#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).

Thank you NetGalley for this Advance Reader's Copy of Bright Young Women from author Jessica Knoll.

This story follows two women Pamela and Tina as they navigate their separate lives in the time of serial killer Ted Bundy. Pamela affected because she is the only eyewitness as two of her sorority sisters are brutally murdered and Ruth as one of the earlier victims.

The novel isn't meant to be an easy read, as the injustices encountered by both characters will frustrate the reader. It is however an engaging read full of an unlikable cast of characters that kept my interested until the very end.

Five stars, I'll be ready for the tv adaptation from whatever streaming service decides to pick it up.

I really enjoyed Jessica’s new book. I liked the character writing as well as the jumps in time for each character as well as the victim Ruth. I felt myself wanting more at the end but overall it was a solid novel.

Bright Young Women takes an interesting approach to a common serial killer story. Jessica Knoll dives deep into the bonds of sisterhood and the alarming sexism present in the 1970s that likely led to many women's murders. The bond between main characters Tina and Pamela is beautiful and is a joy to read about. In addition, Knoll writes in multiple timelines that creates some confusion at first but then weaves an intricate story. I did give this book only 4 stars as Knoll often goes on tangents in her writing that leaves the reader confused. With the exception of that, this book is well worth the read.

I was initially drawn to this book due to my love of Luckiest Woman Alive by the same author. What kept me hooked however was the fast-paced, extraordinary, in depth story of the young women at a Florida sorority that were targeted by an infamous serial killer ( inspired in this exceptional by the real life sorority killings perpetrated by Ted Bundy.)
Taking place in 1978 and also switching to more present day, this novel centered on a surviving sorority president who joins forces and develops a deepening friendship with the lesbian partner of a suspected former victim of the same killer.
What this novel did for me, besides keeping me riveted to the story that takes place over many years of trying to get justice and answers for the victims, is how women were generally treated back in the 1970s and how little their opinions and truths mattered to those in authority around them (men, for the most part).
I was engaged from the first page to the last and if legal thrillers, serial killer novels and women empowerment is your jam, I highly recommend this novel.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is a terrifying journey back to the 70s. Not only was a serial killer terrifying women in the Pacific Northwest (and then across the country in Florida), but women were handcuffed by the ingrained misogyny permeating every aspect of their lives.Well written and completely engrossing. Highly recommend!!

I hate writing bad reviews, it makes me feel so bad.

Let's just say this book is not for me and I am sure lots of people will enjoy it.

While the beginning of this thriller pulled me in, at 35 percent, I abandoned the book. The story begins with a brutal attack in a sorority house, and as the strong, independent sorority president begins to process the events of that fateful night, she meets Tina who claims to know more about the alleged killer. At this point in the story, a third character, Ruth, is introduced, and that’s when my struggle with engagement began. Tina was involved in Ruth’s story, too, but I found myself looking for connection between the two stories. I’m sure the connection comes, but I was not engaged enough to wait for it.

The Idaho Murders that just happened were fresh in my mind as I read this book because the newspaper articles were similar to what was described in the sorority house scenes. I was already a huge fan of Jessica Knoll so I was glad her newest book was just as amazing as Luckiest Girl Alive. This book is coming out on the height of the Ted Bundy craze so I can already see true crime junkies snapping this book up especially because it is a modern take on the true crime genre. Overall I liked the alternating view between Pamela and Ruth and jumping between the past and present. The author has mastered changing timelines and this book kept me on the edge of my seat without leaving me confused which some thriller novels do with too many characters. I like the note in the beginning that we as a society have notorized serial killers but we don't remember the victims names and I can see this book becoming a big book club read.

I'm a huge fan of Jessica Knoll's writing and I think her style has grown stronger over the years. I loved the different POVs in this story. The pace of the opening was outstanding - I was on the edge of my seat. I think she did a great job taking a well known story (Bundy) and making it wholly through the perspective and emotions of the women involved.

Difficult, but in that good good way you only encounter very occasionally. The tone of the thing is near perfect, but also, I mean: I could do with watching it all burn to fucking cinders.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this thriller from one of my favorite authors .There has been a horrible violent crime on a college campus sorority house and one young girl is the only potential witness. She goes on a journey to uncover the truth, and the story takes us on many twists and turns along the way. I loved the collegiate setting and the strong female characters. A great page turner!