Welcome to Litsy!

A fictional retelling of Ted Bundy‘s murders from the perspective of survivors.

Speculative ✨ Retrospect ✨ Reclaiming

Had no idea this book was about Ted Bundy until I was halfway through. I wonder if that was intentional or if I‘m just oblivious.

Very good. Difficult to read at times because of the subject matter. I liked the complexity of the story: difficult family lives, other men besides the serial killer who did bad things, all the ways these women were were put down and held back.

Finally, we get to see a side of the story we aren‘t used to: the victims. This was an engaging book, though I wasn‘t a fan of the going back and forth in time. Reading this and watching the documentaries again really made me think of how scary he really was. Bundy was another symptom of the disease of misogyny. In 2024, the world isn‘t a safer place for womxn. Ladies, remember, you don‘t owe men anything; you don‘t have to smile at them or⬇️

3.5⭐Light Pick.
I can appreciate what the author was trying to do here, I just wasn‘t a fan of the execution. I‘m not a fan of extraneous details, so I was left struggling to stay in the story and it was especially difficult with Ruth‘s POV. Whenever I stopped listening, I felt no pull to return to it…so it took me forever to finish. But maybe you shouldn‘t let my opinion keep you from experiencing this book because many others have loved it.

The final line-wow! Can I give this 6 stars? Giving voice to the victims & survivors of a serial killer character inspired by Ted Bundy, this novel is a twisty thriller, a look at how media depicts crime, and a moving look at resilience. No wonder it is up for the Edgar Award for best novel! And that final line!! #crimenovel #5stars

Really loved this book. I enjoyed getting to know all the female characters for who they were. The author did a great job NOT glorifying Bundy, which I truly appreciated.

#ItTakesAllKind Day 5 #F&NFWithSameTopic (mostly😜)

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Really good book. I like true crime but I wish more true crime was written like this book, centering the victims story not the killers.

What a wonderful way to honor and tell a few stories of the victims of The Defendant. We often idolize serial killers and let their name live on forever instead of honoring and remembering the victims' names, who were taken way too soon. Absolutely beautiful. 5/5

“Time does not heal all wounds. Grief is just like a sink full of dirty dishes or a pile of soiled laundry. Grief is a chore you have to do, and it‘s a messy one, at that.”

Finishing this one today. I got a little behind because I haven‘t been feeling well. Tux and Miss Priss have had a restful weekend though! 😽

#Catsoflitsy
#Adayinthelifeoftux

"Women got that feeling about him, that funny one we all get when we know something isn‘t right, but we don‘t know how to politely extricate ourselves from the situation without escalating the threat of violence or harassment. That is not a skill women are taught, the same way men are not taught that it is okay to leave a woman alone if what she wants is to be left alone."

Trying to finish this one up! Miss Priss has had a long day gallivanting 😹😻

I must have turned a corner somewhere with true crime, I used to enjoy it, I love historical fiction, and thought reading this from the POV of the victims and advocates would be great, but the whole time I was just trying to pry out what was truth from fiction, and in the end I felt a bit gross that this book about intimate thoughts and feelings of these women are fictionalized when some of these people are still with us.
I might be too serious.

I have a bit mixed feelings. I was intrigued but I am not sure if I was that only for the true story behind the book. Main characters had so much happening in their lives, and I am not sure if I was interested in all of that.

We really should talk about victims more. I don't know if fictional book was the right choice. Does this work as a fictional story without knowing the true story? I am not sure.

Knoll fictionalizes the case of a real serial killer, telling the story from the perspective of bright, young women. This book surpasses standard crime fiction in my opinion because in addition to being well written it also critiques misogyny in a relatable, impactful way. Knoll‘s writing is dynamic and fast paced.

Picking this one back up today now that I‘m not home alone!! 😱😱 I do find myself googling the awful crime this is based on.

Can we talk about these adorable cupcakes (topped with our club logo complete with edible glitter!)?? The cutest. Such great conversation with lots of new friends. The general consensus was the tagged book was a bit polarizing but ultimately kept you engaged. All of the commentary was thoughtful & thought-provoking. Nothing quite like like-minded fellow book nerds! 💖✨💪🏻

#literatewomenbookclub #nyc #readingishot

Picked this one up randomly! Anyone read it? What are your thoughts?!

This probably wasn‘t the best book to start with my hubby out of town 😫😂

https://youtu.be/7IfT67bjHSk?si=h6q_yALlrH2JgQ6i

🩷📚💛😱

This book was so close to perfect for me (rated 5 ⭐️ on GR and 4.75 on SG). Directly inspired by the Ted Bundy case, specifically the sorority house attack in Florida, one of his final crimes. The books centers on two characters (Pamela, the sorority president, and Ruth, a victim from Seattle) and moves back and forth in time. What this book does differently from other true crime inspired novels is breaking down the media mythologizing of…👇🏼

Book 7 of 2024.

Enraging. Engrossing. Knoll is such a capable writer when it comes to really making you feel her characters emotions.

Parts of this felt like a raw nerve. I wish this was a more universal viewpoint given this explosion of true crime popularity - the focus on the victims rather than mythologizing the perpetrators. This examines in particular the misogyny at the heart of lionizing The Defendant.

Very aptly named book. Loved the structure of how she gave the voice and importance to the women that lost their lives and bright futures to the unnamed man in the book. Loved how the author did that - very meaningful read. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

So many quotable thinkers in this. I can‘t wait for my book club next week. ✨🫶🏻

💔 💔💔💔💔

Resisting the urge to quote blurb this whole book.

I‘m a fan of horror and can stomach true crime so long as it doesn‘t fetishize or glamorize tragedy. But there‘s something about the fear intrinsic instilled into women from such a young age that will always *always* be relatable and upsetting.

I feel safe in Jessica Knoll‘s hands because she gets why that being a legitimate fear as a woman is infuriating.

We meet again, Jessica Knoll. ✨💖🫶🏻

One of my absolute ult tier favorite authors. So happy my in-person book club chose this for our January meetup! Any excuse for Knoll is a good one, but of course I already had this waiting on my shelf. Let‘s go.

I liked this. It was weird that some names were changed and others not, but I get it. I love that the authors never names Ted, just calls him The Defendent. It‘s very focused on the women, and I appreciate that. One scene I thought went a little far at the very end, but otherwise great read. Very sad.

Starting this one tonight. Only gave 7 days to read - a high demand book from the library.

2024 Book #1
5/5
This was an excellent start to my 2024 reading journey. Complex, terrifying, and heartbreaking are just 3 of the words I would use to describe it. Jessica Knoll has yet to disappoint.

Absolutely riveting! A brilliant take on true crime as the author places the perspective of the survivors rather than the killer in the forefront, making it a fuller, more thoughtful & accurate story. The writing is fantastic, the pace simply perfect, & the research is obviously extensive yet never gets in the way of the story. We thought we knew this story, were we wrong? True crime or thriller fan? Pick this up! #Doublespin #Bookspin

I love Knoll‘s novels, and this is no exception. A great shift in focus, taking the spotlight off of the infamous serial killer and putting the attention instead on the women and their voices, which are so often lost in the story and the sensationalism.

My top ten for this year. I moved to opposite ends of the country, started a new house, sold and bought a new house so my reading was not near as much as the last few years. I have lots queued up for this coming year. I love the re-set of the New Year. Happy 2024 Everybody!

Our book club met last night to discuss this one and it certainly led to a lively conversation! It just might be the most time spent talking about the book! 🤣 The focus on the victims left behind of a sensationalized crime gave this a fresh spin on a true crime case so familiar to many. There were some unsettling moments, unanswered questions but all in a compelling story structure that was hard to put down! Looking forward to more from Knoll!

Time does not heal all wounds. Grief is just like a sink full of dirty dishes or a pile of soiled laundry. Grief is a chore you have to do, and it‘s a messy one, at that 💔

I went into this one with low expectations, as I didn‘t really enjoy Luckiest Girl Alive. Boy was I wrong! This was an excellent read that really took the focus away from the (very well known and sensationalized) killer, and focused on the victims and survivors. Engrossing and riveting.

“I‘ll tell you something from experience.” Tina said flexing her fingers on the wheel. “They will call you hysterical no matter how much dignity you have. So you might as well do whatever the hell you want.”

An interesting blend of fact and fiction…focused on the women who were victims of Ted Bundy who Knoll refuses to name throughout the entire book. He is instead The Defendant and gets very little attention. Readers instead hear from Pamela, head of the sorority where two women were murdered and Ruth, another victim. Smart concept, though I‘m not totally sold on the experience of blending fact and fiction in this way. Tepid pick.

Fantastic read!

This is not really a thriller, but more of a fictional tribute to the victims of Ted Bundy. The author refers to to the killer as the defendant, her way of placing the emphasis on the the women, the opposite of what the media at the time found important. It is told in various time lines, which I occasionally found confusing, but I still really enjoyed both the book and the message it conveyed. Than you to Edelweiss+ for the ARC. 4.5/5 stars.

Up next on audio! 🎧

I‘m especially excited to listen to this after reading The Stranger Beside Me earlier this year!

#bookspinbingo

Slowly reading these two books. Bright Young Women reminds me of the Ted Bundy case. The Way of King is really good so far.

This was an UNPUTDOWNABLE fictionalized version of the serial killer who loved to hunt young women and then decided to defend himself in court, only to get a cult following of women fawning for him. Sound familiar? I loved that this was told from a survivor's perspective, rather than The Defendant.

So this is a fictionalization of the Ted Bundy case told from the perspective of a survivor at the sorority house and a victim in Washington. That said, I am no murderino. I cannot tell you how closely it hews to reality. However, it is good to read a book focusing on someone other than the serial killer himself. As title states, these are bright young women, and I‘m glad the spotlight is on them.

I expected this look at the victims and witnesses to a certain serial killer‘s crimes to be more thrillery, and I‘m kinda glad it wasn‘t. Instead, we get a look at several women impacted while seeing the grotesquery of a justice system and media fawning over a man who has raped, murdered, and brutalized. I haven‘t read Knoll before, but I‘ll certainly read more now.

I really enjoyed this book! Fiction intertwined with true crime. The story is told from 2 women‘s perspective, 1 was a serial killer survivor, the other an eventual victim. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great retelling of the havoc of the crimes surrounding Ted Bundy‘s killing spree but it is told from the strength of the women that got to the truth victims and cut through the subjectivity of the press.

#Scarathlon - Photo Challenge - Kill 😰

I was hoping to get to this this month but I don‘t think it‘ll happen. Definitely at the top of the (large) TBR for November though.

#TeamWhoYaGonnaCall

This book started off strong for me, and I had high hopes then poof- she lost me. I‘ve come to the conclusion that I‘m just not a fan or her writing. However, still an interesting idea in there somewhere.

Bright Young Women-audio by Jessica Knoll

I'm new to audio and at first found this hard to listen too. I like holding a book or ereader. Seeing the words. But I kept going and am glad I did. This was definitely one to listen too.
The story is told between two women: Pamela Schumacher and Ruth Wachowsky. Pamela is in college in Tallahassee, FL where she is president of a sorority house. Ruth lives in Sammasish, WA.

https://tinyurl.com/mr3msc98