Thank you so much to NetGalley and RB Media for my copy of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman Narrated by Morgan Hallett in exchange for an honest review. It published August 30, 2022.
First off, the narration was very well done. Clear and easy to understand.
Holy smokes, this book was stressful. It was bleak, devastating, heartbreaking, informative, important, and necessary. History has not been pretty, and I think books like this that expose the ugliness of history are so important to help history not repeat itself. Also, I think it's important to acknowledge those who suffered and not let it be forgotten.
This book nails it. It really gives the reader pause to remember to treat fellow humans with dignity and kindness, regardless of class, race, ability, education, health, etc. I found myself reflecting over and over about how anyone could treat another human like this, and I think books like this are just so important to help one be sensitive to what others go through, and to have compassion.
I will say, there's a whole lot of things that could be upsetting, as it is set in a 20th century institution for the mentally ill, (I changed the title of that to avoid the language they used). There is a lot of derogatory language toward the mentally ill or challenged characters, violence, suicide ideation and suicide. It's quite gory and bleak, but I think if the reader can trudge through, they will be the better for it.

𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨!

Oh wow! This story was intense and impossible to put down. A fantastic thriller that will leave you with emotions all over knowing that is based on original facts. An intense roller coaster that you need to read.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours and Kensington Books for this tour invite.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗸 by Ellen Marie Wiseman—Author released August 30, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

I enjoyed this book. It was a little weird in the context. Something that I knew happened in history but not as much detail as what Wiseman went into. I really didn't expect how the plot went. I was on the edge of my seat as I listened to it. A few spots I had to go back and listen just to make sure that "did just happen?"
The audio had a bit of a delay when I was using 2 headphones, it could have been the download I had. I enjoyed the narrator. I would listen to other books read by them.

In a Nutshell: So, so disappointing! I expected an exposé, which is partly present and mostly accurate. What I didn’t expect was that exposé to be so poorly penned. Repetitive writing, poorly developed characters, silly plotting.

Story Synopsis:
1971. Staten Island. Sixteen-year-old Sage Winters has just discovered that her twin Rosemary, who Sage had been told was dead, has been a resident at the Willowbrook State School since the past six years. Rosemary is now missing. As their mother is already dead and their stepfather has no interest in their upbringing, Sage decides to travel to Willowbrook and join in the search efforts. When she reaches there, she realises that Willowbrook isn’t a school but a strange place that seems to hold deep secrets within its doors. What she also didn’t count on was that she would be assumed to be the missing Rosemary. The life she took for granted won’t ever be the same.
The story comes to us in the third person perspective of Sage.

The book combines fact (the Willowbrook angle), fiction (the Sage Winters experience), and an urban legend (Cropsey the serial killer.) The first was the only one that worked somewhat well.

Where the book worked for me:
✔ The conditions in which the ‘residents’ of Willowbrook were housed and treated would come as no surprise to those who know the true story. However, this will still not prepare you for the horrendous situation. This content is definitely not for sensitive readers. I thought the author went over the top in describing the filthy life, but online searches reveal her information to be accurate. The content made my stomach churn, but I valued learning so much about the institution and its inhumane practices. The author has researched this content well.
✔ It stays true to the era in which the story is set, right down the vocabulary which uses some words that won’t pass muster in today’s society.


Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ The title suggests a greater focus on the girls of Willowbrook. However, this is primarily Sage’s story, with Willowbrook and Cropsey relegated to the background. I don’t think the title represented the story well.
❌ Willowbrook might have been a pathetic place in reality, but I am sure there would have been certain employees who did well by the patients. You don’t get to see them in this story at all. Everyone is portrayed as vile. It looks like a very one-sided portrayal.
❌ The real life whistleblower on Willowbrook, Dr. Wilkins, hardly gets any focus. One of the actual whistleblowers in the Willowbrook case was a resident named Bernard Carabello, who suffered from cerebral palsy (a developmental disorder) but admitted to Willowbrook as a patient with mental health issues. Carabello doesn’t even get a mention in this story. The “saviour” is Sage, the only “able-minded and able-bodied” person among the residents. C’mon!
❌ Sage’s story was highly unrealistic, and not just because of her experiences. She is sketched very inconsistently: too smart at times, too naïve on other occasions. She makes for a poor lead character.
❌ The character development is hopeless. Not a single person comes across as believable. The detective was the worst-sketched. I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why an experienced detective would take an underage girl and leave her alone overnight in a shady institution, that too with a serial killer running rampant on the premises!
❌ The writing is irritatingly repetitive. I lost count of the number of times Sage saw someone, gave us a soliloquy on that person, and then discovered that it was someone else altogether. Words and situations keep recurring at regular intervals. Scenes are stretched out like anything. The book has plenty of internal rambling, even though it isn’t even in first person!
❌ The book didn’t feel like adult fiction at all, except for the R-rated events occurring on the Willowbrook premises. The writing is quite YA in style, though the content makes it unsuitable to that age range. It might work as NA fiction.
❌ The plotting is so predictable that you can see upcoming events coming a mile away. Everything is spoon-fed to the reader; there’s nothing left to the imagination. This also ensures a very convenient paint-by-numbers kind of story. The few supposed twists are illogical while still guessable. There are also instances where the content misleads quite obviously on purpose.
❌ The urban legend of Cropsey the serial killer is woven into the Willowbrook story. The real life Cropsey was supposedly an orderly at Willowbrook for a short term. The identity of Cropsey in this book does a huge disservice to those with mental health issues.

The audiobook experience:
The audiobook clocks at 13 hrs 13 minutes. While it was still a decent way of going through this book, I wasn’t a fan of the narrator. She read the book in a very flat way. Even when characters were supposed to be crying or yelling, she sounded the same. Expressive reading is a must for such a story, and that doesn’t happen.
Moreover, as usual, the author’s note was missing from my advanced audio copy. Other reviewers have indicated that this content is an eye-opener. I’ll never know.

Right from the second chapter, the poor and predictable writing disappointed me. I was hoping the story would get better but it gets more and more annoying as it progresses. I wanted an exposé on Willowbrook; what I got was a poorly-written historical fiction masquerading as a thriller.

I am stunned to see this book get so many 4 & 5 star reviews. I peeked through some of them and saw that most reviewers are impressed by the light this book sheds on Willowbrook. I am, too; that’s the best part of the book. However, this story isn’t just about Willowbrook’s shenanigans, and other than that single positive point, there is nothing to redeem it.

I do admire the author’s research and the intention to highlight this sad part of history. The stars are mainly for that. If you do pick it up, remember that it is a dark story based partly in reality; strengthen yourselves mentally before beginning it. Not to be read while eating.

2 stars.

My thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Lost Girls of Willowbrook”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook. So sorry this worked out badly.

I really liked the narrator of this audiobook. It was fast paced and really enjoyable to listen to. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I want to Read more by this author. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the complimentary copy of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman so I could read and review it.

Sage, age sixteen, knows that her twin sister Rosemary died of pneumonia, but one day her and her step father receive a call from Willowbrook State School to let them know Rosemary has gone missing. Sage is shocked to learn her sister is still alive, and has been living in an institution nearby for years.

I don't want to get into any more of the plot, because I highly recommend going into this one as blind as possible.

TLGOW is a historical fiction with mystery and suspense elements, and to say these genres work for me is a massive understatement - I love seeing them together. Knowing that the location and much of the history of the location came from fact, make this book one that is impossible to put down.

The writing of this book perfectly captured what I imagine is in incredibly creepy location, especially in the time period the story is written.

This book will present any reader with many horrific truths of this institution, which can make it a difficult read. If your picking this one up, be prepared to experience so not so nice history rom Staten Island.

I highly recommend this one for both historical fiction and mystery/thriller readers. The pieces of this book were put together perfectly.

First off this book is a tough read. For me the subject was hard to read about and so it was quiet an emotional read. The book is about Willowbrook, an institution that was supposed to be a placed to help the mentally ill and disabled. Instead of helping these women, the place abused them and kept them in deplorable conditions. Sage, our main character, is in search of her sister, Rosemary, who is in the institutions care. Instead they lock her up too. The story is incredibly moving. This is a must read. I will highly recommend this to anyone.

This was so captivating in the most horrific way... Beautifully written. I will definitely read more from this author.

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Audiobook
Date Published: 8/30/22
Author: Ellen Marie Wiseman
Publisher: RB Media
Narrator: Morgan Hallett
GR: 4.18

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and RB Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Six years after Rosemary’s death from pneumonia, Sage Winters, now sixteen, still misses her twin sister deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash,. Yet despite living as near strangers in their Staten Island apartment, Sage is stunned to discover that her stepfather, 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. 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 love when a book is inspired by actual events, even if those events are horrifying, I like to learn about them. Back in the 1960’s, the mentally ill were not treated with the grace and dignity they are today. Wiseman has done amazing research into the actual case and this story reflects the true accounts. At times, this was difficult to read, to know any human being was being treated this way is saddening. The author’s note at the end of the story has more information on the factual side of this story. The characters were well flushed out, multifaceted depth, mystery, and just written so well. The author’s writing style was complex, tragic, suspenseful, tense, and just brilliantly done. This story needed to be told. We as human beings, no matter who we are, need to do better with each other. A little bit of compassion and kindness goes a really long way. You never know what another person has been through, and maybe that lending ear, can turn their whole day around. Sorry, a little off topic. This was a gripping, fast paced, page turning read/listen and I highly recommend. Try the free same on Amazon to see if this book is something that you would like.

Being a Staten Island resident and reading about the history of Willowbrook really had me wanting to read this book so thank you for giving me the opportunity to read!

Some of the details in regards to the institution were a bit difficult to get through being that it was based on a true setting where these horrific occurrences took place.

It was easy to read and follow along. I really had no idea where the story was going; I had 3 possible scenarios in my head. I was hooked on finishing because I needed to know who did it !

So I have mixed feelings about this book…though it was horrific, gruesome & shocking, because it was based on a real place, the story itself was slow, repetitive, & predictable. The plot didn’t really get interesting until the last 100 pages. It read like a YA book, with a naive main character and lots of unbelievable situations. I did appreciate that I learned about the history of the real Willowbrook (and Cropsey!), and am reminded of how far mental health care has come since the 70’s.

Sage and Rosemary Winters are identical twins and share a very close bond, as twins often do. When they were ten years old, the unthinkable happened and Rosemary died from pneumonia. Fast forward six years and Sage is sixteen years old and living with her stepfather, Alan. Sage’s mother died in a tragic car accident. And now Sage discovers a mind blowing secret that Alan has been keeping from her…Rosemary is alive!!! She was committed to the Willowbrook State School, which is a mental institution. Now will Sage be able to find her long lost sister?

What a great book! Ellen Marie Wiseman certainly did her homework on this story about the infamous Willowbrook State School. I am always up for a great historical fiction story and this one fits that bill perfectly. Based on true events, it is really troubling how mental health was managed 50 years ago.

This is a really tough subject and Wiseman truly brings this layer of anxiety that permeates the entire story. This book stressed me out and made me want to scream at people and some of the coincidences’ and such were a little hard to believe, but this was a good read.
The Willowbrook scenes were so hard especially when you know what horrors went on there, but I admit to having a visceral reaction to the use of the R word so often in this book it was tough. I liked the tie in with the Cropsey mysteries I have seen a documentary about the thoughts that the two were tied together somehow, I found that side story interesting.

Morgan Hallett’s narration was very well done!

Wiseman always writes with such emotion and brings you to the place she writes about. She is an autobuy!

4 stars


I received this audiobook from the publisher RB Media and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

The real horror of this book is not the actual mystery in the book, but rather the fact that these places existed. The treatment of people who lived there was atrocious and inhumane. I used to work in a group home with individuals who were previously in one of these homes. The stories their parents told me, and the scars they had, are something I'll never forget.

If you are looking solely for a thriller, this isn't for you. But if you are looking for a book that showcases human atrocity and our capacity for treating other humans as less than ourselves... then you should read this. As a thriller, this was probably only an underwhelming 2 stars for me. But when I stop thinking about it as a thriller and just evaluate it as a book, it's a much better read.

Please check trigger warnings on this one if you're sensitive to certain topics.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a great thriller! I was on the edge of my seat every time I turned around. THE LOST GIRLS OF WILLOWBROOK by Ellen Marie Wiseman, and narrated by Morgan Hallett.

It’s 1971, and 16 year old Sage just learned that her identical twin sister, Rosemary, isn’t dead like her mom and step dad have told her for the last six years. Instead, Rosemary was committed to the Willowbrook State School by them, but is now missing. Sage immediately goes there to do what she can to help the administration find her. Unfortunately, as soon as she arrives they think she is her missing sister and consider Sages protestations as Rosemarys delusions.

This is a fictionalized account of the true nightmare of Willowbrook, and it is horrifying to realize what these poor patients had to suffer through. This is a great book for anyone that loves psychological thrillers, and historical fiction. 5 stars!!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and RB Media for the gift of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I know all about the real life Willowbrook school. It’s actually where Geraldo Rivero got his big break in journalism. That said, I would say that the terrible conditions were accurately reflected here. When Sage was falsely imprisoned I felt trapped, as well. The author did a great job of depicting how that might feel. The story took another turn at the end, and I was surprised but honestly it was a bit over the top. I thought the story was well-written, a few areas were a bit redundant like when Sage would reflect on how her life used to be.

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

This book has great historical reference to how people with mental disability are treated. The story is suspenseful and keeps you guessing. I thought the beginning was a little slow and repetitive, but once Sage enters Willowbrook, the wild ride begins. It really makes you wonder if sane people would develop mental disorders due to the treatment provided by these institutions.

As we all know, every good horror or thriller book or movie is set in a creepy old mansion, a sanatorium, or a mental health institution. These places have sunk into public opinion as bizarre, dangerous places in which nobody wants to work, and certainly, nobody wants to send there their relatives. God knows what is going on in there. All we know is that there are whispers.
That's how it's been for many years.
The thing is... these assumptions and fears aren't exactly baseless. After many years the truth about it all started surfacing and it shocked the public. That had happened all over the world, not just in the US.
This book is an excellent combination of facts and fiction. The author describes in detail the living hell of this facility, which for some readers might be a bit too much.
Despite all the horror I actually found a big part of the book somehow dull and boring. I mean we all know that it was bad, but dragging the description of the daily life in there for more than 60 % of the book to get to the twist in the story almost made me skip some pages just to speed things up. But when the twist happens then the story gets some colors and becomes really interesting. I actually found the last 35-40% of the book enjoyable. Finally, I felt like I was reading something new.