Bundy’s crimes. The novel is less about the heinous actions of “The Defendant” (Ted Bundy is intentionally never named) and more about the females who had the great misfortune of crossing paths with this notorious serial killer. The story shines an unflinching light on the leniencies offered to The Defendant compared to the female victims and witnesses of his crimes.

This is a lengthy character-driven story but one that I was eager to get back to. It is not gory or gratuitous; rather, a celebration of the strength of the indomitable female spirit. It is rumored to be a September Book Of The Month Club selection, so be on the lookout!

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: September 19, 2023

Many thanks to Mary Sue Ricci books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bright Young Women is a fictionalized telling of multiple women who were impacted by a serial killer across state lines. It's strongly inspired by Ted Bundy. I didn't realize this when reading the book and thought it would be more of a thriller/Guess Who? mystery. Once I went back and read up on Ted Bundy, the theme and plot of the book made sense.

I enjoyed the writing and the story of the girls who survived and were impacted by the murders; however, I wouldn't categorize this as a thriller.

A super slow burn, compelling and thought provoking, very character driven. While this dragged in the middle a bit, I am very glad I kept reading.

“Why do we know the names of the notorious serial killers and not the names of the victims whose lives were cut short?”

Billed as “an antidote to ‘Dahmer’”, Bright Young Women tells the story of two women whose lives are changed forever by America’s first celebrity serial killer.

This is a slower paced novel that I would classify as literary crime fiction (aka not a thriller) and it will surely be a longtime favorite of mine.

The thing I loved most about this book is that while real names of actual victims are used throughout, Knoll never once calls the serial killer by name👏🏼.

We all know who this “handsome”, “charming”, “charismatic” man is… he doesn’t deserve any more attention or notoriety. This book is about the women. It’s about victimhood and sisterhood. It’s about realizing that in paying so much attention to this evil person (described by the New York Times as “terrific-looking” and called a “bright young man” by the judge in Florida) we have glossed over the women affected by him. We can’t name any of the victims, but we know the color of this guy’s eyes?

Bright Young Women proposes that this man was incredibly average and not, in fact, a diabolical genius. He was a “run-of-the-mill incel”, whose grades were in the bottom 5th percentile, and was caught picking his nose in the courtroom multiple times. It’s the women in this story who are the impressive, smart, exceptional ones. And it’s the women whose lives were cut short.

Some other things I loved/stood out to me:

•This is obviously a dark story due to the subject matter, but I appreciated that it wasn’t terribly graphic. It is emotional and touches on a lot of heavy themes, but it doesn’t go into too much detail about the killer’s crimes.

•There is some really interesting discourse surrounding “complex grief”. This is a personal one for me - you can hold two things at the same time; you can be grieving AND angry. I truly love Knoll’s characters. They might not always be the most “likable”, but these are three-dimensional women with complicated relationships and emotions. (That being said, I more than liked all three characters in BYW).

•The scene where The Defendant is questioning the president of the sorority about his crimes had me feeling physically ill. Pamela was such an incredible character (who ironically reminded me a lot of the president of my own sorority) and I felt like I was in the courtroom with her throughout that line of questioning. I was so proud of her confidence and poise.

•The story is set in the 1970s, which was clearly a complicated time to be a women. It was so frustrating to read about how much effort these VICTIMS put in to making sure they didn’t come across as “complainers”. The girls could be upset about the events, but god forbid they get “too emotional”. They had to be smart, but not smarter than their boyfriends. They couldn’t have too many “relationships” or be too “friendly” with men. I wish I could say we’ve come a long way, but looking at SA cases from recent years would sadly suggest otherwise.

Overall, the writing and the pacing and the timeline jumps probably earned this one four stars, but my visceral reaction to the plot and storytelling has me bumping it up to five. This is very different from Knoll’s previous work and it left such an impact on me.

I think if you read or watch true crime you need to give this a chance. It would be a great book club pick because I guarantee no matter how you feel about it, you’ll want to discuss it with those close to you.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I am familiar with Ted Bundy and the crimes he committed from watching multiple documentaries but I found that this retelling, although a work of fiction, helped give a much different perspective by giving the victims & their loved ones a voice. Jessica Knoll clearly did a lot of research on Bundy & the women he killed/attacked, which made this seem as if it could have been the true story. I would definitely recommend Bright Young Women to anyone interested in true crime.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book.

On a Saturday night in 1978, a soon-to-be-infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house, killing two young women and severely injuring two others. The lives of those who survive, including sorority president and key witness Pamela Schumacher, are forever changed. Across the country in Issaquah, Washington, Tina Cannon is convinced that her missing friend was murdered by the same person four years ago. Determined to find justice, the two women join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation.

I went into this book blind, and WOW, I am so glad I did. I feel like it's wrong to say I loved this book, given the nature of it, but I did. The story is told from the points of view of Pamela, a key witness in the Florida murders, and Ruth, a victim in Washington, with dual timelines switching from the 1970s to present day. Although the characters are fictionalized, they are based on real victims and witnesses. In a world where serial killers are unfortunately sensationalized and idolized, I love that the author gave the women names and only referred to the perpetrator as "The Defendant." I knew who "The Defendant" was in the first chapter, but readers who aren't familiar with the case won't find out his name (and only his first name) until the end of the book. Just a brilliant and thought-provoking novel showcasing the tabloid fascination with killers and shining a light on the bright, young women whose names are often forgotten. I highly, highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element, S&S/Marysue Ricci Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from Simon Element via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I really enjoyed Jessica Knoll's first book, The Luckiest Girl Alive. I was not as impressed with her second, The Favorite Sister. But this one is by far my favorite! I could not put it down and was genuinely said when I finished that there was nothing left to read.

I actually did not realize that this is a fictionalized account of Ted Bundy's crimes, with a lot of truth sprinkled in. Prior to reading, I thought it was just fiction about a serial killer similar to Bundy. So this was a unique way to go into reading, and the fact that Bundy is nearly never mentioned by name kept me unaware throughout.

The multiple points of view and multiple timelines are extremely well done. They made sense and I enjoyed seeing the characters' growth (or lack thereof for Ruth's mother) between the 70's and today. Plus, of course, the societal differences in these two time frames - such as Tina being asked to fetch coffee at the conference, Pamela basically being brushed off by the police.

There were so many heartbreaking moments. Trying to mention without spoilers - one of the phone calls Pamela makes near the beginning, one of the last chapters that takes place in Washington. And also so many instances of the characters living up to the title of Bright Young Women.

Inspired by the Chi Omega murders from Ted Bundy, Bright Young Women is story of the women who were left behind after the brutal slayings of a serial killer.

Pamela is the president of her sorority and an overachiever. She's heading to law school after graduation. One Friday night, she stays in, avoiding a party, and falls asleep at her desk. When she wakes up, nothing is the same. The lights and tv are on, the living space is a mess, and...a man runs out the door. She finds two of her sisters bleeding from their faces and two other sisters are dead.

Pamela connects with Tina, a woman who is on the hunt of a serial killer who killed her friend, Ruth, a few years prior. Together, the two women fight for the truth and for some sort of peace.

Jessica Knoll has written an excellent book that explores the after from a heinous crime. So often, we remember the killer, but not the killed. This story is about the pain that lingers after loved ones are brutally taken and the fire that lives to see justice served.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

🙏Thank you so much to @bookclubfavorites for the gifted book and to @simon.audio for the free audiobook!

💛Wow. This was intense. I didn't realize who this story was based on when I started and I think that's intentional to keep his name out of the spotlight, but STILL. I had no idea what I was getting into and in some ways (the shock factor) that was good and in other ways (also the SHOCK factor) it was bad for me 😳

💛Anyways onto the story! I was hooked so fast and my eyes were bugging out right off the bat! 😳

💛I haven't read the authors previous works so I was very surprised by how immersive her writing style was. I felt like I was right there with these characters the whole time!

💛While it was written so well, I did struggle with a lot of the content, so I'd highly recommend looking up content warnings.

🎧The audiobook performance was perfection though so if you're planning to read, I highly suggest the audio!

We’ve come a long way ladies! This book is addictive and dark, a fictional true crime thriller, and inspired by the real life events of Ted Bundy and his victims. Starting at the end of his terror, the story opens up with a Florida university sorority house that experiences horror one night and sets up our main character, Pamela, to set out to bring this monster to justice. I really enjoyed how this author highlighted the way women were talked to and treated by law enforcement, school officials, and even family and boyfriends. Women just weren’t taken seriously during the 1970’s and I’m so thankful to all the brave women who have paved the way to offer us a better life now. The other thing I really liked was the way Knoll turned the narrative around and exposed Bundy as the “small” and evil monster that he was instead of the “smart, good looking, and charming young man” we’ve been indoctrinated with all these years. If you enjoy true crime, this is your book! I did feel like it got a little long at the 3/4 mark, but I’m not a true crime reader and the darkness started to weigh me down a bit. But all in all, it’s an excellent story, very well thought out and expressed! Thank you Netgalley, Simon Element and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on September 19, 2023

This book was inspired by a judge calling Ted Bundy a "bright young man" when he was sentenced to death. Just think about that...

Bright Young Women gives a voice to women who were/are dismissed by law enforcement, family, society and their own partners. This is more of a slower paced book than I usually like but it was crafted so well between the Pamela and Ruth perspectives and multiple timelines. It's extremely satisfying how it all unfolds.

Bright Young Women comes out September 19, 2023. Thank you NetGalley, Simon Element, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books and Jessica Knoll for an early copy.

I really enjoyed this! Crime without gore or overly intense details. Very well done alternating story and time lines.

In January 1978 a serial killer - known as “the defendant” in this novel - terrorized the Pacific Northwest, killing young woman.

At Florida State University no one is even thinking of him until he brings his terror to Tallahassee. The main narrator, Pamela, unwittingly becomes an eyewitness to the murders of two of her sorority sisters and two other women who were scarred for life by this criminal.

On the other side of the country a young woman, Ruth, has gone missing and her friend Tina is convinced the same man is involved in the Florida crime and her friends disappearance. Tina travels to Florida to team up with Pamela to uncover the truth of police incompetence and corruption and to seek justice for their friends.

The novel weaves today’s timeline and 1978 with dual narration by both Pamela and Ruth -the missing girl - seamlessly.

This story delves deep into the errors of an investigation in 1978 where men had a narrow view of a woman’s capability and the resilience of these smart women who would not back down to the societal views of them.

This chilling, sharp, thought-provoking story is a lesson in the power of sisterhood in a homophobic, woman-demeaning community and the leaps and bounds women have taken to extradite themselves from what society deemed to be appropriate at the time.

I applaud these bright young women who stopped at nothing to not be silenced.

If you like fast paced and turn paging mystery, then this story is for you! It took me some time to realize who the serial killer was and I was ok with that. I truly liked that this story was about bringing a voice to the women who have been forgotten about. By not saying/giving the serial killer’s name, Jessica Knoll removes his stardom and that’s a pretty amazing feat. This was a great retelling of such a popular serial killer while respecting the victims. Thank you Jessica Knoll, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ebook.

This story is told in a variety of timelines and POVs – we've got present day Pamela, college-aged Pamela, and another person who might be a victim of the same killer that visited Pamela's sorority house, Ruth. The way the stories were interwoven was supremely well done, and while you know what end is coming to Ruth, it didn't make it any less unfortunate when you arrive there.

Bright Young Women is definitely not misplaced in the suspense genre, but I did appreciate how much of the story was centered around the women and their lives in 1970's America, where homophobia is running rampant and women are more objects than people.

This was a one sitting read for me!

loved Luckiest Girl Alive but honestly, i loved this even more!! thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

DNF @ 70%

I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately ended up not finishing it for multiple reasons. I initially didn't realize this book is based on Ted Bundy until doing some research after feeling like this book read more like a crime novel than a thriller. I thought it started off really strong and it drew me in quickly, but that changed around the halfway point when it started dragging and feeling repetitive. I usually like dual POVs, but they got a little confusing in this one with Tina being a side character in both Ruth and Pamela's lives. I kept having to remind myself whose POV I was reading from. I do like how this book focused more on the victims of the crimes rather than the person who committed the crimes. This one had so much potential, but it fell flat for me.

This is the first fictional true crime book I’ve read that actually centers the victims. Other than the obvious (not naming The Defendant) time and time again the author reminded the audience of his vileness and ineptitude. She painted such an accurate picture of womanhood; you must be calm and rational, hospitable, and the smartest in the room for your voice to actually be heard. This novel critiques society without feeling performative, which made it feel like the author was, at times, speaking from her own experience. Although the book was long, I found it to be engaging from start to finish. The title is perfect - at the end of it all, this story is about bright young women.

Thank you to Jessica Knoll and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

Absolutely startled and shattered by this novel -- what a book! I'm a recovering true crime girlie with many complicated feelings on the genre (most of which cycle around revulsion at the mythologizing our culture does of brutal men as tortured masterminds), so there was no way I could resist a sharp and clear-eyed retelling of America's most famous serial killer's final act. Though the Defendant's shocking violence is the catalyst for the narrative, Knoll works hard to give him as little oxygen as possible. Pamela, Ruth, and Tina (all victims of the Defendant's violence, either primary or collateral damage) provide the novel's beating heart, and I could barely force myself to put the book down, I was so enamored of them. Each woman's complicated relationship with her family, with the men who purport to love and/or protect them, and with society's general disdain for women like her is so compelling. Knoll is razor-sharp and merciless in describing the myriad ways women are punished for standing out--being too smart, too loud, too queer, too fat, too persistent, too impertinent, too beautiful, too wanted. I'll be thinking about this book for years to come, and I'll be adding Knoll to my auto-read list!!!

4.5 stars, rounded up
Bright Young Women is based on the real life murders of two sorority members by Ted Bundy.
Pamela Schumacher is the president of her sorority in 1978 and has chosen to stay home on Saturday night to catch up on paperwork. In the early hours, she hears a noise and goes to investigate and sees a man leaving the House. From there, the story goes back and forth between the present and past. She meets a woman who has flown in from the west, a woman convinced she knows who the killer is. The two team up, doing their own investigation when the Sheriff seems focused on another man.
There’s also a side story about a woman named Ruth, a young woman finding her own identity and becoming comfortable with her true self.
I loved that this wasn’t the typical criminal or psychological thriller. It was much deeper than that. The characters felt fleshed out and real. Knoll has done an excellent job of getting the feel for the period, especially that weird polite mindset of young women not yet caught up in the women’s liberation movement. She’s created a consistent tension, a current of suspense that runs throughout the story, but that never veers into the sensational.
The title is a play on the words of the Florida judge who called Ted Bundy “a bright young man”. Because the story truly is about the young women here who are the bright ones, finally recognizing their own worth and intelligence. But it’s also a story about male incompetence; men wanting The Defendant to be smart to mask their own mistakes. Or in the case of a reporter, to use The Defendant as a stepping stone to his own fame and glory.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon Element for an advance copy of this book.