A review by jaelyn7
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

emotional slow-paced

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

2.5

I mistakenly thought Bright Young Women was a novel that celebrated the overlooked contributions of ACTUAL women, with dialogue and characterization loosely fictionalized. But, with little to go off in the author's note, this book creates an entirely fictional world that draws even more attention to Ted Bundy, going against the point the characters make constantly throughout the book that Bundy is an unattractive, stupid loser, who does not deserve the credit the media gives him. The premise of how women are often portrayed as powerless in true-crime retellings was a good one, but I wish the story was entirely fictionalized or a mix of fiction and fact, informed by real bright, young women in a less notorious case. Overall, Bright Young Women was a slower read for me, as the story is told like a news article, rather than a novel. I enjoyed the Ruth and Tina storyline substantially more than Pamela's, because there was more depth to their characters.