This novel is about a serial killer that targeted a sorority in the 70s and the women that have tried to put an end to his crime sprees.

Forging a friendship through the grief they have both lived through, Pamela and Tina try to forge ahead to find justice for the women’s lives affected by this man.

I like the direction this novel ended up moving in. I was a little bored initially as I felt this story was already talked about too much in previous true crime novels. It didn’t feel fresh. But switching things up between past and present while creating a new “mystery” that may have involved the same criminal years later was a smart move. And with all the glorification of serial killers lately, I was happy to see a different take on the often-overlooked victims of these crimes.

Overall, this was a pretty heavy book. I highly recommend it to true crime readers, as this is inspired by the real-life sorority that Ted Bundy targeted.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

True crime, a serial killer, and fiction inspired by true events? Yes please! I liked how Jessica Knoll told the victims stories and explored the mistakes made during the investigation. At times, it was hard to follow the timeline and keep the characters straight. I had to go back and reread a few parts for it to make sense. Overall, I still enjoyed this book very much. #BrightYoungWomen #NetGalley

4.5! heartbreaking, gory, tender, sharp, observant

Bright Young Women is about a 70s sorority president named Pamela, and it starts with a vivid description of the night a serial killer maimed and murdered his way through her sorority house. Pamela is the only eyewitness and her story follows her life after the massacre. Without spoilers, there are 2 other women we follow, who are also affected by the killer.

I thought this was sneaky good. It's procedural (which I like) but also very insightful and heartbreaking. Pamela's character is so well-developed I genuinely recognize her- I've MET Pamelas. It's also a commentary on the gaslighting and general misogyny female victims face (but worse because it was the 1970s). One thing I loved is that the defendant is never named, and Jessica Knoll makes it clear through Pamela that this guy is a complete LOSER, despite public sentiment that the Defendant is special/brilliant/misunderstood.

I think if you liked I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai this will be right up your alley. Thank you so so much to Jessica Knoll, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books, and Netgalley for letting me read this brilliant book.

Hello,

Thank you for giving me the chance to read this book.

I was really into it at first but about 1/3 of the way through I found myself being confused with the multiple characters and timelines. I kept reading on and my confusion grew into boredom.

The beginning really hooked me but I lost interest. I did finish the book but honestly skimmed most of the ending because I couldn’t follow the story.

I wasn’t a fan of the cover for this one so it took me awhile to get around reading this one. Once I did, I was hooked!

Inspired by Ted Bundy and his victims, Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is a book you will want to read this fall. Clear your schedule for this novel which is dark, gritty and compelling. It takes talent to recreate the horror and fear that settled across the country during the 1970s, during the height of the serial killer era.
The synopsis is pretty straightforward—following Ted Bundy’s attack at an FSU sorority house (based on the real event), Pamela—one of the sorority sisters—sets out to try and find justice for the women who died that night. Her narration is combined by that of Ruth, a woman who previously disappeared at Lake Sammamish (also based on the real event). Linking their stories together is Tina, a mysterious figure who becomes committed to catching Bundy. You have no idea Bundy is the actual main villain until the very end as his name is called “Defendant” throughout the entire book.

If you have read Knolls past book, Luckiest Girl Alive note that this is NOTHING like that story. This is more true crime mixed with police procedural with court room banter. It’s quite long as well. The chapters flip from past to present, from Pamela (1978) to Ruth(1974) to current day Pamela etc. This was a little hard to follow if you are starting and stopping the book like I had to. If i had two full days I would have blown through this story without stopping and that would have made it all the more satisfying.
I really enjoyed this book. Jessica is a very talented writer and I love her style that pulls when doing a novel. You can tell she really spent time researching the Bundy trials(I believe she said on social media she took 4 years to work through this one) I felt terrified in some of the chapters just recounting what these young women went through. You can tell that’s good writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element/Marysue Rucci Books for the ARC in exchange for my review. Highly recommend Bright Young Women. Debuting 9/19.

In Bright Young Women, Kroll gives voice to the women surrounding a very well-known murderer by fictionalizing their stories. While she expertly weaves in real-world details with the ones made up, I continually wondered if it would have been better to just read a fully fictionalized story. At what point does basing something on real events strip the survivors of their agency? Does it matter that I can look up Bundy’s victims from Lake Sammamish State Park and the FSU Chi Omega sorority house even if Kroll changed their names and fabricated their stories? Do they care? While this book tackles very heavy topics and was hard to get into at first (what true crime adjacent novel isn’t?), I did enjoy Kroll’s writing style and way of storytelling. The time jumps were a bit disconcerting to follow, especially when they switched between Ruth and Pamela in the 70s, but, again, I loved seeing Bundy from a new perspective, where he’s just a footnote in another person’s story. We know where he ends up, and it is with a certain glee that we get to read about his attempts to thwart justice knowing in our hearts how epically he will fail.

Thank you to Netgalley, Jessica Knoll & Simon Element/S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for an arc of Bright Young Women in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own (except for any quotations) and may not be reproduced.

Synopsis (quoted) – Review Below

“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.

Bright Young Women is the story about two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their fervent pursuit of the truth. It proposes a new narrative inspired by evidence that’s been glossed over for decades in favor of more salable headlines—that the so-called brilliant and charismatic serial killer from Seattle was far more average than the countless books, movies, and primetime specials have led us to believe, and that it was the women whose lives he cut short who were the exceptional ones.”

After reading & watching Luckiest Girl Alive, I was excited to have the opportunity to have an advance read & review of Bright Young Women.

While I wanted to love this story – I just didn’t. It is about 95% lacking in originality. Hello, Ted Bundy murders? We all know that Ted Bundy has been trending over the last few years (which according to Knoll, she worked on this novel for 4 years). The timing of all of the movies & documentaries regarding Ted Bundy is a little too coincidental. I understand that authors take inspiration from all sorts of things, including real life events, to some extent, but the originality just wasn’t there.

And this is a note for the publisher – I will NEVER request, read or recommend anything by Jessica Knoll ever again. I witnessed firsthand her encounter with another influencer on Instagram who gave this book a VERY kind 3-star review. I mean, VERY kind & polite 3-star review. And Jessica Knoll decided to comment & act like a complete & total b*tch about the 3-star review and then BLOCKED the influencer. This influencer is so extremely kind-hearted and even when something isn’t for her, she still won’t say anything ugly about it. She was completely mortified by Jessica’s comment and behavior and even attempted to be the better person and message Jessica to apologize for offending her (even though it wasn’t necessary), but Jessica had already blocked her. I lost every ounce of respect that I may have had for her at that point. As a “best selling” author or any author for that matter, you have to understand that not everyone is going to love everything that you write. That’s just not life, in any aspect. But to act so rudely over a review that wasn’t even bad??? Just my personal opinion here, but it seems Ms. Knoll might have gotten a little too big for her britches after her success with Luckiest Girl Alive. This may not be the info you are looking for in a review, but it needed to be said. Jessica Knoll is in desperate need of some humble pie. People see that behavior and take notice and while she may have some “You go girl!” followers, those of us with our eyes wide open are not impressed and she 100% lost a follower in me.

You think you know this story, but you have no idea. Inspired by one of America's most recognizable serial killers, "Bright Young Woman" flips the popular narrative on its head, making the women who survived his crimes the stars of the story, while reducing an infamous murderer to a never-named "Defendant" -- but you'll recognize him right away.

I went into this book thinking that I knew everything about this killer and his heinous crimes. I've listened to every episode of "My Favorite Murder;" I'm a true crime junkie; Yet for every time I've heard this story, I've never heard the truth -- that far from being a mastermind, this so-called "Campus Killer" just had the luck of committing his crimes in areas where law enforcement lacked either the skills or the desire to end his reign of terror. Knoll so thoroughly skewers the idea of him being a genius that it left me wondering how the idea ever caught on in the first place, and why it dominates the narrative behind this serial killer -- who was nothing but another mediocre man -- one of many in this novel.

But the real stars of this book are the bright young women (wait until you read the book and see where the title came from!!) who faced this "Defendant" and ultimately defeated him. Their struggles to manage their own grief while connecting the dots for law enforcement are set against the infuriating patriarchal discrimination of the period, and left me fuming -- but also grateful for how far we've come.

And if all that isn't enough, there's a tantalizing mystery woven through the book, which kept me reading well past my bedtime. The resolution was satisfying, but not as satisfying as watching this infamous killer be reduced to his true, pathetic form.

This was a hard book to read, but I think an important one. It is based on the victims of Ted Bundy, specifically in Tallahassee and Lake Sammamish State Park. What I liked about this book is instead of focusing on the killer — he is mostly referred to as The Defendant throughout the book — it focuses on the victims. The names have been changed and some of the circumstances, but a Google search will quickly show how they match up.

It also shows the determination of several women to be sure The Defendant is brought to justice and that the victims are not forgotten.

The ending felt rushed, and there were a couple things I wish had been clarified more, but otherwise I’m glad I read it. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

There are a couple of things I must point out...

1. When I grow up I want to be Jessica Knoll
2. Bright Young Women, will be THE book of the year
3. My soul is destroyed and I will forever swoon over Knoll's publications.

Bright Young Women, was my most sought after book for 2023. The minute I heard about it, I had to have it. I requested this book the day it hit Netgalley and prayed every day afterwards for an approval.

I don't know what I ever did in my life to deserve it, but Im thankful.

Bright Young Women, is everything you will ever need in a book, jam packed within 384 pages. If you thought you loved Luckiest Girl Alive, you have no clue what you are even in store for.

If I could make one book suggestion for the rest of my life, it would be this one. Don't believe me? Pre-Order yourself a copy and find out what Im swooning over.

Teaser:

January 15, 1978, is a night of promise, excitement, and desire. A serial killer’s murderous spree in the Pacific Northwest couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee.

That night, Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds outside her bedroom door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed.

On the other side of the country, in Seattle, Tina Cannon has found peace after years of hardship. A chance encounter brings twenty-five-year-old Ruth Wachowsky into her life and they forge an instant connection. But then Ruth goes missing from Lake Sammamish State Park in broad daylight, the same day as another young woman, surrounded by thousands of beachgoers. Both vanish without a trace. Tina is convinced Ruth was a target of the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer.

When she learns of the massacre in Tallahassee, Tina is convinced it’s him again. She rushes to Florida, on a collision course with Pamela—and one last impending tragedy.

Bright Young Women tells the story of two women from opposite sides of the country who forge a sisterhood in grief and in the fervent pursuit of justice. Toggling between those terrifying days in 1978 and a letter that brings them together in the present, this is a novel that flips the script on the oft-perpetuated glorification of a sadistic but ultimately average man and instead turns the spotlight on the exceptional women he targeted.

I just finished this book and was reading the comments on here and found out this was kinda sorta about Ted Bundy? Either way, this was gripping and kept me reading. I also particularly appreciated how the author points out the misogyny at every turn that was so common then (and sadly it makes me feel like we haven't gotten that far away from it).

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bright Young Women follows Pamela over the course of her adulthood, starting with the terrible night when she woke up in her sorority house to find that her best friend and 3 other sorority sisters had been attacked while sleeping in their beds. Influenced by Ted Bundy, Bright Young Women is the story of the survivors and their loved ones, and the work they'll do to bring him to justice.

While I couldn’t put this book down, I had trouble following the multiple perspectives and timelines. I enjoyed how the story followed the women and the victims / survivors of a serial killer (meant to be based on Ted Bundy) and didn’t spend much time at all on him (never calling him by name until the end). There was almost too much backstory and detail on the different characters I found myself getting confused and having to go back chapters to follow the thread. All in all, it was a page turner but not my favorite. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Having read and watched The Luckiest Girl Alive, this book was a bit different than I was expecting. This book is based on true events and instead of focusing on the serial killer, which most true crime books do, it focused on the victims. I can't deny I wouldn't have loved a chapter or two from the serial killer's perspective, but overall, happy that we got to hear the victim's perspective. In fact, we were never even given the serial killer's name showing just how meaningless he was to the overall story. There were many moments of this book (things that were said and things people did) that left me speechless and reminded me how garbage humans can be. I wouldn't necessarily call this a thriller book, but more of a historical fiction/true crime genre and therefore, I was disappointed that were no HUGE jaw-dropping plot twists. That said, it wasn't needed, but it was more of a slow burn story. I can't wait to read Jessica Knoll's next novel. She certainly is an author that I will continue to read and get excited about.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll was a captivating book. This was a little different than what I was expecting as I have also read (and watched) Luckiest Girl Alive by the same author. I was expecting more of a thriller, and while Bright Young Women had some thriller moments, it is also historical fiction mixed with serial killer crime drama and enough sexist/homophobic reminders from the past (and the present) to infuriate me. The story, based on real life events, begins with a crime at a women’s sorority house in 1978 and flashes back and forth to a similar crime in 1974 and also to present day. The focus is mainly on the survivors and one of the victims. I was fascinated with the characters’ back stories and how they dealt with the trauma they experienced. While I was hoping for a more explosive ending, overall, this was well written and made me feel disgusted with bad humans and proud of the characters who were brave enough to be truthful even when it was dangerous for them. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element/Marysue Rucci Books for the ARC!

Always thrilled to read about serial killers. Bright Young Women is focused not on the killer, however, but on the victims. Given the conversation about how true crime tends to sensationalize and focus on the killers and dismiss the victims as less than fully realized people, I appreciated the opportunity to focus on the women in this story.

One of the characters felt a little more fully realized to me, but overall, the writing was solid and the story was compelling. Recommend for anyone interested in true crime or reading female focused stories.

I adored Jessica Knolls first book, not only was it a local area I was familiar with and able to identify with but it was a raw subject that really made you think. So with that said…. She’s back!!!! I loved this book! I wish we could give half stars because it’s a 4 1/2 for me.
While I wanted to rip through this book it was hard. It’s not that kind of book, you need to read in small doses and then allow them to settle. My outrage and horror to the days of past and how women were treated and made to act so they were not Judged incorrectly while men were able to just be the good old boys is infuriating!
This book gives you so much to think about and so many different points of views and perspectives throughout time. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

I loved this book! I’m a huge fan of her previous book and this one was a great follow-up for me. Thanks for the copy! Would recommend!

I really enjoyed this fictional version of the Ted Bundy murders at FSU. I particularly appreciated how the author put her focus entirely on the victims, something I’ve seen attempted before in other books but those have still given a voice to the killer. Here, we don’t get the killer’s perspective at all, and I liked that very much. The middle was a bit slow for me but overall I really enjoyed.