Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

44 reviews

lottie1803's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is a feminist re-telling of Ted Bundy's crimes against female students in Florida during the 1970s. It retells the crimes from the survivors' perspective and contains well-written commentary on American culture during the period. The prose was great, and it points out the media focus on handsome and charming male criminals at the expense of women's experiences and trauma. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, and Lesbophobia

nenah_elizabeth's review

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

david_slack110507's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious 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

4.25

I was really intrigued by the premise of the book and what it was going to follow and I'm glad that it did not disappoint and was just as interesting as what was promised. I really liked having the dual timelines of Pamela and Ruth, with Pamela's following on from a huge event and leading up to its eventual consequences while Ruth's was leading up to a fate that seemingly had nothing to do with her own story but we knew was going to happen regardless.  

I think having Ruth's story be something completely detached from the Ted Bundy-inspired serial killer plotline of Pamela's story made Ruth's ending all the more effective as it showcased what could happen at any moment, especially when your life is beginning to get better, but I also just really liked Ruth's story due to its focus on the acceptance of who you are and freeing yourself from the judgement of others as shown in Ruth's discovery of her sexuality when she meets and eventually falls in love with Tina. However, as much as I like Ruth's story, I think I was more invested in Pamela's search for justice against the man that had wronged her sorority house, as not only was it what the premise of the book but also because it just intrigued me more seeing the situation unfold and how that can be compared in many similar and different ways to now. 

Both storylines help present the theme of needing to put women's stories and experiences to the forefront of situations like the one in this book and its aforementioned inspiration rather than putting all the attention and sadly oftentimes subsequent idolisation on the perpetrator of horrible and sickening crimes. Keeping the perpetrator's name hidden under the nickname 'The Defendant' not only avoided giving power to the serial killer that it was based on but also allowed for it to be unilateral in not giving power to all those who have committed terrible acts of violence and violation and instead keeping the women in the spotlight when they are so often ignored even when they are front and centre like with Pamela as a witness or The Defendant's female attorney being the smartest on his team. 

I feel like this is just a really important book to read that has many important messages just beyond the criminal and legal aspects mentioned in this review and in the book, such as social issues like the way that lesbians and queer people were seen around that time, the lack of faith in women and their stories/beliefs, and I also liked how it commented on the seemingly necessary need to characterise every man that avoided the legal system due to said lack of faith in women and/or their privilege as being 'smart', essentially acting as an excuse to cover up the incompetence in the police and justice systems for letting it go on for so long. 

Overall, this raises many important questions and focuses on many necessary themes that should be discussed in more detail as well as striking a careful balance between not making it too explicit without making it seem watered down to make it easier to digest. It does not shy away from the explicit nature of the case but is not defined by having it as part of the plot. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Eating disorder, Gore, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Medical content, and Dementia

sydneylmeyer7's review

challenging dark sad tense fast-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Eating disorder

booklvrkat's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

“In seventeen months, I would relish repeating this description for a courtroom. I’d had about enough of hearing how handsome he was, and no man likes to be called small.” 

 

Mini blurb:  January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home—a decision that unwittingly saves her life. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed. 

 

This is one of those times I wish I had read the blurb. I’ve seen this book everywhere, and I was hoodwinked in. There are so many triggers & cautions before you begin reading I implore you to read those first. I was pulled into the story due to the fantastic writing style and wish I had stopped after the first chapter. The tale doesn’t get better as Pamela continues to try and solve the hideous crime against her sisters & sorority. As the story unfolds we learn more about the sorority sisters and their families. DAYS after finishing this story, and it’s as fresh in my mind as what I had for breakfast today. 

 

TW/CW: Murder, Rape, Sexual Assault, Disfigurement, Homophobia, Violence, Kidnapping, Sexism, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Gun Violence 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting

r_o_s_e's review

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, and Outing

missmakaela's review

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

---

Content Warnings

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

kyrstin_p1989's review

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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

sellnow_hannah's review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Enjoyed this take on serial killer lore… instead of focusing on the story of the perpetrator, it focuses on the victims and women who were impacted. Sure wish news media would focus more on victims and call suspects only “the defendant” instead of sensationalizing the killers’ stories.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Murder