With the release of Bright Women and how that fiction retelling turns our perceptions of Ted Bundy from master charmer to awkward and strange it was the perfect time to read the non-fiction story of how Kathy not only surivived being attacked by Ted Bundy, but shared what a truly small person he is and helps to shift the narrative further. Kathy found the strength to over come several serious physical obstacles during her life. This is a book I will be buying my own copy of to re-read and keep.

Brilliantly researched and a moving first-person account of Ted Bundy's mayhem. Skip the sensationalized novels of this story and read the real deal.

What an emotional, amazing read! We've always just heard about Ted Bundy's victims but rarely hear the stories of the survivors. Kathy is an amazing woman to have endured and become stronger from her horrific experience. Kathy clears up the claims about Ted Bundy that everyone has been made to believe. He wasn't a charming. He was an absolute vile monster who deserved what he got for destroying so many lives. I found it interesting that after he had been so bold and powerful taking women's lives he became child-like and begging not to be executed. They aren't so powerful after all when they actually have consequences for their crimes. Definitely a great read for any true crime fan.

I am incredibly late for this review, but I couldn’t get the ARC edition to load through NetGLley’s app or through my Kindle. But alas, better late than never! This was a very well written account of a harrowing tale of survivor by Ted Bundy’s survivor. It honestly read like it was a documentary- it was engaging yet informational, entertaining but not in poor taste. I’m glad I purchased a copy of this and now I’ll be passing it on to my MIL.

Wow! Kathys story is so good. Its so much more than Bundy and was a story that needed to be told. I appreciated that Kathy gave more details/a different perspective of how Bundy actually was versus how he's been perceived and glamorized.
Such a telling story and love how she doesn't let her story stop her or allow it take over her life. She is so much more than what happened to her. I also admire the appendix in the back, talking about all the victims of Bundy, allowing them to be the last memory of this book.

It took me a while to get through this book, but I enjoyed it! I think the story itself keeps the reader entertained throughout. We will more than likely be purchasing this for our library!

This survivor's perspective on Ted Bundy's crimes was unlike any true crime book I've read before. It offered a chillingly personal and emotional account, truly highlighting the depths of Bundy's evil. As a true crime aficionado, I'm always eager for fresh insights, and this book delivered. Highly recommended for anyone fascinated by the complexities of true crime.

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great, it felt fresh and not like anything else I've read lately. It kept me intrigued all the way through, I didn't want to put it down.

Always love a good Ted Bundy read! I always find new information and this one did not disappoint. Would definitely recommend to another serial killer buff.

When I read in the blurb that the book was more like a memoir than a true crime book told from the perspective of a victim who survived strictly focused on ted bundy (it's not a typo, I'm choosing not to use capital letters for his initials) I must admit I was a bit skeptical. I wondered if I would find the life of a stranger interesting or inspiring. Well, I found it to be both interesting AND inspiring, and much more: heartbreaking at times, really moving, perfectly normal and relatable in other moments, eye-opening. I loved how Kathy showed us how we can choose to honor the victims and deliberately refuse to participate in the mainstream narration about a serial killer who deserves no sympathy and no awe, it comes to show that sometimes things are not what they seem but they depend on how and when they're narrated and listened to (people tend to judge the victim but it's important, as Kathy often repeats, to remember that the killer is the one who chose to harm someone). Last but not list, this book is a great source of positivity and motivation, it reminds you that you can always find your light in the dark.

I enjoy reading true crime but this book exceeded my expectations. Told from a survivor it is such an interesting and emotional read. This shows just how evil Ted Bundy was and I recommend this book to true crime readers out there.

Like many people I have read and watched many things about Ted Bundy. In every version he is portrayed to be a handsome, charismatic man who charmed women everywhere he went and that made it easy for him to become the prolific serial killer he became. This book, co-written by one of his victims that survived, debunked everything I thought I knew about Bundy. She was one of the survivors from the famed Chi Omega murders. According to Kathy, Bundy was nothing more than an average looking with average intelligence man. He wasn’t charming and was actually quite strange. He would sneak around and attack women, not charm them into coming with him. I was enthralled by Kathy’s story and admire her for having the strength to tell her story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

An enormously powerful account of the only survivor of Bundy's Florida State University brutal mass murder of 1978.

This book will definitely open the eyes of Bundy "devotees" who view him as a charming psychopath.

What spoke the loudest to me is the fact that the Criminal Justice system can NEVER provide true and equal justice for a survivor, because the victim can never be made whole (they can never be made as they were before the crime occurred).

I applaud Ms. Kleiner-Rubin for having the courage to share her encounter with an appalling monster.

The press and those who had brief social encounters with "Ted" Bundy (but were lucky enough not to become one of his victims) have almost reinvented Bundy as a charming, rather misunderstood folk hero, rather than the depraved, soulless murderer that he was.

This first-hand account of Bundy's brutality should do a solid job of finally burying the myth of Bundy's "charm" and expose him as just another monster.

This is a really good book. I have read a few true crime novels and this is a really good one incredibly emotional reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of A Light in the Dark! An autobiography following Kathy Kleiner Rubin, she weaves the tale of her “death sentences,” finding light even in the darkest of times. I felt this book was so moving. I really enjoyed how it focused not on Ted Bundy, but the victims and their stories and how beautiful their lives were before he cut them short. I really enjoyed how Kathy included other aspects of her life that she overcome. Overall, this book was not an easy read in terms of subject matter, but it left me feeling very uplifted, knowing that Kathy found light in the dark.

I really enjoyed this book. I have read many true crime books and whenever the victims share their story, the books always end up being so powerful.

It was so interesting to hear the views from a Ted Bundy victim. I find it hard to review true crime as they are telling of horrific ordeals that someone had to live through, but I will say that this was a real page turner and Rubin does a great job of speaking up for the victims.

This is a powerful memoir, and Rubin’s story is full of bravery and vulnerability.

True crime fanatics this book is for you it’s a powerful account of the only survivor of Bundy's Florida State University brutal mass murder of 1978. This book will definitely open the eyes of Bundy "devotees" who view him as a charming psychopath and the over popularity, he gained overtime. This is definitely my kind of true crime book and I really appreciate it the writing. Five stars!

The book is a captivating story of Kathy Kleiner Rubin - a victim and one of the few survivors of the serial killer Ted Bundy. The book is difficult to read due to content. Some parts are very inspiring. Recommended.

Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book. I had very mixed feelings upon finishing it. First I could feel the author/victims pain and strength throughout the book. She made a compelling case against the glorification of criminals and the importance of remembering the victims for who they were and the potential they lost. And I strongly agree of the importance of that. But, I also found the book rather repetitive on that theme. It was repeated over and over and just became heavy handed. In some ways it took away from the entire reading experience.