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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Something I think The Locked Ward did really well was the relationship between sisters. No matter which pair you look at, there is a complicated and nuanced relationship.
I love the short chapters because they really keep the action moving. This is so vital with Georgia’s piece of the story because she’s stuck in one setting.
Overall this was a really fun and enjoyable read. I’ve liked or loved all of Pekkanen’s books I’ve read so far. So if you’ve read and enjoyed her other books, I’m sure you’ll like this one too.
I love the short chapters because they really keep the action moving. This is so vital with Georgia’s piece of the story because she’s stuck in one setting.
Overall this was a really fun and enjoyable read. I’ve liked or loved all of Pekkanen’s books I’ve read so far. So if you’ve read and enjoyed her other books, I’m sure you’ll like this one too.
mysterious
tense
3.5*
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! This was an enjoyable read but I didn't *love* it. Unfortunately a few things left me with further questions, or pulled me out of the story (e.g., someone who attempts to die by suicide would not be kept on the same ward as individuals found not criminally responsible), which lowered my rating.
I enjoyed having both Mandy and Georgia's point of view, though the switching from first to second person between chapters made it difficult to feel fully immersed.
Overall, this was a fun, quick read with an interesting premise, and still enjoyable if you like thriller/mystery books about wealth, privilege, twin connections, and family dynamics.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! This was an enjoyable read but I didn't *love* it. Unfortunately a few things left me with further questions, or pulled me out of the story (e.g., someone who attempts to die by suicide would not be kept on the same ward as individuals found not criminally responsible), which lowered my rating.
I enjoyed having both Mandy and Georgia's point of view, though the switching from first to second person between chapters made it difficult to feel fully immersed.
Overall, this was a fun, quick read with an interesting premise, and still enjoyable if you like thriller/mystery books about wealth, privilege, twin connections, and family dynamics.
Georgia is accused of murdering her sister and she’s pretending to be insane so she avoids jail and is in the psych ward. What others don’t know is she recently found out she has a twin, Mandy. Georgia was adopted and her sister Annabelle was born shortly after (a surprise) so Georgia was never treated equally by her adoptive mom. Georgia contacts Mandy, exposes their twins and asks her to help.
I thought this was a great thriller and kept me on my toes! It was a unique concept and I liked the dual POV, including Georgia talking in third person. You were never sure which direction it was going, if Georgia was guilty and I definitely didn’t predict the twists!
I thought this was a great thriller and kept me on my toes! It was a unique concept and I liked the dual POV, including Georgia talking in third person. You were never sure which direction it was going, if Georgia was guilty and I definitely didn’t predict the twists!
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization
Lots of stereotypes surrounding patients and employees of mental health wards.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This one fit the mood perfectly! I was in the mood for a fast paced thriller and that's exactly what I got here. Short, action packed chapters made this very quick and easy to read. A few of the twists were mildly predictable, but they were clever and well placed. I loved the eerie locked ward chapters and the sometimes creepy bond between twin sisters. This was a story full of lies and deceit and as a fan of the author already, I really enjoyed this one. I would recommend picking it up!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to… almost the finish. While I loved nearly every part of it, the ending took a turn that didn’t quite work for me. That said, it was a minor flaw in an otherwise fantastic read, and I can still wholeheartedly recommend it to my friends.
As a longtime fan of Sarah Pekkanen, I was thrilled to receive this ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. I couldn’t wait to dive into this gripping thriller about twins, and it did not disappoint!
As a longtime fan of Sarah Pekkanen, I was thrilled to receive this ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. I couldn’t wait to dive into this gripping thriller about twins, and it did not disappoint!
I have had this book on my NetGalley Shelf for months but purposely waited for the ALC to come so I could do an immersion read having loved The Glass House. Sadly, I am really disappointed and wish I had just read it without the narration as I think I would have liked it much better.
First, the book is fine. There is some creative stylistic writing choices in this 1st person Duel POV book. You have long lost twins Mandy and Georgia. Mandy’s chapters are written in class in 1st person. Georgia on the, who is on a psych hold at a hospital, on the other hand is written in 1st person but uses “You”. Unlike a book that’s written in 2nd person, Georgia is still referring to herself and not the audience. It’s a clever stylistic use to showcase the characters disconnect within herself while she is in the psych unit while drawing the reader into the story like a true 2nd POV would do. However, I don’t think it was universally effective as it just didn’t have the impact I think the author was hoping for.
Now, it is completely possible that the audio narration is responsible for that disconnect. On the positive while narrator January LaVoy spoke at a slow pace it fit with the style of the book. The problem came with the different character voices she did as they were not consistent and at time so subtle that it made it more confusing than engaging. Particularly when she did make voices. It was though she didn’t even try.
Because of said stylistic choices that Ms Pekkanen used it requires the narrator to use her vocal skills to differentiate between when “you” is mentioned in Georgia’s chapters . In the written prose it’s clear because she skillfully uses italics when Georgia is referring to another person (usually Mandy) but you don’t get that differentiation in the narration and it makes a disconnect between what you’re hearing and what you’re looking at on the page. I even chose to just consume the audiobook for certain chapters and then it caused me to have to rewind for clarity.
All that being said for some people, especially if they had no preconceived notions about Sarah Pekkanen’s writing, may really enjoy this. There are some minors twists but they are significantly foreshadowed so they really don’t come as a surprise.
In the end, I wish I had just read it with my eyeballs and recommend if it’s an option to read it that way. It is a swift read with fairly short chapters. Ms Pekkanen is sometimes an overly descriptive writer. It’s something I personally appreciate and like as it allows me to dive into the story and have a complete picture of the setting.
It comes out August 5th 2025 and is available for preorder.
I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC and eARC from Macmillan Audio and St Martins Press through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
First, the book is fine. There is some creative stylistic writing choices in this 1st person Duel POV book. You have long lost twins Mandy and Georgia. Mandy’s chapters are written in class in 1st person. Georgia on the, who is on a psych hold at a hospital, on the other hand is written in 1st person but uses “You”. Unlike a book that’s written in 2nd person, Georgia is still referring to herself and not the audience. It’s a clever stylistic use to showcase the characters disconnect within herself while she is in the psych unit while drawing the reader into the story like a true 2nd POV would do. However, I don’t think it was universally effective as it just didn’t have the impact I think the author was hoping for.
Now, it is completely possible that the audio narration is responsible for that disconnect. On the positive while narrator January LaVoy spoke at a slow pace it fit with the style of the book. The problem came with the different character voices she did as they were not consistent and at time so subtle that it made it more confusing than engaging. Particularly when she did make voices. It was though she didn’t even try.
Because of said stylistic choices that Ms Pekkanen used it requires the narrator to use her vocal skills to differentiate between when “you” is mentioned in Georgia’s chapters . In the written prose it’s clear because she skillfully uses italics when Georgia is referring to another person (usually Mandy) but you don’t get that differentiation in the narration and it makes a disconnect between what you’re hearing and what you’re looking at on the page. I even chose to just consume the audiobook for certain chapters and then it caused me to have to rewind for clarity.
All that being said for some people, especially if they had no preconceived notions about Sarah Pekkanen’s writing, may really enjoy this. There are some minors twists but they are significantly foreshadowed so they really don’t come as a surprise.
In the end, I wish I had just read it with my eyeballs and recommend if it’s an option to read it that way. It is a swift read with fairly short chapters. Ms Pekkanen is sometimes an overly descriptive writer. It’s something I personally appreciate and like as it allows me to dive into the story and have a complete picture of the setting.
It comes out August 5th 2025 and is available for preorder.
I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC and eARC from Macmillan Audio and St Martins Press through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Everything in this space was blindingly white. The walls, the ceilings, the floors, the furniture… it was if color didn’t exist anymore. She felt trapped, caged for something she didn’t do. Or thought she didn’t do. Her mind was becoming warped and she was trying her best to stay sane.
The Locked Ward is a dual POV thriller following Georgia and Mandy. Georgia is in a psych ward after being accused of murdering her sister. Mandy is the owner of a bar and is wrapped up in Georgia’s case.
This book hooked me immediately and I needed to know what was going on. The short chapters made for a bingeable read. Plus, anything set in a psych ward intrigues me. But it quickly became a bit “meh” for me as things started to unfold. While it was definitely packed full of toxic family drama, I found myself becoming more uninvested as the story unfolded. Georgia’s POV was also told in 2nd person, which was an odd choice for me personally.
The epilogue was also a big letdown… the ending was unnecessary and didn’t fit with the character’s personality or the tone of the rest of the book.
Read if you like:
• Psychological Thrillers
• Sibling Rivalry
• Toxic Family Drama
• Rich People Drama
• Psych Ward Settings
The Locked Ward is a dual POV thriller following Georgia and Mandy. Georgia is in a psych ward after being accused of murdering her sister. Mandy is the owner of a bar and is wrapped up in Georgia’s case.
This book hooked me immediately and I needed to know what was going on. The short chapters made for a bingeable read. Plus, anything set in a psych ward intrigues me. But it quickly became a bit “meh” for me as things started to unfold. While it was definitely packed full of toxic family drama, I found myself becoming more uninvested as the story unfolded. Georgia’s POV was also told in 2nd person, which was an odd choice for me personally.
The epilogue was also a big letdown… the ending was unnecessary and didn’t fit with the character’s personality or the tone of the rest of the book.
Read if you like:
• Psychological Thrillers
• Sibling Rivalry
• Toxic Family Drama
• Rich People Drama
• Psych Ward Settings