Bright Young Women
The Richard and Judy pick from the New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive
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4.4 • 124 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
A Richard & Judy Book Club Pick
New York Times Bestseller
A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist
Bright Young Women is an unflinching thriller based on Ted Bundy's heinous crimes, as two women search for justice in the wake of his brutal murders. From Jessica Knoll, author of the New York Times bestseller and #1 Netflix movie Luckiest Girl Alive.
'A compelling, almost hypnotic read' – Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of None of This is True
Tallahassee, 1978. Sorority president Pamela Schumacher wakes to a shocking scene of implausible violence and death, and is drawn into a mystifying crime that grips the nation for decades . . .
In Seattle, Tina Cannon connects her best friend's disappearance to the Tallahassee tragedy, and is convinced that a single man is responsible.
Determined to find justice, the two join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation . . .
'Knoll deconstructs the myth of a criminal mastermind, revealing the women he seeks to destroy as the truly brilliant ones' – Flynn Berry, author of Northern Spy
'A sharp examination of our culture's obsession with serial killers and true crime' – Harper's Bazaar, Best Books of the Year
'Knoll sets about dismantling every last Bundy myth with a controlled but palpable rage' – Catherine Ryan Howard, author of Run Time
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
To call this a crime novel doesn’t really do it justice. Yes, it’s inspired by US serial killer Ted Bundy’s despicable 1970s spree, when he targeted female students. But Knoll focuses fully on the victims and the future lives they might have led, exploring the overt misogyny of the era and how trauma echoes down the decades. She doesn’t once, for example, refer to her fictionalised killer by name—he is always The Defendant, while the book’s title alludes to the Bundy trial judge warmly referring to him as a “bright young man” (yes, really). Knoll’s characterisation is so vibrant, your heart breaks for these poor women and their friends who are left behind, determined to seek redress.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this stunning serial killer thriller, bestseller Knoll (Luckiest Girl Alive) uses echoes of Ted Bundy's real-life crimes to underline potent themes of misogyny and survivor's guilt. In January 1978, Florida State University student Pamela Schumacher becomes the sole witness when a killer invades her sorority house, murdering two of her friends and disfiguring two others. The killings bring Pamela into contact with Tina Cannon, who's convinced the same man murdered her friend Ruth Wachowsky four years earlier in Seattle. Together, Pamela and Tina spend decades digging up evidence that might link the crimes and find justice for their slain friends. Knoll seamlessly moves from the night of the murders and their immediate aftermath to 2021, when the man eventually dubbed the All-American Sex Killer faces his final trial. Without delving into prurient clichés, she excavates the emotional toll the murders take on Pamela and Tina, credibly tracing the ways such traumas can shape entire lives. By focusing on the women affected by her Ted Bundy stand-in instead of the nuances of his criminal psychology, Knoll movingly reframes an American obsession without stripping it of its intrigue. The results are masterful.
Customer Reviews
In my top 3 books of all time
My sister said this is the best book she has read and i was skeptical. I read around 50+ novels a year and am rarely blown away but this is INCREDIBLE. I don't think i will ever stop thinking about it. Please do yourself a favour and read this!
Bright Young Women
I have no words to let anyone know how utterly disappointed I am.