The Lost Girls of Willowbrook: a mix of fact, fiction and an urban legend

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman is a story that mixes fact, fiction and an urban legend about the Willowbrook State School, a real-life institution. 1971, sixteen year old Sage Winters is on a mission. She was told her twin sister, Rosemary, died from pneumonia six years ago, only to discover that she was committed to the Willowbrook State School and was there until a few days ago when Rosemary suddenly went missing. Sage now wants answers. Rumors and urban legends surround the school that many people stayed clear but Sage ignores them all. A series of events leads her to be mistaken for the missing Rosemary, Sage finds herself locked inside the ward and about to learn the horrendous secrets within the walls of Willowbrook. Will she be able to escape? Will she find Rosemary alive? 

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook has been widely recommended and praised. I was intrigued by a story featuring a real time institution when such institutions were known for horrible treatments of patients. Unfortunately, that intrigue quickly faded as I started the book. The first chapter threw a bunch of information at the reader and I was trying to keep everything straight and Sage wasn’t even at the school yet. I commend Ms Wiseman for bringing this story to light. Before this book, I hadn’t heard of Willowbrook and did a bit more research. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. There was too much internal rambling by Sage. The addition of Cropsey, a real life serial killer in the Willowbrook area, didn’t quite fit in. Unfortunately, The Lost Girls of Willowbrook wasn’t sure if it wanted to be a historical fiction or a thriller. 

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

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