Suz's Reviews > Bright Young Women

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Rate this book
Clear rating

by
11889829
's review

it was amazing
bookshelves: america, 2023, borrowbox, library-parramatta

I do not know much at about Bundy and his escapades. Although this was fiction, I couldn't help but wonder what really went on. I did not watch the Efron movie (I think the character Pamela in this book would be happy to hear that) nor watch any Netflix documentaries.

So, I suppose, I took this book at face value, and really did enjoy it. I listened to the audio, and was SO excited to realise Sutton Foster was narrating one of the leads. I loved her in the tv show Younger which I will watch again. Straight away I warmed to her voice. The only squabble I had with this was when she pronounced the world 'a' I would normally pronounce 'u' where her pronouncement was a very strong 'A', and I noticed it every time. No matter, her voice is lovely.

Pamela is the sorority president, a good girl who will choose to stay home and not stray far from home. She finds her friends murdered, in the most deplorable way. So much on her shoulders given her presidency. She is a strong woman, takes everything in, respectful and capable; everything ends up on her. The police were quite incapable, she seemed to be leading the way when clearly it should have been the other way. One of the girls slain was her best friend. She will not rest a moment to bring the murderer down.

Tina hales from Seattle and falls in love with Ruth. Each of these women encountering hard lives, in very different ways. The similarity is the worst of human nature and the way both girls have suffered, each of their back grounds full of things no women should have to suffer. These characters were both written well (as was Pamela), and their pathway to connection a lovely story. Finally both finding kinship and a sense of home. When Ruth is found murdered, Tina eventually makes her way to Pamela.

Pamela is pre law and Tina a counselor, specialising in a special kind of grief, one where the source of grief differs from the norm, most importantly where society does not recognise the sufferer as being worthy of grief, this was very interesting. There are so many issues in this book. These two women cross paths after the attack at the sorority house, their path to bringing a serial murder to justice through a dogged determination with their tenacity made for a rewarding story.

I loved the background of these three women, their relationships with men, the trouble women had in this time of the world (late 1970's), and the deep friendships formed to enable their investigations to go on. Each woman was fully fleshed out, their personalities, their loves and their troubles - which so often was exacerbated by troubling families of origin. Pamela's mother distant; my heart broke when Pamela was unable to reach her parents on the morning of the tragedy, simply because they couldn't be bothered answering the phone. Tina's marriage and early life also very hard to read about.

Ruth's mother and entire family were the epitomy of revulsion - this family was written remarkably well, so much intolerance, ignorance on display. A disintegration of a family clawing desperately to falsely display normalcy.

I felt I knew each woman quite intimately as each spoke, and Pamela and Tina's friendship very special.

This story was compelling, thought provoking and simply just a gripping read. I could not stop listening. I don't consider my lack of knowledge of the case to be an issue - it certainly piqued my curiosity but as a fictional story, I loved every minute. So much to love in relation to plot, imagery and most of all, amazing characters whom I got to know.

I listened to this via the BorrowBox app and my public library at 1.5 speed.
39 likes · flag

Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read Bright Young Women.
Sign In »

Reading Progress

October 18, 2023 – Shelved as: to-read
October 18, 2023 – Shelved
October 18, 2023 – Shelved as: america
October 18, 2023 – Shelved as: 2023
October 18, 2023 – Shelved as: borrowbox
October 18, 2023 – Shelved as: library-parramatta
October 24, 2023 – Started Reading
October 24, 2023 –
8.0%
October 24, 2023 –
12.0%
October 25, 2023 –
31.0%
October 25, 2023 –
43.0%
October 25, 2023 –
45.0%
October 26, 2023 –
59.0%
October 26, 2023 –
61.0%
October 27, 2023 –
78.0%
October 27, 2023 – Finished Reading

Comments Showing 1-3 of 3 (3 new)

dateDown arrow    newest »

Britany So glad to see that you loved it too!


Debbie W. Great review, Suz!


message 3: by Suz (new) - rated it 5 stars

Suz Thank you Brittany and Debbie!


back to top