Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

56 reviews

jess_d84's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Dementia, Torture, Pedophilia, Eating disorder, and Blood

strawburial's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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? No

3.75

This book was a solid 3 for me until Tina. That mean lesbian means the world to me. I really appreciate how this book focussed on the victims and called out how the defendant really isn’t all that clever. Some lines however were a little cringy for me, but overall I enjoyed reading this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Dementia

Moderate: Hate crime and Injury/Injury detail

bootsmom3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, and Medical content

Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, Confinement, Grief, Eating disorder, and Alcohol

lukests'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Lesbophobia, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Death, Rape, Violence, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Grief, Sexual assault, Torture, and Sexism

Minor: Dementia, Incest, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia

daybreakreads's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

1.0

Why do I listen to coworkers’ book recs before looking up a book? I have a Criminology degree that’s collecting dust, and despite my distaste for many women’s obsession with true crime (in the sense it has made close friends and family anxious and paranoid about living in a ground floor apartment, in addition to it glamorizing or romanticizing the worst aspects of humanity) I found the concept intriguing. Ah yes, here is a novel that supposedly focuses on the real human effect of heinous crimes, rather than obsessing over the monster that committed them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, and Dementia

Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Rape, and Medical trauma

Minor: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

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

pastlifetragedy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Religious bigotry, Stalking, Infidelity, and Pedophilia

nenah_elizabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, and Gore

Minor: Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Death of parent

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

theinstabookworm's review against another edition

dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

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

5.0

BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN is a fictional account of the murders of infamous serial killer Ted Bundy through the eyes of his victims and their friends and family. Though it is apparent who the victims are referring to in their recollections, Bundy is never named, and he is only referred to as The Defendant. The title of the book is a play on words of the judge in Bundy's death penalty sentencing, who called Bundy a "bright young man."

I had chosen this book as one of my Book of the Month options back in October, but DNFed it after trying to physically read it. I wasn't going to give it another chance, but after I watched Jananie's @thisstoryaintover YouTube video where she listened to the audiobook and ended up rating it highly, I decided to give the audiobook a shot. And I'm so glad I did. Actress Sutton Foster @suttonlenore was one of the narrators for one of the women, and I really like her work. She did an excellent job conveying the emotions, feelings, and thoughts of the character she read. It's not uncommon for the criminals to be in the spotlight when their crimes are discussed, and I think that, to a certain extent, criminals do need to be given some of that attention in order to be held accountable for their crimes. But I also think it's often lost on us that the victims of these criminals were people who didn't deserve to be subjected to heinous crimes. I love that this book gives a voice to those who are otherwise voiceless. The victims are just as important, and arguably more important, as the perpetrator and this book reminds us of that. If you haven't picked this up yet, I highly recommend the audiobook!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Child death, Animal cruelty, Dementia, Infidelity, Homophobia, Incest, and Sexual assault