Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

60 reviews

stellahadz's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

4.0

This book tells the story of several women whose lives were impacted by the crimes of an unnamed serial killer in the 1970s. It's a well-written, slow-burning story told from multiple points of view and in multiple timelines. It's not a mystery or a thriller, but rather an unraveling of events the reader learns about from the very beginning. I liked that the focus was not on the crimes, but rather on their impact, and the "complicated grief" they caused for Tina and Pamela.

My only complaint about the book is that it mixes reality with fiction in a way that I think undermines its purpose - it is extremely obviously based on Ted Bundy's serial murders. There's a mention of a true-crime movie starring Zac Efron, and some of Bundy's presumed real-life victims (Caryn Campbell and Georgeann Hawkins) are referred to by name. If the purpose of the book is to focus on the victims and not glorify the misogynist murderer, why base the story so obviously on what he did? The book was extremely well-written, and the story would have been equally as compelling if the author had changed certain details or avoided certain references so it wasn't basically a play-by-play retelling of Bundy's crimes. This was the same complaint I had about Eliza Clark's Penance, which I also read recently. I understand and appreciate the necessity of literature that criticizes the true-crime industry and the way victims of violent crimes are treated, but I sometimes wonder about the ethics of essentially fictionalizing horrific things that happened to real people. 

To Knoll's credit, it seems like she did speak with a survivor of Bundy's violence; putting aside the ethics of the basis for the book, it really is a powerfully written story with an important message. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Eating disorder

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Confinement and Death of parent

Minor: Body horror, Eating disorder, Blood, and Medical content

betag1013's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

ellachandler's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious slow-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Eating disorder, Incest, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail

lucyroberts's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Eating disorder and Death of parent

mothie_girlie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Gaslighting

Minor: Eating disorder

delaneydunster's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

casandra_lovealwaysbooks's review against another edition

hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is a book I’ll be thinking about for a while. It said a lot of what I’ve thought on this topic for a long time and I’m grateful it was written and that it was written in this way. 
To never use the defendant’s name was the best choice. To give names and voices to the women that have consistently been ignored in all of this, an even better one. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Rape, Sexism, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Eating disorder

realityczar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Incest, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

rebeccadiv's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective tense 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: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Eating disorder and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Incest