Well that was a crazy ride! I knew it would be historical and deal with Willowbrook school, but I wasn't prepared for the mystery/thriller aspect that was toward the end. I was suspicious of everyone and everything and loved it. I am very good at getting sucked into a story and not worrying about all the plot holes or convenient situations toward the end, but if those bother you, you may have a few issues with this one. I, however, really enjoyed this read all the way through. It's pretty harrowing that Willowbrook was a real place and a lot of the issues mentioned in this book were based on true facts. Crazy. And heartbreaking.

Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy of this book.

I have never heard of Willowbrook but this expose by Geraldo Rivera was before I was born. After reading this book, I did research more about the tragic events that took place at Willowbrook. They are so sad. The residents did not deserve the inhuman treatment that she had to endure.

Reading this book, does showcase just how very important mental health is needed. It is a topic that is getting more spotlight attention shown on it but there is more to be done.

Instantly, I imagined the horror and fear that Sage might have felt when she entered this facility in search of her sister. With each new day, Sage uncovered so many secrets. I really could not believe what I was reading but at the same time I could not stop reading. Having finished this book, I will be checking out more books by this author.

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook fails to offer the hope Christ came to bring, but hope does shine through in the form of friendship and family ties. Sage Winter is desperate to find her twin sister but had no idea that her search would take her into the dark and hellish wards of Willowbrook State School. Ellen Marie Wiseman escorts her readers on a tour of the day-after-day hopelessness of life within those walls.

Willowbrook is based on an actual institution on Staten Island, New York. It remained in operation until 1987, and an estimated 400 patients per year died there from the dangerous and deadly conditions. I might have expected this sort of horror if the book had been set in Dickensian England or even during Civil War era U.S.A., but Sage ventures into Willowbrook in the 1970’s–during my lifetime!

Readers sensitive to harsh language or images of cruelty should give this one a pass. However, I found that, like Sage, the glaring spotlight on the suffering of others impacted my priorities and heightened my awareness of the vulnerability attached to mental illness.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

Is it bad that I think this very dark and disturbing book was so good? I almost feel uncomfortable admitting that because it truly does cover some really upsetting content, but, to me, one of the key elements that qualifies a book to be classified as good is if it captivates your interest throughout, and this one most certainly did just that! My interest was initially piqued when I saw the cover and then solidified when I read the summary. When I read the author’s acknowledgment at the beginning, I knew this book was going to hold my attention hostage and that I would love it.

“First and foremost, I want to thank my daughter, Jessica Thompson, for giving me the idea for this book. Somehow you knew Willowbrook State School on Staten Island would be the perfect setting for this story, and that what happened there would be another social injustice I’d want to explore. I hope this book makes you proud and excited that I finally wrote about a serial killer.”

The author clearly spent a lot of time researching this topic and I think her talent really shines through with the way she combined the facts with fiction to create a novel like this. I was impressed with her writing and I am eager to read more written by her.

I was captivated by everything in this book and highly recommend it - just be warned that there are a lot of graphic and sensitive topics.

#TheLostGirlsofWillowbrook #NetGalley #bookreview

When Sage Winter’s father left, she and her identical twin, Rosemary, were young. Her mother re-married to a man who couldn’t care less about the girls. Then, at age 10, Rosemary, sensitive and given to behaviors that might be considered odd, was rushed to a hospital where she quickly died of pneumonia. When her mother is killed in a car accident, Sage finds herself stuck living with her stepfather in their crummy apartment on Staten Island.

Sixteen now and struggling with the trajectory of her life, Sage overhears a conversation that changes her forever: her twin is alive and escaped from Willowbrook State School. Sage is determined to join the search for Rosemary and makes the trip to the school despite knowing it is a mysterious place where parents threaten to send their children if they misbehave. What she doesn’t count on is being mistaken for her missing sister and unable to convince anyone she’s not Rosemary.

Interestingly, the setting is a real asylum that Geraldo Rivera exposed in the 1970s for cruel and inhumane treatment and overall neglect of the patients, or residents. The “school” housed those suffering from a variety of mental illnesses, invalids, and even children who were simply abandoned by their parents. Add to that the urban legend of “Cropsey,” who, the story goes, worked at the school and would sneak out to kidnap children to bring back to the asylum. There, he would torture and kill the children. The frightening part is that there is truth to the legend. For more information, see https://classicnewyorkhistory.com/history-of-willowbrook-and-the-terrifying-legend-of-cropsey/

It has been a long time since I’ve read anything that bounced my heart from my throat to my stomach and back again, page after page. The pacing is fast, and once it takes off, it doesn’t stop. Sage’s pain, fear, and panic at being wrongly confined are profoundly felt, the descriptions of those who suffered and lived there are heart wrenching, and the overall suspense continues from cover to cover. Don’t expect lavish or lush prose. Instead, let the immediacy of the narrative propel you along Sage’s terrible journey. Wiseman’s seamless blending of true history, urban legend, and fictitious characters yields a breath-stealing whirlwind of an emotional read.

Absolutely heartbreaking! The hardest part of reading this book is the historical foundation this book is built on. I appreciated the authors attempt to bring this tragic cruelty back into the light. With that being said, I’m only going to give this book three stars. I felt that the plot line just fell flat and lacked a good story with a likeable heroine. I did not finish this one because it was just too depressing and moved too slowly. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

What a page turner! I had a difficult time putting it down! It was a challenging read, knowing that a lot of what was featured really did happen. The book follows a teenager who ends up searching for someone at the Willowbrook "School", which happens to be a mental institution at which the residents are treated horribly, and are basically hidden from society. I never lost interest through all the various twists and turns. There were a couple of things that were not completely explained to my satisfaction, but overall this was a very enjoyable book. I would read something from this author again. Thank you to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a while since I've had a book to take hold of me emotionally and mentally. The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is gritty, bone-chilling and not for the faint of heart! The author's craft of constructing an urban legend into this haunting story about a teenage girl mistaken as her twin in a mental hospital is unbelievable. Kudos!

Thank you to Netgalley and Ellen Marie Wiseman for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sage Winters and her sister Rosemary were twins. Rosemary suffered from seizures and often lived in her own world, but Sage loved her twin. When they were ten, Rosemary died from pneumonia, at least that is what everyone was told. Now 16, Sage is living with her stepfather since the death of her mother. She overhears her stepfather Alan talking to his friend, saying that Rosemary has gone missing from Willowbrook State School and she’s shocked and angry. Rosemary is alive! She decides to go to Willowbrook to find out what is going on, and to assist in any way she can. She has heard rumours about the "State School", none of them good. Sage is young, she doesn’t tell anyone where she is going, and when she arrives at Willowbrook they think she’s Rosemary and they lock her up. Sage is shocked at the conditions and treatment of the residents. She also needs to find out what has happened to Rosemary. No one will tell her anything, as they all believe she is the delusional Rosemary. Sage is in trouble, will she ever leave Willowbrook?

Having taught students with developmental disabilities, this book was of great interest to me. I have visited large institutions housing children and adults with a variety of medical and mental health issues and was appalled. I am glad they are no longer in existence here in Ontario, however we still have a long way to go to provide proper services. Sorry, I digress, back to The Lost Girls of Willowbrook. I was not aware that this is based on an actual hospital and events. You can google it and find all kinds of shocking information. This book shows the reality of facilities that were used to house/hide children and adults with birth defects, mental problems, and adolescents who are too much trouble for their parents to handle. Sage is a character that I will think about for a long time. She starts the story as a spoiled and selfish teenager, but turns into a strong woman who is determined to get justice for her sister and the many others, as well as to survive her ordeal. The part of the book that was not as interesting to me was the mystery of who is murdering patients. I would have been fine without the lengthy and drawn out storyline of the murderer. For the first half of the book, I would have given 5 stars, but as I lost interest toward the end, it dropped to 4. If you enjoy historical fiction and a mystery, pick this book up, but be prepared for some shocking and disturbing treatment of human beings that can not protect themselves.

This book was absolutely amazing! Beautifully written, yet a tragic story to read about the dark truths that happened there.

From start to finish this book had me hooked and invested in the characters and the life inside Willowbrook.

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

Thank you to @suzysapprovedbooktour and @ellenmariewiseman for including me on this tour. I read this book with my #literaryloveliesbookclub this month too!

This book is not for those that are delicate in conviction. While reading this I was going through some emotional turmoil of my own so I think that was why it was a little difficult for me to get through.

Sage Winters was told that her twin sister, Rosemary had died. She learns that she’s been alive all this time living in the Willowbrook State School. Rosemary has gone missing so Sage makes her way to the school determined to help find her. Once she gets there she is mistaken for Rosemary and held against her will as a patient. Unable to convince the administrators of her identity, she is held against her will and lives through the nightmares that Rosemary had been living through. She tries to gain the confidence of those that were friendly with Rosemary, to uncover what really happened to Rosemary. Sage finds one person, Eddie the janitor, that believes she is not Rosemary, Together they try to uncover what became of Rosemary.

It’s not utility an investigative journalist sneaks into the facility that the evils of the facility are revealed.


My thoughts

What blows my mind about this book is that it is based on a true story so it makes it that much harder to fathom that people lived in those conditions and were treated so horribly. It is definitely a story that will stay with you.!

Read this if you like
Dark and gritty
Stories based on true events

While this book was an enjoyable read, it is not for the faint of heart. It describes in horrifying detail the many atrocities that took place in the Willowbrook State School of Staten Island, New York in the early 70's. The school, which was actually a mental institution, existed until a report by Geraldo Rivera revealed the horrible treatment of the residents resulting in its closure. The book deals with some difficult subject matter, which makes it tough to get through parts, but it was a good, creepy story with a serial killer twist. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a galley of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

This book was heartbreaking, but also amazing. I look forward to reading more by this author. Characters were well developed, and I couldn't wait to read more.

This book really hit home, literally! I grew up in Staten Island and attended The College of Staten Island for my college career. As a teenager in the 80's, we would dare to trespass on the Willowbrook State Grounds and explore the dark, dilapidated, deteriorating buildings and overgrown grounds. This area was thought to be haunted, but was often occupied by a squatter or two. We knew the story of Geraldo uncovering the story in 1972, but as curious and stupid teenagers, living on Staten Island, it was sort of a right of passage to go see the grounds and explore a building or two. The tale of Cropsey was still gossiped among us and girls gone missing and found dead circulated around teenage culture, even in the late 80's, early 90's.
It wasn't until I attended the College of Staten Island at age 18, located on the Willowbrook Campus in 94 that I truly understood what had occurred on these grounds. The abuse and neglect were unimaginable. We were the first set of students to attend college on the Willowbrook Campus. It is absolutely beautiful. The grounds of the Old Willowbrook State School would not longer be permeated with sadness, but will now have young, eager students learning, laughing, and falling in love. Building 3S has a plaque on it to identify and honor its identity of "Building 19" of the Willowbrook State School.
My daughter went to visit the College of Staten Island, to see if she would like to attend the college next year. I no longer live in New York, however, I still have family on Staten Island. She absolutely loved the campus. That is what brought me to this book! One cannot possibly attend the College of Staten Island and not know the history.
I was fortunate enough to obtain the book from Netgalley for an honest review of the book. This is an excellent book by Ellen Marie Wiseman. She definitely attempted to recreate the horrors of what happened on the land of Willowbrook. She definitely sparked an interest in me to research further and remind myself of the history of Willowbrook State School and the College of Staten Island, which now occupies its land. In no means is this comparable to Geraldo Rivera's uncovering in 1972, but, it is definitely a great starting point. Just as my college days are long behind me, forgotten, this book sparked something inside me. I am pleased to learn that Sept 17, 2022 marks the opening of the Willowbrook Mile and the fight still continues for the developmentally disabled. Visitors can walk the Mile and stop at its 12 milestones to learn about what happened at the institution.
I would definitely recommend this book to my daughter and any other reader who is interested in learning about the history of condition for people with disabilities.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an advance readers copy in return for an honest review.

Tagline: Perfect for readers of Margaret Atwood and Girl, Interrupted, the evocative new book from the New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan Collector blends fact, fiction, and the urban legend of Cropsey in 1970s New York. This is the haunting story of a young woman mistakenly imprisoned at Willowbrook State School, the real-life institution later shuttered for its horrendous abuses.

Description: Sage Winters always knew her sister was a little different even though they were identical twins. They loved the same things and shared a deep understanding, but Rosemary—awake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tears—seemed to need more protection from the world.

Six years after Rosemary’s death from pneumonia, Sage, now sixteen, still misses her deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash, and Sage’s stepfather, Alan, resents being burdened by a responsibility he never wanted. Yet despite living as near strangers in their Staten Island apartment, Sage is stunned to discover that Alan has kept a shocking secret: Rosemary didn’t die. She was committed to Willowbrook State School and has lingered there until just a few days ago, when she went missing.

Sage knows little about Willowbrook. It’s always been a place shrouded by rumor and mystery. A place local parents threaten to send misbehaving kids. With no idea what to expect, Sage secretly sets out for Willowbrook, determined to find Rosemary. What she learns, once she steps through its doors and is mistakenly believed to be her sister, will change her life in ways she never could imagined .
Action packed novel that grabs you from the start & doesn't let go. More depth & nuance than others in the same genre. Definite Guy Read but also has crossover appeal.

Wow! This books stuck with me from the moment I picked it up! Since this is based on historical events, it makes everything about this book resonate even more! You will remember the characters, the setting & especially what happens in this book for years to come!

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman is a heartbreaking tale of sisters. Sage and Rosemary are identical twins. After Rosemary's death when they are teenagers Sage is left distraught. Several years later she discovers a shocking secret involving Rosemary that has her reeling. This story is based on actual events and is so sad. It's a difficult story but an important one to read.

This was a real struggle. The women who experienced similar treatment deserved more. This book was poorly written and seemed sleazy.

Blending fact with fiction, author Ellen Marie Wiseman takes readers on a disturbing suspenseful journey behind the doors of Willowbrook State School. Sage Winters is shocked to learn that her twin sister Rosemary didn't die from pneumonia six years ago like Sage had been told, but was instead placed at Willowbrook and has been there ever since. As if learning that wasn't shocking enough, Sage also discovers that Rosemary is missing. Sage immediately heads off for Willowbrook to assist in the search efforts. When she arrives she is mistaken for Rosemary and is held against her will. The horrors that Sage witnesses at Willowbrook are unimaginable. Sage is determined to find a way out and to find out what happened to Rosemary.

This book definitely isn't a light read and the scenes described inside the school are horrifying. That said the book seemed to be well researched and shed light on a tragic situation. The plot line kept me engaged and wanting to see where the story was headed.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sage Winters believed her identical twin sister died from pneumonia years ago, so she is shocked to hear that Rosemary ran away from the infamous Willowbrook State Hospital. When Sage loses her purse en route to Willowbrook and arrives without identification, she is herself incarcerated--nobody believes her claims that she is Rosemary's identical twin.

Sage experiences firsthand the cruelty that is Willowbrook. Her stepfather, Alan, makes no effort to find where his stepdaughter has gone. As Sage learns who she can trust, she begins to think she may find her way out of Willbrook.

Based on a real-life institution, Willowbrook is unspeakably horrible and author Ellen Marie Wiseman skillfully evokes the setting--not just the hospital but wintry, 1970s Staten Island. Like the setting, the novel is often bleak, but a happy ending is ultimately achieved.

There are few things I enjoy more than a Gothic novel. For me, this one started out slow and wee bit too depressing, but I'm glad I stuck with it. #TheLostGirlsofWillowbrook #NetGalley

(3.75 stars)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman is a story of Fact, Fiction and urban legend mixed together. Set at the infamous Willowbrook State School where a young woman gets mistakenly imprisoned.

I must say, I had not heard about Willowbrook before reading this book. But about halfway through I put the book down and got lost in a wikipedia rabbit hole about everything that happened.

This showed me that this book was clearly well researched and the author did not exaggerate any of the descriptions used within the book.

Unfortunately I did find the descriptions a bit repetitive at times. It felt like I was rereading the same scenes over and over, especially since the author kept using the same descriptions. The main character Sage felt pretty inconsistent, going from smart and clever to naive whenever the story required it.

Overall this was a pretty decent read and learning about Willowbrook made it worth it for me.