Main Characters
- Pamela Schumacher
- Tina Cannon
- Denise
- Ruth
Publisher’s Summary
Masterfully blending elements of psychological suspense and true crime, Jessica Knoll—author of the bestselling novel Luckiest Girl Alive and the writer behind the Netflix adaption starring Mila Kunis—delivers a new and exhilarating thriller in Bright Young Women. The book opens on a Saturday night in 1978, hours before a soon-to-be-infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house with deadly results. The lives of those who survive, including sorority president and key witness, Pamela Schumacher, are forever changed. Across the country, Tina Cannon is convinced her missing friend was targeted by the man papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer—and that he’s struck again. Determined to find justice, the two join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation.
Blisteringly paced, Bright Young Women is “Jessica Knoll at her best—an unflinching and evocative novel about the tabloid fascination with evil and the dynamic and brilliant women who have the real stories to tell” (Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me); and “a compelling, almost hypnotic read and I loved it with a passion” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True).
Recent Reviews
My Review
Reading this book wasn’t really my cup of tea. One big reason is because I already knew quite a bit about the real story behind “the defendant.” But then the author threw in some made-up stuff that didn’t really happen, and it threw me off. It was like trying to separate fact from fiction in a jumbled mess. I just wish the author had stuck to the true story of the women instead of adding in extra bits.
The only part that really got me hooked was uncovering what happened to Ruth and how she met her end.
And then there were the signs that “the defendant” was trouble, which were glaringly obvious. I couldn’t understand why the women in the story didn’t see them. Maybe it was because back in those days, people didn’t talk about these things much. It brought to mind another book called “The Gift of Fear,” which is all about recognizing danger signs and staying safe.
Overall, the book had its moments, but the mix of fact and fiction made it a bit of a struggle for me to fully enjoy.
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Book Photos
Book Quotes
They will call you hysterical no matter how much dignity you have. So you might as well do whatever the hell you want.
― Jessica Knoll, Bright Young Women
Women got that feeling about him, that funny one we all get when we know something isn’t right, but we don’t know how to politely extricate ourselves from the situation without escalating the threat of violence or harassment. That is not a skill women are taught, the same way men are not taught that it is okay to leave a woman alone if what she wants is to be left alone
― Jessica Knoll, Bright Young Women
life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it.
― Jessica Knoll, Bright Young Women
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