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A review by justinkhchen
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
dark
emotional
medium-paced
3.5
Weighted down by its own brilliance, at its core, Bright Young Women has a lot of appeal: leaning into the societal obsession with true crime, but subverting expectation by spotlighting the female victims instead of hero-worshiping the serial killer as an untouchable icon, a 'fantasized reality' telling by blending fact and fiction. Alas, I came out of it feeling extremely conflicted; while there were moments that hit home, as a full package this was no better than other sensationalized variations this novel is critical of.
Worth noting, categorizing this book as a 'thriller' is really just a marketing move, because tonally this is a general fiction (or historical fiction) through and through, especially considering its intent to not place emphasis on the killings. I guess there are some 'mysteries' along the way, but they feel more like byproducts rather than the crux of the plot.
I was very immersed by all the true crime segments, clearly thorough research has been done to articulate all the courtroom proceedings. And true to its intent, it also 'dethroned' the serial killer by showing the cracks and superficiality in his behaviors, rather than a cunning, out-smarting-the-system individual (at the same time, revealing the inadequacy of the justice system).
It is on the fictional side where I have some issues; Bright Young Women is bogged down by thoroughness. While I appreciate the time jumps and multiple POVs, some perspectives overstay their welcome, and I question their relevance (especially being made aware these are the fabricated elements of the book). It's as if by deciding not to put focus on the crimes, the author needs to find melodrama elsewhere to pad out the book; so we get subplots of abusive mother (which in itself is an odd inclusion, in a story that meant to celebrate women), and tragic romance. There are still a lot of dogear-worthy commentary, but they exist in isolation to stories I find not particularly moving.
Bright Young Women as a concept is as intriguing as much as it's confusing; by straddling the fine line between truth and fabrication, I'm left not knowing how to take in the information: I appreciate the insight relating to the lasting impact of the real-life case, but feel emotionally manipulated by the add-on fictional drama. It's like the stylistic stance of never mentioning the serial killer's name in the novel, but omitting the name still doesn't conceal the fact this book is marketed as a Ted Bundy-inspired novel, so in the end we're back on square one—uplifting the serial killer's fame in the name of entertainment.
**The Book Troop Book Club January 2024 Selection**
Worth noting, categorizing this book as a 'thriller' is really just a marketing move, because tonally this is a general fiction (or historical fiction) through and through, especially considering its intent to not place emphasis on the killings. I guess there are some 'mysteries' along the way, but they feel more like byproducts rather than the crux of the plot.
I was very immersed by all the true crime segments, clearly thorough research has been done to articulate all the courtroom proceedings. And true to its intent, it also 'dethroned' the serial killer by showing the cracks and superficiality in his behaviors, rather than a cunning, out-smarting-the-system individual (at the same time, revealing the inadequacy of the justice system).
It is on the fictional side where I have some issues; Bright Young Women is bogged down by thoroughness. While I appreciate the time jumps and multiple POVs, some perspectives overstay their welcome, and I question their relevance (especially being made aware these are the fabricated elements of the book). It's as if by deciding not to put focus on the crimes, the author needs to find melodrama elsewhere to pad out the book; so we get subplots of abusive mother (which in itself is an odd inclusion, in a story that meant to celebrate women), and tragic romance. There are still a lot of dogear-worthy commentary, but they exist in isolation to stories I find not particularly moving.
Bright Young Women as a concept is as intriguing as much as it's confusing; by straddling the fine line between truth and fabrication, I'm left not knowing how to take in the information: I appreciate the insight relating to the lasting impact of the real-life case, but feel emotionally manipulated by the add-on fictional drama. It's like the stylistic stance of never mentioning the serial killer's name in the novel, but omitting the name still doesn't conceal the fact this book is marketed as a Ted Bundy-inspired novel, so in the end we're back on square one—uplifting the serial killer's fame in the name of entertainment.
**The Book Troop Book Club January 2024 Selection**