I wanted to give this a shot but I feel like it was hard to find any footing in the narrative. Very stunted writing and hard to feel like any of the conversations were real...It all felt like manufactured dialogue.

Amanda Knox tells her story of a tragedy and her life after spending time in an Italian prison. When her roommate was murdered, Amanda Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were taken into custody. She was convicted and spend four years in prison for the murder. DNA evidence later proved that someone else was the sole murderer of her roommate, Meredith Kercher. Amanda and Raffaele were released soon after upon the appeal and overturning of their convictions. However, Amanda was still forced to live as "the girl who murdered her roommate".

Free details not only Amanda's life inside the prison but her life after. This is the story of her journey into darkness while trying to find the light again. Amanda soon discovered that she was not alone. There were others who have also been wrongly convicted for crimes they did not commit. Amanda has finally been able to start moving on with her life. She has found a sort of peace. But the question remains: will Amanda Knox ever really be free?

This was a very sobering look at how injustice happens to innocent people, along with the mental trauma associated with being on trial by the media. I did not follow Amanda Knox's story closely as it was happening, but the name did ring a bell. After finding out more about the story, it is terrifying and terribly sad, but also offers hope in the face of tragedy.

While I would recommend the read to others, especially those invested in the story, I did feel the book to be a bit repetitive and could have been shortened a bit.

There was so much said about her over the years and as much as I was so interested in true crime I managed to steer away from this story as much as possible, but I think it was the time. I knew the basics of the story; however, I did not mind hearing her side of the story

When it was not for sure that you are the perpetrator to begin with, I couldn’t imagine facing the charges in another country for such a crime. Language barrier, difference in how courts work, not having any idea about what your rights are in such situation, and being pushed to your limits could do “wonders” to a person. Especially when that person is a young woman. World is not kind to a woman especially when people can tag you a jealous seductress since day 1

We don’t know what happened that day, but we can expect justice system to do its job to find the truth. I hope Knox really came to terms with what happened to her and I wished whole story was about Meredith Kercher

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this memoir and appreciated the author’s openness and honesty throughout. Their storytelling was engaging, and I felt connected to their journey in many ways. There were a few parts where the pacing slowed, but overall, the reflections and experiences shared made this a very rewarding read.

This was a thoughtful and heartfelt memoir that I would definitely recommend to others.

For all true crime fans, the Amanda Knox case is one that’s well known and showcased on many podcasts and shows. Hearing from Amanda herself adds a whole new dimension to the story. Her first memoir was captivating and shocking, detailing many events from the case. Free shows the world just how strong Amanda Knox is and is an inspirational story of grief and healing.

Thank you to the publishers and net galley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

"Free: My Search for Meaning" was released on March 25, 2025. A big thank you to the publisher and author for providing an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley.

4 stars.

The first time I heard about Amanda Knox, I was in a required class that all university students had to take before studying abroad. I was 19 at the time, just one year younger than Amanda was when she left for her study abroad trip—one that turned into a nightmare in Italy. Her story was essentially used as a cautionary tale for college-aged students to be careful while overseas. At the time, like most people, I didn’t know the full depth of her story or the blatant misinformation the global media spread about an innocent 20-year-old American girl who was wrongly convicted of a heinous crime—despite absolutely no evidence linking her to it.

In her second memoir, Knox shares with the reader an incredible story of trauma, healing, and forgiveness through an intimate look into her life after being acquitted of the murder of Meredith Kercher.

The most powerful part of this gripping memoir is the relationship that forms between Knox and her former prosecutor—the very person who once seemed determined to send her to prison for the rest of her life.

I hope Amanda continues her journey toward peace and keeps speaking out, unwaveringly, about wrongful convictions and the unrelenting stigma that follows.

This is a devastating story on all fronts. Amanda ends her memoir with a chapter dedicated to Meredith—it’s a moving reminder of how little time the two young women actually spent together. My condolences to Meredith’s loved ones.

Amanda's story has captivated me since the very beginning. I've followed this case and her struggles throughout the entire time since it made the news. In FREE, Amanda tells he story in her words, which once again, just left me in disbelief at times.

We all know the story, but Amanda tells her version of it, including details that were new to me. I really enjoyed hearing her reflections on the absolute rollercoaster of how she was treated. It was also nice to hear about how she's grown and made life her own again.

Knox is an excellent writer and her honesty and vulnerability were startling. I felt great sympathy for her, although I found her personality a bit off-putting at times, and I wondered if those hard edges were a result of what she’d been through. Some of her stories were heartbreaking, some humorous. The middle of the book was a little slow but it has a powerful ending. It is inspiring to see how she is speaking out for others through her work with the Innocence Project and using her experience to help others.

Amanda Knox is known for her conviction, acquittal, re-conviction, and re-acquittal in the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy. Amanda's face was splashed all over tabloids and she spent four years in an Italian prison fighting for her freedom. This time we get to hear her story from her. This is Amanda's story of what happened on the night Meredith was murdered and what happened next. I was riveted by this story at the time and this book is an entirely new perspective on how being wrongfully accused impacted Amanda's life. It is very well written and worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC of Free.

DNF around 50%. I found the writing to be disjointed - languishing over topics in some parts and overly brief in others - and ultimately it was hard to sink my teeth into this one. It's structured to mirror Dante's Inferno, and while that structure sounds cool, the execution was lackluster for me. It was hard to connect to and understand why she wanted to correspond with her former prosecutor. Ultimately not for me. Thanks NetGalley!

Amanda Knox's first memoir, Waiting to be Heard, told the story of her trial and wrongful murder conviction. Now with the well-titlrd Free, Knox grapples with the lifelong notoriety the case has attached to her name, and how she has struggled to reclaim her sense of self and identity beginning with her four-year prison term.

Free details a journey of self, empowerment, and gratitude like few memoirs I've read – culminating in a startling but necessary meeting between Knox and the prosecutor in Italy which is the essence of Knox's practice in compassion and belief in remaining true to her core values. This is a wholly unexpected but deeply rewarding and philosophical memoir.

I was really touched by this memoir. For as long as my memory goes back, I feel like I've heard of Amanda Knox, but to say that the edges of her story have been blurry to me would be an understatement. In reading her story, I feel like I have more clarity not just on what happened to her but also how I want to approach life. She offered perspectives that I may have heard before but that held more gravity because they came from her. It's different when it comes from someone who had been through such trauma nad has emerged resilient and wise. And for the most part, the writing pulled me in; there were minor moments that felt choppy or repetitive but that didn't ultimately detract from the overall story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a gifted ARC of this novel!

As I am familiar with true crime cases, I have a precious understanding of this author’s story. However, this book has what true crime books/podcasts/documentaries about the case lack: the perspective of the person who actually lived through both the crime and the sensationalism that followed. Although the pacing at times did feel slower when reading, such can be the case often for me when I read memoirs or other nonfiction titles. However, I found this author to be incredibly eloquent when describing her story, and she has an awe-inspiring outlook on life after what she has overcome. I absolutely enjoyed hearing about her experience through her own words, and would recommend anyone familiar with the case give this a read.

I enjoyed this book written by Amanda Knox. Reading her words was heartbreaking but uplifting at the same time. She’s a strong woman! Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for a review copy.

I might like her writing about the case but I thought this book was not interesting. Ms Knox spends a lot of time thinking about her feelings and seems self-absorbed. I know she's been through a lot but it was still difficult. For instance, she seems to have become hysterical because a comedian made a joke about her, but she wanted to go back to Italy and meet her prosecutor.

Thank you, NetGalley, for access to Amanda Knox's latest book in exchange for my honest review.

Growing up, I followed the media coverage of Amanda's story but was too young to understand the details. Now, reading her account has given me a deeper understanding of her story and the challenges she faced. Knox's book details her journey to reclaim her identity following her roommate Meredith Kercher's murder and examines how the media influenced public perception. The book addresses grief, resilience, and the burden of unwarranted fame, suggesting that freedom can be a state of mind.

Overall, Knox's story is one of heartbreak and healing. I recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about her story, wrongful convictions, and trauma recovery.

I have been following Amanda's story for some time and have always been intrigued by her life and have read her previous book Waiting to be Heard. This one dives a bit deeper into her time in prison, her second trial and what her life has been after. What a hard predicament and life that this woman has led, and of course for the family of Meredith Kricher. A well written book, that if you are interested in Amanda, I think you will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC copy of this title.

While I did enjoy reading through Amanda's POV and could never imagine living through what she has been through. The book was boring and just not my usual read. I read about half of the book and never felt the urge to pick it up again. The parts that I did read were interesting especially simple things like food or making friends in prison. I have followed this story for years and that may be why it seemed boring and repetitive.

I followed the Amanda Knox story in real time so I am always interested in anything she has to say and I was living in Seattle when she returned home from Italy and her ordeal overseas....if you can call it an ordeal...that seems to put it very lightly. I listen to any podcast she is on, watch any interview she grants, and read anything she writes. This book was no exception. I was intrigued by the relationship Amanda pursued with her prosecuting attorney and her desire to even pursue a friendship. if I have learned anything about Amanda through the years it is her desire to be open minded- to give others a second chance. To seek understanding, to pursue knowledge over black and white or right and wrong. I would definitely recommend this read.