Bright Young Women: A Novel

Could not have read this at a better time in my life:

“I knew you would do this,” my mother declared with a sick sort of triumph. “I said to myself—maybe it’s better Ruth doesn’t come. Because I knew you would only make it about yourself. But I extended an olive branch, and now here I am, doing exactly what I knew I would spend the day doing. Comforting you, when I’m the one who needs comforting.”
I was grateful to her for giving me such a hammy display of her cruelty, which up until that point she had doled out discerningly, at a rate meant to keep me coming back for more. She had made it so easy—not just easy, but pleasurable—to walk away from her. I got on my bike, and I rode to the water, where the breeze was...

I also loved how much therapy was an aspect in this book through Tina's character. They even mentioned attachment therapy and equine therapy as modalities used for trauma survivors!!! I quite enjoyed nerding out over these things when I read them. I also loved how victim-centered the novel was. This book was never not 5 stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I found the book a bit confusing as it was inspired by Ted Bundy but had too much fiction mixed with actual facts to have a good flow. I also found the court portion to be repetitive back and forth ruining the gripping shock the author created about the fictional characters. I could see what the author was trying to create but I didn't feel the excitement of a true crime or drama with this read.

Most excellent! Instead of focusing on the scum who did it, this book focused on the amazing women impacted by the tragedy.

This book is emotional, intense, infuriating, yet empowering all at the same time. Knolls does an amazing job capturing the lives of these women and putting more focus on them rather than the serial killer. I loved how we learned about the women's history, relationships (with self, romantic partners, family, and friends). It is a heavy read and the vocabulary is rich. I enjoyed adding new words to my roster.