When I requested this book I had no idea how intense it would be! The cover screams Historical Fiction but it is equally a suspense/thriller. I love when genres collide!

When Sage discovers her twin sister Rosemary didn't pass away six years ago and was instead sent to the Willowbrook State School, she sets off to help in the search for her after they are informed she is missing. But, when Sage arrives, the doctors mis-take her for her twin and she is committed instead. Only this isn't a school but an institution for the mentally ill.... In the 70s. Sage faces many challenges and wrestles with her guilt of her freedoms while her sister was locked away. She searches desperately for Rosemary but no one will listen.

This story is intense. I could smell the rancid odors through the pages and feel the hunger. The author did an amazing job of setting the stage for the Willowbrook school. So well, I don't even want to drive over Staten Island 😳. The addition of an urban legend/serial killer added to the intensity of the story. Get this one on your TBR!

This Historical Fiction read took me for a ride!

I'm the first one to sign up for reading dark Thrillers and Horror books. I rarely have issue with the content in these types of books, so imagine my surprise when 25% of the way through The Lost Girls of Willowbrook I put the book down and could not talk myself into picking it back up. Shocking!

And it's not because the story isn't good. It's because I know that this story mirrors life in an all too real way. This infamous institution was shut down for its horrible treatment and abuse of generations of special needs people and people with mental illness. This story has an interesting premise but as it began to focus on the horrid conditions people were living in and the abuse they suffered at the hands of those entrusted to care for our most vulnerable, uck.....I just couldn't do it. My heart couldn't take one more page!

If you are looking for a fictional account describing the horrors that humans can inflict paired with a sisterly love and determination to save another, this should be at the top of your list.

This book is out on August 30th. Bring Kleenex!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman.

Oh man, this is both captivating and so very depressing. It's one thing to be able to separate yourself from a story, knowing that it's fiction and that these events didn't actually take place. But when it's historical fiction, and you know that real facts were woven into the story, it's a whole other experience. Sadly, that is definitely the case when describing what it was like for those considered to be "insane" or have any other mental illness. What's worse is that this wasn't even that long ago! It happened in the 1700's? Ok, well they also thought putting all of your blood in a bucket would make you healthier. But the 1970's? We could actually know someone who survived these conditions.

Sage has never gotten a clear answer as to what happened to her twin sister Rosemary. All she knows is that she has died and is dearly missed. But upon hearing from her angry and negligent step dad that Rosemary isn't dead, but living in the notorious Willowbrook, Sage becomes desperate to find her sister and get some answers. No one really knows what goes on in Willowbrook, but also, no one wants to go there. It seems to have a one way entrance in, and rarely does anyone come out. Will Willowbrook actually have the answers that Sage is looking for, or will searching only put her in danger.

This is a really good story. It pulls no punches and definitely takes off it's kid gloves while doing it, but it also shines a harsh and deeply disturbing light on a part of our history I'm sure we'd all like to forget. On top of that, the author does a great job weaving mystery with history (ha, loving the poetry there). Everything about this book is dark, disturbing, and mysterious, and I know that I'm not the only weirdo out there who loves that kind of stuff.

This is a book that will stay with you! I devoured it in two days. “The Lost Girls of Willowbrook” is based on the true story of Willowbrook State School on Steam Island. It was billed as an institution to help children with special needs, but really became a dumping ground for thousands of disabled and unwanted children. Sage is a teenager who lives with her stepfather, because her mother and twin sister have died. Sage finds out that her twin, Rosemary, isn’t dead, but instead is a student at Willowbrook.
Sage rushes off to Willowbrook when she learns that Sage is missing. She wrongly gets stuck inside because they believe SHE is Rosemary. What follows is a well crafted story with historical facts. The abuse in the school is horrific. I went down a rabbit hole looking up everything I could about Willowbrook. It’s heartbreaking how they treated the patients. Geraldo Rivera was the reporter who broke the story that showcased the abuse.
As a teacher of children with special needs, it amazes me that people can abuse our most fragile humans. This book is a reminder that we need to take care of each other, especially the vulnerable souls who can not advocate for themselves. I want to thank the author, Kensington Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #TheLostGirlsofWillowbrook #NetGalley.

4.5 stars.

Wow, I had absolutely zero idea about anything related to the real-life Willowbrook State School until I opened this book, where I was met with quotes from RFK and a doctor who had worked at Willowbrook that ended up exposing the deplorable conditions at the institution (and later went on to lead the class-action lawsuit against the institution). So I was completely taken aback right from the get go & went into this book (which is a fictional story revolving around the real-life horrors of Willowbrook and the “Cropsey” legend) already intrigued. Wiseman did an incredible job creating a vivid and horrific setting, believable and atrocious characters, and a realistic and heartbreaking story. Absolutely enthralling from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tragedy comes in many forms. For the people who were confined to an institution called Willowbrook, it was a place of horror, of imprisonment, and of a story that shock the world. In 1972, an investigative reporter, Geraldo Rivera and his crew discovered the many ills of Willowbrook, including overcrowding, inadequate sanitary facilities, and physical and sexual abuse of residents by members of the staff. It was a living nightmare. It was titled as a school for the mentally challenged, but it was far removed from that! Finally shut down in 1987, it sparked an era where the mental institutions were put to a more stringent process.

In this story Ms Wiseman, depicts what life was like by the protagonist, Sage Winter in Willowbrook. Learning that her twin sister, Rosemary was not dead, but was confined to Willowbrook, sent Sage on a perilous journey into the ills of this supposed school. Mistaken for her twin, Sage becomes an inmate going through the torture of her environment and the fact that no one believed her story.

With many moments of tense action and the horror of this setting, Ms Wiseman has created a mystery with Willowbrook as its background and it was a terrifying one indeed. The author includes facts that were eventually discovered in this house of horrors.

Many thank to Ellen Wiseman, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this riveting story.

3.5 stars rounded

I am still not sure what to think of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook. I went in expecting more of a historical fiction book and what I got was more of a thriller book - that might be my fault. This book is dark and talks about the many horrors found at Willowbrook, an institute for those with an intellectual disability. When Sage learns that her identical twin sister is not dead, as she has been told previously but missing from Willowbrook, she sets out to find her. As you can imagine Sage gets more than she bargained for when she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation while looking for her sister.

This book is well written but also dark and haunting. If you are looking for a book that is fast paced and suspenseful that will keep you guessing with some historical fiction thrown in, this book is great.

Note: There are many triggers in this book (sexual assault, abuse, ... clowns).

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

I never mention trigger warnings in my reviews but if I listed all the trigger warnings in this book I'd run out of space to write a review.

⚠️This is such a hard book to review. Like I mentioned with the Holocaust in a recent review once you've read this you can't unread it and it's so disturbing....

Sage thinks her twin sister Rosemary, died of pneumonia years ago. But it turns out she was committed to Willowbrook State School an institution for children with intellectual disabilities, and now she has has gone missing. When Sage goes to visit to find out what has happened they mistake her for Rosemary and commit her....

The description of inside Willowbrook is beyond harrowing. Whats worst is this institution actually existed. When I read about the Holocaust it revolts me and breaks my heart... When I read about the truth behind Willowbrook state school it was every bit as revolting, it almost made me physically sick. Having a daughter with disabilities made this all so much more painful to read.

This was a difficult story to read based on the horrific stories of life at the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, NY. It is interesting to read the author’s notes at the end.

I wasn't expecting it to be a dark historical novel set during the 1970s. It was certainly a well-researched novel and the author's notes at the end were eye-opening and poignant. Ready your knuckles and your heart because this novel would make you rage and make your heart ache for the children and anyone experiencing such deplorable conditions.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ellen Marie Wiseman (who also has an amazing backlist!) creates an engrossing narrative in The Lost Girls of Willowbrook. Sage finds out that her missing identical twin sister has been a resident at Willowbrook, and goes there searching for her. Sage is mistaken for her sister, and is forced into this horrific world.

This is a stomach-churning historical thriller, especially since it’s setting is a real place on Staten Island, NY. Willowbrook State School was a residential facility for people with intellectual disabilities. It was investigated for abuse several times before finally closing in 1987. The abuse stories sound like something that
belong in Nazi Germany, not New York City. These poor residents deserved so much better.

Thank you for my advance review copy.

Incredibly eye-opening book based on a real historical institution I had never heard of. This author created an incredibly horrific setting, as intended, that sent chills down my back. You could truly tell just how badly Sage wanted to discover what happened to the sister she had been led to believe she had lost so long ago and wasn't going to leave without answers.

Once again, Ellen Marie Wiseman has written a remarkable story of historical fiction! The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is a fictional tale that takes place in the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, New York. It’s called a school but it’s really an institution for both the mentally and physically handicapped children that nobody wants. This is the story of Sage Winters, a 16 year old twin who learns that her twin sister Rosemary who she believed had died, has really been a patient at Willowbrook for the last 6 years. After overhearing her stepfather, she learns that Rosemary is missing and so Sage heads to Willowbrook by bus to help find her missing twin. Once there, the doctors and staff believe Sage is really Rosemary and they lock her up in the ward where Rosemary was kept. This story tells about all the inhumane and deplorable conditions, the filth, the neglect, the abuse and mistreatment both physical and sexual that the residents went through. Between being overcrowded and with a shortage of staff, it was a horrific facility that was once called a living snake pit! From my reading, it was obvious that Ellen Marie Wiseman did a tremendous amount of research before writing this story. She’s an author that I have come to favor and I can’t recommend her books enough. Her stories are educational, enlightening and entertaining all in one. I’d like to thank Kensington Books for accepting my request and NetGalley for the arc to read, review and enjoy. I’m excited for release day which is August 30, 2022 to purchase my own physical copy to add to my home library. This is a 5 star read but honestly deserves so much more!

Sadly this was a DNF from me....seemed to go on and on.. and the descriptions of certain things made me feel sick. Just was too long and drawn out and wasn't catching my attention.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Fans of Girl, Interrupted should check out this historical fiction mystery about Willowbrook State School. A real school in Staten Island, NY, Willowbrook was where unwanted children with mental disorders and intellectual disabilities were sent from the 1947-1987. This served as the perfect inspiration for Wiseman’s disturbing mystery/historical fiction book. Sage is a twin who thought that she lost her sister Rosemary to pneumonia when they were younger; however, she finds out that her sister is actually missing from Willowbrook. When Sage goes to Willowbrook to investigate, she is mistaken for her sister, who would claim to be Sage during manic moments, and is forcibly held there. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I did find it a little bit long; however, fans of historical fictions and thrillers should check this out.

This is a DNF for me at 22%. The story is based on a real place in Staten Island where special needs children were living in deplorable conditions and treated like animals. The descriptions were way too disturbing and made me feel like I wanted to throw up. I prefer to read books that don’t make me sick. Thanks to #netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's always hard to read about horrors inflicted on children--and indeed that's what this story is based on. I skimmed many paragraphs because the author went on and on and on about the abuses within Willowbrook. To think this place housed 6,000 "wards of the state" up until the late 1980's is beyond comprehension. Thank goodness Geraldo Rivera (way before he was a Fox News analyst) got into this place on Staten Island and exposed the grim reality.

Thanks to NetGalley & Kinsington Publishers for the ARC.

Rosemary and Sage Winters are identical twins. At the age of ten Rosemary dies of Pneumonia.

When Sage is sixteen her mothers dies and her stepfather shares an unthinkable secret. Her sister Rosemary is alive!

Where has she been? Rosemary was committed to Willowbrook State School where mentally I’ll patients stay. Can Sage find her sister and will she recognize her?

An incredible look at the cruelty and conditions of the faculty are brought forward. Wiseman does an incredible job of giving us a realistic look of the facility and challenges of those times.

This was fascinating! Had total Nelly Bly vibes. I wasn't sure what I was getting with this book and honestly I don't think the synopsis gives you a good picture of the story you are about to get because I would definitely put this as a thriller/mystery or historically thriller (is that such a thing!). I loved Wiseman's The Life She Was Given but this is right on up there!

Thank you to Kensington publisher and NetGalley for the ebook of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook, Ellen Marie Wiseman's new book. This is an intense suspense, somewhat gothic, story with great detail and rich history and context. I appreciated what was for me a change in style for this author, this book felt more intense and scary as compared to previous books (which I have found eerie and suspenseful but in a different way, I am a fan!) and how much this book pulled the reader into the asylum settings, the fear and uncertainty, and the creeping doubts about Sage and Rosemary. Really a great, fast, and suspenseful read, I think it would be a great option for Fall readers looking for a scary/spooky read for October.