3.5
Bright Young Women
ByPublisher Description
Don’t miss this “breakneck thriller” that examines “our culture’s obsession with serial killers and true crime” (Harper’s Bazaar) as it follows two women on the pursuit of justice against all odds. “A fascinating look at true crime and tabloid culture that’s as thoughtful as it is gripping” (People).
A New York Times Notable Book of 2023
New York Times Editors’ Choice
Instant New York Times Bestseller
A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist
Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Kirkus Reviews, CrimeReads, Booklist, and more!
An Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel
Masterfully blending elements of psychological suspense and true crime, Jessica Knoll—bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive and the writer behind the Netflix adaptation starring Mila Kunis—delivers an “unflinching and evocative” (Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author) thriller in Bright Young Women.
The book opens on a Saturday night in 1978, hours before a soon-to-be-infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house with deadly results. The lives of those who survive, including a sorority president and key witness, Pamela Schumacher, are forever changed. Across the country, Tina Cannon is convinced her missing friend was targeted by the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer—and that he’s struck again. Determined to find justice, the two join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation.
With award-winning storytelling, “Bright Young Women doesn’t put its focus on the murderer. It’s more interested in his victims—and the survivors who are on a mission to catch him before he kills again” (Time). Blisteringly paced, it is a “compelling, almost hypnotic read and I loved it with a passion” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author).
A New York Times Notable Book of 2023
New York Times Editors’ Choice
Instant New York Times Bestseller
A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist
Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Kirkus Reviews, CrimeReads, Booklist, and more!
An Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel
Masterfully blending elements of psychological suspense and true crime, Jessica Knoll—bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive and the writer behind the Netflix adaptation starring Mila Kunis—delivers an “unflinching and evocative” (Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author) thriller in Bright Young Women.
The book opens on a Saturday night in 1978, hours before a soon-to-be-infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house with deadly results. The lives of those who survive, including a sorority president and key witness, Pamela Schumacher, are forever changed. Across the country, Tina Cannon is convinced her missing friend was targeted by the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer—and that he’s struck again. Determined to find justice, the two join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation.
With award-winning storytelling, “Bright Young Women doesn’t put its focus on the murderer. It’s more interested in his victims—and the survivors who are on a mission to catch him before he kills again” (Time). Blisteringly paced, it is a “compelling, almost hypnotic read and I loved it with a passion” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author).
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesBright Young Women Reviews
3.5
“This is an interesting perspective about a real-life serial killer who I won’t name since the book never names him. Why should we? The victims are the important names we should remember, not his.”“The good: I loved this book. Ruth and Tina are my new Roman Empire. I want to read a whole romance book just about them. I loved all the themes of womanhood and the portrayal of misogyny in the real world. I don’t really know how to explain how good this book hit in every way. The fact that it is heavily inspired by a true story really got me.
The bad: The way the author would tell us/reference things that happen in the future during a chapter in the current time line messed with me. Some of the characters felt too similar in the way that I would mix up their storylines, especially because of the multiple point of views. I also wish the author would have written more of the final court hearing leading up to the verdict. It was overall also a bit slow for me, but I think this was really just the author building info for the plot, and it didn’t bother me much.
The ugly: There’s nothing ugly about women, especially Bright Young ones like Denise. I just want to acknowledge the women who suffer[ed] at the hands of serial killers and rapists like The Defendant. Let us take this book and its beautiful message as a reminder to decenter the men who cause this hurt, and instead put our focus into honoring the bright young women who they hurt.”
About Jessica Knoll
Jessica Knoll is the New York Times bestselling author of Bright Young Women, The Favorite Sister, and Luckiest Girl Alive—now a major motion picture from Netflix starring Mila Kunis. She has been a senior editor at Cosmopolitan and the articles editor at Self. She lives in New York City with her family.
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