The Gist: Bright Young Women powerfully reclaims true crime stories, centring victims and survivors while critiquing sexism and media glorification of criminals.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: September 19, 2023
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.
• Lesbian supporting character
• Lesbian side character
• Sapphic relationship
• Interactions with a serial killer
• Sexual assault
• Abduction
• Sexism
• Misogyny
• Lesbophobia
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5-stars
•••
My favourite book back in January was Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll. As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I would love this book! Knoll deftly critiques the true crime genre, which often focuses on catching the perpetrator. As a consequence, the voices of victims and survivors are often erased as they are only known in relation to the perpetrator instead of in their own right as human beings. This is what the author hoped to challenge with the story.
Bright Young Women is set in the 1970s and is inspired by a true event from U.S. history (a real serial killer’s last spree and trial). Knoll intentionally leaves the perpetrator’s name out of the story, referring to him only as “The Defendant.” This narrative choice powerfully centers the women’s stories, even when the protagonist, Pamela, interacts with key characters who facilitated The Defendant’s “celebrification.”
Challenging True Crime Sensationalism
Knoll’s Bright Young Women challenges the true crime genre’s tendency to focus on the perpetrator, often at the expense of the victims and survivors. By omitting The Defendant’s name, the author shifts the focus to the women impacted by his crimes. This decision allows the narrative to emphasize the victims’ humanity, exploring their lives and stories in depth.
We follow two narratives: Pamela, in the present, as she copes with the aftershock of the attack, and Ruth, who is a missing victim of The Defendant, in the months leading up to her disappearance. Both women are finding themselves in a world that has a predetermined “acceptable” path for women.
The book’s setting in the late 1970s provides a backdrop that reflects how media and society have historically glamorized notorious criminals. In fact, the title is a nod to the real-life judge who called The Defendant “a bright young man.” Knoll’s approach is a powerful commentary on how true crime narratives can be reshaped to honour and respect those who suffer the most.
Sexism and the Perfect Victim Yet Unreliable Witness
Another significant theme in Bright Young Women is its exploration of sexism, particularly benevolent sexism. The protagonist, Pamela, faces realistic and nuanced conversations about sexism that reflect the 70s and 80s. The book highlights how traditional gender roles—where men are seen as protectors and breadwinners while women are the emotional homemakers—impede both Pamela’s career and the police investigation. This entrenched sexism leads to the dismissal of Pamela’s testimony simply because she is a woman and a sorority sister (and, therefore, no longer considered smart). Knoll effectively portrays how these gender dynamics complicate the pursuit of justice and contribute to the marginalization of women’s voices in both professional and personal spheres.
In Conclusion
Bright Young Women is a compelling read that reclaims the narrative of true crime by focusing on the survivors and victims while keeping the perpetrator’s identity obscure. Leaning more towards crime fiction than a mystery/thriller, it delves into the aftershocks left behind by The Defendant, including the closure that survivors and loved ones of victims yearn for.
Jessica Knoll provides incisive commentary on the entrenchment of sexism in the policing and judicial system, which fuelled the romanticization of serial killers in the true crime genre. If you’re seeking a chilling read with profound insights and a focus on character study, Bright Young Women is a must-read and a serious contender for my favourite book of 2024. Honestly, writing this review is making me want to re-read the book!
Buy Bright Young Women
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