Jessica Knoll’s Bright Young Women Book Review

I was excited to dive into Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll this past month. I bought a hard copy as one of my Book of the Month add ons. Last month was the perfect time to read it. It’s a story that brings up a lot of different emotions. So today I’m excited to share my Bright Young Women book review on the blog.

This book is a work of fiction (& an evocative novel), and it is inspired by a real true crime story.  It focuses on two different stories that intertwine in unexpected ways.  It’s a breakneck thriller that features elements of psychological suspense and multiple perspectives.

Keep reading for my full Bright Young Women book review. And if you’re interesting in more of my book discussions, you can check them out here.

Trigger Warning: Jessica Knoll’s latest novel is a breathtaking thriller that is inspired by real stories. It may not be for everyone. This book features sensitive topics like murder, and violence against women.

What is Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll About?

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 couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’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 home—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 violence—two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime that’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 it’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 Pamela—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 that’s been glossed over for decades in favor of more salable headlines—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. (from Amazon.com)

Who is Jessica Knoll?

Jessica Knoll is the author of the bestselling novel Luckiest Girl Alive, The Favorite Sister, and now Bright Young Women. She’s from the suburbs of Philadelphia. All of her books are thrillers with drama, and they feature strong female leads. While now she’s an author, she first started writing at magazines and was a senior editor at Cosmo.

In 2022 a film version of Luckiest Girl Alive was released on Netflix. It stars Mila Kunis as Ani Fanelli, and for a Netflix adaption it is very good! I think part of this is because Jessica Knoll herself worked on the script. The film versions of books are always better when the author is involved!

My Thoughts on Bright Young Women

I first heard about Jessica Knoll when she was writing for Cosmo. Then I followed her to her Love Sex Pizza blog. Haha. Not long after that she started publishing books. She is also the author of The Favorite Sister and Luckiest Girl Alive, and I devoured those. Her published works are darker and feature more complicated stories. Her writing just keeps getting better and better with time!

When it comes to true crime, I don’t know all that much. Ted Bundy is a notorious serial killer and yet I know very little about him. When I first started reading Bright Young Women, the story opened in a sorority house on a Saturday night. It was surprising what happened next..

Jessica Knoll did a great job of creating an entertaining story that is sensitive to the subject matter. I loved the opening scene with Pam in her Florida sorority house. As sorority president, she’s working in her room. All her sorority sisters are getting ready for Saturday night. They’re excited to go to parties and hang out with their boyfriends. Pam’s open office door lets her girlfriends come and go. Her friend Denise even borrowed her coat.

And then from the other perspective, there’s Ruth who meets Tina at a grief group. I didn’t quite understand how all of the women’s stories fit together, but Jessica Knoll has razor-sharp skill for creating great stories that come together in the end. The combination of Pam and Tina who join forces, working together to investigate and make change, was such an interesting direction for this story to take. I’m sure Jessica Knoll did a lot of research into the real-life case in order to craft this book.

I Liked how this book was very Survivor Focused

In Jessica Knoll’s new novel, she keeps things all about the survivors. And I appreciate that. Pam is a key witness to the horrible acts at her Florida sorority house. And Tina in an inquisitive soul who wants justice for what happened to her missing friend. Knoll’s book is a hypnotic read that focuses on seeking justice and finding truth. I liked how she refrained from speaking the murderer’s name, because that would just give him more attention. The focus should be on the victims and survivors, not the person who harmed them.

Is Bright Young Women a true story?

No, Bright Young Women is not a true story. Pam, Ruth, and Tina are characters and not real people. But their fictional story is inspired by Ted Bundy’s heinous crimes and the nuances of his criminal psychology.

In Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my Bright Young Women book review. Because I have a prediction. At the end of the year, I will say this is one of the best books I read in 2024. Although it takes place in the past and may be considered historical fiction by some (due to the time periods), it’s a sharp examination of our culture and how we are always determined to find out the truth.

If you’ve read it, do you think it could be considered one of the best books of the year?

I have really been enjoying Jessica Knoll’s book for the past couple of years and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. She’s a refreshingly new perspective to the thriller genre. Her books all feature brilliant women who are MAIN CHARACTERS. They have main character energy and their stories are important and I love that for them.

While this book was darker (I mean, it was based off of an infamous murderer) it was also entertaining and kept me guessing until the final pages.

But wait, there’s more!

If you enjoyed today’s review, you can read more of my book discussions here. This author is perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Laura Dave (who is the author of The Last Thing I Told Him).