Thank you, NetGalley and Simon Element for the copy of Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll. The book started out great, as we get to know Pamela, sorority president, and her experience as the sorority is targeted by a serial killer. My interest waned as it started to focus on Pamela, Tina, and Ruth instead of the crime. The different timelines were confusing and I couldn’t connect with the writing style. This was inspired by a real serial killer and a real crime, so I wonder if this would have been better categorized as historical fiction, instead of a character study with no mystery or excitement/thrills. If you love the quest for justice and character-driven novels this book might be perfect for you.

Books like these make me wish there was a rating higher than five stars.

First, thank you to @netgalley and @marysueruccibooks for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The POWER this book has. Knoll has taken all power away from a serial killer (who is, herein, only called The Defendant… and although it’s obvious from the story who it is, I too am not saying his name) and has given full agency and power back to the women he took it from.

While Knoll pays homage to the true victims in these pages by name, our story follows a pair of women who resemble victims/survivors of The Defendant, but are fictionalized. And while the murder still takes place in a sorority house, just like the murderer, she doesn’t name the sorority; it’s called “The House.” I am a member of this sorority, and I appreciated the details that called out things I knew as ours, without making the sorority a part of the story.

The writing is absolutely captivating; this book was the definition of unputdownable. Knoll created women I cared deeply about and a storyline that ripped my heart out simultaneously.

This novel is heartbreaking, horrifying, graphic, powerful, inspiring, devastating, and passionate. I cried my eyes out, and I had no trouble putting myself in the shoes of the survivors or the victims.

Knoll has said her inspiration, in part, for this story was the line in the court transcript where the judge called The Defendant a “bright young man.” This murderer. This horrific human. And she wanted to reclaim that - for the bright young women whose lights he snuffed out. And she did this beautifully, and in spade.

Buy this, preorder it, read it. It drops in September and it’s going to be one of the best books of 2023 without question. It’s one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read.

I enjoyed this even more than Luckiest Girl Alive. This is so well written. It’s told from the perspective of two women who survived a man who would become a famous serial killer. He started in the Pacific Northwest and made his way across the country, killing young women along the way, escaping jail twice in Colorado (!) until he killed sorority sisters in Florida. One of the women who tells the story is a surviving member of that sorority who actually saw the attacker leave the sorority house, the other is a woman who lost her friend on a beach when he committed two murders in a row in broad daylight, actually telling people his real first name but lying about an injury that he said he needed the women to help him with.

This novel really upsets the narrative about how intelligent he was. The cops wanted him to be a criminal mastermind to make up for their incompetence, and thus, the journalists who wanted access to interviews played along, giving a story they thought the public wanted. I got angry about how the cops treated the surviving women and how people treated lesbians. I might have gotten angry because even though this book is about the events that took place in the ‘70s, women in general and lesbians in particular still aren’t believed and treated the way they should be.

This is really good. Recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES SEPTEMBER 19, 2023.

I absolutely loved this thriller! Definitely lived up to her Luckiest Girl Alive novel. I felt myself in the sorority setting as a sorority gal myself. Probably should have some trigger warnings though, that's for sure!

A wholly original and engrossing interpretation of a horrific and historical true crime event. I absolutely loved how the author rightfully stripped away the media and public's glorification of The Defendant, accurately portraying him as "not special"...illustrating that he was, indeed, mediocre loser at best.

“Bright Young Women” follows Pamela, a sorority sister who lost two of her sisters in an attack at their home on campus. Pamela loves order, and tries her best to uncover the mystery and figure out why they were targeted and who the killer is. Pamela soon becomes friends with Tina, who has dedicated her life to finding out who had murdered her girlfriend many years prior.

This book was difficult to read, and gruesome but so well written! It took me a little while to piece together which serial killer this book is about, but once I did I was shocked. Thank you so much to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

Well-told narrative and multi-layered plotting, tho often found the multiple story/timelines difficult to keep straight.
Parts of the story are disturbing.

With thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element / S&S / Marysue Rucci Books for this e-ARC!

Jessica Knoll fearlessly tackles important and sensitive topics, shedding light on societal issues that are often overlooked. The author's insightful commentary on the pressures women face in contemporary society adds an extra layer of resonance to the story.

The main character's development is brilliantly crafted, showcasing her inner struggles and transformation as she navigates a world that demands conformity. Her journey is both relatable and empowering, making her an unforgettable and realistic heroine.

The novel's structure, with its blend of past and present, adds depth and intrigue to the narrative. As the story unfolds, unexpected twists and revelations keep readers on the edge of their seats, eager to discover the truth behind the protagonist's choices.

While "Bright Young Woman" is an exceptionally well-crafted novel, I felt that a few loose ends could have been tied up more effectively. Nevertheless, the overall impact of the book remains profound, leaving readers with lingering thoughts and emotions.

4.5

Overall I liked this book. It is told from 2 POV's, Ruth a victim and Pamela an eyewitness. Both characters are interesting. I felt the book starts and ends strong. However, the entire middle of the story is very slow. I was left with some questions after a few plot points go nowhere.

BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN is the perfect cocktail of Joyce Carol Oates, Caitlyn Wahrer's The Damage, and Tiffany McDaniel's On the Savage Side. BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN is a complete pivot from the author's previous works, but definitely her strongest release.

The story alternates multiple timelines, but the conflict at hand takes place in 1978, featuring our main protagonist, Pamela Schumacher. Pamela is President of her sorority at Florida State University's Tallahassee campus, and her life gets thrown into a whirlwind after witnessing an intruder flee her sorority house. That fateful night, Pamela chose to stay home instead of going to a party, which ends up saving her life. The intruder that Pamela faces ends up murdering two of her sorority sisters and violently attacking two others. Pamela is the only witness to see the face of the murderer and her life changes forever.

After this sorority murder spree, Tina Cannon gets wind about similarities relating to the disappearance of someone very important to her, Ruth Wachowsky. Ruth's disappearance from Lake Sammamish State Park is on the other side of the country, but Tina just knows that Ruth's disappearance is related to this attack on Pamela's sorority. Tina decides that she will investigate herself and bring justice for Ruth at any cost.

BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN is a crime-fiction, dark, investigative mystery. This story involves sisterhood and friendship, love, determination, tragedy. Take note of the time periods of this novel as it plays an important step in the themes for this book as well. This book isn't the twisty psychological thriller you've probably expected from Jessica Knoll, but more-so a character-driven story involving two people trying to uncover the truth. I was fully immersed in this story and I think readers will be in for a treat. This is a slower-paced novel compared to the authors two previous novels, but I really enjoyed this book and the author's change of storytelling and I think she should continue in this direction.

Wow! This was an absolutely incredible read and one that everyone will be talking about without a doubt.

You think you know the story, but do you? 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 explores the murders of one of America’s most recognized serial killers––but rather than being just another story glorifying an infamous murderer, the narrative is switched, and the real heroes are the bright young women whose promising futures were cut short and those who were left behind to fight for justice. Rightly so, the unnamed killer (who you will recognize immediately) is reduced to the absolute dud that he truly was.

I love Jessica Knoll’s thoughtfully emotional take on this long-told story. Rights have been wronged here, and it’s been a long time coming. It’s fictional, but it’s also very real.

DON'T MISS THIS ONE!

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

Irked by the fact that a judge referred to Ted Bundy as a “bright young man”, author Jessica Knoll wants everyone to know that his victims and survivors were all bright young women who should have had promising futures, too. In a tribute to the now mostly anonymous women, Knoll has created an emotional fictional account of the Florida State University survivors and witnesses — where 2 women were murdered and 2 were severely beaten. This was the time before law enforcement realized that an escaped Bundy had relocated to the South after an escape in Colorado.

Bundy, a super narcissist, is never named (only once as “Ted” in last pages) and referred to as “The Defendant”. The primary characters are Pamela, the FSU sorority president who clearly saw the killer; and Ruth, a unconfirmed victim of “The Defendant” who lived in the West, whose body has never been found. Tina, Ruth’s friend, a therapist and burgeoning feminist of the 70s who was convinced the murders in Florida were the work of the same serial killer, ties their stories together as she seeks out Pamela to get the local police to take notice.

There is a triple timeline — what happened at the sorority, Ruth’s story of 4 years earlier in Washington state, and 43 years later, as the now lawyer Pamela returns to Tallahassee to visit a man from the past.

Knoll wants us to know that, contrary to popular culture, “The man [Bundy] was no diabolical genius. He was your run-of-the-mill incel …caught picking his nose in the courtroom.” The book also recounts how even the most intelligent women were dismissed just because of their gender forty years ago and how even the slightest suggestion of same sex affection or even acknowledging a friendship with a possibly gay woman meant that you and her were therefore contemptible and could be totally ignored. The book is haunting, mesmerizing and frustrating. It speaks volumes about how the female survivors, witnesses, and victims were treated, in subservience to the misogynistic “Kennedy-esque Killer.” 5 stars.

Thank you to Simon Element and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES But this time it’s a male reporter with dark green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): YES There’s talk of lilacs at a January funeral, but lilacs don’t bloom anywhere in the US until spring

I read Knoll's Luckiest Girl Alive when it came out but skipped The Favorite Sister. I was intrigued by the premise here - a story of two women from completely opposite sides of the country who come together because they both lose people they love to a sadistic serial killer who keeps evading the law. The story alternates between three timelines - Pamela's story starts in 1978 when two members of her sorority at Florida State University - including her best friend - are brutally murdered and two others are mutilated in the middle of the night. Pamela wakes up during the attack and sees the murderer without being seen, and she becomes a critical witness while also dealing with the grief and pain of her loss. In the aftermath of the attack, she meets Tina, who arrives in Tallahassee and tells Pamela that she believes the murderer killed her friend Ruth four years prior in Washington state. That's the second timeline - Tina and Ruth becoming friends (and eventually more) through a complex grief group in Issaquah, Washington in 1974. The third timeline is the present, when Pamela and Tina end up back in Tallahassee after being contacted by a former friend, a journalist who covered the case and eventually betrayed them by being taken in by the murderer. I liked the focus here on the women, the victims and survivors of this killer, rather than the killer himself. One of my favorite things was that the author purposely never gives the killer a name - he is referred to consistently as The Defendant, an intentional choice that's meant to take away some of his power. Knoll also tackles the issue of male serial killers being romanticized by the press, the public, and even the justice system - shown here by members of law enforcement and the judiciary frequently mentioning how smart and handsome the Defendant was, and what a waste it was that he chose the wrong path. It's very reminiscent of the narratives around killers like Ted Bundy, and I appreciated that it was called out. So many content warnings here - murder (of course), sexual assault, gaslighting, homophobia, and more. A tense read but an interesting take on the current obsession with true crime.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this entertaining ARC. All opinions are my own.

Bright Young Women’s main character is Pamela Schumacher, the fictional eyewitness that places Ted Bundy at the FSU sorority house—at which she is president—on January 15, 1978. The timeline jumps from her experiences in 1978 in the aftermath of the murders, in 1979 during the trial, and in the present still dealing with his crimes. In addition, BYW shares its POV with Ruth Wachowsky, a fictional victim to Bundy, painting her background and the days leading up to her inevitable end. Both stories collide when Pamela meets Martina “Tina” Cannon who believes that Bundy is responsible for her friend Ruth’s disappearance and alleged murder.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but I have to admit that I wish Ted Bundy’s name would never be used in anymore fiction or nonfiction media. BUT…this book definitely altered my perception of him. I’m not sure how old I was when I first heard about Ted Bundy, but it was always followed by the stories of teenage girls fawning all over him and talking about how clever he was as a serial killer. I had seen Zac Efron’s portrayal of him, and I guess I was unaware of how seriously pathetic this guy really was until now. Hollywood has a way of changing or omitting details, I guess. I can tell Jessica Knoll did her research on him; she provides even the most minute details about Bundy.

In the book compared to “real life”, Pamela Schumacher is the fictionalized version of Nita Neary, the eyewitness who saw Bundy leaving the FSU sorority house, and Ruth Wachowsky is Janice Ann Ott who was abducted from Lake Sammamish in Issaquah, Washington. I can tell that details were changed because who would want to read a fiction novel from the POV of the real Nita Neary or Janice Ann Ott—that would’ve been disturbing to say the least. I go back and forth wondering if this book should’ve even been written or not, but I was entertained and I did enjoy it, looking forward to certain scenes I had hoped would be portrayed in the book. I just don’t know if we should give Ted Bundy—who in the book is named “The Defendant”—anymore “screen time.”

That's it. I’ve said my piece, and I can’t say anymore since this book doesn’t come out until September, but I did like this book. It was written well and the characters were intriguing.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of Bright Young Women!
This novel was a great new take on the story of Ted Bundy and his victims as we know it. Jessica Knoll brilliantly never gives him the power of his name, only referring to him as The Defendant. I caught myself wondering what was real, and what Jessica dreamt up to get us in the minds of the women that were impacted by The Defendant. She has the reader fired up about the injustice of not only the senseless murders, but also women’s general role in that time.
The vast majority of the male characters in this novel are chauvinistic, patronizing, unintelligent or a mix of all three. Having the male characters shown in this light helps to highlight the power and intelligence of women, but the frustration of society’s view of them.
A great full circle moment was during the trial, the judge sent off The Defendant calling him a “bright young man.” It was a great juxtaposition of the women who actually were, and makes me love the choice for the name of the novel.
I appreciated that this story was bookended by the two attacks of our narrators. The book opens with Pamela’s POV of the murders in the sorority house because she survived, and Ruth’s narration ended towards the conclusion of the book.
This novel was a slow burn, and there were moments in the book that seemed to jump around. In a chapter titled Pamela 1978, she was comparing her current situation to the eventual Covid lockdown. I understand the writing style, but it takes the reader out of the moment.
I appreciate that Jessica told the story of the women involved in the Ted Bundy murders that even the most invested followers of true crime never hear about. Immediately after finishing the book I began researching Pamela and Ruth because I’ve already watched numerous documentaries and movies about The Defendant. He’s old news. It is important to remember the victims, rather than the monster who negatively impacted so many lives.

I really enjoyed the mix of true crime with feminism in this book. It took a case we’ve all heard about plenty of times and told the story from the women’s point of view. The characters and the story line were all well done and it kept me intrigued the entire time. I would highly recommend!

A twisty murder story that's based on a true story?! Sign me up! Loved the history that this is based off of and couldn't stop turning the pages, Also loved the dual timeline and how then stories were intertwined. Recommend to thriller lovers!

I really loved this! I didn't realize until after I had finished how much of this was based on true events. I feel like maybe I should have known that. But anyway! Finished it in a day.

I can't quite decide what I think of this book. The premise is interesting and I like the idea of the multiple points of view. I also appreciate that the focus isn't on the killer himself, but more on the people who were affected by him. But I don't know how to feel about the fact mixed with fiction. Some of the victims' names are real and others have been changed or are fictionalized accounts. The facts of the cases they're based on are mostly there, so it was hard to tell where to really put this. It's not technically true crime, but it's also hard to fully qualify it as fiction. There were definitely points where I really wanted it to just move forward and others where I was so drawn in I couldn't put it down. So I'm torn.

An intriguing take on the Florida State University sorority killings in the 1970s, with the POV of the sole member to identify the killer. While I was drawn in by the plot and my understanding of the real-life events, Pamela's character is hard to get a handle on--at points she seems to push the parameters expected of her as a young woman in that era, but at others her perspective is distancing and aloof. Other characters are two-dimensional and predictable in their "roles"; that said, the suspense of the story kept me reading. Overall, I'm divided in my review. There is plenty of interest and movement through the storyline, but the main character falls a bit flat.
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to give this a read!