Bright Young Women
A Novel
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4.2 • 548 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Don’t miss this “breakneck thriller” examining “our culture’s obsession with serial killers and true crime” (Harper’s Bazaar) following 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—author of the bestselling novel Luckiest Girl Alive and the writer behind the Netflix adaption starring Mila Kunis—delivers a new and exhilarating 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 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 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.
Blisteringly paced, Bright Young Women is “Jessica Knoll at her best—an unflinching and evocative novel about the tabloid fascination with evil and the dynamic and brilliant women who have the real stories to tell” (Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me); and “a compelling, almost hypnotic read and I loved it with a passion” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True).
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Inspired by a true story, this emotional thriller examines how women are always expected to be perfect, even in the wake of a horrific tragedy. At Florida State University in 1978, sorority president Pamela Schumacher is wracked with survivor’s guilt after an intruder forces his way into the Omega Chi sorority house and brutally attacks several of her closest friends, killing two of them. Soon afterward, Pamela meets Tina, a Seattle woman who’s searching for answers following the disappearance of her partner Ruth four years before. Author Jessica Knoll, whose first book, Luckiest Girl Alive, was a huge bestseller, drew inspiration from infamous serial killer Ted Bundy’s cross-country rampage in the 1970s—but she places her focus entirely on the friends and loved ones of his victims, imagining their struggles to rebuild their lives in the wake of unimaginable trauma and misogynistic ideas. Bright Young Women is a gripping read and an exceptional story about women’s friendships, strength, and fury.
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
Great book
A fantastic book. I really loved that this was a different take on a crime novel and one that seems to take the current opinions about true crime culture into account. I liked the characters and I thought they felt real jn ways that characters in these books sometimes do not. Would definitely recommend to anyone into true crime or thrillers.
Intriguing and relatable
I have felt these things before, not in the tragically awful sense that the victims in the story had to feel, but in my jobs and daily life. The creepy men that I’ve reported but ultimately pushed me out of my jobs. The ex-boyfriends that wouldn’t leave me alone when I said no. I am never going to look at the system the same again.
Boring
Boring, unrealistic and devoid of a plot that is interesting.