Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

166 reviews

bookish_bell's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

I'm conflicted.

The intent was to humanize victims of a reknowned serial killer. But while the events and the perpetrator are based in reality the characters are all fictionalized. I feel uneasy about the ethics of this and wish the author had chosen to either write true crime or write a more fully fictional tale. 

The writing and story are told in a really compelling way and the author  does a great job of creating characters that are easy to connect with. So the choice for the novel to sit in this fictional-true crime limbo feels especially strange.

I enjoyed the way the author took down a lot of the mythology surrounding 'the defendant' and his supposed intellect and charms. I just kept wishing the creative licenses taken had gone a step further and told a fully fictional story that was more reminiscent of reality and an indictment on our fascination with serial killers and less a fantasy of what victims of real crimes might have been like. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Blood, and Murder

ahopson's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I was not ready for how much this book would put a hold on me. The descriptive writing really puts you into the narrator’s shoes. The mix of real life events fictionalization really pulls you in deep. I loved that it was focused on the victims and survivors and he is only known as the defendant on the writing to weaken his power. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Eating disorder and Incest

biladhaa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Blood

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

sadielouise05's review against another edition

dark emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

I never knew I needed a telling of this story from a female perspective, to think and feel in character of the girls hurt by The Defendant, but now I know that I did. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexism, and Blood

bellsdixon's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Gun violence, Stalking, and Pregnancy

emmajh91's review against another edition

challenging tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

ashley_turch's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Child death and Death of parent

kjlewis494's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Lesbophobia

wimzie's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Stalking

abbysingh's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Dementia