Sage has experienced so much trauma in her life. Her twin sister and her mother have died. Her step father resents her. Sage discovers that her twin is alive and was sent to Willowbrook. A place that children were scared of and is shrouded in mystery. Sage goes there, she discovers her twin is missing and they mistake her for her twin. A riveting historical fiction story that takes a young lady on an emotional journey. A compelling plot that shows the reader the heartlessness and kindness that humans can show to each other.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC. This book is based on the true story of a mental institution called Willowbrook State School located on Staten Island, New York. It was purported to be a school for the mentally ill and disabled. What it was later exposed to be was a dumping ground for unwanted children. Sage is the main character and takes us on a first hand account of the premises. Its maximum capacity could hold 4,000 but it held over 6,000. There was only one staff per ward which equaled 1-2 staff for 35-125 residents. From 1950-1980 12,000 people died. The reasons for the deaths were anything from starvation, suicide, murder, neglect, medication mismanagement or science experiments. It was a breeding ground for hell.

I was absolutely enthralled and couldn't put it down. Riveting, amazing, heartbreaking, informative and unbelievable. This was an amazing book! It was appalling and honestly hard to read sometimes. There were so many twists and turns and heart pounding drama. Some of the main characters were based on true people as well. I personally have disabled children and I can't even comprehend the parents that turned over their children, even if they believed it was a place that would take care of them. The system failed thousands of people. Thankfully laws were passed and changes have been made since. Stories like these remind us to love and take care of one another and to never let anything like this happen again.

This past weekend I read two books focusing on mental healthy - they were both phenomenal and so well done, but for different reasons. The Lost Girls of Willowbrook was harrowing because it was based on the true story of Willowbrook State School on Staten Island New York. Thankfully the school was shut down in 1987, but this book is set in the 70’s.

Sage Winters has believed her identical twin sister Rosemary for the past 6 years, until one night she finally gets it out of her step father that Rosemary has been in Willowbrook getting treatment and she’s gone missing. Sage hurries off and heads to Willowbrook only to learn she’s lost her purse on the journey. With no identification the administration of Willowbrook believes Sage is Rosemary and quickly locks her up and drug her despite her desperate pleas. Sage continues her quest to find Rosemary and searches for anyone who will help her. Thinking she’s found help in Eddie, Sage uses the cover of reports approaching to school to escape herself. However things aren’t what they seem and Sage quickly learns she’s in more danger than she ever thought.

This book will stick with me a long time. We have a state run mental institution close to where I went to college and this book reminded me of stories I’ve heard about it. I’ve heard it’s better now, but to think not long ago, we as a society cast out anyone not 100% mentally capable as trash is just frightening. I’ve learned so much from the books I read this year and I am so grateful for that. Please pick up this book, but know that the writing could be disturbing. Read the synopsis first to make sure you can handle the imagery. I give this a strong 5/5 and highly recommend you check it out. Special thanks to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for my copy from the NetGalley public catalog.

Loved this book! Truly suspenseful. I felt like I was guessing the whole time, and the ending was perfect!

Although a work of fiction, this book references the Willowbrook State School in State Island, New York. This school was in the news in the 1970's after being exposed as a locaton where unwanted children were left.
Sage had a twin sister who passed away at a young age from pneumonia. But - was that the truth? Six years later, she finds out that her sister Rosemary was actually taken to Willowbrook and has now run away. Sage is determined to go and help find her so that she will be less alone in the world now that it is just her and her step-father.
Once Sage arrives at Willowbrook on the bus, she is confused for her sister Rosemary and immediately admitted. Sage quickly learns about the horror of this school, and she starts to explore and investigate as much as she can.
This book is fairly gruesome in the descriptions of life within the school, and also has quite a bit of mystery involved.

Thank you Kensington Books, NetGalley and Ellen Marie Wiseman for this advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

"Did they know there was an outside world? Did they long to be a part of it, or remember when they had been? Did it break their hearts?"

I saw the description of this book and knew immediately I needed to read it. I have been a big fan of GIRL, INTERRUPTED and this seemed like it was going to be in the same vein. We follow Sage Winter's journey as she goes to Willowbrook to find her missing twin sister (who she just found out is alive) and ends up locked up inside the institution.

You can tell this book was thoroughly researched. It reminded of a Jodi Picoult novel. I felt it was fast paced and I was at the edge of my seat for most of the book. There were moments with this book I had to put it down and take a breather because it's got really tough moments, but I think it was necessary to get the total feel of what was going on back then. This is a really raw look at what was happening at psychiatric wards in the 70's.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This is NOT for the faint of heart but I encourage anyone who is willing to step outside their comfort zone to read this book. Ellen Marie Wiseman created a really informative masterpiece that keeps you turning the pages at rapid speed.

The story of Willowbrook and its patients had me cringing, angry, and shedding a few tears. The way people were put in these horrible institutions and left in poor conditions and with abusive care takers is hard to read. But this book was one that I just couldn't put down even though at times my heart hurt so much. When Sage finds out her twin sister is actually alive but missing from an institution, she goes to find her. But in a cruel twist, she is thought to be her twin and is put into the institution where she has to endure the daily abuse and mental anguish. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction who want to delve into the poor conditions of institution in our past.

This book is both bone chilling and heart breaking at the same time. The research that had to go into the development had to be enormous. I am still thinking about these characters several days after finishing the read. I will be haunted by this story for a long time. I very highly recommend this book.

3.5 stars

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman is historical fiction based on the existence of a very real institution on Staten Island, NYC, that housed thousands of intellectually disabled and mentally ill children from 1947 until 1987.
In this novel, set in 1971, 16 year old Sage Winters lives with her short-tempered step-father Alan in NYC. Her mother is dead and Sage has just learned that her twin sister Rosemary is alive and has been housed in Willowbrook State School for the past 6 years! Rosemary is now “missing”—possibly escaped—from the school, so Sage decides to travel to Willowbrook and find her sister.
The remainder of this novel covers Sage’s movements and experiences as she searches for her sister. She is in dangerous circumstances, but shows pluck, and survives by her wits and bravery. As the protagonist, Sage is drawn as a street-smart sassy teen who has led a “hard-knock life,” as her father left the family, her mother died in a car accident, and her sister disappeared, leaving her in the hands of the stepfather. There are a number of scenes that make this read like a YA novel with little life lessons and teachable moments as Sage pursues her quest.
There are few likable characters in the story, and while the conditions in Willowbrook are well-described and chilling, the frequent repetition of these same descriptions felt somewhat pedantic and heavy-handed. An interesting touch was the description of Geraldo Rivera’s surprise visit and documentation of the horrible conditions, circa 1972, which was real and well-known.
This is a book about an important, and ugly, institution, a “snake pit” as described by Sen. Robert Kennedy. It is informative and could be appealing as a literary addition to young adult readers’ studies in social justice.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

t is 1971 and sixteen-year-old Sage Winters accidently learns that her twin sister Rosemary did not die six years before as she had been told. She discovers that her sister has been a resident of the infamous Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, New York. And now she is missing. Sage heads to the school by bus to find her sister. When she sneaks into the school, the staff believes she is Rosemary and Sage is mistakenly made a resident in place of her sister. Willowbrook, she learns, is not a school. It is a house of horrors where children with a wide range of mental and behavioral problems have been placed and treated inhumanely. Now Sage is not only seeking to learn what happened to her sister but has to try and save herself.

This is a tragic story based on a true place that had existed between 1947 and 1987. Having been raised in New York City, it took me back to when it was revealed in a major investigative news piece what was truly going on at Willowbrook State School. The public was outraged. This was not an easy book to read but was well worth it. Author Ellen Marie Wiseman tells a powerful story of a girl's quest to find her sister. It will break your heart and if you have never heard of Willowbrook, you'll want to learn more.

This book was a page turner, for sure. I found myself in disbelief as to how parents could admit their beloved children to this abusive place. The doctors, nurses, and employees were negligent and deceitful in so many ways, and this left the children at risk, and many deteriorated and died. Follow along with the character of Sage Winters as she puts her life on the line to prove who she is, what she stands for, and how she narrowly escapes the confines of life in this hellhole of an institution.

I was so shocked reading this book, but something we all should read.

Wow! This book was amazing! It’s an emotional, mysterious, murderous, infuriating, and moving story. Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions. I need to go back and read all of Ellen Marie Wiseman’s other books now!

Sage has a twin Rosemary, but she has been dead for 6 years. Until Sage finds out that Rosemary didn’t die, but instead, her mother had her placed in Willowbrook State School, and now Rosemary is missing. After her mother passed away, Sage was left all alone with her deadbeat step-father, and now she’s on her own to find out what happened to Rosemary. Except when she gets to Willowbrook, she’s mistaken for Rosemary, and ends up as a patient.

I mean holy moly! WTH people? I cannot imagine being in Sage’s situation. I was so frustrated for her. I kept thinking how would I get out of this, but I wasn’t coming up with any good ideas. This had so many great layers to the story, and it was all woven together to create a fantastic novel!

There’s an overarching rumor of the serial killer which provides a suspenseful overlay to the plot.

There’s the mystery of what happened to Rosemary.

There’s the emotional experiences that Sage lives through as she becomes a patient of Willowbrook.

The entire story was impossible to put down. I was so upset with the treatment of the patients at Willowbrook, and of course, I went down a rabbit hole of research about this Staten Island hell-hole. The thing that was most surprising to me was that this school was running until the 1970’s! The author did an amazing job of showing the horrors of this place while weaving a story into it.

I absolutely recommend this to all historical fiction readers! Don’t miss this one!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

EXCERPT: As she neared the double doors of the bus station, she slowed. Help wanted ads, business cards, and what seemed like a hundred missing kid flyers covered a bulletin board next to the door - row after row of innocent smiling faces lined up like faded yearbook photos. She'd always hated those photos: the word MISSING all in caps knocking you between the eyes, the grainy photos taken on happier days before the kids were abducted, when everyone was still blissfully unaware that they'd be stolen from their families some day. The flyers were plastered all over Staten Island, inside the grocery stores and post offices, outside the bowling alleys and movie theaters, on the mailboxes and telephone poles. Something cold and hard tightened in her chest. Would her twin sister's face be on one of those damn flyers too? And where were all those poor innocent kids? What horrible things had they endured? Were they dead? Still suffering? Crying and terrified, wondering why their parents, the people who had promised to love and protect them forever, hadn't saved them yet? She couldn't imagine a worse fate.

ABOUT 'THE LOST GIRLS OF WILLOWBROOK': 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...

MY THOUGHTS: I am torn by this book and may revise my rating once I have thought on it some more.

I honestly think a better title may have been 'The Lost Souls of Willowbrook'.

I worked in a government mental institution in New Zealand in the 1970s and I am happy to report that it was mostly nothing like Willowbrook. There was the occasional 'old school' attendant or nurse who could be cruel and uncaring, but mostly we were bright young men and women who had learned respect and were intent on improving the lot of the residents by providing the best care possible. The only 'locked wards' were the ones that housed the criminally insane or the extremely violent. Our wards, even the old ones, were bright and clean, the residents well fed and, where possible, their independence nurtured. It wasn't perfect, but it was 'home' to many long term residents, and a welcome refuge for acute admissions.

So Willowbrook came as a bit of a shock to me. After I finished listening to the audiobook I read some of the archived articles and examined the photos. I couldn't get over the sheer size of Willowbrook, and the design of the building made it eminently unsuitable for housing the disabled, the 'feeble-minded'. Mr Dewey, what were you thinking? There was obviously a demand, a need for accommodation and care; but just as obviously Willowbrook was not the answer.

Now, onto the book that I am reviewing. While I admire what the author set out to do, it just didn't resonate for me. I felt like the author was trying too hard to shock me, and it all felt 'over-exposed'. And y'all that know me know that I prefer not to be belted about the ears with a piece of 4 x 2 when you're trying to get your point across. Less is more.


I didn't like the plot and failed to feel anything at all for the characters. I think that I may have enjoyed this more had Sage been a more likeable character.

The language used to describe the conditions Sage encounters in Willowbrook is repetitious. There are numerous holes in the plot (view spoiler)

This should have been an atmospheric and chilling read but, sadly for me, it felt mostly flat.

⭐⭐.9

#TheLostGirlsofWillowbrook #NetGalley

I: @ellenmariewiseman @kensingtonbooks

T: @EllenMarieWise @KensingtonBooks

#comingofage #historicalfiction #humanrights #mystery #murdermystery

THE AUTHOR: A first-generation German American, Ellen Marie Wiseman discovered her love of reading and writing while attending first grade in one of the last one-room schoolhouses in NYS. Ellen lives on the shores of Lake Ontario with her husband and two spoiled Shih-tzus, Izzy and Bella. When she’s not busy writing, she loves spending time with her children and grandchildren.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books for supplying a digital ARC and to RB Media for supplying an audio ARC of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook written by Ellen Marie Wiseman and narrated by Morgan Hallett for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Oh my heavens. I would recommend not reading the summary for this book. Go in reading the book without any knowledge of the storyline.

I have had several of Wiseman's previous works on my TBR list but hadn't gotten to them. I had always read great reviews about her work so I was excited when I had the opportunity to read this book.

Since I went in with little knowledge of this book, I found myself immediately sucked in to the story. I listened to this audiobook and didn't want to stop listening. The horrors of Willowbrook was just as disturbing as any WW2 Holocaust stories. As an empath, I found parts of this book very hard to hear.

Wiseman had so many twists and turns in this book. The story was well crafted and I felt like any doubts that I had in the story, Wiseman tied it up.

I won't say anything else because I think it is best to go in to this story blind. It is a wild ride.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sage has just discovered her twin sister is missing. She has thought for years that her twin, Rosemary, died. But Sage has now discovered her mother placed her in Willowbrook School and kept it a secret from Sage. Well, Sage is going to help. She tells no one she is leaving to go help with the search of her sister. Little does Sage know, but this is going to turn into a nightmare.

Sage is mistaken for her missing twin Rosemary and she is committed to Willowbrook herself. All her efforts fail to convince the powers that be that she is, in fact, Sage. But, what she discovers is a nightmare. The residents are living in inhumane conditions and neglect. Sage is powerless.

This book wore me out. Talk about intense! I just kept reading faster and faster…I had to get Sage out of danger! And to know this is based on a real place…You can read about it here. I cannot fathom! I do not understand how people can mistreat other people to this extent.

This is a book you will not soon forget! Sage’s difficult situation just kept getting worse as the story went on. You finally think she is out of the woods…but life turns on a dime and she is back in a mess!

Need a book you can’t put down…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

3.5 rounded up

If I had known more about Willowbrook School,I probably would not have requested this title. I am not a fan of horror, and this book read like horror. There were times this book was so disturbing that I had to put it down. Knowing that this was based on research and real events made it an even tougher read. Having said that, this is a well-written book that will be part of my high school library. There is a definite audience for this story of Sage Winters who gets locked inside Willowbrook after she discovers that her sister is not dead, but had been committed to Willowbrook. Sage is so believable. Her decisions and actions are not surprising. However, she is shocked at the way events unfold.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a hard book to read, not because it was a bad book, but because it dealt with life in Willowbrook State School, a mental institution on Staten Island, New York. Many of the events described in the book are very difficult to read. The story is real, it is raw, but the determination and bravery of the character Sage is inspiring. The author blends fact and fiction to tell a story that needs to be told. It will make you think, feel, and become inspired to help the mentally ill in our society. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGally, Ellen Marie Wiseman for this ARC. This is my own opinion of the book.

Wow! Having worked as a special ed educator for several years. It is difficult for me to read. The mentally ill kids are human beings. They are innocent victims of a horrible society. They were throwaway kids. I cannot believe the parents thanking to do something like this to their children. Things have changed so much thank goodness. They’re just trusting wonderful people for the most part. I remember many years ago when Geraldo Rivera did a report on Willowbrook. It was shocking and brought attention finally to this awful place. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing advanced copy

When Sage Winter finds out her identical twin sister, Rosemary, has gone missing from Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, New York, she is more than a little surprised. After all she was told Rosemary died six years ago. Needless to say, Sage hopped on the first bus to Willowbrook to find her sister … BUT … when she arrived she’s immediately mistaken for the lost Rosemary and no one believes her. Sage’s worst nightmare is about to begin. Willowbrook is not a school, but an asylum for the insane and the unwanted. The circumstances are abhorrent. Abuse is rampant in the overcrowded wards and the living conditions are horrific. Will anyone believe Sage or is she destined to be locked up in Willowbrook forever and what happened to Rosemary?? Wiseman writes a compelling drama of heartbreak and survival combining fact and fiction. With deaths an everyday occurrence, no one really took notice until the serial killer went a step too far and Willowbrook is finally exposed!

It has taken me a while to write this review because I am so conflicted in my feelings about this book. It was entertaining when it should have been gut-wrenching.

I love a book that opens my eyes to a slice of history I know nothing about. When I read the description of this book a few months back, I immediately added it to my TBR list. I couldn't wait to learn more about the fiasco that was Willowbrook State School. So, I expected to love this book.

When reading a book like this, I often take to the internet looking for just a little bit of background. I find this helps me appreciate the historical components more. Once I got to the part where the author started describing the physical structure of Willowbrook, I got on Google to see what the building looked like. While there, I decided to watch a video clip that showed the atrocities inside. The clip was only 1.5 minutes long. Needless to say, it was horrifying! I also glanced at a photo with a caption that said something about tunnels in the building. I made a mental note to look for a documentary sometime down the line, but I didn't allow myself to look any further for the time-being. I returned to the book, figuring I'd learn more about Willowbrook as the story unfolded. Disappointingly, I can't say I learned much more than what I saw in the 1.5 minute video clip. In fact, I got the feeling that the author had done about the same amount of research I had... about two minute's worth. The language she uses to describe the scene was like a commentary of that 1.5 minute video.

The story lacked substance for me. The dialogue bothered me and some of the plot features seemed so far-fetched. The thing that irked me the most, though, was that I felt like the author used Willowbrook simply as a backdrop for her story; she didn't succeed in making it the heart of her story. For these reasons, The Lost Girls reads more like YA than adult fiction. I felt gross reading/listening to it because it was like she is profiting off of the atrocities committed without truly giving a voice to the victims.

The narrator of the audiobook did nothing to help the book either. While she had a pleasant enough voice, she lacked emotion at times where there should've been immense amounts of emotion. She'd be better served as a narrator of nonfiction audiobooks instead.

Overall rating: 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and RB Media for allowing me early access to the ebook and audiobook versions of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.