Great book of you are into anything True Crime, which let's be honest, who isn't! Lovely characters and chilling story.

I Received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge fan of Luckiest Girl Alive, I was thrilled to receive a copy of Bright Young Women. This novel finally amplifies the voices of the victims of Ted Bundy in thrilling and heartrending fashion. Knoll effortlessly weaves together the timelines of dual female narrators and makes the 1970s and 1980s era California come alive. This is a book that only Jessica Knoll could write and it is worth reading every page. Extremely well researched and worthy of praise.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll was a fascinating and immersive read. We follow the lives of a few women after a serial killer kills a few sorority sister in 1978 Florida. This is a fictional retelling from the perspective of Ted Bundt’s victims. I learned a lot and loved the overall message!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC - Beautiful Young Women is out now!

Jessica Knoll is a keeper!

I absolutely loved Bright Young Women. A true page turner, Knoll’s pacing and character development are sublime. Highly recommend.

I thought this book was well thought out and honestly a difference view from the infamous killer that we always hear stories about. It was interesting seeing things in this light, I will think about this story for a while to come and encourage friends to pick this up as well.

Excellent true crime fiction based on two of Ted Bundy’s murders.


Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a hard book to rate because it was hard to read at times given the nature of the story. It felt like an important read and I appreciate the author’s commentary on important topics like this.

I will read anything from Jessica Knoll. She's such a sharp writer with a perspective that our society would benefit from listening to. This book is such a fresh take on an infamous murderer - but more importantly - the victims of the murders. The beginning is intense for a scaredy cat like me, but I pushed through and would up loving how the rest of the story unfolded. Can't wait to see what Knoll does next!

This was a fictionalized account of the attack on the Florida State sorority by Ted Bundy. While the subject matter was horrific, the writing and story was excellent and I could not put the book down. I loved her previous book as well. Very well done!

Bright Young Women changes the narrative of these true crime serial killer cases and instead gives a voice to the women whose lives were tragically cut short and their loved ones left behind. It is infuriating to know that a judge once called Ted Bundy a "bright young man" and it is so indicative of society's sympathy for men while women are often cast in a negative light, even in victimhood. This book was a refreshing break from the typical point of view told in true crime stories. Quite dark but well written.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this masterpiece. I didn't think a retelling of Ted Bundy would be so enthralling but experiencing it from the side of the brave women who faced this monster brought it full circle. I have recommended this to every reader I know. Seriously one of the best books I've ever read!

A great read and one of my favorites this year. It’s told from two points of view and points of time. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the chance to review.

Thanks to the publisher for a free Netgalley.

I have never hit it off with Knoll's writing, as I have not finished a book she has written yet. But the synopsis of this story pulled me in. And this was quite the story. I loved hearing this story from the perspective of the women and not a story idolizing a serial killer.

The way Knoll wrote Pamela's perspective was really in depth and I felt captivated. I needed to know Pamela's story and how she grew in her life. I will not lie and say that the Ruth sections were that interesting. I feel some of her sections could have been way shorter. Her section at the end was 100% necessary, but I def feel some of her inner monologue in the sections could have been cut.

Overall, I highly recommend.

I found the book to be very dull even with it’s subject matter. The main characters, especially Pamela, were insufferable from the dialogue to their inner monologues. A lot of the side characters came across as cartoon villains. I understand they were being written in a certain way to be antagonizing toward the main characters to drive home a point but it became excessive. The writing and already slow pacing in general were disjointed bc of too many timeline and POV switches. It failed to keep me invested in the story.

This book is said to be "inspired by" by the true events (from the actions to the people) and a fictional version of them. Now out of genuine curiosity, why are a couple of the full names of the real life victims being used then?

I know it’s supposed to be focused on victims instead of the killer to "give them a voice" but by the end of the reading experience, it just feels like a cover/excuse to have a clearer conscience about adding another piece of media (a lackluster one at that) to the endless list of ones about Bundy.



Thanks to NetGalley and S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for providing a copy for an honest review.

This book reads like a memoir, but it is merely inspired by the Ted Bundy story. I really enjoyed how it was put together and how the stories merged towards the end as the characters connected. I've told so many about this book and will continue.

I’m not going to lie I picked this book up while my freshman college daughter was in the middle of Rush and had to put it down for a bit. Murders in a sorority house was not what I wanted to be reading about during Rush! With that being said I picked it up after Rush and I’m glad I did.
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This book is inspired by real life murder spree at a sorority house at Florida State in 1978. I don’t want to say too much here but on the other side of the country there is another tragedy, another crime that could possibly connect all involved. This is definitely a gripping read.
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Huge thank you to @simonandschuster and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic read- one of the best I’ve read this year. Enjoyed the way it was told between two points of view and different points in time. Character development was great and I found Pamela and Ruth easy to root for.

“Bright Young Women” by Jessica Knoll starts out with a promising premise centering on a serial killer who targets college women in the 1970s. The novel’s first fifty pages set the scene for what one hopes would be a twisty and time-spanning story on who the serial killer is and how he or she is ultimately caught and brought to justice. Unfortunately the story gets bogged down with the relationship between the protagonist and another victim seeking justice. Due to time constraints I was unable to finish the novel and thus can not provide a final verdict on whether it ultimately delivers. That being said, this was not a novel that is impossible to put down and does require a certain degree of attention to detail as the story switches between the various time lines (the 1970s and present day). I look forward to hopefully finishing the novel someday and gaining some closure!

I very much enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and the story kept me engaged throughout. I would recommend this book to others. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Jessica Knoll combined two of my favorite things in this book; true crime and fiction. Although I usually dont chose books that are based on a true story, I knew that Mrs. Knoll would do this time period justice. I loved how this story centered around the victims and the victim's family and friends and didnt focus as much on the killer. This point of view was great and made the book stand out. Great overall!