Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

25 reviews

bella_cavicchi's review

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

Stunning and startling in equal turn. I greatly admire how Knoll weaves the theme of sisterhood throughout, not in an icky "girl boss"/white feminism way but, rather, in a profound call to reconsider—to remember—the shared responsibility we hold to do better for each other. A true sucker punch of a novel, one that I'd think would pair well with A Tiny Upward Shove.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Eating disorder and Pregnancy

lollymac's review against another edition

reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Grief

Minor: Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

fancyjess_party's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

pastlifetragedy's review

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

Minor: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, and Stalking

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 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

theinstabookworm's review

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

deetabz's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Incest, Infidelity, and Alcohol

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

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

Minor: Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Forced institutionalization

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. 

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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

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