I've been a fan of Knoll's writing since her debut but Bright Young Women exceeded every possible expectation. I adored this book from start to finish for its nuanced look at our obsession with true crime to the more obvious exploration of violence against women. 10 stars from me.

Earlier this year, I read and loved Rebecca Makkai's I Have Some Questions For You, which riffs on the true-crime genre by following a woman who is re-investigating the murder of her prep school roommate, believing that the man who was convicted of the crime was not the true culprit. If you, too, liked that one, I have good news (not questions) for you, as Jessica Knoll's Bright Young Women is even better. This novel starts with a fictionalised retelling of the murders Ted Bundy committed at a sorority house at Florida State University in 1978, from the point of view of Pamela, the sorority president. These opening chapters are intensely gripping but left me feeling quite uncomfortable: is it really OK to use such a horrific real-life event in a novel, copying even the most specific details of Bundy's attacks? I would still be interested to know if Knoll had any contact with the surviving sorority members before embarking on this story, but the rest of the book somewhat allayed my fears. Knoll plays down the Bundy connection by referring to him as 'The Defendant' throughout, and her clear intention is to puncture our fascination with serial-killer myths: she emphasises that Bundy was not especially smart, charismatic or good-looking, despite press coverage at the time, and suggests that one reason he got away with what he did was that he was able to hide among the many 'ordinary' men who rape, injure or murder women.

Knoll writes a gripping thriller, but Bright Young Women stood out from the crowd for me in two further ways. First, Knoll is simply a very good writer. I was especially impressed by how she explores the workings of memory and the mind; in several pivotal scenes, she expertly interweaves our characters' inner worlds with the outer world, which means it takes a little longer to figure out what's going on, but is worth it because of the way it allows us to access the emotional experience of our narrators. This starts with the crucial opening scene when Pamela witnesses Bundy fleeing the sorority house, when her shock leads her to misinterpret or play down the things she sees. 'When she still refused to respond, I rolled her onto her back, and that's when I saw the small bloodstain on the pillow. Nosebleed. I patted her on the shoulder assuredly, telling her I used to get them when I was upset too.' But Knoll employs this tactic in increasingly sophisticated ways throughout the novel, culminating in a heartbreaking scene where we simultaneously relive the final moments of one of Bundy's victims at the same time as we witness other characters learning about it.

Second, I've rarely read feminist historical fiction that so accurately nails the experience of being a white, middle-class, well-educated woman in the 1970s. I think sometimes it's difficult for us to really appreciate how radical second-wave feminism was at the time, because it so fundamentally reshaped our way of thinking about the world that we can't now get outside it. But these characters don't have the tools we take for granted, and Knoll really lets us see that, even though they are relatively privileged women, they are still enmeshed in internalised and externalised misogyny. Again, this starts when Pamela discovers what's happened at her sorority house: the local sheriff, wanting to avoid 'hysterics', tells her that all the injured girls are fine, news that she faithfully passes onto their parents before learning two of them are dead. She remembers asking 'for Sheriff Cruso in a twee little voice, as nonthreatening as I could be... It was his job to know these things first, and yet I had found out that two of the girls hadn't made it before he did... That's how concerned I was with Sheriff Cruso's feelings, with the feelings of everyone else around me. I was thinking, I'll pull him aside. I'll tell him in private that Robbie and Denise were dead. I didn't want to embarrass him in front of his subordinates. This was how my brain was wired back then.' Again, Knoll continues to build this picture throughout the novel, using the telling detail, the snigger or the politely patronising smile, to let us really feel how difficult it was for our protagonists to get outside this thought-world, the forced conformity of The Truman Show or The Stepford Wives. A superb, riveting, moving book; one of the best of its kind I've ever read. 4.5 stars.

Bright Young Women is based on the story of Ted Bundy, one of America’s most intriguing serial killers.

Largely based on his murders at a Florida sorority house, I was expecting so much more from this. It started off well. Fast paced beginning, I was a drawn in immediately. I was intrigued where the story would take me. However, it slowed to almost a snails pace and I found it hard to stay engaged. It finally picked up again in the final 25% of the book which I flew through. I’m glad I stuck with it but the middle felt painful.

Although this was “based” on Ted Bundy, it felt like a retelling of some of his most infamous crimes with some of the victims names remaining the same. It lacked creativity for me as I’ve heard the Ted Bundy stories many times before as I’m sure many others have also.

Based on the description and reviews, I thought I'd love this, but ended up just liking it. I found certain storylines (the investigation at the sorority, in particular) way more captivating than others, which made the jumping around of the structure a little bit frustrating.

This book was incredible. Especially now in the era of true crime podcasts and documentaries, Bright Young Women chooses not to focus on the perpetrator (even choosing not to name him once in the entire novel), but rather on the victims and the women left in the devastation of his actions. The characters are expertly fleshed out and the two parallel timelines running throughout the novel help to tie it together effortlessly, although at times I did find myself getting confused with which one we were following.

It's back and forth in time with dual POV and is extremely satisfying in how it all unfolds. Something I really admire is that this is NOT a story glamorizing the killer--in fact-- the killer is often referred to only as the defendant and at every opportunity his 'reputation' as handsome, intelligent, charming-- is debunked as is the media partly responsible for his glamorization. There is a lot going on here. It's dark. Theres trauma and grief and complicated family dynamics and three-dimensional sorority women. This book really worked for me. I might pick it for book club in the future because there are so many things that would be better discussed as a group. Begging you friends--- read this one!! I have a feeling it will be a breakout hit this fall.

A wonderful thriller with a compelling lead and great writing!! Knoll is a very skilled writer and the way she explores the plot and creates this sense of suspense was just amazing. Bright Young Woman definitely ticked all my boxes!

This is the first novel I read by Jessica Knoll, and I went into it without any previous knowledge about the story and inspiration behind it, apart from the summary at the back. I realised early on which serial killer the author was referencing to by the crimes described and their persona, but throughout the book, the killer isn’t named and is referred to only as The Defendant. By stripping them of their identity, the reader goes in without preconceived notions fed to us by the media in the past. Instead, we are presented with a more truthful perspective, one that debunks the myth of a so-called criminal mastermind and exposes this false narrative as the result of sensationalised reporting and corrupt investigating.

The story focuses on bright young women whose lives were either taken or affected by the aftermath of heinous events. Although this is a fictional account inspired by true events, it gives a voice to the women, the way it should have been all those years ago. The story also weaves in the backstory of the women’s lives and highlights a variety of social issues that women were confronted with during that era, and in many ways still face today.

There was a seamless mix of fact and fiction in this story and at many times, I found myself curious and stunned and more than unsettled. Knoll does such a brilliant job weaving together actual details of the crimes and investigation with the character stories that I found myself wondering where does reality begin to blur.
We are confronted with the main incident pretty early on, but the author introduces the characters with enough character details and engagement prior that made me bond with the women right away. As such, the events which unfolds was hard to bear and put me right there with them. From then on, we journey with these women as they face ordeals in their personal lives and their hunt for justice told through three timelines. The pace changes between Pamela’s and Ruth’s stories, and at times I felt there was maybe too much backstory when it came to Ruth, but I think that was because I was desperate to return to Pamela and the investigation that was unfolding. When it came to certain issues and criminal details including violent acts, these were handled with care and sensitivity. However, the book isn’t without horrifying aspects and some unsettling scenes.

After I finished this book, I was left wondering so many things about the victims and the investigation of the true crimes that took place, and I think this is exactly how we should all feel. Everyone, especially true crime enthusiasts, should definitely read this!

Samantha L.

Bright young women is an excellently written book, and the female characters were an absolute treasure to read about. Through Pamella and Ruth two different women facing different issues the book dives into misogyny and the way it presents itself into society. From shaming women for being sexual to homophobia along with various forms of abuse that take place in so many women's lives daily, this book is a masterpiece that should absolutely be in everyone's 2023 reading list.

A fantastic well written story set in the 1970s, with different POVs, told about how a serial killer had an impact of women lives. All with bright futures, who were strong and fierce.

Pamela who is president of her sorority sisters, she sees a man from a distance leaving their house late night, thinking it was her friend, Denise's boyfriend but quickly realised it wasn't, it was someone else!

Horror kicks in when she realises her sisters have been brutally hurt, who later do not make it which makes this a serial murder. I felt sorry for Jessica having to be the strong person responsible for her friends, and being the one to break it to their parents, whilst she has a difficult relationship with her own.

We follow Ruth's POV through the book to who's character develops into her own and she is an peculiar person but then realises sue must leave her awkward family and move in with Tina.

Tina her friend and lover, who goes missing and later believes what happened to Pamela's friends is the same person who hurt Ruth. Tina and Pamela then go on and seek answers.

This is a dark story, with twists and detailed events that are horrific. To read the aftermath of the victims and families who have suffered makes it a hard read. Nonetheless its a must to pick this up, which is due out in September.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for allowing me to read this arc. Release date is in September- pre order this now.

Bright Young Women is a gripping story of a series of murders in the 1970’s. The story brings together two women who fight to bring justice to the victims of Ted Bundy, who is known in Bright Young Women as “The Defendant”.

“You'd have made a good lawyer. I'd have loved to have you practice in front of me. But you went another way, partner.”

Which I think perfectly sums up the attitudes towards women during the 1970’s. Bundy was referred to as a “bright young man,” after his sentencing, Jessica Knoll has taken the facts from the case and reframed the narrative; putting the women in the centre of the story, captivating the readers through emotional dual perspectives and timelines.

Bright Young Women was nail-biter to say the least. As someone who loves all things true crime, I really enjoyed the perspectives of the women affected by the events in this book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

This novel is simply superb.

When Ted Bundy was referred to as a "Bright young man" by the judge it perfectly summed up the attitudes of that time.

Jessica Knoll has taken that and created "Bright Young Women" a searing fictional narrative that exists in a very different and far more realistic viewpoint. The women you meet in this novel, victims, Survivors, justice seeking forces of nature, will sink into your subconscious memory, the reading of it is emotional and attitude defying.

The story is hugely compelling, difficult to put down and heart stopping, the writing is razor sharp, a knifes edge of authenticity focusing the read. Even if you were unaware going in of the inspiration for it you won't be long in the dark.

Very different in many ways from this authors previous reads, this one I think is definitive of where her writing superpower lies.

I won't say anymore about it other than I highly recommend it. Will no doubt be one of my books of the year.

Bright Young Women is the compelling story of a horrific sorority house murder in 1970s Florida. Two women join forces to make sure the victims of a serial killer finally get the justice they deserve.

Based on the crimes and trial of Ted Bundy (known here only as 'The Defendant'), Knoll reframes the narrative to put the women at the centre of her story. In the vein of Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark, it's a relentless exposé of the sexism at the heart of these crimes and their aftermath. While it is a little heavy-handed at times, the interlocking perspectives and timeframes mean there are several mysteries unfurlling at the same time, keeping the adrenaline high even though you know the final resolution.

Smart and emotive, Bright Young Women is a gripping novel reframing the familiar story of a true crime.

"It was indigestible, all the methods humans had devised to inflict more suffering. "

"Bright Young Women" is a beautifully written book about one of the most well-known and brutal serial killers and his victims. I enjoyed the factual parts of this book, but I was not a huge fan of the fiction. Coming onto the end of the book I got a little frustrated with the constant flash backs when I really wanted to focus on the trial and what was going on in the courtroom. I felt as a reader I was robbed a little in that regard. Nonetheless it was still a solid read, and the author did do a good job keeping the reader invested in this story that we heard and read about so many times before.
You can really tell that time, research and effort was put into this book and I really appreciate that especially for the victims and their memory.
I recommend this one to those of you who are like me and really enjoy a good true crime read and if you like a little fiction mixed it then this is really the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pan MacMillan for my Advanced eReaders Copy of this book I'm exchange for my honest review.

A very long and very meandering story.

I was so excited to start Jessica Knoll’s latest novel that I couldn’t press ‘request’ fast enough! Only once I had it in my grasp it just didn’t feel like the type of book I had hoped for or in any way as good as her last.

This book is massive!! And the story is feels like an entire lifetime with no certain direction or sense of pace. The beginning is probably the most exciting part and yet Knoll disguises and refrains from allowing the reader the first person experience. The handling of the situation is done so sensitively that as a reader you question if this is actually what’s happening or if we are to believe Pamela’s lag in addressing what she is witnessing.

After the main event the story breaks in to two parts following the timeline of Pamela and Ruth. Both undeniably bright and both living in a time where women are still very much oppressed and are on the cusp of breaking free.

I didn’t dislike the book but I didn’t necessarily love it or enjoy it to the point that I couldn’t put it down. It was a mission to complete it and there was an awful lot of beautiful yet pointless narrative and insights. Sadly because they were so intertwined with the main narrative it was hard to decipher what needed remembering and what could be enjoyed and passed on.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I struggled with this book unfortunately. The description sounded really interesting and the book cover is very eye-catching but I found it quite confusing to follow. The characters did not draw me in and I found there was a lot of jumping around with plot and characters. Perhaps I read it at the wrong time and may indeed try again. I hadn’t realised before reading that it was based on Ted Bundy and it all makes more sense now.

I really enjoyed this book, particularly given it was based on real life events.

Not an author I have read before but will definitely keep an eye out for future novels

This has to be on my top reads for this year! I devoured this one which is a serious page turner. This book is so much more than a thriller. The core theme being shifting the focus on the women instead of their perpetrators. That it wasn't their killer who was special but the women whom he killed. The story is told in multiple perspectives and timelines of 2 crimes interconnected by the same killer. The refusal to name the killer is what I absolutely loved staying true to the core of the book.

The book features strong characters and storylines with focus on women standing up for themselves, the system that supports perpetrators, gender, family, loss, friendship and love. It picks on real life cases of focus on the man instead of the women he killed and how the system has favoured these men. Which adds to the strength of the story.

Despite the multiple characters and sub plots the book holds it together strong and not for one minute do you lose interest. I loved the way the book ends and it makes you pause. Not all thrillers can do this. This is my first 5 star read of the year. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

An absolutely exquisite book. I have seen a few reviews stating that the writing felt too simple but I refute them considering this text at its core is criticising true crime consumption. The writing doesn’t need to be purple when it carries the weight of this kind of story. Straight to the point words is the only way to do it and achieve the goal of the message.

What I loved:

Shifting the dialogue of true crime to the victims and giving them a voice.

Not naming Bundy as the defendant and therefore not giving him the proverbial air time.

Keeping the description of the attacks to a very basic level to fit in line with changing how we consume such stories

Insipid journalism and how stories become currency at the expense of those who lived them

Post-traumatic growth. So many stories like this stop at the conviction/death sentence/ death of the perpetrator, but here we get to see Pamela growing and fighting for people just like her

Only having one victim POV (Ruth). I was worried when it switched to her point of view that we would get quite a few different ones which would have really diluted their experience and the story’s ability to go in depth. I adored Ruth especially and loved spending time with her.

Will be preordering this book for me and everyone I know immediately!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book as I have not read anything else by this author, but I did enjoy the Netflix movie Luckiest Girl Alive and was curious about this new release. It sounded right up my street! And I was not disappointed! I really enjoyed the book, I found it interesting, tense, and well written. I would really recommend it to thriller lovers and true crime lovers.