lucia

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lucia is Currently Reading

lucia is currently reading

Bright Young Women

by Jessica Knoll (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: finished-in-one-day, gorgeous-covers, library-reads, perfection, representation, scholar, true-crime, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in July 2025

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lucia said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars

never has a book made me feel like as much of a misandrist than this novel.

The title is a play on the phrase “bright young man”, which has been often referred in use to those depraved monsters who harm women, including The Defendan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars

never has a book made me feel like as much of a misandrist than this novel.

The title is a play on the phrase “bright young man”, which has been often referred in use to those depraved monsters who harm women, including The Defendant in this novel. I’m not going to use his name, in keeping with the understanding of this book, since he has already become an infamous symbol after his death.

Brief interlude on the death sentence:
Even after reading about the absolutely despicable things that The Defendant did to 20 (confirmed, but could be as many as 100) women and girls, I still don’t believe in the death sentence. Why, you may ask? Here is my stance: it should never be in the power of any human being to play God and have the life of another human in their hands to destroy. Of that opinion I am insistent. Here, the counter argument would be that he deserves death and yes, I would agree. But it’s not my justice or anyone else’s to serve. Also, it’s my belief that once you reach the point of depravity where you deserve a death sentence, death then is too kind a punishment. There is a truer justice in the mercy of sparing death, if in this instance one could call it mercy.
Thus ends my quick rant on that subject.

Through the literary perspective, this novel is certainly emblematic of the author’s excellent writing, and I did enjoy Pamela’s POV a great deal (especially as a prelaw student). The only weakness of this novel is that it spends far too much time from Ruth’s perspective — which does make sense, since she was one of the victims — but she didn’t offer a great deal to the plot other than showing that she and Tina are both lesbians, and how that became some kind of trip hazard in the case (people are literally dumber than rocks).

what I did love was how Pam absolutely COOKED The Defendant any time she could, especially in all the small ways. Like it didn’t put him in the electric chair when she called him “small of stature”, but it certainly hurt. Throughout the book, and through some minor research (his Wikipedia page), it was interesting to discover just how much of a complex he had. The power complex and level of narcissism he displayed throughout the case and in his abominable actions over the years show a level of insecurity, fragile masculinity, and idiocy, supported by a sociopathic being. It’s so strange how he craved and even enjoyed the fame he got from This means he was in the perfect position to be put in his place by Pam, a humbling which he should’ve received from the media, the judge, and folks at large. People widely overestimated his abilities and intelligence, and, frankly, it’s insulting to his victims to claim any kind of savant level genius in relation to this absolute fool. This book details the bungling idiots in law enforcement and investigation, and how they covered it up by enlarging the abilities that The Defendant had, and it’s one of the few perspectives that truly gives voice to his victims and the people affected by his crimes.

If you really want to read this book and you find it necessary to know who The Defendant was (if you aren’t aware of him), I’d recommend looking through his Wikipedia page about halfway through the novel.

TL;DR
I hate men and I can’t wait for law school ...more "

Jul 19, 2025 01:40PM · see review

lucia is currently reading

People We Meet on Vacation

by Emily Henry (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: contemporary-reads, romance, read-past-my-bedtime, comfort-reads, cute-romance, summer-stories, friends-to-lovers, spice, currently-reading

Reading for the 5th time

read in January 2023

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lucia said: " 4th time reading——————

“I would rather have one tiny sliver of him forever than have all of him for just a moment and know I’d have to relinquish all of it when we were through.”

😭

3rd time reading——————

god I love these two.

alex and poppy possibly have ...more "

progress:

(50%)
"“I would rather have one tiny sliver of him forever than have all of him for just a moment and know I’d have to relinquish all of it when we were through”" — Apr 17, 2024 09:40AM

Jul 12, 2024 11:13AM · see review

lucia is currently reading

The Unseen Realm

by Michael S. Heiser

bookshelves: currently-reading

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progress:

(36%)
— Mar 23, 2026 05:13PM

Feb 11, 2026 10:33AM

See all 5 books that lucia is reading…

lucia’s Quotes

“Believers should acknowledge and wrestle with doubts... It is no longer sufficient to hold beliefs just because you inherited them.”
― Timothy Keller

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“I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.”
― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

712 likes

“The last-page ache. The deep breath in after you’ve set the book aside.”
― Emily Henry, Book Lovers

648 likes

“Dear old world', she murmured, 'you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

1826 likes

“As many have learned and later taught, you don't realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.”
― Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

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