A review by kaia_papaya
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

I absolutely devoured Bright Young Women in a matter of hours. This book really makes a statement, as it completely flips around the typical narrative around serial killers like Ted Bundy -- we treat them like some kind of fascinating enigma and want to know more about THEM, even if we're disgusted -- and tells a really compelling, infuriating, thought-provoking story from the POV of the victims and their loved ones. 

I really appreciate that, rather than portraying them as simply victims of a single unlikely tragedy, the author shows how these women were also victims of a long laundry list of commonplace offences: bureaucracy, patriarchy, homophobia, slut-shaming, the media and in fact, the very narrative the author is critiquing which centers on violent men and how "smart" they are to have pulled it off. 

She holds ALL of these people -- not just the fictionalized Ted Bundy -- accountable for victimizing these women, which includes a massive, scandalous and dramatic failure of the police to protect them. 

I absolutely loved it, and my only complaint is that I can't find a book to read next that could rival this one!