Scan barcode
A review by chantaal
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
5.0
This hit every button I didn't even know I needed it to hit to be a successful read for me.
First off, he doesn't get named in this, despite everyone knowing what this story is referring to, because this is about him, but it isn't about HIM. He's just The Defendant.
I love the framing of this story that shifts the perspective away from the killer, and onto the women whose lives he absolutely bulldozed. Pamela is the president of the sorority house where one of his most famous attacks happened, and we follow her as she navigates grief, shock, and a system that feels like all it does is belittle and infantilize women in every way possible. Ruth is a victim, and her storyline in the time leading up to her murder is beautiful and tragic all at once because of it. Both women are there to show a different view of true crime, where the victims and survivors and their loved ones are centered.
Bright Young Women is blistering and unafraid of shining a light right back on those of us who consume true crime media - but Knoll shines that light in a way that isn't incredibly accusatory. It's simply a reminder that there are always those on the sidelines in these types of big true crime stories who are always forgotten.
First off, he doesn't get named in this, despite everyone knowing what this story is referring to, because this is about him, but it isn't about HIM. He's just The Defendant.
I love the framing of this story that shifts the perspective away from the killer, and onto the women whose lives he absolutely bulldozed. Pamela is the president of the sorority house where one of his most famous attacks happened, and we follow her as she navigates grief, shock, and a system that feels like all it does is belittle and infantilize women in every way possible. Ruth is a victim, and her storyline in the time leading up to her murder is beautiful and tragic all at once because of it. Both women are there to show a different view of true crime, where the victims and survivors and their loved ones are centered.
Bright Young Women is blistering and unafraid of shining a light right back on those of us who consume true crime media - but Knoll shines that light in a way that isn't incredibly accusatory. It's simply a reminder that there are always those on the sidelines in these types of big true crime stories who are always forgotten.