Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

58 reviews

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

sunshinemonarch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.25

I live in feminicide capital. Idk why i did this to myself. 
Narrative’s hard and often frustrating to follow. Topics are either too focussed on body issues or too frustrating to follow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Grief, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Death, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Homophobia, and Dementia

fitzsilu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual assault, Murder, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

Minor: Eating disorder, Dementia, Homophobia, and Incest

sailormegan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Bright Young Women was an incredible read that highlighted the amazing women who survived and then conquered the serial killer Ted Bundy. 

We see the strengths and intelligence of these women and not just as victims or letting authorities brush them aside. We see Bundy displayed as the despicable, gross, human he always was and not this distinguished, attractive, made-a-wrong-decision man that the media and Judge made him out to be. 

These women really are brought to life in a way that was never done at the time of the trial. 

I don’t typically notice or care when an author chooses a POV but Jessica’s use of first-person was the correct one. I was living the life of a woman who was dragging herself from a hole and into a beautiful new life only to have it taken from her too soon. I was in that sorority house witnessing the defendant run out the front door, standing by what I saw without a doubt no matter who challenged and questioned me. My heart clenched, my blood boiled. I had nightmares….

Anyways…. I hope I got it across that this was truly a fab book. Maybe I over-hyped it. But if you ever looked at this book and thought you’d like to read it, here’s your sign to just do it!  Don’t come at me if you hate it because I will not listen 🤣 jk… ?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Death, Medical trauma, Murder, and Medical content

Moderate: Sexual assault, Dementia, Cursing, Grief, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Blood, and Rape

Minor: Alcoholism, Pedophilia, and Addiction

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

florecita_lectora's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective 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: Death, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Murder, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexism

Moderate: Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, and Gore

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Death of parent, and Dementia

imstephtacular's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexism, Blood, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence, Mental illness, Body shaming, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Classism, Cursing, Sexual content, Dementia, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, and Alcohol

Minor: War, Vomit, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gun violence, Racism, Kidnapping, Incest, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Physical abuse

epinyan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

Bright Young Women was so incredible that it made me rethink giving some previous reads 5 stars. As a crime junkie and empath, I appreciated the insight given into the lives of the victims and the friends and family throughout the journey. While a somewhat fictional novel, it provided lessons and meaning that can be carried into how I (and society) approach crime within the media. If you enjoy this book read Know My Name by Chanel Miller (or vice versa). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Sexual assault, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Dementia, Eating disorder, and Vomit

kimmykelly's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Incest, Kidnapping, Blood, Death, Sexism, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Dementia, Gore, Body horror, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Rape