Jennifer's Reviews > Bright Young Women

** spoiler alert ** This book just did not work for me. This book purports to be a “fictionalized” reimagining of Ted Bundy’s rampage at the Chi Omega house at Florida State University in 1978. Except that it is not. It seems that Knoll wrote this book as a response to the renewal of interest in Bundy’s story thanks to a documentary and film by Joe Berlinger. Her purpose was to debunk the myth of Bundy as a handsome and intelligent lothario capable of disarming anyone who crossed his path. A brilliant mind who would have excelled in the courtroom if he hadn’t been held accountable for his crimes. Unfortunately, in trying to destroy the myth of Bundy, she also succeeds in erasing the stories of several of his victims for her own purposes. The real names of Bundy victims are interspersed with fictional names used to ultimately erase the stories of women who died at his hands. Nita Neary, the woman who witnessed Bundy flee the Chi Omega house becomes Pamela Schumacher, the chapter president who valiantly travels across the country to prove that Bundy is the man that killed her friends. Lisa Levy is forgotten as Denise. Pamela’s best friend who happens to share the same first name as another Bundy victim, Denise Naslund. After the attack on Chi Omega Pamela is approached by Tina, whose lover, Ruth was one of Bundy’s two Lake Sammamish victims. The character of Ruth erases the legacy of her real life counterpart Janice Ott. Knoll’s explanation of what happened to Ruth is so far fetched that you have to wonder if she actually understood the story she was tackling. Bright Young Women would have worked so much better if Knoll had completely fictionalized the story. Making it her own. Instead she picks and chooses facts that suit her while villianizing any man involved in the case. She sticks to the facts of the attack, but diminishes the work of the many agencies involved and on scene for a hick sheriff and his deputy named Officer Pickle. She makes it clear that she is disgusted with Berlinger’s films, especially the casting of Zac Efron as Bundy, but fails to mention that Berlinger based both of his works on the story of Liz Kendall. Bundy’s longtime girlfriend who finally after 40 years felt ready to speak. She also bases a character, Carl, on Richard Larsen. A journalist who actually knew Bundy before his heinous crimes came to light. But like all the male characters in her book Knoll portrays Carl as an opportunistic misogynist who is instrumental in creating the myth of Ted Bundy. Knoll conveniently ignores Ann Rule and her book The Stranger Beside Me because it does not fit into her agenda of destroying the notions of Bundy as a handsome and intelligent person. Bundy is never named in the book. Instead he is referred to as The Defendant. This is meant to diminish the man this book purports to reveal as his true self. To say that the focus is finally on the victims and not their murderer. But, it is wholly apparent who and what this book is about and by ensuring that readers know that this is another Ted Bundy book isn’t it the exact people being condemned that are being implored to read this book? While the author wants to claim that she isn’t cashing in on Bundy’s name and story because she never mentions his name isn’t she doing just that?