This was, from start to finish and honestly heartbreaking book. The story is based on a real place and time in our history, though embellished throughout with various details that make the story a little more fiction than true fact. I knew going in that it was going to deal with some darker themes, but I found myself aching not only for the main character who was learning the truth about where her sister had been sent. But also for the sister herself because as you piece the details together you learn more about what her time had to have been like.

The cast of Characters that inhabit Willowbrook as the staff is all honest nightmares of the worst of humankind. Though I felt like the characters that were those that had been interned into Willowbrook were written with care.

It does use some out-of-date terminology for those with physical or mental illness so be warned about that before going in.

It does have a happy-ish ending, there is a big climax and then a very bitter-sweet epilogue.

sage was told that her twin sister had died, but overheard her stepfather saying she was missing from a memtal institution. sage goes to find her, this story was based on a true story.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE LOST GIRLS OF WILLOWBROOK by Ellen Marie Wiseman in exchange for my honest review.***

3.5 STARS

THE LOST GIRLS OF WILLOWBROOK, historical fiction based on the now-closed Willowbrook institution for disabled and troubled young people. I interned at a state psychiatric facility with over a century history. I choose to believe that much of the treatments aimed to help patients, although sometimes help and control were interchangeable. Looking back from a twenty-first century perspective, many of the practices now seem barbaric. Two elder patients on my ward had lobotomy scars, for example. I say this in my review because I didn’t find the treatment as shocking as some of the other early readers, which in no way means I agree with it.

THE LOST GIRLS OF WILLOWBROOK incorporates a poorly run institution with a mentally ill serial killer. Teenager Sage hopes to find her missing twin, who she thought has died years earlier. Willowbrook officials think Sage is Rosemary and lock her away instead leaving Sage to “investigate”.

I would have enjoyed THE LOST GIRLS OF WILLOWBROOK more had the story focused either on the mental health or serial killer angle. The history of psychiatric institutes has enough rich storytelling potential it doesn’t need to be hyped up with a serial killer.

Those who enjoy YA historical fiction will like THE LOST GIRLS OF WILLOWBROOK most of all.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I am already a fan of Wiseman and her previous works. I was immediately sucked into this story, already familiar with Willowbrook’s grizzly history. The book is a terrifying journey, and some of those antagonists, oooh I loved to hate them! Some of the twisty thriller parts of the story became a bit hard to believe, but overall a fascinating, heartbreaking and emotional novel

A taut historical psychological thriller loosely based on true events. Excellent, mind-bending account of medical abuse and mistaken identify.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is a very well-written book. It is a fictional book based on a true story. The fact that there is truth in the bones of the book makes it more horrifying than a Stephen King book.

Sage is a young lady who lost her family. She lives with her stepfather in a state of mutual loathing. Her father died when she was young. Her twin sister, Rosemarie, died six years prior. After remarrying to a man who disliked Sage, her mother died. Several years later, Sage finds out Rosemarie did not die of pneumonia. Her mother put her twin in the Willowbrook asylum. Sage decides to go to Willowbrook and find her sister.

What follows is a tale of horror based on reality. As I read Sage's story, I was unable to divorce myself from the history on which it was based. That did not lessen the impact of the book. It really packed an emotional punch. It is well written.

Over the years, I have read articles about the horrible state of mental institutions. I have watched the Cropsey documentary and a few other videos about closed asylums. The state of mental health in this country is still in crisis. I recommend The Lost Girls of Willowbrook.
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I received an advance review copy from Netgalley. After reading the book, I wrote an honest review.
#TheLostGirlsofWillowbrook #NetGalley @EllenMarieWise ​@NetGalley

If there's a living nightmare, this is it.......

Things that go bump in the night, during the day, and everything in between. And nothing can prepare you adequately enough for the real in life. Actual events that occured from 1947 to 1987 at Willowbrook School for the intellectually challenged on Staten Island in New York. Ellen Marie Wiseman presents her fictional novel lined in part with truism. Eyewitness News reporter, Geraldo Riviera, did a revealing documentary in 1971 that brought things to light and in focus.

Sage Winters, all of sixteen years old, has stumbled upon the truth about her identical twin sister, Rosemary, quite by accident. Sage is living with her stepfather, Alan, after the death of her alcoholic mother. She overhears a conversation in which the uncaring Alan is being told that Rosemary is "missing". Rosemary was supposed to have died of pneumonia six years ago. The truth bears out that her twin was committed to Willowbrook when she was ten years old by Alan and her mother.

Shocked and betrayed, Sage sneaks out of the apartment and takes a bus to Willowbrook to find out what happened to Rosemary. Her purse is stolen. Sage still decides to enter the building and make inquiries. She'll get to the bottom of this. Lordy........Sage is mistakenly identified by the staff as the missing Rosemary and sent to the ward against her will. What transpires here out will bump up your goose bumps by and large. Wiseman won't let you set this one down. It begins to take on a life of its own. How do you convince the unconvinced? And where will this all lead for the forgotten Sage?

The actual Willowbrook School encompassed 350 acres with 40 buildings. There were over 5,300 patients. Robert Kennedy visited in 1965 and was shocked at the institutionalization of so many. It was the standard procedure for those with mental illness that went on far too long.

Ellen Marie Wiseman has done her research and incorporates those bits and pieces into her story of Sage. It is a hard and raw look into the sins of the past under the umbrella of "care". The character of Sage is a remarkable one and her persistence is jaw-dropping. Not for the faint of heart, but certainly not to be disregarded. The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is eyes wide open.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Publishers and to Ellen Marie Wiseman for the opportunity.

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is an EXCELLENT, and unputdownable read. Absolutely breathtaking and phenomenally written! I can't even think of one thing I didn't love about this one. I highly recommend it!

"Their death certificates never say 'kicked in the head by an attendant' or 'starved to death..' 'Never 'beaten to death" or 'given too many drugs.' Because that might make the city and state suspicious. That might make someone dig into what's happening here."

Wow!
This is an intense, detailed, very descriptive historical fiction novel about the horrors of the state facility named Willowbrook.
I remember this timeframe and actually worked at a small facility in NJ in the seventies where we cared for severely and profoundly handicapped children. Nothing like this.

The main character named Sage is looking for her twin sister who has been missing form this facility and Sage becomes "One of them" as a resident quite by accident. Or is it?
Willowbrook was nothing short of an abomination!

Ellen Marie Wiseman has an incredible way with words and I felt as if I was in the middle of this nightmare.
I actually had to stop reading a few times to regain my own composure.

I will not forget this novel as it truly was amazing and so well done. That being said, it is not an easy read, but definitely one that will enlighten many!

Thank you to NetGalley and to #Kensington Books for this ARC and allowing me to provide my own review.

I have been a fan of Ellen Marie Wiseman's work since I read "What She Left Behind". Wiseman deftly weaves together the history of institutional care and the history of Willowbrook itself which serves as a backdrop for an incredible mystery that, sadly, is an accurate echo of real-life circumstances in many of these institutions. Sage Winters has believed that her twin sister Rosemary died of pneumonia. Instead, she discovers that Rosemary was in fact committed to Willowbrook and is now missing. Sage goes to Willowbrook to find out what happened to Rosemary and is immediately mistaken for her sister . She is taken away to the wards where she witnesses unspeakable horrors, neglect, and abuse at the hands of the attendants as well as the so-called doctors. The closure of Rosemary, Sage and other characters stories at the end allows the reader to leave with a satisfying feeling. It takes a lot for a book to make me cry and here I am, wiping away tears. I loved this book!!

#Netgalley

So this is quite fascinating. I had never heard of Willowbrook. So if you’re anything like me, let me give you a snippet of history. Willowbrook State School is a very real asylum for the mentally disabled and opened in 1947. It quickly became overpopulated and grossly understaffed, leading to disgusting conditions for the residents of Willowbrook. It was a massive set of buildings set on over 300 acres in Staten Island, NY. I’m listening to a bunch of true crime podcasts about the very real, very disturbing happenings inside these walls. Geraldo Rivera actually did a piece on Willowbrook that you can still watch.

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is a fiction story but is based around the very real conditions of this very real facility. The story uses the word “retard” quite often which can be triggering to some people. So be warned. The derogatory word we know today was just how people naturally referred to the mentally disabled in 1971. Which is when this story takes place. The word comes up in conversation and news articles. So to stay true to the time it’s necessary to use that word but it’s still cringy to read.

This story is about twin sisters Sage and Rosemary. Sage finds out that Rosemary isn’t dead, like she thought. She’s gone missing. So Sage sets out to find her sister. That’s when the real twists and turns happen in this story. There are so many twists and turns. It’s a true psychological thriller in that you really are kept guessing what’s going to happen next, where is this story going?

It was a bit of a slow burn to start. The first 10% of the book really kinda dragged for me. But then something happened and my mouth gaped open and I had to see where this story was going. There are so many true aspects of this novel that it’s easy to get wrapped up in this world. The author, Ellen Marie Wiseman, was quite descriptive in the sights and smells that you really were transported into the story. It was often hard to read the graphic nature of some of the scenes but WOW what a story.

I typically save 5 star rating for books I would absolutely reread again. I’m not sure I can say that for this one due to the graphic and uncomfortable nature of this book. But it is absolutely deserving of 5 stars. At the very end of the story the author cites her sources for the factional aspects of this story, which I think is important to remember this is still a work of fiction.

Brilliant read Ellen Marie Wiseman. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this e-book. This review is my honest opinion and is set to publish Aug 30, 2022.

Just finished up Ellen Wisemen’s newest, The Lost Girls of Willowbrook. This book was horrifying to read and yet I found I could not put it down. A heart slamming thriller but read with real emotion knowing that these fictionalized accounts were based on likely real stories. I’ve stayed up reading all things regarding Willowbrook, which I had never heard of specifically. Well written and you won’t want to put it down.

I really enjoyed this book. It evoked a great deal of emotion from me, and I was thinking about it long after putting it down. It was beautifully written, and you truly felt what the main character was going through.

This is not a book for the faint of heart, but I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller with family secrets.

I found the first few pages of this book a tad slow, then it gripped me in tight for the ride.
It's certainly a page turner, and some may find it a difficult read because of the atrocities that are shockingly based on fact. So many elements are truly horrifying, but the story being told from a young person's POV certainly helped lessen the impact. I still would have liked a little more emotion in a couple of key places towards the end. .

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is one heck of a story that will stay with me for a while. Not for the faint-hearted.

This is a powerful novel. It is full of mystery and suspense. It is difficult to read due to the subject matter, yet it is a page turner. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader of this fabulous novel in exchange for my review.

As always this book is full of twists, turns, and shocking discoveries. Having read several books by the author, my only disappointment, was that I knew what was going to happen to Sage as soon as I read the sentence regarding her purse being in the seat next to her on the bus. Overall a dark haunting, novel that sticks with you for months.

Sage was told that her identical twin sister had died of pneumonia but later overheard from her stepfather that the twin was put into a mental institution but was currently missing. Sage took a bus to the institution but upon arriving to help with the search, was mistaken for her twin instead. What she experienced and witnessed was unbelievable.

Over the past few years I have read and enjoyed everything Ellen Marie Wiseman has written. I was looking forward to her new book. However, this story – based on fact – was just too, too inhumane and depressing. I don’t doubt that she described the situation accurately and according to facts, but the inhumanity was more than I could process.

It was very sensitively written and very well written, just about a most terrible factual situation.

I’m thankful that the situation came to light in the 70s and was eliminated. I’m thankful that she was able to write this horrible part of history. And I’m thankful for the ARC I received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There is just something special about Ellen Marie Wiseman's books. She is able to tell a story like no other. I absolutely love her books and can't wait to read each new book she writes. The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is another stunning work of art. This book grabbed me from the very first page and I could not put this book down. Parts of this story were absolutely heartbreaking and I'm sure extremely difficult to research and write about but she does the story justice and sheds some light onto the horrific things that took place in mental institutions back in the 1970's and prior. The book gets a solid 5 stars from me and I highly recommend it to any and all who love a good historical fiction book. Even if historical fiction isn't your genre, read this book anyway! It's an unbelievable and unforgettable story told as only Ellen Marie Wiseman can.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'd never heard of Willowbrook before reading this book and was horrified, if not surprised, to learn about our country's mistreatment of the mentally ill and disabled children all the way through the 1970s. Wiseman captures the human toll of this horrendous chapter in our history with a sympathetic narrator, rapid pace, and a plot with twists and turns that plunged the reader into the daily terrors of institutional imprisonment. There were times when descriptions of the treatment of Willowbrook residents felt unbelievable, but a quick internet search backed up the author's obviously thorough research.

I highly recommend the book, with caution for people reading who might have trouble processing physical assault, imprisonment, and medical mistreatment and violation of the mentally ill.