ebookreview | Entries tagged with author: jessica knoll

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

Genre:
Historical Fiction, Serial Killers, Historical, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Goodreads Giveaway, Contemporary, 1970s decade, True Crime

Publication Date:
September 19, 2023

Page Numbers:
384

Read/Finished Date:
March 10th, 2025-March 11th, 2025

Rating:
4.4/5

Premise:

Goodreads Choice AwardNominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2023)
A Saturday in 1978 in Florida: In the middle of the night, a man breaks into a female student dormitory. He goes from room to room and kills several residents. He will soon be known as one of the most famous serial killers in the USA. But he was observed committing his crime.

The survivors, including key witness Pamela Schumacher, will be forever changed by this night. They have all become victims. But they tell their perspectives here, they remain masters of their stories. And they hunt the perpetrator on their own - against resistance from the justice system and the police; against public opinion, which idolizes the serial killer.

Review:

Bright Young Women is a work of historical fiction inspired by the actual events of the Tallahassee sorority killings by serial killer Ted Bundy. In the early morning of a wintery January 1978, Pamela Schumacher, the sorority sister president, awakens from her sleep, heading to the kitchen for something to eat. When a sound above stops her in her tracks, she thinks one of her girls has brought home a boyfriend, a big no-no, but someone unfamiliar has accessed their little world through a broken lock and ripped it to shreds.

This book takes you back to the moments before the killings. Young women are carefree and happy, preparing for a night out, while others are preparing for stay-ins to study. Ted Bundy left an indelible mark on his victims and the people who survived the attacks. He shattered their worlds and destroyed any normal life they could have. Even in death, I am sure, he still holds power in some form or another.

Historical events such as the sorority murders show the profound impact that violence can have on communities and society's perceptions, particularly when it comes to women's safety. This novel not only delves into the chilling realities of Ted Bundy's actions but also examines the lives of the young women during pivotal moments in their lives and history.

I don't remember much about Ted Bundy. I was a kid, and we were stationed in Germany when the murders happened. While he made his impact on history, he also took away the futures of the young women he killed, not just in Tallahassee, but in the other states.

This was an interesting read. AsI said, I was young when this happened, and history has been one of my favorite subjects. So, getting a chance to see the impact Ted Bundy made on the lives of those he killed and those who had to witness his brutality against their friends and loved ones is a somber reminder of his hideous crimes.