Jessica Knoll does it again! This take on the Bundy killings from the perspective of the women left behind is both thrilling and thoughtful Will definitely be a conversation starter.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ACRC of Bright Young Women.

I didn't read the author's first book, which I know was a runaway hit, so I had high expectations when I read the premise. I became more excited when my request was approved.

First, the writing is great, and it's clear the author did her research, but what's with the long paragraphs?

Paragraph breaks is everyone's friend!

Second, silly me, I was so eager to get into the story that it took me a few extra pages than it should have before I realized it was about Ted Bundy.

Which made me think, like some reviewers have, why not write an original story with fresh characters and your personal take on a sorority serial killer?

Then, as I was reading, I began to understand why the author chose to 'rewrite' the story from the female perspective.

Our society is obsessed with serial killers and true crime, and turned them into celebrities out of these reprehensible psychopaths.

Pamela, Trina, and Ruth are Bright Young Women and the author has chosen to spotlight their characters, bringing to life real people who are confused, scared, angry, resolute, looking for hope, justice, and resolution.

They are three very different women with complex personalities, which the author crafted well, but they share common traits we all identify with; fear, determination, and strength.

I did find the shifting timelines confusing and I had to remind myself what decade Ruth and Trina was in and what year Pamela was in.

There's a lot of description, exposition, and characters, and it's an absorbing read, though not for the faint of heart.

It's not graphic or violent but those triggers are off stage, especially during Pamela's testimony and her appropriate angry response when her character and those of her sorority sisters are questioned.

I doubt any reader will be surprised by how little respect women were treated back in the 70s; things are better, but considering our political and social climate, it feels more "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Bright Young Women is a fictionalized account of the most famous true crime story of our nation told through the eyes of the women who lived it, endured it, and will never forget.

This book parallels events that happened in real life, sorority massacres, and it does reel you in at the beginning but it did not keep me engaged.
   The main two characters are a prior victim and an eyewitness. There is a continuous time travel between the two incidents and the constant change in scenes did not keep my interest.
   It's content was certainly of the true crime stories genre: how they unfold and are solved would be loved by that type of reader.

Powerful and so engaging. The characters were complex and the story was dark and almost painfully real. Fans of this author won't be disappointed.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as the author's last book, Luckiest Girl Alive, enthralled me. I was a little disappointed when I found out this book was based on Ted Bundy, as I was looking forward to another original piece of work, but Knoll found a way to make this story her own. The story follows three young woman who find themselves connected and affected by the infamous serial killer. There is resolve in the end, and I am one who appreciates ending a story with resolve, not left guessing.

I thought this was a classic Jessica Knoll novel. The plot is fast-paced and full of twists and turns, the female characters are complex and well-developed, and the writing is sharp and witty. Something about the setting (a sorority house run by an aspiring lawyer) reminded me of Legally Blonde—in the best way! The novel is both funny and suspenseful, and I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it to fans of Knoll's previous work, as well as anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

The way I could not put this down! The characters, the twists, the storyline are all 10/10 but it's the lyrical writing that really makes this one sing. I cannot wait to continue to recommend this one to everyone I know. A must-read this Fall.

I wanted to like this book but it was too hard to keep track of all the time shifts and character perspectives. I kept re reading sections trying to figure out which timeline I was in.

I loved it. I loved almost every character and I was rooting for everyone. This is my favorite of hers yet.

his thriller tackles so many intense topics over a handful of decades and it is done so well. You really get to to know Pam, Tina, and Ruth. The horror of how their stories connect reads like a news story because it is, it is our reality and that is scary as hell.

Bright Young Women is the story of two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their tireless pursuit of the truth of what happened to close friends. It’s a new twist on the same old retelling of the facts of the serial killer who shocked the nation—inspired by evidence that’s been silenced for decades in favor of sexier headlines—that the “charming, genius” serial killer from Seattle was actually only evil and average, and that it was the women whose lives he cut short who were the exceptional ones. The spin on this old narrative is so refreshing and valuable, we need to move toward centering the lives that were cut tragically short and preventing average dudes with God complexes from senselessly performing these acts.

#BrightYoungWomen #NetGalley
A must read! So twisty, good! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc copy of this novel.

I found this to be a propulsive read with alternating timeline chapters used to great effect. This thriller centers the stories of women and not the perpetrators of violence against women and it is a refreshing take on the serial killer drama. I very much enjoyed it and will recommend it once published.

As I began reading about Jessica Knoll's new book, I was excited. I felt that the 70s serial killer story sounded engaging and fun and as I began reading the book I felt that it was meeting expectations. I feel though that the book began to fall apart in the 2nd half with Knoll not engaging me as the story continued and feeling that it was being rushed or forced through. Overall, Bright Young Women is a good read but one that will never reach the heights of great mystery novels or serial killer stories.

3.5 ⭐

“I'd had about enough of hearing how handsome he was."

👏 This. This line alone made the book worth reading and summed up my disgust with every Ted Bundy story I've ever read, and it's been many. I was raised in Florida, specifically the city where Ted Bundy was captured. I had family working the force when they brought him in, so I've always had this fascination with his crimes.

Bright Young Women was an insta-grab, as I love the cover and the synopsis. This is my first book from Jessica Knoll, despite Luckiest Girl Alive being on my bookshelf for years. This book is a fictionalized retelling of Ted Bundy's 1978 violent attack on the women of FSU's Chi Omega sorority house. And while I found this book to obviously be well-researched, I was ultimately left wondering if it was at all necessary? I went into this knowing it was fictionalized, and assumed I would enjoy it not being an outright true crime regurgitation of Ted Bundy's crimes. Those books, movies, TV shows, and documentaries have been done to death. Instead I thought, why not just write an entirely new story? This was clearly a Ted Bundy story, but names and details changed just enough, and I ended up finding that rather annoying. I saw another reviewer mention how infuriating the misogyny is in the way the victims/women are treated, and I second that sentiment. I wanted to scream. The heartbreaking thing is that not at all being fiction, but the way in which women and the atrocities against them were treated. This should infuriate you.

I enjoyed the author's writing style, but felt the pacing of the story to be a bit slow. I otherwise liked this book, but not sure who I'd recommend it to. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I already not been so familiar with Bundy's story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I just finished Bright Young Women, so I’m still processing it. But, wow.

BYW is multiple timelines and POVs, which threw me off at the beginning. Once the connections start forming, though, it all worked so well together. The women in this book are incredibly well-written—so layered and human and real.

My favorite scene is the meal that Pamela and Brian shared with Pamela’s father. I audibly cheered for her dad throughout all of his dialogue.

This was absolutely a 5 star read for me. It’s one that my library will add to its collection and I’ll recommend it to many patrons, as well as recommending it for our book club pick once it’s released. Such an incredible story.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn’t care much for this and didn’t quite understand the point of it. Just retelling the Ted Bundy story from a different perspective? It was interesting to see something like this from the pov of someone not directly involved. Well written but slower paced than I’m used to. 2.5 stars, I do think many will really enjoy.

I really enjoyed this. It is obvious Knoll did her research. and I felt like I was truly back in Tallahassee,1978 and Seattle, 1974. I found the characters of Pam and Tina well developed and intriguing in their own right. The misogyny the women faced was infuriating but also not surprising for the times they lived in, but it also made me happy that they fought against it. What I didn't like was that while this was based obviously on a true story, it was highly fictionalized (changing names, etc). I feel either write a nonfiction account of what happened, use the real names, or write a completely fictional story about a sorority serial killer.

I’m a huge fan of this author. Her last book helped me work through some of my trauma, so I was really excited when I saw that she wrote another book. Once again, she did not disappoint.

If you like books based on true crime, then this one is definitely for you. This book is based on the killings of Ted Bundy, with a focus of the killings in Florida. I was trapped in this story. It will take you back to those dark days. How Ted works and how the killings affect others.

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this amazing thriller on NetGallery.

This is a fictionalized telling of a Ted Bundy attack (the sorority house), through a survivor. I loved the family dynamics and how everything had a feminist edge (building as you go along). I was eager to keep reading to find out what happens even though we essentially know the ending from the beginning. It’s difficult to build tension when most of the important factors are already known, but the author does a great job. It’s not an edge of your seat thriller - it’s character driven plot. (CW: violence and some SA but I would not describe it as overly graphic).