A review by henrybirdie
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

dark informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This is such a unique spin on—and commentary about—true crime and our collective obsession with serial killers. While the novel itself is fiction, it centers around the very real crimes of an infamous American murderer who is never named outright in the novel. I found this to be a completely brilliant decision by the author, and although I knew exactly who the killer was in real life, I literally could not recall his actual name for the duration of the book. I kept thinking it would pop into my brain but it didn’t, and I kinda love that. 

The novel is told from the POV of two women whose lives are tragically impacted by the now infamous serial killer. Jessica Knoll does something really interesting by not only leaving the killer unnamed, but totally eviscerating the longstanding narrative that the American media and public have crafted on his behalf. Not charming, brilliant, handsome, enigmatic….he was just a twisted, insecure psychopath whose disgusting crimes flew under the radar due to run of the mill white, male privilege and the insidious ineptitude of chauvinist law enforcement agencies. 

Knoll writes the female protagonists beautifully and weaves their interconnected storylines in such a way that the killer somehow only exists as a minor player. Though his actions drive the plot in a literal sense, she succeeds in transforming him into the small, embarrassing man that he really was. 

This novel is extremely triggering and dark but I absolutely loved it and found it to be a refreshingly subversive take on the genre. 
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