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bookreviewswithkb's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
“The Defendant peered back at me with black vacant eyes. they are scary eyes, don’t get me wrong, but what frightens me, what infuriates me, is that there isn’t anything exceptionally clever going on behind them. … law enforcement would rather we remember a dull man as brilliant than take a good hard look at the role they played in this absolute sideshow, and I am sick to death of watching them in their pressed shirts and cowboy boots, in their comfortable leather interview chairs, in hugely successful and critically acclaimed crime documentaries, talking about the intelligence and charm and wiliness of an ordinary misogynist. this story is not that. the story is not that.”
honestly once i realized the premise of this book, i couldn’t imagine not loving it. this books focuses on a few of the victims of an infamous serial killer in the late 70s, telling their stories and ultimately highlighting how our society uplifts the male ego, how we can’t turn away from the charisma or good looks of a man for long enough to understand he is evil. how the shame of queerness, of lesbianism, of women, of women supporting one another, is so abhorrent to us that we will do anything to get in it’s way, including supporting the cover up of our own daughter’s murder. i can understand the criticism of the plot but i don’t care, it didn’t take away from my experience of this book. i would read it again and i think you should too
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child death, Animal cruelty, Dementia, Infidelity, Homophobia, Incest, and Sexual assault
aileron's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Murder, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Blood, Emotional abuse, Death, and Rape
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Medical content, Death of parent, Sexism, Child death, Violence, Dementia, and Pedophilia
Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Car accident, Incest, Animal cruelty, and Eating disorder
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