Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

18 reviews

tigerkind's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Rape, Murder, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Death, Confinement, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Child abuse, Alcohol, and Abandonment

Minor: Eating disorder and War

grunbean's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I could not thank Jessica Knoll enough for treating this man as he ought to be. Bitter, angry, and sad, this is a book that will fill you with a resentment for decades of media manipulation and publicity for a nose picking incel. I have never read anything quite like it, and it had me near tears.

The portrayal of the leading women and their relationships is some of the best characterisation for women I’ve seen. I was rooting for them the whole way through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Rape, Medical content, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Death, Dementia, Gun violence, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence

fancyjess_party's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Dementia, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Homophobia, Grief, Body horror, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Rape, Sexism, and Violence

bootsmom3's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, and Medical content

Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, Confinement, Grief, Eating disorder, and Alcohol

lottie1803's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is a feminist re-telling of Ted Bundy's crimes against female students in Florida during the 1970s. It retells the crimes from the survivors' perspective and contains well-written commentary on American culture during the period. The prose was great, and it points out the media focus on handsome and charming male criminals at the expense of women's experiences and trauma. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Stalking, Blood, Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Biphobia, and Forced institutionalization

abicaro17's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, the story of a woman, traumatized by her best friends brutal murder, becoming a Colombia educated laywer and testifying against the man who brutalized her is so profoundly cool. On the other hand, this story lacks character. Pamela is a pretty flat character. She is organized and truth seeking but thats all she is and that never changes. Also this book did not need to be dual pov. Tina could have explained Ruths story and it could have been up to the readers to determine if she was telling the truth. The book spells out everything and anything thats a mystery. Also by writing a Ted Bundy book it just keeps his memory and crimes alive. I think the intention was the show that he wasn't clever just lucky thats everyone else was dumber but, it mostly just comes about like a retelling from fake pov. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cursing, Homophobia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Bullying, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Gore, and Sexism

david_slack110507's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.25

I was really intrigued by the premise of the book and what it was going to follow and I'm glad that it did not disappoint and was just as interesting as what was promised. I really liked having the dual timelines of Pamela and Ruth, with Pamela's following on from a huge event and leading up to its eventual consequences while Ruth's was leading up to a fate that seemingly had nothing to do with her own story but we knew was going to happen regardless.  

I think having Ruth's story be something completely detached from the Ted Bundy-inspired serial killer plotline of Pamela's story made Ruth's ending all the more effective as it showcased what could happen at any moment, especially when your life is beginning to get better, but I also just really liked Ruth's story due to its focus on the acceptance of who you are and freeing yourself from the judgement of others as shown in Ruth's discovery of her sexuality when she meets and eventually falls in love with Tina. However, as much as I like Ruth's story, I think I was more invested in Pamela's search for justice against the man that had wronged her sorority house, as not only was it what the premise of the book but also because it just intrigued me more seeing the situation unfold and how that can be compared in many similar and different ways to now. 

Both storylines help present the theme of needing to put women's stories and experiences to the forefront of situations like the one in this book and its aforementioned inspiration rather than putting all the attention and sadly oftentimes subsequent idolisation on the perpetrator of horrible and sickening crimes. Keeping the perpetrator's name hidden under the nickname 'The Defendant' not only avoided giving power to the serial killer that it was based on but also allowed for it to be unilateral in not giving power to all those who have committed terrible acts of violence and violation and instead keeping the women in the spotlight when they are so often ignored even when they are front and centre like with Pamela as a witness or The Defendant's female attorney being the smartest on his team. 

I feel like this is just a really important book to read that has many important messages just beyond the criminal and legal aspects mentioned in this review and in the book, such as social issues like the way that lesbians and queer people were seen around that time, the lack of faith in women and their stories/beliefs, and I also liked how it commented on the seemingly necessary need to characterise every man that avoided the legal system due to said lack of faith in women and/or their privilege as being 'smart', essentially acting as an excuse to cover up the incompetence in the police and justice systems for letting it go on for so long. 

Overall, this raises many important questions and focuses on many necessary themes that should be discussed in more detail as well as striking a careful balance between not making it too explicit without making it seem watered down to make it easier to digest. It does not shy away from the explicit nature of the case but is not defined by having it as part of the plot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gaslighting, Blood, Sexual violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Cursing, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Gore, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Dementia, Medical content, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Gun violence, and Pedophilia

chloeve's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Very interesting take on the women involved with Ted Bundy. I'm not sure if it's any of this book has true parts to it though. However, it was slow at times and hard for me to pick up. I really enjoyed the ending, which saved my opinion of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Sexual violence, Murder, Blood, Grief, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Infertility, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Kidnapping

alite428's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia, Murder, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Mental illness, Death, Sexual harassment, Rape, and Medical content

Minor: Death of parent and Blood

r_o_s_e's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Sexual assault, Death, Grief, Murder, and Rape

Moderate: Gaslighting, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Violence

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Gun violence, Eating disorder, Medical content, and Outing