Knox’s writing is sharp, intelligent, and surprisingly intimate. There’s no detached retelling here—she pulls readers into her thoughts, emotions, and struggles with a rare and refreshing honesty. The prose is direct but lyrical when it needs to be, making the emotional weight of her story land with full force. Themes of justice, identity, resilience, and media sensationalism run deep, forcing readers to confront the uncomfortable truth about how society treats women, trauma survivors, and those caught in the crosshairs of public scrutiny.

Because this is a memoir, “character development” is really about personal growth—and wow, does Knox deliver. She doesn’t just recount the past; she analyzes it, questions it, and examines how it shaped her. We see her go from a young woman trying to fit into the world’s expectations to someone who fully owns her narrative, scars and all. It’s inspiring without ever feeling self-congratulatory, which is a tough balance to strike.

The sheer emotional depth and introspection. Knox refuses to paint herself as a perfect victim or a martyr—she’s complicated, flawed, and fully human, which makes her story all the more compelling. The book also raises necessary questions about the justice system, media ethics, and the long-term psychological impact of being misrepresented on a global scale.

If you’re looking for a straightforward true crime retelling, this isn’t it. *Free* is less about the case itself and more about its aftermath, so those expecting a courtroom drama might be surprised. But honestly? That’s what makes it stand out.

For readers who love deeply personal memoirs like *Know My Name* by Chanel Miller or *Untamed* by Glennon Doyle, *Free* is a must-read. It’s a story of survival, self-reclamation, and what it truly means to be free. Thank you, NetGalley, for the early copy—I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

I had watched quite a few things on Amanda and thought I had known almost everything about her story. I did read the first book and really enjoyed that one. So I reviewed to read this book and I am glad that I did. It was a well written story and kept me interested.

This was a great memoir! I especially loved reading about her interactions with her prosecutor and how she processed that relationship.
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC

I feel bad for amanda and i dont want to leave her a bad review.

I have wateched multiple documentaries and im familiar with the case. However this book was a struggle to read. It was just really boring and not my cup of tea. She uses big words that were perhaps above my reading level

Parts of this I really enjoyed and parts were harder. Amanda is a great writer and I really enjoyed her reflections on her life, trauma, and healing. I understand she felt she needed to do it for her own healing but the parts with her prosecutor were really really hard for me to read. Every cell in my body was screaming "NO! DON'T DO IT!!!" As a longtime believer in Amanda's innocence I am glad she's able to build a happy life for herself and find peace.

I was excited to read this memoir by Amanda Knox as I was looking forward to reading her story from her point of view, as everything I knew about her I had learned from the press over the years. In this memoir, Amanda details her ordeal of being confined in an Italian prison and how she tried her best to survive in the harsh environment. She also shares her story of trying to remain strong despite all she endured while awaiting trial in Italy.. The first few chapters I read captivated me and Amanda came across as being honest and genuine when sharing her story with us readers. However, I found the chapters of the story as well as the flow to be rather disjointed, which prevented me from wanting to finish the story. It is an interesting read all the same that shows just how resilient and determined an individual can be.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC. This is a well written memoir by Amanda Knox that focuses on her time in prison and what happened after. She discusses how to forgive and move on and how to live in society when everyone thinks you are guilty. It is well written and interesting, but at some points drags and feels repetitive. It is hard to rate memoirs, but this her life, and I do understand why she feels the way she feels.

When Amanda Knox was arrested, I was the same age, also from Seattle and doing my study aboard in South America, there was even a sixth degrees of separation of a person who was a friend of classmate situation. All that being said, at the time living such a parallel existence, it was terrifying to think such a fate could happen to any of us. I watched the story unfold year after year as a curious bystander and I’m sorry for that, I could have been an active bystander. Amanda’s 2nd novel is raw, vulnerable and brave and took courage. It was an amazing read. Thank you for writing it.

very insightful story! i now want to go back and read knox's first book, but i overall enjoyed this. there were times when i felt the tone wasn't quite hitting the mark for me, but i think a lot of people will really enjoy this. thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this earc!

Free felt very similar/repetitive to Amanda's first book Waiting to be Heard. I realize that the two books are dealing with the same topic so of course it's going to seem redundant in some areas. I just wasn't learning anything new about the experience. I hate that this happened to her and it's very unfortunate. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. Nor can I imagine how she feels or what she deals with on a daily basis.

Most everyone knows who Amanda Knox is: She’s the American girl who spent four years in an Italian prison amidst an international media frenzy, accused (and convicted, later exonerated) of killing her British roommate. In FREE: MY SEARCH FOR MEANING, Knox describes how it felt to be incarcerated for a crime she didn’t commit. She also talks about how it feels to be vilified in the digital age and what it means for a woman to wear a red letter in today’s society.

Knox talks about forgiveness and kindness, two subjects that fascinate me. If Knox can look at the prosecutor who was, in large part, responsible for her vilification, and actually build a mutual respect/strange friendship with him, what are the possibilities for the rest of us, navigating through life with less severe traumas? What kind of a weight would this lift from our shoulders if we didn’t let others dictate our feelings of self worth and happiness?

I highlighted liberally while reading FREE. Knox is a strong, smart woman and I enjoyed this look into her life and her psyche. The book is succinct, impactful and definitely worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Grand Central Publishing for an early digital copy of FREE: MY SEARCH FOR MEANING in exchange for my honest feedback.

Wow, well-written! I have followed the Amanda Knox saga since her experience over a decade ago. I’ve held a range of opinions about the case and about Amanda herself, and was often misled by biased media coverage. I have noticed though how Amanda has taken back the narrative in the last few years, opening up and sharing her experiences. With this book, it felt like she finally had the chance to tell her story. I was blown away, and feel so much empathy and connection to Amanda. I feel as though she is a survivor, and has grown so much. Highly recommend

I have heard so much of Amanda’s story from headlines and news reports. It was refreshing to hear the full story from her instead. I really enjoyed that this book was not linear, it gave insight into what she had to go through and how it affected her in the immediate and long term.
This was not a story of anger or retribution, it’s actually a story of forgiveness and grace. And she is far more forgiving than I think I could ever be in her situation!

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this ebook early.Amanda Knox spent nearly four years in prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit—and became a notorious tabloid story in the process. Though she was exonerated, it’s taken more than a decade for her to reclaim her identity and truly feel free.This book is about Amanda Knox’s reflection on her past and her journey to rebuild her future is a powerful and thought-provoking read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I have been obsessed with the Amanda Knox trial since it 1st started. We are around the same age and I felt like this could have happened to anyone I knew at the time. Her 1st book was amazing and so I was so excited when I got an ARC of this one. And it did not disappoint, I love her writing and story. She is raw and so real. Give this book all the stars.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: At the start of this book Knox addresses that this story is not about her criminal charges or experience. It's more about what happened in prison and her mental health recovery from trauma. I did really enjoy this, and I also align heavily with mindfulness which Knox pulls from. KNox was inspired by "Mans Search for Meaning,"' and basically this story follows her response to that influential novel. Knox holds space for the differences in her experience and Victors. I was young when Knox was charged but I remember thinking the things about her that are addressed in this story. It was eye opening. Grateful for the read.

read if you like:
💁🏻‍♀️ stories of self actualization
🥺 life recovery
💙 stories of forgiveness

summary:
Most everyone knows Amanda Knox’s story, but I don’t think many people (at least not me) know the story of her life when she returned to the United States. This book, written as the second book to her first one covering her time in Italian prison, follows her re-entry into society, and journey to find herself — and forgiveness. It juxtaposes many of her experiences from her time incarcerated with her time outside, and how the lessons she learned from her trauma have shaped who she is today. It was fun to learn about who she is now, her interests and her friends and family, and how she has reintegrated who she was into who she’s become. While it is less of a “gripping” tale of her saga, it’s more of a reflective story of loss, trust, identity and forgiveness — one we can all probably relate to in some way.

If you’re interested in knowing more about Amanda now, check this book out when it releases on March 25. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Amanda Knox’s reflection on her past and her journey to rebuild her future is a powerful and thought-provoking read. With raw honesty, she reflects on the tragedy that changed her life forever and explores its impact on her friends, family, and her reintegration into society. Her story serves as a reminder of how the internet can distort the truth and underscores the importance of finding resilience to move forward.

This was an extremely well written and profound collection centering around grief, resilience, and strength in the face of victimhood and impossibly hard situations. I think any of us can take what Amanda has been through and churned into wisdom and apply it to how we approach our own suffering and life changing experiences. This is a story of making the most of what life hands you, and I found it captivating.

Our college aged children were all considering overseas academic semesters in the mid-2000's, so the murder of foreign exchange student Meredith Kercher and subsequent trial of her roommate Amanda Knox captured my attention for years. Despite following the case and becoming familiar with the media presentations of the trial and various theories of what had actually happened that fateful evening in 2007, I was unfamiliar with the "true voice" of Amanda herself. Regardless of numerous investigative reports and published articles, hearing Amanda's explanations of the timeline associated with the crime, investigations, forensics, and trial procedures can now be presented in new light -- the true first person perspective in her own voice. Readers will be especially enlightened by the author's retelling of her time in prison balancing moments of intense duress with an unimaginable ability to maintain any semblance of sanity, hope, and even personal growth. Also interesting are the accounts of the author's life post-release from prison and the challenging return to civilian life back in the United States. Kudos to Amanda Knox for offering readers an honest perspective in her second published book "Free" of how to balance what has happened to you versus who you are as an individual.