Review: Bright Young Women

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fantastic read this was!

I was unaware whose crimes this was actually based on, and I appreciated that the author chose not to name him. This is a fictional account that considers the lives he destroyed, and I think it's a powerful statement to refer to him simply as The Defendant.

The story is told by two women - Pamela, who witnessed the perpetrator leaving the crime scene after the brutal assaults and murders of her sorority sisters, and Ruth, a victim. Pamela's story switches between 2021 - 43 years later - and 1978, the year of the murders.

I enjoyed the rounded approach to the storytelling, though at times it did get a little confusing jumping back and forth. Sometimes during the 1978 chapters, Pamela would reflect as though she were writing from present day which made it even more confusing. There's also a main character that is involved for both girls, which didn't help.

Aside from trying to keep everything straight, though, this was a fantastic read. This is very much about the fallout, and the treatment of the victims. There's definitely a feminist angle, where the treatment of Pamela becomes increasingly frustrating as she's clearly intelligent yet is often treated like a 'hysterical woman'.

There's not much detail about the crimes themselves, so true crime junkies might be a little disappointed by that. I myself enjoyed the fresh perspective - the focus on the people who matter rather than the scumbag who would be better off forgotten by all.

This was a great read to get the wheels turning, and for women in particular I think it's a truly valuable read. There are parts that are quite sickening to read, but it's those parts that hammer home the impact of the book.

I really got a lot out of reading this one, and was fascinated to follow up with a little research. Some women survived and have gone on to lead courageous lives, which I think is truly inspiring.

Highly recommend this for those interested in crime stories that focus on the lives of the victims, and I think women in particular will get a lot out of the empowering subtext.

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