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annies1's review against another edition
3.0
If the author had cut to the chase this could have been such an excellent book. There was entirely too much repetition and it was insufferable. By the end I was just relieved it was over. Historically it was nice ( not nice but informative) to learn about Willowbrook School which was a real place. The last third of the book was good.
katko123's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
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.
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.
cmankus's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
feathers4bookmarks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book was incredible! Asylum stories always draw me in, and this one is the most incredible novel I’ve read regarding an asylum to date. The depictions are graphic and make you feel like you can smell what do, heart pounding in tandem with the characters. The story is tragic and the institution and premise are real, making this an eye-opening experience. The author did a wonderful job paying homage to the facts and resources in her Author’s Notes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Confinement, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Drug use, and Forced institutionalization
kimkreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
christy15reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I thought this book was a real was a real page turner! In fact, i think i finished it in 2 days because I had to find out what was going on. It's tense, dark, and frustrating but based on true events. Had me googling old pictures of Willowbrook and Cropsie...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, Blood, Child abuse, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness
ebaca41's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
A promising plot, only to be bored. This could have been a short story. The entire storyline was very predictable and nothing revolutionary.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Sexual violence, and Death
iliberiangirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
genannj's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this poignant, page turner was an excellent book. This book kept me guessing until the end. I was engaged with the book until the end and thoroughly enjoyed it.