A review by bookreviewswithkb
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

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 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings