"But we're limited, aren't we. We've all got some limitations. And we bump up against them, and it hurts, sure, but it's the only way to find them out
"But we're limited, aren't we. We've all got some limitations. And we bump up against them, and it hurts, sure, but it's the only way to find them out." Pg 74
This was such a unique and mind-twisting read! I highly recommend it to fans of Carmen Maria Machado. Full review to come! ...more
“They could be like young witches sometimes, his daughters, with their black hair and sharp eyes. It was easy to understand why women feared men with
“They could be like young witches sometimes, his daughters, with their black hair and sharp eyes. It was easy to understand why women feared men with their physical strength and lust and social powers, but women, with their canny intuitions, were so much deeper: they could predict what was to come long before it came, dream it overnight, and read your mind.” Pg. 24
Bright Young Women is a historical fiction thriller following the case of a notorious serial killer, who is only referred to as ‘The Defendant’ througBright Young Women is a historical fiction thriller following the case of a notorious serial killer, who is only referred to as ‘The Defendant’ throughout the novel. One POV follows Pamela, who is the sole witness of ‘The Defendant’ the night he broke into her Florida sorority house, brutally beat two of her sisters, and murdered two of other her sisters. The other POV follows Ruth, a previous victim of the same serial killer during his atrocities committed at Lake Sammamish in Washington. The stories intersect when a woman named Tina, who was a close friend of Ruth at the time of her murder, comes to Pamela, convinced their friends were murdered by the same man.
This book was a page-turner, even though I knew how this tragedy ultimately wrapped up, that didn’t take away from my interest in the book. My only complaint is that the names of some of the victims were changed, but the names of others were their actual names, which I found a bit confusing since there did not seem like any rhyme or reason for doing this. I think it should have remained consistent throughout with all of the names being changed since this is a fictional story based on true events.
I enjoyed seeing how the two main storylines intertwined, and although the timeline seemed jumpy at the beginning, it really ended up coming together in the end. It was haunting to read about how dismissive the police were to these women, which I know was the situation in real life for this case, but as I mentioned before, 'The Defendant' remaining nameless (even though it is clear what case this book is about) helped to reclaim these women's experiences and shed no more unwarranted light on the despicable man who did this. I appreciated how Knoll did not sensationalize the story but rather positioned the women and victims as heroes seeking justice, and as the title suggests, bright young women.
"I've never understood why when women marry, they're expected to trade in their old names like used cars, losing their last and sometimes even their f
"I've never understood why when women marry, they're expected to trade in their old names like used cars, losing their last and sometimes even their first - Mrs. John Adams! Mrs. Abe Lincoln - as if their previous identities had just been twenty-odd-year placeholders before they became actual people. Mrs. Peter Dickman. It's like a life sentence. pg. 52
Lessons in Chemistry is a witty book that explores womanhood, career struggles, and feminism in the 1950s/60s. It follows a female chemist, Elizabeth Zott, who works for Hastings Research Institute in that time period. Zott is not interested in the things women "should" be interested in, such as getting married and being a Mom, rather she loves science and is focused on making a name for herself in her career. She is a strong, quirky, and empowering main character, I really enjoyed reading about her!
I did have a few problems with the book, the overall structure and pacing felt off. The foreshadowing of Supper at Six at the beginning was unnecessary to me, I wish we'd just learned about it as the story unraveled. The paragraphs and writing overall were very choppy and made it difficult to follow what was happening in each chapter since it jumped around so much from paragraph to paragraph. I also really didn't like how the dog (whose name is Six-Thirty) had its own thoughts that we read, especially since it only started happening halfway through the book. The plot was lacking in my opinion, it felt like the entire time I was waiting for something big to happen, but nothing did, and this made the whole book slow to get through. I was never excited to pick this one up, I was forcing myself to finish it because it was my book club's August book.
Although I liked the overall message of Lessons in Chemistry, and Elizabeth Zott as a main character, it was not a good fit for me, but I can see why it really worked for others! This is the August pick for my book club! Join us over on instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/ejgbookclub/...more
what an amazing historical fiction novel! i loved the creative liberties tracy chevalier took when creating a life and story behind the girl with the what an amazing historical fiction novel! i loved the creative liberties tracy chevalier took when creating a life and story behind the girl with the pearl earring paining.
i’m so lucky to have seen her in real life yesterday in den haag at the mauritshuis! it was beautiful and i loved thinking of the painting as griet from this book!!! ...more
WOW! I decided to read this because i heard that it was a similar concept to the vanishing half by brit bennett, which i really enjoyed, where two blaWOW! I decided to read this because i heard that it was a similar concept to the vanishing half by brit bennett, which i really enjoyed, where two black women take different paths in their lives, one as white passing, and one as a black women. I would definitely suggest it if you are a fan of classics or the vanishing half, it was really good... and damn that ending!!!
edit: omg just found out this is semi-autobiographical!...more
really good, i liked the interview format, it was unique and made it a quicker read! i loved camila ❤️
update: changed this from 4 to 5 stars cause it’really good, i liked the interview format, it was unique and made it a quicker read! i loved camila ❤️
update: changed this from 4 to 5 stars cause it’s left a more lasting impression on me than i thought it would! it’s been months and i’m still thinking back to this one and it’s definitely opening my eyes to how much i love books set in the 70s! ...more
This book was like my own personal Luc, and I am finally free after 2 months!!! To be honest, it was a bit overhyped and repetitive, but I can totallyThis book was like my own personal Luc, and I am finally free after 2 months!!! To be honest, it was a bit overhyped and repetitive, but I can totally see why people adore this book. I am happy that I finally got the chance to read it, the writing was beautiful. Full review to come!...more
I saw Stalking Jack The Ripper going around a bit, mostly on BookTube, and knew that I was interested. I am a huge fan of historical fictiMy Thoughts:
I saw Stalking Jack The Ripper going around a bit, mostly on BookTube, and knew that I was interested. I am a huge fan of historical fiction, no matter the time period, and oddly, a huge fan of books set in London as well which is exactly what SJTR was!
Last week while I was at the bookstore, I spotted it on the shelf and, of course, bought it, and I am so glad I did because I absolutely adored it!
The Plot:
Stalking Jack The Ripper is a fast paced, murder mystery centred around the murders that took place in Whitechapel, London in 1888 by unidentified serial killed known as Jack the Ripper. From the beginning, the story gripped me, and I found that for a murder mystery, it did a very good job of leaving clues on who the murdered was, but without giving it away. I didn't know who it was until it was revealed, but looking back the author was strategic and smart about the clues given to solve the mystery!
The Characters:
The protagonist of the story is Audrey Rose, the daughter of a wealthy lord. Against her fathers wishes she sneaks around to visit her Uncle to learn about forensic medicine, which was socially unacceptable at the time (although she didn't care about that at all). She is a kick-butt woman who doesn't let anyone tell her what to do, and it is wonderful.
Thomas Cresswell, Audrey's partner in crime (quite literally) throughout the story is also a super great character. He challenges Audrey, but she of course doesn't back down which makes for great banter and funny one liners throughout the otherwise darker novel.
The Writing:
The writing throughout the novel had nice flow, with dialogue and explanations that all contributed positively to the story line. It also very much reflected the time period that the book takes place in,m which I enjoyed a lot.
Overall:
In conclusion, Stalking Jack The Ripper was a hit for me. From the gripping plot, to the strong characters, it was 5/5 stars. I would highly suggest this to anyone who loves historical fiction, murder mysteries, suspense and badass female leads! ...more
Emma Griffioen
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Books:
historical-fiction
(20)
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