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lpierce_livin_fierce 's review for:
The Lost Girls of Willowbrook
by Ellen Marie Wiseman
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I went into The Lost Girls of Willowbrook expecting historical fiction, and while it definitely is, I was surprised to find that it’s also a thriller. Since I’m not a huge thriller fan, that threw me off a bit, but I still found the book really engaging. Some of the mysteries were easy to figure out ahead of time, but there were a few twists that caught me off guard.
The story dives into complex family dynamics and some very heavy, disturbing themes, especially regarding the treatment of people in mid-century American mental institutions. If you’re familiar with the history, it won’t be shocking, but it’s still unsettling to read about. Overall, it was a compelling book, even if it wasn’t quite what I expected.