Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

61 reviews

shesflippinpages's review against another edition

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

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Medical content, Medical trauma, Body horror, Homophobia, Grief, Sexism, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Sexual violence

Minor: Dementia and Classism

booksteader'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Book #2 completed in 2024
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
This was an absorbing and empowering fictional account of one of the most famous and sensationalized serial murders in American history, and as the author so cleverly omitted The Defendant's name from any mention throughout the book (to deny any more notoriety to man who committed these cowardly and abhorrent crimes), I won't give him any acknowledgement here either. I was skeptical about my ability to appreciate a true crime novel but what I found in this book was so much more than another dramatization of the same old story where The Defendant is an "evil genius". Instead, Knoll gives the women the acknowledgment and voice they should have had 45 years ago and again 5 years ago when the Netflix documentary was made. She skillfully frames the case within the context of the late 70s but it is clear that much of the misogyny that passed for normal still runs rampant today. Knoll calls it out over and over and in this small but important way, allows the women to be the center of their own stories and win some justice over their perpetrator and the system that should have stopped him before he had a chance to start.
🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿 Five ferns (from the last chapter)
Would strongly recommend

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Incest, Dementia, and Death of parent

mrsjoellebell'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Homophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Infidelity, Eating disorder, and Forced institutionalization

jve's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

A very compelling read. I liked that this gave a fresh perspective to such a famous case without lending to the notoriety and idolization of The Defendant that a lot of other media coverage has. Refusing to speak his name a brilliant choice!

I liked the past storylines for both Pamela and Ruth, but had to pause at times to take in the tragedy knowing this is based on real events. It is a heavy plot. Unfortunately, I felt the present day storyline for Pamela was a bit convoluted and didn't add as much to the novel as expected.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Death, Blood, and Rape

Moderate: Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Homophobia

missmakaela's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Stalking

cinnaminskies's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Stalking, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Forced institutionalization, and Misogyny

Minor: Incest, Pedophilia, and Pandemic/Epidemic

oliviamich's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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: Sexism, Murder, Gore, Violence, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

Moderate: Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape

herelieshenry's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

Constantly wobbling between 4.75 and 5 stars for me. Even now I’m unsure if I really want to stick to my guns of being stingy with ratings and “if I have any question of if it’s 5 stars, I shouldn’t rate it 5 stars” because this book is, genuinely, a masterpiece on grief that cuts to the core of the issue in a lot of true crime media and the coverage of murders. I’m surprised I didn’t have many qualms with this being a fictionalization of real murders, as I’m very stingy on those (see my take on In Cold Blood) but I think Knoll did this in the most ethical way it could be done, being inspired by the victims and survivors more than the killer himself and creating something that lives up to the bright spirit of these girls rather than trying to sell us on the one-for-one story. I feel like it’s clear that this book is not meant to educate us on the actual gritty details of the real-life murders, and the lack of naming the murderer and fictionalizing most of the cast lends to that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Child death, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Child abuse and Dementia

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? No

4.0

If I still need to explain toxic masculinity to anyone who’s read this book, I give up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Homophobia, Mental illness, Child death, Blood, Violence, Lesbophobia, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Dementia, Confinement, Death of parent, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, and Rape

honeybeewitched87's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Misogyny, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Bullying, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Cursing, Death, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, and Rape