"Bright Young Women doesn’t put its focus on the murderer. It’s more interested in his victims—and the survivors who are on a mission to catch him before he kills again.”
—TIME Magazine, "Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2023"
“After her success with books such as “Luckiest Girl Alive” (now a movie starring Mila Kunis) and “The Favorite Sister,” Jessica Knoll turns to history in her latest novel, specifically Ted Bundy. “Bright Young Women” opens with a powerful — and gory — scene evoking Bundy’s killing spree at a sorority house in the late 70s, which left two young women dead, and another two maimed. Rather than sensationalize violence against women, however, Knoll’s provocative novel focuses on the stories of those affected by the killer’s rampages.” —The Washington Post, The 12 Best Thrillers of 2023
“On one level, Bright Young Women is a breakneck thriller based on Ted Bundy's heinous crimes. It ties together the stories of two women with connections to the murders and their search for justice. On another, it functions as a sharp examination of our culture's obsession with serial killers and true crime.” —Harper's Bazaar, The 45 Best New Books of 2023 You Won’t Put Down
"[P]art historical fiction – an old story told from a refreshingly new perspective – and part mystery. There are multiple voices and multiple time periods, but it all gets woven together with a great payoff at the end. Read it for the great characters, lots of plot and enough unanswered questions that you’ll have trouble putting it down.” —Elissa Nadworny, NPR "Books We Love"
Inspired by the real-life case of the “All-American Sex Killer,” the new novel from Jessica Knoll aims to flip the usual serial killer story upside down. Knoll’s book focuses on the women involved—victims, survivors, and investigators—and turns a bright light on the banality of evil."
—Goodreads, 55 Most Anticipated Books of Fall
"Jessica Knoll is a careful writer, and this, her third novel, is a perfect match for her cold dissection of social mores and her fierce rage at misogyny. Knoll takes on the story of Ted Bundy, told from the perspective of a student who survives a horrific attack on a sorority house... Some may claim that the crime genre is rift with misogyny; those people have not read Jessica Knoll. She tears apart the restrictive world of women’s roles and lays bare the purpose of such hobbles: to keep women from making a scene, to keep them from seeking justice, and most of all, to keep them from seeking their own lives."
CrimeReads/LitHub, Most Anticipated Books of 2023
"Bright Young Women braids the stories of two survivors, Pamela and Tina, and their fervent bond forged through grief and a pursuit of justice."
—Bustle, The 35 Best New Books of Fall 2023
“Something about fall weather begs for a thriller, and Jessica Knoll delivers with her latest.”
—Country Living
“A stunning, engaging subversion of the Bundy myth—and the true-crime genre.”
—Kirkus (Starred Review), Best Fiction Books of the Year
“Stunning... By focusing on the women affected by her Ted Bundy stand-in instead of the nuances of his criminal psychology, Knoll movingly reframes an American obsession without stripping it of its intrigue. The results are masterful.”
—Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)
"An utterly absorbing, disturbing, and absolutely essential read.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“An unsettling and thrilling page-turner... Knoll’s haunting, must-read account will captivate [readers] until the end.”
—Library Journal (starred Review)
"Bright Young Women is a fearless and intoxicating ride into the aftershocks of a series of brutal murders. Knoll explores in vivid, pointillist prose the effects on the ‘bright young women’ of the title, both the victims snuffed out in their glorious prime, and those left behind in their wake. It's a compelling, almost hypnotic read and I loved it with a passion."
—Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling Author of Then She Was Gone
"Bright Young Women is Jessica Knoll at her best—an unflinching and evocative novel about the tabloid fascination with evil and the dynamic and brilliant women who have the real stories to tell."
–Laura Dave, New York Times Bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
"Blistering and powerful, Bright Young Women is an almost unbearably vivid story of sisterhood and survival. With razor-sharp skill, Jessica Knoll deconstructs the myth of a criminal mastermind, revealing the women he seeks to destroy as the truly brilliant ones."
—Flynn Berry, New York Times bestselling author of Northern Spy and Under the Harrow
Praise for Luckiest Girl Alive!
"[A] huge summer read . . . one of those great stories that you can’t put down!”—Reese Witherspoon, InStyle
“The perfect page-turner to start your summer.”—People (Book of the Week)
“Dark, twisty . . . razor-sharp writing . . . propulsive prose . . . [The] reveal is a real doozy—a legitimately shocking, completely unputdownable sequence that unfolds like a slow-motion horror film. It instantly elevates Luckiest Girl . . . and that momentum keeps going until its final pages.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Loved Gone Girl? We promise [Luckiest Girl Alive is] just as addictive.”—Good Housekeeping
“A pulse-pounding, jaw-dropping novel about how tragedy twists and shapes lives.”—InTouch (A-)
“When Ani FaNelli wants something, she gets it: the job, the body, the man. What starts as a Mean Girls-seeming story line transforms into something so dark, so plot-twistingly intense that...well, actually, no spoilers here.” —Marie Claire
“A knockout debut novel . . . completely enthralling . . . devilishly dark and fun.”—Publishers Weekly
“[Ani FaNelli is] a cross between Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw and Gone Girl’s Amy Dunne. . . . Knoll’s debut truly delivers and will keep readers engaged until the end.”—Library Journal
★ 08/21/2023
In this stunning serial killer thriller, bestseller Knoll (Luckiest Girl Alive) uses echoes of Ted Bundy’s real-life crimes to underline potent themes of misogyny and survivor’s guilt. In January 1978, Florida State University student Pamela Schumacher becomes the sole witness when a killer invades her sorority house, murdering two of her friends and disfiguring two others. The killings bring Pamela into contact with Tina Cannon, who’s convinced the same man murdered her friend Ruth Wachowsky four years earlier in Seattle. Together, Pamela and Tina spend decades digging up evidence that might link the crimes and find justice for their slain friends. Knoll seamlessly moves from the night of the murders and their immediate aftermath to 2021, when the man eventually dubbed the All-American Sex Killer faces his final trial. Without delving into prurient clichés, she excavates the emotional toll the murders take on Pamela and Tina, credibly tracing the ways such traumas can shape entire lives. By focusing on the women affected by her Ted Bundy stand-in instead of the nuances of his criminal psychology, Knoll movingly reframes an American obsession without stripping it of its intrigue. The results are masterful. Agent: Alyssa Reuben, Paradigm. (Oct.)
★ 08/01/2023
As the only witness to the January 1978 break-in at their Florida State University sorority house, chapter president Pamela Schumacher is confident in her ability to identify the man responsible for the brutal murders of two sorority sisters and the severe beating of two others. However, in the chaos of that night, she briefly mistook the intruder for her sorority sister's on-again, off-again boyfriend, Roger, before realizing that she had never seen the man before. When she unintentionally mentions this initial misidentification of the man to the police, they focus their attention on Roger, allowing the true perpetrator to strike again. Growing increasingly frustrated, Pamela feels that no one is taking her seriously until she encounters Martina Cannon, who has her own tale of loss from Washington State and a description of the killer that perfectly matches Pamela's recollection. The two women join forces to ensure that justice is served for their loved ones. VERDICT Based on true events surrounding the Ted Bundy murders, this fictionalized account from the author of Luckiest Girl Alive is an unsettling and thrilling page-turner. Though readers will know the history, Knoll's haunting, must-read account will captivate them until the end.—Lucinda Ward
★ 2023-07-13
This thinly veiled fictionalization of Ted Bundy’s attack on a Florida State University sorority begins with the horror rather than making it the climax.
As president of her sorority, Pamela Schumacher is used to staying up late to deal with paperwork while her sisters are out partying. The night of Jan. 15, 1978, is no different. Jarred awake at 3 a.m. after having fallen asleep with her clothes on, she hears running footsteps and sees a man heading for the front door. He can’t see her in the shadows—a fact that turns out to save her life, rendering her the only eyewitness to a horrible crime and a notorious criminal, “a man who murdered thirty-five women and escaped prison twice.” The novel goes on to follow several alternating timelines: From Pamela’s perspective, it builds from the day of the sorority murders and also follows her return trip to Tallahassee more than 30 years later in response to a mysterious letter. These chapters are interspersed with the 1974 story of Ruth Wachowsky, believed by her girlfriend, Tina Cannon, to have been one of the killer’s earlier victims. Knoll makes an interesting—and powerful—choice not to name Bundy at any point; Pamela asserts that she “vowed to stop using [his name]” because “there isn’t anything exceptionally clever” about him. Choosing not to name him deflates the myth of the monster, of the charmer, of the criminal genius that people often consider Bundy to be. As the title indicates, this novel belongs to the women: the ones killed because they were too kind to reject an “injured” man asking for help; the ones who lost people they loved; the ones who ultimately had to look him in the eye and not let it destroy their lives. There are twin threads of mystery that lead readers through the maze: the rumor of a suppressed confession tape and Ruth’s story. But in the end, it’s the latter that’s so much more important than the former. In this world of true-crime mania, Knoll knows that every choice—and every name—matters.
A stunning, engaging subversion of the Bundy myth—and the true-crime genre.
