sighmanda 's review for:

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

5.0

---

one of the most brilliant and necessary books i've had the pleasure to read recently, and very well timed with the rise in fascination and mythologising of serial killers in recent history. it's a timely reminder of the gruesome reality of how killers don't exist in a vacuum but are products of a fucked up system that fails women. this book does a wonderful job of examining sexism on many different levels, from the defendants choice of targeting young women to the sexism of how the victims are portrayed and the surviving women's daily experience (including pam's experience in a shitty relationship, which is so REAL!)

it's terrifying to read about how the narrative paints a fucking KILLER in a positive light at the time, and this book does a wonderful job of challenging the narrative and reminding readers who the REAL VICTIMS are, taking back power for the victims and their families. the female rage is real and justified and i'm fully here for it. also i love the involvement of a sapphic storyline, further fleshing out our strong female characters (while also showing another way that sexism manifests with all the judgement they faced GRR) <3

also so so extremely well written!