Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

49 reviews

themis_biblos's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

 I have such mixed feelings about this. The idea, the writing, the discussions it provokes should all be five stars. However:
1. In the acknowledgements Knoll thanks Kathy Kleiner Rubin, giving the impression that Knoll spoke to her and had her permission to tell this, albeit fictional, story. I've since seen people allegedly close to Kathy saying that that never happened. I'm sceptical - if that's true, Rubin's name surely wouldn't have made it into the acknowledgements? I don't know.
2. I loved, loved, loved the way Knoll discusses what a pathetic man The Defendant in reality was - contrary to how he was and continues to be portrayed, what the women (both those who survived and those who didn't) went through - not just on the night it happened, but after in the news, in the courtroom, in the public. How they were judged, written and gossipped about without their consent or input. However - why then did Knoll choose to write about them yet again, even if in this case the focus was on the women? She could have made it entirely fictional and it still would have hit.
3. A minor detail: It drove me up the wall how Knoll had the characters speak through their body language, but then always explained what gestures meant in italics right after!

But all that said, I was still impressed and moved and sad. 

 "They just don't want her to get hysterical," I said in the family's defense. Tina scoffed. "And so? What's wrong with being hysterical? It's a hysterical thing that happened." 

 I'd been asked to go over it so many times already that I was starting to feel like certain aspects of my story were more hindrance than help, that I ought to simplify it. No one tells you that the truest stories are the messy, unwieldy ones, that you will be tempted to trim in the places that make people scratch their heads. It takes fortitude to remain a true and constant witness, and I did. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Misogyny, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexism, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Death, Medical trauma, Rape, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Stalking, Classism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Drug use

betag1013's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Biphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Cursing, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Body horror, Body shaming, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Bullying, Gun violence, Incest, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Outing, Grief, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Dementia, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Murder, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, and Vomit

archangelo12's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A chilling fictional rendition of Ted Bundy and the murder of FSU sorority women in the 70s. Well written, but just makes me hate men even more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

mhill423's review against another edition

medium-paced

5.0

This book is heartbreaking and infuriating and refreshing. I’m familiar with Ted Bundy and his crimes but never have I seen the focus placed on the women he hurt. I’ve never known that I’ve been longing for these stories, for their stories, before reading this book. Every page of this book hurt but I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what these women had to say, I wanted you to pay homage to their memories and their pain. Learn their names. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Murder, and Sexual assault

ehoustonmyatt's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Torture, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, and Sexual assault

edresbach's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Grief, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Abandonment, and Gaslighting

reverendmix's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Body horror, Child death, Torture, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Violence, Kidnapping, Gore, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Sexual assault

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Stunning and startling in equal turn. I greatly admire how Knoll weaves the theme of sisterhood throughout, not in an icky "girl boss"/white feminism way but, rather, in a profound call to reconsider—to remember—the shared responsibility we hold to do better for each other. A true sucker punch of a novel, one that I'd think would pair well with A Tiny Upward Shove.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Rape, Child death, Cursing, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Pregnancy and Eating disorder

crystalclearfairytales's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A

4.75

"Sometimes I think The Defendant is just another old wives' tale. That law enforcement backed up his self-purported claims of brilliance to cover up their own incompetence -- in interviews they have the media, in testimonies they made before the judge -- and it all cemented from there, hardening into a generational truth passed down from mother to daughter. Consider this my own warning: The man was no diabolical genius. He was your run-of-the-mill incel whom I caught picking his nose in the courtroom. More than once."

This book did such a good job at demonstrating how the media and law enforcement have painted well-known serial killers as charismatic geniuses to cover up their own negligence. The way the author completely stripped away serial killer's identity by labelling him as 'The Defendant' perfectly conveyed how small he was. The author did not hold back in describing the misogyny, carelessness, and deceit that was heavily involved in this case which really goes to show how serial killers have had the spotlight for so long. It was satisfying that a book about crime did not glamorize the murderer or hearings in any capacity for once.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Rape, Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Death, Grief, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

cordeliacondron's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence