I’m a little bit conflicted with this book so bare with me. Bright Young Women is a work of fiction that blends/recounts the real life attack and murder on four sorority house students. It’s pretty clear from the start which serial killer this is based on but he is never named, which is one of the main points of the book. It is not about him but the victims, who’s names tend to be forgotten while the killer’s is glamorized.

While the real life case is the inspiration here, the story is crime/fiction told in multiple time lines following Pamela and Tina and their quest for truth and justice. This is a very slow burn and character driven book focusing on the resilience of women, gender based violence and mistreatment, friendships and forgiveness, misogyny, homophobia and the list goes on and on. So while I had no issue with the writing and I did appreciate the detail and work that went into the book, the blend of fact and fiction was not my favorite. I get the message but parts of the book just failed to keep my interest and attention. But this is just my opinion and I know others will love it.

DNF - have to unfortunately agree with some other reviewers that this generally felt rushed, and confusing to follow as a reader. An interesting concept and not necessarily a bad book, but not something that meshed well with me as a reader. I think fans of true crime who are more familiar with a narrative of this scope and complexity will enjoy this more than me.

Nonetheless, always immensely grateful to receive these ARCs from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada!

This is a really good book, very sad as it is based on a person (Ted Bundy) that did terrible things, though the name of that person and the names of the victims are fictionalized in the story. 1978 in Florida and Pamela Schumacher, a FSU sorority house president, has stayed in for the night rather than go out with the other girls, in the early morning hours she hears a noise and gets up to investigate. The light in the front entrance is on and as she nears the door, she sees a man who she initially things is the boyfriend of one of the girls, he leaves without seeing her and she looks further and finds some strange things, TV on, dirty dishes, lights on, as she goes into one of the rooms she discovers something is very wrong. The story follows Pamela and Tina back and forth in time, she met Tina, who lives in the Pacific Northwest, after Tina saw news reports and contacted Pam to tell her she is convinced the person that did the bad things at the sorority did the same in her area, to her girlfriend Rachel. They form a partnership of sorts along with an aspiring journalist to investigate on their own. The back and forth timeline does get a bit confusing at times, but the subject matter is so heart wrenchingly sad you just can't stop reading. Rachel's storyline is the most difficult to read, especially at the end. A very good book and I would highly recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for the ARC.

4.5 stars
Bright Young Women is a Ted Buddy inspired story that is told in multi timelines and multi POVs. I am a sucker for true crime and multi POVs so I knew this one would grab me from the beginning, which it totally did.

I felt really engrossed in the story at all times. I feel like having the different timelines and different points of view were really beneficial to the story and plot, as we were able to delve as deep as possible into the complex story. There were a lot of elements weaving together by the end and I loved it!

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

DNF. I felt like I was reading a completely different book than the others who rated this highly. The premise was intriguing but the writing was confusing and all over the place. It also felt rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It started off fast paced and continued throughout. I liked the past and present, along with the mystery that continued throughout the story.

I loved this book and writing style. The back story and history of the victims is so!egging that is too often overlooked. Jessica Knoll does an amazing job of transporting the readers into the lives of the victims and feeling as a sorority sister. Any lovers of true crime will enjoy this one!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The 1970s saw a serial killer who seemed to target young women who showed promise and were full of life. Told in nonlinear timelines, we follow the story of Pamela, the sorority chapter president, and that fateful night in 1978. We also follow Ruth, who disappeared in 1974, and the link that connects the two: the same killer, and the woman who is determined to prove who is behind it all, Tina.

This book had so many layers. It was complex while still being suspenseful and interesting. It answered questions while leaving you with more. There's a clear ending, so no cliffhanger (which is a relief!). When I wasn't reading it, I wanted to be. I finished this in less than 48 hours and feel like I could have easily read the whole thing at once.

CW: kidnapping, violence, sexual violence, murder, blood, death

DNF - The premise of this story sounded really interesting & I was eager to get into but but, ultimately I don't think we were a good match. I'm sure other readers will enjoy this in its entirety but I didn't gel with it.