Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

7 reviews

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I was very excited to pick this up because of how much I enjoyed "Luckiest Girl Alive" last year.
"Bright Young Women" follows two women, who have never met, but who are bonded by their determination to uncover the truth. Pamela is the president of the top sorority at Florida State University. She is bright, driven, and on track to become a very successful lawyer after she graduates Florida State and enters law school. Tragically, in January 1978, she is awoken from her sleep at the sorority house to discover that several of her sisters were brutally murdered. Around the same time, in Seattle, Tina is finally making peace with her life. She meets an interesting woman named Ruth, who captures her attention. Unfortunately, Ruth disappears one day, and Tina is determined to seek the justice for Ruth in spite of Ruth's family's insistence to sweep it under the rug.
I was entirely captivated by this story, and I did not want to put it down. Though quirky, Pamela is such a strong character, and reading about her pragmatic approach to this horrible event was strangely calming. I was rooting for her, and I wanted to see her seek the feminist justice she deserved. Her ease of detachment from what was happening near her was impressive.
My heart broke for Ruth at every turn. She had such a rough life with her mother's constant criticism, and just when she was finally gaining some happiness, it was cruelly taken from her. I wanted more for her.
I loved how the story ultimately came together and I really enjoyed how the characters became connected. It is interesting to think about how people we have never met, are connected to our stories. I also think it is fascinating that the author used a real-life crime as inspiration for this story.
I have not stopped thinking about this story since I finished it, and I highly recommend it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Mental illness, Violence, Sexism, Body horror, Rape, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault

danielcrogers's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Rape, Sexual harassment, Violence, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Outing, Physical abuse, Stalking, Torture, Death, Gaslighting, and Homophobia

la_lune's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Death, Rape, Stalking, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Gun violence

mikaylarowan's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Physical abuse, Rape, Murder, Violence, and Toxic relationship

sahanasri's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

I really expected to dislike this book (another book club read) because I personally really don’t like true crime or sensationalized gore/violence. It was definitely hard to get through those parts of the book (which is also why I finished it quickly I think) but the dual narrative and pacing were actually really great. The focus being on the women affected and how they really shine and fight for each other makes the book work (to be fair, as advertised). I am a little terrified at the reminder that evil is out there and that systemic misogyny abets and allows it but I have returned to my man hater era so I guess that’s nice. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who didn’t already like true crime but definitely an overall good read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Sexism, and Torture

Moderate: Sexual violence and Rape

laurx92's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

When we think of serial killers, we tend to forget the victims who just become a number in their reign of terror. While this is a book of fiction, it did a great job of amplifying these women's voices and reminding us not to fall into the true crime trap of giving our time or attention to the "charasmatic" perpetrator.

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Content Warnings

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

sarahsbookss's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Violence, Child abuse, Murder, Outing, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Death, Body horror, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Medical content, and Stalking