“Time does not heal all wounds. Grief is just like a sink full of dirty dishes or a pile of soiled laundry. Grief is a chore you have to do, and it’s a messy one, at that.”
“Bright Young Women” is a novel written by Jessica Knoll. The book is inspired by the real-life sorority that was targeted by America’s first celebrity serial killer in his final murderous spree. The story is set in January 1978, when a serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest. However, his existence couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee
The novel follows two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their fervent pursuit of the truth.
“We were not just bright young women. We were bright young women with a purpose. A mission. A legacy. We were not going to let him take that away from us.”
It proposes a new narrative inspired by evidence that’s been glossed over for decades in favour of more saleable headlines—that the so-called brilliant and charismatic serial killer from Seattle was far more average than the countless books, movies, and primetime specials have led us to believe, and that it was the women whose lives he cut short who were the exceptional ones. Although, the notorious serial killer only referred to as “The Defendant”, but it clear that it is Ted Bundy being referred to.
“Women got that feeling about him, that funny one we all get when we know something isn’t right, but we don’t know how to politely extricate ourselves from the situation without escalating the threat of violence or harassment. That is not a skill women are taught, the same way men are not taught that it is okay to leave a woman alone if what she wants is to be left alone.”
I understand the reason why his name is never mentioned. That would defeat the aim of this novel, which is to be victim focused, instead of glorifying the killer as too many ‘true crime’ podcasts and TV shows tend to do.
“He was not brilliant. He was not charming. He was not handsome. He was a monster. And we were his prey.”
Told from a multiple POV and across timelines (1970s and 2021), it illustrates the lasting effect of violence on victims and their loved ones’ lives. It makes you question the attention mainstream media tends to give to acts of violence.
“I don’t want to be a victim anymore. I want to be a survivor. A fighter. A warrior.”
It is an unusual and emotional take on this story – it is dark, graphic and intense.
“We are not defined by what he did to us. We are defined by what we did after. How we lived. How we loved. How we healed.”
Thank you to Exclusive Books for the opportunity to read this book.
About the book
PUBLISHED BY: Pan Macmillan
EAN: 9781509840007
DATE PUBLISHED: 28 September 2023
PAGES: 352
GENRE: Thriller / suspense
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