Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

51 reviews

mmccue1997's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder

iamsuchawitch's review

dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

 This book reframes Ted Bundy's crimes and places the victims and their loved ones at the forefront of the narrative. It's what true crime should look like. Focusing on the victims and the effects rather than questioning if the killer's mommy didn't hold them enough (some how the woman is always to blame) or if their father beat on them. This rights all the wrongs of how true crime glorifies killers. I do not think i could give this book high enough praise for its approach. If you aren't going through a rollercoaster of emotions reading this, then you aren't reading between the lines. Though if you are a woman or have an understanding of what is to be a girl and a woman in society you may find this book boils your blood and triggers you. That burn of passion you feel about injustices. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

lexcellent's review

dark emotional sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

flossiepalmer's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism and Toxic relationship

vickydowling's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment

thefrizzkid's review

challenging dark reflective tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Lesbophobia

shortstackz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

Bright Young Women takes the victims of a serial killer and breathes much needed life back into their stories. There have been countless stories of the defendant told throughout the years, and we have all heard his name. Until now the stories of his victims hadn't been told.

We mainly follow the story of Denise, a college student at Florida State who was brutally murdered by the defendant. Instead of glorifying him for being mediocre, this narrative shines a bright interrogation light directly on his incompetence and all the careless police work that led to his success. Our main POV is told from Pamela, who was best friends with Denise. Pamela is articulate, ambitious, and smart, yet somehow her narrative wasn't believed by police or press over the defendant. 

The misogyny of law and victim blaming is alarming. The prose holds a primary tone of accountability with undertones of feminine rage. I loved every minute of getting to know the sorority girls as they were, HE has had enough fame. It's their story now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Stalking, and Murder

abirej's review

challenging dark emotional tense 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? Yes

4.0

What I love is that the focus is where it should be—on the Bright Young Women one disgusting misogynist saught to dampen, their lives and legacy and families that STILL grieve. Excellently told, though watch out for that last Ruth chapter if you’re sensitive to some of the triggers mentioned. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, and Lesbophobia

threedimen's review

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

herperfume's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Outside of a show like "I Survived," rarely are victims the center of true crime stories. And rarely do we follow them in the days, weeks, months, and years afterwards. We don't see how an event ripples through the immediate community of the victim. Bright Young Women does this. It also shines a light on why the families of some missing women don't report them as such. The fact that the author never uses the name of the perpetrator is a powerful move, even if it is obvious who it is supposed to be. Removing his name and focusing on the lives of the victims changes how we think of true crime and it's reporting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail