I am a huge fan of Jessica Knoll. Luckiest Girl Alive stayed with me for a long time. The same is true for Bright Young Women. I love Jessica’s goal to bring voices to the victims. There was a lot I knew about this case and discovered there was even more that I didn’t. It was eye opening and I could not put this book down.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish the novel so I won't be leaving a full review.

This book is very “the girls who get it, get it.” It is a deeply feminist story that is a mashup of the true crime and psychological thriller genres.

“Bright Young Women” is based on the sorority murders at Florida State University in the 1970s, but instead of glorifying serial killer Ted Bundy, it retells the story from the women’s perspectives. Pamela Schumacher is the pre-law sorority president and key witness. Across the country, Tina Cannon is convinced her missing friend fell victim to the same killer. Pamela and Tina join forces for justice for their slain friends.

I have admired Jessica Knoll’s writing since her debut “The Luckiest Girl Alive,” and “Bright Young Women” is so well told. (I own her second novel, “The Favorite Sister,” but haven’t read it). I KNEW this book was going to send me spiraling into a book hangover before I was even halfway through, and it did. The ending hit me like a ton of bricks, and I closed the book and just stared into space for awhile. It’s impossible not to be haunted by this one.

Wow! What a cast and range of women are portrayed in this deep dive of the sensationalism of serial killers and our societies double standards for men and women.

TW: Language, drinking, rape, gory scenes, blood, violence, sexual assault, cheating, grief, mourning, abusive relationship, toxic family relationships, grooming, cheating

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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.
Release Date: September 19th, 2023
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 384
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. In love with that colorful cover
2. Writing was well done

What I Didn't Like:
1. Pamela annoyed me
2. Confusing characters and timelines
3. Monotone
4. Plot changes focus

Overall Thoughts:
I was drawn to this book because it's a fictional pov from the victims of a serial killer based on Ted Bundy. I've read everything about Ted Bundy and have watched his interviews so many times on YouTube. It's so easy to see how he got away with things and to get women to "help" him. In the book Pamela says that women are conditioned to help men and men are conditioned to ask & expect help. If that isn't absolutely true...

I couldn't tell if Pamela was just in shock and that's why she was acting the way she was - very callous and straightforward or if that's just her personality. Like she seemed bothered when she didn't know the doctor calling on the phone or she felt like she had to be helpful during a time where people were attacked. It was very odd. She didn't act concerned she acted like she just wanted to be needed. The way she insisted on telling Denise's Mom that she was dead. Rather than let her go to the hospital and the doctor talked to her she insisted on telling her that her daughter was dead in the most bland saying no it has to be me who tells you kind of way.

Ohhhhh there is a part where Ed continues to groom Tina. He bathes her from 11 to 15. They get married and he's in his 70s at this time. So weird and gross.

I don't enjoy books that have heavy subjects such as rape and torture to the jump into over the top sex scenes. It's disturbing. It's unnecessary and blurs the lines of the point you're trying to make. There are countless pages of men having sex with young girls and jumping to preteen girls doing sexual things to each other. It's completely unneeded in a story as one that deals with such terrible events.

Final Thoughts:
I liked how this book pointed out that no one cared about the women; the victim, but everyone catered to the serial killer. They almost make a joke of it. Two women are murdered and two are beaten near death but the police department only sends one officer, one less then they promised. The police them tell them just to change the locks if they are worried about him coming back. How terrible to feel like the police don't care about you because they only put being a man ahead of any logic.

I enjoyed the many ways the author brought out how little the world cares about women, even when women are the victims. The author did a fantastic job reminding you how blind the world is to women while catering to men's needs and not viewing men as a danger to other men.

This book had so much promise when it started but that petered out soon and we were left with confusing and unnecessary characters. People that didn't add anything to the story or further the plot towards something happening. The author does that and throws in multiple timelines from multiple pov's and you're just scratching your head trying to even understand what's going on.

For me too I felt the book lost it's focus and took on different things that didn't matter. It bothered me so much to read about a brutal Rape and a few pages jump to an over the top sex scene. I never understand why books that deal with heavy scenes throw sex in them. Speaking of sex what was with ALL the sex in this book? One scene, two? But thus had so much sex in it I often times forgot that this was a story based on a serial killer.

In the end the book was just okay for me. It wasn't what I expected. I didn't enjoy it beyond the fabulous writing style but in the end the loss of focus added with multiple pov's & timelines killed it for me. No pun intended.

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Thanks to Netgalley and S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sickening, and refreshing perspective on the Ted Bundy murders.
I’ve never immersed myself into true crime to the point I actually know what is going on, but reading this book was incredibly rewarding. It’s a step away from the odd, sick fandoms and a connection to tangible empathy for the victims and their families. Serial killers should not be romanticized and yet they so often are; Young Bright Women is the first appropriate perspective on the despicable acts of Ted Bundy.

This was a really well done book! I struggled to get into the story a little bit but after about 30% I was hooked. I love the take on true crime but focused on the victims and seeking justice rather than glorifying the killer. Loved the writing style and it was so easy to read.

I loved the way that Knoll gave voice to the women who were killed or left behind instead of to the killer - so often that is missing! The premise was interesting as a though-exercise and I've recommended this book to many people.

I really struggled with this book. First of all, the sentence structure was bordering on run on sentences; not in a stream of consciousness way but rather in a “I’m trying to sound sophisticated so I’m making this as complicated as possible” way. Once I got past that, I just couldn’t make peace with the fact that this novel is based on very real events, it references these exact events, yet everything else is fictionalized. I want it to either be completely fictional and inspired by real events or a true crime fiction. This middle road just didn’t work for me as I thought it didn’t serve the purpose of the book, which was to give a stronger voice to the victims of heinous crimes as opposed to the perpetrators. How is fictionalizing everything except the crimes of the perpetrator achieving that goal? I can see the merit in the goal but it just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Torn between 3 stars and 4 stars. After I read other early reviews, I actually expected to dislike this, but it's sort of unexpected in that way. Definitely seems like one thing going into it and maybe it was really another, more important thing. I do wish we could have explored this with a fictional set of people because I think something similar in terms of the end result and impact could have been achieved.

DNF @ 60%

I really enjoyed Luckiest Girl Alive, all the twists and turns, but I couldn’t finish Bright Young Women, unfortunately.

I loved the idea of taking the story away from the perp and telling the story of the victims, but the book seemed to drag and ultimately I lost interest.

Wasn’t for me.

I was so excited to read this one, & I think I'm still on the fence. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars is where I think I've landed.

A new way of doing a true crime retelling. This one uses flashbacks and retelling throughout to good effect. It’s frustrating how people don’t listen to the characters—but it’s supposed to be.

It is BEYOND time a book like this was written. I loved the focus on women, female empowerment and the pain of victims of Ted Bundy rather than on him and his "fans". The characters were incredible and sucked me in and I loved the writing style- especially the decision to never use his name. This was truly a book about the women.

Thanks so much to @bookclubfavorites @marysueruccibooks #BookClubFavorites #FreeGift for my copy of #BrightYoungWomen I love discovering new reads through their #bookclubfavoritesinsiders program. It’s so much fun.

This is a book about he who shall not be named….one of the most infamous serial killers. That booger picking clown 🤡. So it’s a book about him but also focusing on the victims more than most books.

This book while fictional is based on true events… if you like true crime you may enjoy this one but keep in mind the author definitely added fictional elements.

However, I learned more about the case(s) than I knew prior to reading this book.

Overall this one was just ok for me. The writing was clunky at times and the chapters jump around in a way that I didn’t think flowed well. The beginning was well done and reeled me right in. About 25-30% in I started losing interest.

There was a sapphic romance element to this story too which I get was not generally accepted in the 70s and she felt needed to be added in, but I don’t think that subplot really contributed much to the story, it felt like filler to me.

I loved this author’s 1st novel The Luckiest Girl Alive. Her last 2 books have been misses for me though.

Jessica Knoll turns the familiar serial killer story on its head. This particular story re-examines Ted Bundy through the lives of the women in the sorority house in Florida that were impacted by his brutal attacks and killings. Jessica Knoll weaves different parts of the well-known story together, never letting the focus shift from the victims who are too often forgotten.

I loved this book. I really enjoy true crime and this book was right up my ally. I loved the characters and how the author told a story from the victims side. I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it.

I don't know why, but I did not expect to like this book. However, I really did get caught up in this story and the multiple timelines playing out. Protagonist was genuine, earnest, and worth rooting for. Her relationship with her friend and mentor as she is guided for years seeking justice against a serial killer was complex, believable, and engaging. The cruelties that women suffer, and the ridiculous latitude given to monstrous men who manage to present themselves in a way that is palpable - even romantic to some, is truly disturbing aspect of society.

As someone who went through a huge true crime phase (podcasts, documentaries, and books) in my mid-to-late twenties, the “All-American Sex Killer” that this book is based on was not new to me. I’ve read The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule and watched the confession tapes on Netflix as well as the film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile starring Zac Efron. Perhaps the thing I’ve learned the most during this period is that coverage of a killer that centers–at best and glorifies–at worst, can be horrible for their victims and the victims’ families to be subjected to. I have since reckoned with what it means to “love” true crime and have made efforts to really examine what I’m consuming. In particular, is the family involved or have they given permission for their loved one’s worst moments and life to be exposed, are the victims centered, and what does the person or people creating the content have to gain from this? This is all to give a background to how I went into this novel. I give props to the author for not naming this notorious serial killer, so in my review, I won’t either. (Side note: in my advanced copy, I did find one slip-up in the last third of the novel that did use his name. I want to check a published version to see if it has been removed or if it was intentional!)

Some may be familiar with Jessica Knoll’s other novel “The Luckiest Girl Alive”. I was eager to read her new one. I felt this novel was an ambitious endeavor that she did a great job with. Bright Young Women has dual stories that intertwine and jump between many different time periods. The chapters do explicitly state what timeline and POV we are viewing, but I really was taken out of the story by one of the POVs using days (post horrible event) instead of the date. I understood why the author did this, but it distracted me because I would pause to do the math!

My favorite thing about this novel is how much the defendant would have hated it.

Fans of true crime, themes of feminism/the general badassery of women, and the movie Promising Young Woman will enjoy this.

2.5 stars rounded up… it took me a while to get into the rhythm of this book, and once I finished it just left kind of an “eh” feeling. I appreciate the author wanting to tell a story about the victims of Ted bundy and not using his name directly, but it felt more like a character study than a psychological thriller. Things like Ruth’s “secret” felt like it was going to be a much bigger deal than it was, and the ending just fell a bit flat.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC