Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

36 reviews

kimreads14's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I truly enjoyed this retelling of the victim side of the Bundy case. 

It shows a sort of two sides of the same coin idea. One of the narrator represents the victim that will be killed, and the other one of the survivors fighting for justice to be served. All of it being nicely tied through Tina.

I’m still confused as to whether or not this is a work of fiction or not. Or maybe just part fiction part non-fiction? 

I loved the closing chapter, it was really moving, and also showed that unfortunately not everything comes full circle at all time, but as long as there’s hope, there’s the possibility of it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Grief, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexism, Torture, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

kierlopez's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Death, Violence, Hate crime, Body horror, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Outing, and Torture

spotter0809's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I devoured this book in about 3 days! The strength that the women in the book have is inspiring. I'm glad that this story was told from their pov. It inspired me reframe my own previous knowledge and look at it through their lense as it always should have been and now finally is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death, Sexual violence, and Torture

Moderate: Lesbophobia

Minor: Dementia and Incest

abicaro17's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, the story of a woman, traumatized by her best friends brutal murder, becoming a Colombia educated laywer and testifying against the man who brutalized her is so profoundly cool. On the other hand, this story lacks character. Pamela is a pretty flat character. She is organized and truth seeking but thats all she is and that never changes. Also this book did not need to be dual pov. Tina could have explained Ruths story and it could have been up to the readers to determine if she was telling the truth. The book spells out everything and anything thats a mystery. Also by writing a Ted Bundy book it just keeps his memory and crimes alive. I think the intention was the show that he wasn't clever just lucky thats everyone else was dumber but, it mostly just comes about like a retelling from fake pov. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cursing, Homophobia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Bullying, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Gore, and Sexism

shacara_shacara's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual assault, Sexism, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Violence, Rape, Body shaming, Torture, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, and Physical abuse

shainaseideneck's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Rape, Gaslighting, Violence, Torture, and Stalking

Moderate: Misogyny, Mental illness, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, and Car accident

Minor: Miscarriage

alexdayhey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

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

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Fascinating yet sickening, this book is like a derailed train…you just can’t help but to keep looking even when you feel like you should turn away. The plot of the story is unbelievable on purpose, because who ever thinks they’re going to be attacked by a serial killer. I liked the two different perspectives but found the shifting timeline confusing from time to time and I had to check the chapter heading and make sure I knew where I was in time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Murder, Sexual violence, Torture, Child abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Stalking, Violence, Gun violence, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I was very excited to pick this up because of how much I enjoyed "Luckiest Girl Alive" last year.
"Bright Young Women" follows two women, who have never met, but who are bonded by their determination to uncover the truth. Pamela is the president of the top sorority at Florida State University. She is bright, driven, and on track to become a very successful lawyer after she graduates Florida State and enters law school. Tragically, in January 1978, she is awoken from her sleep at the sorority house to discover that several of her sisters were brutally murdered. Around the same time, in Seattle, Tina is finally making peace with her life. She meets an interesting woman named Ruth, who captures her attention. Unfortunately, Ruth disappears one day, and Tina is determined to seek the justice for Ruth in spite of Ruth's family's insistence to sweep it under the rug.
I was entirely captivated by this story, and I did not want to put it down. Though quirky, Pamela is such a strong character, and reading about her pragmatic approach to this horrible event was strangely calming. I was rooting for her, and I wanted to see her seek the feminist justice she deserved. Her ease of detachment from what was happening near her was impressive.
My heart broke for Ruth at every turn. She had such a rough life with her mother's constant criticism, and just when she was finally gaining some happiness, it was cruelly taken from her. I wanted more for her.
I loved how the story ultimately came together and I really enjoyed how the characters became connected. It is interesting to think about how people we have never met, are connected to our stories. I also think it is fascinating that the author used a real-life crime as inspiration for this story.
I have not stopped thinking about this story since I finished it, and I highly recommend it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Mental illness, Violence, Sexism, Body horror, Rape, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault

danielcrogers's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Rape, Sexual harassment, Violence, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Outing, Physical abuse, Stalking, Torture, Death, Gaslighting, and Homophobia