Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a gifted ARC of this novel!

As I am familiar with true crime cases, I have a precious understanding of this author’s story. However, this book has what true crime books/podcasts/documentaries about the case lack: the perspective of the person who actually lived through both the crime and the sensationalism that followed. Although the pacing at times did feel slower when reading, such can be the case often for me when I read memoirs or other nonfiction titles. However, I found this author to be incredibly eloquent when describing her story, and she has an awe-inspiring outlook on life after what she has overcome. I absolutely enjoyed hearing about her experience through her own words, and would recommend anyone familiar with the case give this a read.

I enjoyed this book written by Amanda Knox. Reading her words was heartbreaking but uplifting at the same time. She’s a strong woman! Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for a review copy.

I might like her writing about the case but I thought this book was not interesting. Ms Knox spends a lot of time thinking about her feelings and seems self-absorbed. I know she's been through a lot but it was still difficult. For instance, she seems to have become hysterical because a comedian made a joke about her, but she wanted to go back to Italy and meet her prosecutor.

Thank you, NetGalley, for access to Amanda Knox's latest book in exchange for my honest review.

Growing up, I followed the media coverage of Amanda's story but was too young to understand the details. Now, reading her account has given me a deeper understanding of her story and the challenges she faced. Knox's book details her journey to reclaim her identity following her roommate Meredith Kercher's murder and examines how the media influenced public perception. The book addresses grief, resilience, and the burden of unwarranted fame, suggesting that freedom can be a state of mind.

Overall, Knox's story is one of heartbreak and healing. I recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about her story, wrongful convictions, and trauma recovery.

I have been following Amanda's story for some time and have always been intrigued by her life and have read her previous book Waiting to be Heard. This one dives a bit deeper into her time in prison, her second trial and what her life has been after. What a hard predicament and life that this woman has led, and of course for the family of Meredith Kricher. A well written book, that if you are interested in Amanda, I think you will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC copy of this title.

While I did enjoy reading through Amanda's POV and could never imagine living through what she has been through. The book was boring and just not my usual read. I read about half of the book and never felt the urge to pick it up again. The parts that I did read were interesting especially simple things like food or making friends in prison. I have followed this story for years and that may be why it seemed boring and repetitive.

I followed the Amanda Knox story in real time so I am always interested in anything she has to say and I was living in Seattle when she returned home from Italy and her ordeal overseas....if you can call it an ordeal...that seems to put it very lightly. I listen to any podcast she is on, watch any interview she grants, and read anything she writes. This book was no exception. I was intrigued by the relationship Amanda pursued with her prosecuting attorney and her desire to even pursue a friendship. if I have learned anything about Amanda through the years it is her desire to be open minded- to give others a second chance. To seek understanding, to pursue knowledge over black and white or right and wrong. I would definitely recommend this read.

5 Stars! Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions in this review are my own.

First off, I have to say Amanda Knox is a very talented writer. This book takes us through many different points in her experience after being wrongfully convicted - from her imprisonment, release, potential extraction back to Italy, and reintegration into the world after being in prison for four years.

Throughout the entire book, my heart ached for Knox. I've followed her story since it first happened - and like her, I also studied abroad in Italy. I was in Italy when she was being retried again and remember the media circus in the Italian press. Knox took us through these moments in this memoir and broke down how she was treated, how she felt, and drove home the lasting impact that a trial by media can have on someone. Knox drove home that when a horrific crime is committed, there are often times additional victims and lives changed forever.

The theme of kindness, and kindness being something we have power over ourselves, as a theme in this book really resonated with me. That's something that I've always held as a personal value, and from this book you can tell Knox not only talks about how important being kind is to her, but how she puts it into action. She is a bigger person than I being able to meet again with those who put her on trial and made her a villain in the Italian media.

If you've seen the documentary about this case on Netflix or have read about it in any capacity over the years, I strongly recommend reading this book.

In "Free," Amanda Knox invites readers into her tumultuous journey from a vibrant college student to a wrongfully convicted prisoner. As someone who has always been captivated by her story, I approached this memoir with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. Memoirs can be challenging to critique, as they delve deeply into personal experiences, yet Amanda's narrative is astonishingly powerful.

Knox's resilience shines through as she recounts her nightmarish ordeal in Italy, where she was embroiled in a murder trial that captivated the world. Her honesty about the emotional turmoil she faced, the overwhelming media scrutiny, and the harsh realities of the legal system are both poignant and thought-provoking. As a defense attorney, I felt a particular connection to her perspective; she articulates the struggle of navigating a flawed justice system in a way that is both personal and universal.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Knox’s story is her ability to find compassion for those who wronged her, including her prosecutor. Her journey of forgiveness speaks volumes about her extraordinary character and the human capacity for resilience. Knox’s friendship with the very person who sought to imprison her serves as a powerful testament to her strength and growth.

Moreover, her reflections on the media's role in shaping public opinion highlight a critical issue: the presumption of innocence. As we all know too well, sensationalism can distort the truth, and Amanda brings to light the devastating impact this can have on someone's life. Her insights challenge readers to reconsider their perceptions of justice and truth.

This memoir is not just a recounting of events; it’s an emotional, poetic exploration of identity, humanity, and the quest for justice. It’s a book that will leave you introspective and profoundly affected. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to read "Free." You'll come away with a deeper understanding of the complexities of justice and the strength of the human spirit. Amanda Knox's story is not just hers; it's a reflection of our shared humanity.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Amanda Knox for this ARC. It went on sale on March 25, 2025. You can get it from your local bookseller, my favorites:

Free My Search For Meaning by Amanda Knox
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Amanda Knox's story was infamous internationally. I was intrigued about what her perspective of how her accusation and conviction affected her and if she was able to move forward from this horrible incident.

Amanda's writing is intelligent and flows easily. My stomach was in knots reading her perspective and how this affected her life. She was very young and in another country. To be accused of a horrific crime, spend time in jail, not have a mastery of the language, and be hated by an entire country, was atrocious as well as frightening!

The thing that impacted me the most from everything she wrote is that she had the courage and insight to form a friendly relationship with the prosecuting attorney. He was vicious, accusing her of a gruesome crime, and ultimately sent her to jail. Yet, she was seeking his understanding.

This was a compelling perspective about a peril most of will never experience. Amanda has sought resolution and taking lessons she learned to move forward.

Great read!

I remember finding the Amanda Knox story very upsetting and also fascinating when it happened. She is only a few years younger than me and I could always empathize with her and found it shocking she was convicted with so little evidence pointing to her.

Anyway, I found her first memoir super compelling for that reason. She really goes into the trial and life in prison and what that was like. This one is a little less engaging to me- it covers her life after getting out of prison but also revisits prison a bit. I was still interested but found it a bit long winded at times. Overall, Knox is a very good writer and I think if you were interested in this story you will find this book worthwhile.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

I followed this story in real time for a bit but haven't really seen any of the subsequent documentaries or read Knox's first memoir. I was curious about the current state of the case and her life nearly twenty years later. It's definitely difficult to seem to put a finger on who Amanda is...is it because we've been tainted for so long by a narrative she claims is untrue? I haven't quite decided exactly how to view her, but she was acquitted regardless of public opinion. Unfortunately that seems to be all she is going to be allowed, rather than the majority of people actually truly believing in her innocence.
I still felt she held herself sort of at arms' length here in some way, but I was quite intrigued by the story of her unorthodox relationship that develops with her former Italian prosecutor. That part was worth the whole read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

I do not like to rate biographies, but for the sake of NetGalley I have given this a solid 3-star. I am a forensic scientist and when in school, we watched the Amanda Knox documentary, which engrained in us the importance of securing a crime scene. I don't know what I was expecting of this book, but unfortunately the repetition made it hard to stay engaged. I wish Amanda a great life and I am glad she is doing amazing these days.

really good stories of her experiences and loved that I learned so much more about her. loved that there were different stories and what she learned from them.

As an avid true crime fan, Amanda‘s story is very familiar to me. And while I did enjoy her second memoir, it felt very similar to her first I did not shed light on a lot of new ideas or feelings for me. However, this was beautifully written and I am so happy that Amanda is able to use her voice to Abby K for herself and no others.

Hearing Amanda reminisce on the tabloid headlines we ALL read after she was taken into custody in Italy brought me right back. She's keenly aware of how the media made us all feel about her - "Foxy Knoxy - and ready to tell her story in a way that feels comprehensive and truly genuine. As someone who studied abroad in a foreign country at age 20 myself, I truly cannot imagine being imprisoned in a place with a different language and culture. Amanda shares her darkest thoughts, how she got through it, and how she's using her experiences now on the other side to advocate for others wrongly imprisoned, and even going so far as to connect with the prosecutor of her own case. Beautiful, transparent, vulnerable, inspiring.

5 stars.

I loved how this memoir felt more real and authentic than her last book. It felt like you were getting to know Amanda and not just the case that made her known to the world. You really got a glimpse into her life now and some of the struggle she has faced since being released. The writing was enjoyable and kept me engaged. I would definitely recommend.

I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this and could barely put it down. Amanda Knox has been through a lot, and almost everyone (whether they've thought about it or not) has had their opinion of her skewed in some way by media coverage. But here, she does a great job of showing how "Amanda Knox, Public Figure" is very different than Just Amanda, the actual person.

I was only peripherally aware of Knox's criminal case between her arrest in 2007 and release from prison in 2011, but I remember thinking that while on the one hand the media coverage seemed unfairly salacious, on the other hand surely she wouldn't have been suspected, let alone convicted, if there hadn't been some sort of evidence?! and having that "did she or didn't she?" feeling when her face popped up in the news. I haven't read her previous book, Waiting to Be Heard, which was written and published directly in the wake of her release from prison, but I did watch the 2016 documentary, which for me definitively underpinned her innocence. Amanda Knox came off as a regular girl with whom I could even be friends. The Italian police, especially prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, came off as delusional weirdos who had clearly seen far too many giallo movies.

In Free, after many more years of life experience and reflection, Knox discusses Rudy Guede's murder of Meredith Kercher (which set into motion the infamous chain of events) and her own time in prison but focuses more on the details of her life since then. This life has of course been marked by her notoriety, and the constant dance between public and private selves. Knox discusses her social and dating life, her involvement with the Innocence Project and other advocacy work, her journey towards parenthood, and most surprisingly of all, her evolving relationship to Giuliano Mignini.

Knox has been through a pretty unique experience, but has gained insights that can universally help people navigate life, and is generous in sharing them. She's also a brilliant writer. I look forward to seeing what she does next, if she chooses to share that too -- not because it's actually any of my business or because I enjoy seeing her face pop up in the news, but because I'm rooting for her success and happiness. For instance, I bet if she wrote a novel it would be amazing.

If you've followed Amanda Knox's story over the years, "Free: My Search for Meaning" is worth a read - but check your expectations. This isn't a true crime tell-all. It's a reflective memoir that walks through Knox's life before, during, and after the media circus, focusing more on meaning and identity than facts and timelines.

Knox writes candidly about her time in prison, the years of retrials, and being known as "Foxy Knoxy" around the world. Her face-to-face meeting with the very prosecutor who helped derail her life, many years after the trial, was a particular highlight for me.

It's not a fast-paced read - I put it down a lot - but her introspectiveness pulled me back in time after time. If you're looking for insight rather than new evidence, this quiet, thoughtful memoir might be your next read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

📖 Free: My Search for Meaning by Amanda Knox 📖⁣
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⁣Amanda Knox is back again— this time writing about her life after being freed from prison in Italy. She’s a gifted writer and mostly focuses on her quest for forgiveness. I struggled to get through this book and it felt much longer than 300 pages. The pacing was off and it seemed like she repeated the same ideas over and over. ⁣
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⁣Parts of this one with interesting, but other parts were incredibly hard to read. When she returned to Italy to meet with the man who persecuted her, my entire body cringed. If I was her, I’m not sure I’d ever leave the United States again! ⁣
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⁣All in all, this was okay. I’d only recommend it if you were interested in Knox’s story. Three stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of Free. It is out now!