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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
“You soak it all in and think about how often the tales we tell ourselves are fictions. We’re both the unreliable narrator and the gullible listener in our own life stories.”
adventurous
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Georgia is in a psychiatric ward after being arrested for the murder of her sister, Annabelle.
Mandy is running her family’s bar after inheriting it when her parents died. Mandy receives a call one day from Georgia’s lawyer asking her to come visit her twin sister, that she never met. Her twin who could be a murderer. Skeptical, Mandy goes to meet Georgia and the connection is undeniable. When Georgia tells Mandy she is innocent of murder, Mandy feels compelled to uncover the truth about what happened.
In doing so, she discovers that there are people involved in this scandal that want Georgia dead and now she herself is embroiled in the scandal and could also be in danger.
This is a fast-paced story told by the alternating points of view of Georgia and Mandy. Georgia’s backstory is told via flashbacks from Georgia’s point of view leading up to the night Annabelle is murdered.
I enjoyed the book, but some plot points were a bit predictable. Georgia is made to be a lifeless shell of a person in the psych ward which made it hard to connect to her as a character.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Abandonment
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader's copy of The Locked Ward.
As a sister to a sister, I’m always drawn to stories that explore sibling relationships. Especially ones that dig into the emotional complexities and fierce bonds that define them. The Locked Ward absolutely hit that mark for me. Sarah Pekkanen has crafted a gripping and heartfelt story that pulled me in from the very beginning.
The tension and pacing kept me turning the pages, but what truly stood out was the emotional depth between the characters. Especially the way sisterhood was portrayed. It felt real, raw, and relatable at times. The setting of the psychiatric ward added an intense, unsettling layer that raised the stakes without overshadowing the human story at the center.
This book stayed with me long after I finished the last page. Highly recommended for anyone who loves emotional thrillers with a strong psychological element and even stronger character dynamics.
As a sister to a sister, I’m always drawn to stories that explore sibling relationships. Especially ones that dig into the emotional complexities and fierce bonds that define them. The Locked Ward absolutely hit that mark for me. Sarah Pekkanen has crafted a gripping and heartfelt story that pulled me in from the very beginning.
The tension and pacing kept me turning the pages, but what truly stood out was the emotional depth between the characters. Especially the way sisterhood was portrayed. It felt real, raw, and relatable at times. The setting of the psychiatric ward added an intense, unsettling layer that raised the stakes without overshadowing the human story at the center.
This book stayed with me long after I finished the last page. Highly recommended for anyone who loves emotional thrillers with a strong psychological element and even stronger character dynamics.