Book Review: Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

Bright Young Women
Publisher: Macmillan
Pub Date: 28 September 2023
Genre: Historical Crime Fiction

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

An extraordinary novel inspired by the real-life sorority targeted by America’s first celebrity serial killer in his final murderous spree.

January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldnโ€™t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State Universityโ€™s campus in Tallahassee. Tonight is a night of promise, excitement, and desire, but Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay homeโ€”a decision that unwittingly saves her life. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violenceโ€”two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime thatโ€™s captivated public interest for more than four decades.

On the other side of the country, Tina Cannon has found peace in Seattle after years of hardship. A chance encounter brings twenty-five-year-old Ruth Wachowsky into her life, a young woman with painful secrets of her own, and the two form an instant connection. When Ruth goes missing from Lake Sammamish State Park in broad daylight, surrounded by thousands of beachgoers on a beautiful summer day, Tina devotes herself to finding out what happened to her. When she hears about the tragedy in Tallahassee, she knows itโ€™s the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer. Determined to make him answer for what he did to Ruth, she travels to Florida on a collision course with Pamelaโ€”and one last impending tragedy.

Bright Young Women is the story about two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their fervent pursuit of the truth. It proposes a new narrative inspired by evidence thatโ€™s been glossed over for decades in favor of more salable headlinesโ€”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.

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Rape, sexual assault, sexual partner violence, murder, kidnapping, misogyny, forced institutionalisation/corrective therapy for being queer (lesbian) recounted, lesbophobia, paedophilia and grooming recounted, depictions of grief

This review was originally posted on Goodreads on 7 November 2024.

TL;DR: I just finished this book and I’m still feeling heated by it. Anything I say right now probably won’t make much sense since I’m so *emotional* because this book made me SO MAD! I’m mad at the media, at police incompetency, at how society treats women, at how men are given passes and chances and leniency because “they have bright futures, have so much potential and blah blah bs”, and at how pointedly this book shows that after all these years, while so much is different so little has changed. Bright Young Women was just utterly heartbreaking.

I buddy read this book with Becky and it was the best decision because we needed someone to vent to while reading this. We got more emotional and angry the further we read but this also ended up surprising us and has ended up on both our last of 2024 favourites.

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [256]

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today.

I’ve spent my Sunday reading a gothic fantasy and a romance: Starling House and Rare Blend. I’m buddy reading Starling House with Leslie and Julie, and I’m enjoying it so much but it’s defo a daytime read cos it’s doing a great job of creeping me out, lol. To balance the creepy I picked up Rare Blend after seeing a review yesterday Jeeve Reads Romance. I love the angst, mutual pining, and slow burn so far!

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September & October 2024 Community Posts!

Happy Friday, friends! It’s time to share some of my favourite posts of the month from the community. As September last month left very little time for blog hopping, I combined September & October! I hope you take the time to visit some of these blogs and share some love. โœจ๐Ÿ“– Happy reading! ๐Ÿ“–โœจ

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Book Review: The Storied of Life A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
Publisher: Abacus
Pub Date: 1 April 2014
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

A.J. Fikry, the grumpy owner of Island Books, is going through a hard time: his bookshop is failing, he has lost his beloved wife, and a prized rare first edition has been stolen.

But one day A.J. finds two-year-old Maya sitting on the bookshop floor, with a note attached to her asking the owner to look after her. His life – and Maya’s – is changed forever.

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Character experiences multiple absence seizures (on the page), cancer (brain) resulting in aphasia, car accident (on the page, minor details) resulting in the death of a side character, death of a spouse as a result of a car accident (recounted), suicide (off-page), alcoholism, child abandonment, infidelity, suicide ideation, miscarriages (recounted)

TL;DR: I was looking for a book that would make me cry and well, this definitely got the job done! ๐Ÿ˜… The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is every bit as wonderful as everyone told me it would be and I’m so happy that I’ve finally read it! I definitely understand why it’s so well-loved by many. There’s something about Zevin’s storytelling that’s so compelling, emotional and humanโ€”flaws and all. I would recommend this to those who enjoy a character-driven slice-of-life story that takes place over part of a lifetime, and for those who love a book about books!

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#WWWWednesday: 6 November 2024

Today is gonna be tough for so many people and I’m so sorry that this has happened (again). As an international viewer watching this all unfold, I’m astounded that it’s actually possible for a convicted felon to be elected President. Sending positivity and courage to all. Have strength! ๐Ÿซ‚

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?
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#TopTenTuesday: Covers featuring… Hats!

Weโ€™re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s topic is Covers with [Item] on the Cover (You choose the item! It can be anything at all.) The item I’m choosing is HATS!

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Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2024

October passed by in a blink of busy work days/weeks, but thankfully, it was massively less stressful than September. I’ve felt slightly jaded lately about my workโ€”what we do, our impact, and the purpose of everything. It’s been making me feel quite demotivated but I’m hoping to shake it off as we near the end of the year.

Other than that, it was a quiet month. I got into a new hobby (mechanical keyboards), bought new vinyl (Gracie Abrams + Sabrina Carpenter), started a new anime (Re:Zero), and made minor upgrades to my desk setup. I also went to the cinema for the first time in years to watch The Wild Robot and loved it so much! 11/10 would recommend. ๐Ÿฅน

The Wild Robot

My room is beginning to get overcrowded with too many things, especially all the books lying around, and I feel like it’s high time I start trying to reorganize everything. Perhaps I’ll even do a proper unhauling? Let’s see if I can swing it before the year ends!

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [255]

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today.

Becky and I started our buddy read of Bright Young Women this weekend. I admittedly haven’t made much progress (12%) but I’m hoping to make more tonight! It’s a lot, to say the least, but I’m intrigued by the concept of the author taking power back from serial killers and instead empowering the women who lived through these horrifying events. I’m keen to continue!

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#FirstLinesFriday: 1 November 2024

Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but donโ€™t give anything else about the book away just yet โ€“ you need to hook the reader first
  • Finallyโ€ฆ reveal the book!

First lines:

“In the middle of a collection of cornfields, in the middle of the country, in the middle of nowhere, a weathered wooden post marked the intersection of two roads.”

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โœจ Creatures of the Night Book Tag โœจ

Hello, friends! ๐ŸŽƒ HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! ๐ŸŽƒ What better time than now to post the Creatures of the Night Book Tag? I was recently tagged by Caro @Bookcheshirecat (go visit/follow her if you haven’t done so already!) and I wasn’t sure that I would have enough read books to fill all of these prompts but surpriseโ€”I do! ๐Ÿ˜‚ You might notice that there’s a bit of a theme going with most of these books (it’s romance, what did you expect?)! Without any further waffling on, let’s get to it.

This tag was originally created by Kat from Katytastic over on Booktube.

๐Ÿฆ‡ Vampire๐Ÿฆ‡

Interview with the Vampire

I read this ages ago and fell in love with Rice’s writing. I meant to continue the series but never got around to it after leaving my copy of the second book on a plane, lol.

๐Ÿ“– ABOUT THE BOOK

This is the story of Louis, as told in his own words, of his journey through mortal and immortal life. Louis recounts how he became a vampire at the hands of the radiant and sinister Lestat and how he became indoctrinated, unwillingly, into the vampire way of life. His story ebbs and flows through the streets of New Orleans, defining crucial moments such as his discovery of the exquisite lost young child Claudia, wanting not to hurt but to comfort her with the last breaths of humanity he has inside. Yet, he makes Claudia a vampire, trapping her womanly passion, will, and intelligence inside the body of a small child. Louis and Claudia form a seemingly unbreakable alliance and even “settle down” for a while in the opulent French Quarter. Louis remembers Claudia’s struggle to understand herself and the hatred they both have for Lestat that sends them halfway across the world to seek others of their kind. Louis and Claudia are desperate to find somewhere they belong, to find others who understand, and someone who knows what and why they are.

Louis and Claudia travel Europe, eventually coming to Paris and the ragingly successful Theatre des Vampires–a theatre of vampires pretending to be mortals pretending to be vampires. Here they meet the magnetic and ethereal Armand, who brings them into a whole society of vampires. But Louis and Claudia find that finding others like themselves provides no easy answers and in fact presents dangers they scarcely imagined.

Originally begun as a short story, the book took off as Anne wrote it, spinning the tragic and triumphant life experiences of a soul. As well as the struggles of its characters, Interview captures the political and social changes of two continents. The novel also introduces Lestat, Anne’s most enduring character, a heady mixture of attraction and revulsion. The book, full of lush description, centers on the themes of immortality, change, loss, sexuality, and power.

๐Ÿบ Werewolf ๐Ÿบ

Witches Get Stitches

Even though the name says witches, the love interest in this book is a werewolf! This was one of my favourites in the Stay A Spell series and I would highly recommend checking it out! ๐Ÿ˜

๐Ÿ“– ABOUT THE BOOK

Violet Savoie has a plan. A dream, rather. To open her own tattoo shop, which caters to supernaturals in need of permanent charms. As a powerful Seer, she has the potent magic to cast every kind of spell. Except the kind to give werewolves control over their beastly side. And her business partner Nico needs help in the worst kind of way.

Nico Cruz has a secret. A motive, rather. To subtly stalk and seduce Violet until she finally recognizes they are fated to be together. Ever since their heated encounter in Austin on New Yearโ€™s Eve two years earlier, heโ€™s been dying to get his handsโ€”and his tongueโ€”back on her body. He knows a woman like Violet canโ€™t be courted in the usual way. Luckily, Nico has no scruples about misbehaving to get what he wants.

But when his former pack roams into town, and an old friend is far too interested in Violet, his focus shifts to the threat venturing into his territory. Nico may come across as the quiet, broody one, but the intruders are about to regret stepping foot in New Orleans. And when Violet goes missing, no charm or spell can keep Nicoโ€™s wolf at bay.

๐ŸงŸ Zombie ๐ŸงŸ

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

Aah, one of my favourite paranormal romances of all time. No joke, I adore this book and want to live in this world (where I guarantee I’d die in the first 5 mins) but I’m obsessed with these characters (HART!!! ๐Ÿฅบ) and I’d so love to spend time with them. ๐Ÿ’œ

๐Ÿ“– ABOUT THE BOOK

Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. Itโ€™s an unforgiving job, and Hartโ€™s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.

Mercy never has a moment to herself. Sheโ€™s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to โ€œA Friendโ€. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.

If only Hart knew heโ€™s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him mostโ€”Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmaresโ€”each other?

Set in a world full of magic and demigods, donuts and small-town drama, this enchantingly quirky, utterly unique fantasy is perfect for readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Invisible Library.

๐Ÿ‘ป Ghost ๐Ÿ‘ป

Under the Whispering Door

Klune has a knack for writing cosy fantasies that feel like a warm hug but can also casually and simultaneously emotionally destroy you. ๐Ÿคญ

๐Ÿ“– ABOUT THE BOOK

Welcome to Charon’s Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides heโ€™s definitely dead.

But even in death heโ€™s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.

๐Ÿช„ Witch/Warlock/Spellcaster ๐Ÿช„

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

This is a wonderfully cosy witchy feel-good read. It’s got found family, a spot of hate-to-love moments, meddling old hens, precious young witches. All things I love! โค๏ธ

๐Ÿ“– ABOUT THE BOOK

She found magic in the most unlikely of places.

Mika Moon follows three rules: hide your magic, keep your head down, and stay away from other witches. Mika is good at being alone, and she doesn’t mind it . . . mostly.

But when an unexpected invitation arrives to teach three young witches at the mysterious Nowhere House, Mika jumps at the chance for a different life. As she comes to care for its quirky inhabitants – and Jamie, the handsome but prickly librarian – finally belonging somewhere feels like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world – is it worth risking everything to protect the found family Mika didn’t know she was looking for? A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a new family – and a new love – changes the course of her life.

๐Ÿงš๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ Fairy/Fae ๐Ÿงš๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands

I fell completely in love with this series and the characters in this second book. I can’t wait for more adventures with this crew! ๐Ÿ˜

๐Ÿ“– ABOUT THE BOOK

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before itโ€™s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore who just wrote the worldโ€™s first comprehensive encyclopaedia of faeries. Sheโ€™s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Ones on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. Heโ€™s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother and in search of a door back to his realm. And despite Emilyโ€™s feelings for Bambleby, sheโ€™s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and dangers.

She also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by his mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bamblebyโ€™s realm and the key to freeing him from his familyโ€™s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors and of her own heart.

๐Ÿ˜ˆ Demon ๐Ÿ˜ˆ

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

The first in a delightful paranormal rom-com series. Lemming’s humour gets me every time. This whole series is fun, sexy, and cheekily good!

๐Ÿ“– ABOUT THE BOOK

All I wanted to do was live my life in peace. Maybe get a cat, expand my spice farm. Really anything that doesn’t involve going on a quest where an orc might rip my face off. But they say the Goddess has favourites. If so, I’m clearly not one of them.

After saving the demon Fallon in a wine-drunk stupor, all he wanted to do was kill an evil witch enslaving his people.

I mean, I get it, don’t get me wrong. But he’s dragging me along for the ride, and I’m kind of peeved about it. On the bright side, he keeps burning off his shirt.

๐Ÿ‘ฝ Alien ๐Ÿ‘ฝ

Choosing Theo

I legit can’t remember what this was about or what I enjoyed about it but I gave it 4.5 stars on Goodreads so maybe it’s due for a re-read. I wasn’t sure if I had alien books to share but here you go! ๐Ÿ˜‚

๐Ÿ“– ABOUT THE BOOK

Being kidnapped by aliens is only the start of Jade’s problems. Thankfully, her rescuers, an alien race known as the Clecanians, are willing to protect her, but she has to stay on their planet for one year and respect the rules of their culture–including choosing a husband. Jade refuses at first but decides to play along until she can find a way back to Earth.

Theo, a scarred mercenary who prefers a life of solitude, is stunned when Jade selects him as her husband. After years of being passed over, he never imagined he would be chosen and neither did anyone else. Only one explanation makes senseโ€ฆthe curvy enticing female must be a spy, and Theoโ€™s determined to break her cover using any means necessary.

As Jade and Theo are forced to spend time together, their chemistry becomes undeniable. But neither can afford to bring love into the equation, especially since Jade seems determined to go home. After all, she can’t possibly stay here, right?

โœจ Superpowered Human โœจ

Vicious

Schwab is one of my all-time favourites and so is this book. The complexity of the relationships, the superpowers, the emotions… I grew surprisingly attached to these characters. I loved this and them!

๐Ÿ“– ABOUT THE BOOK

A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommatesโ€”brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can findโ€”aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revengeโ€”but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

I’m tagging:

Becky | Leslie | Tasya | Chris | You!

That’s it for the Creatures of the Night Book Tag! If you’re not tagged but want to do it, feel free to link back as I’d love more recs! ๐Ÿ˜

Blog signature that reads: Let's Chat! xoxo, Dini