I was quite excited when I was approved for an advance copy of The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen, unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations.
The Locked Ward is written from the points of view of Georgia and Mandy, twin sisters who were separated at birth and adopted by different families. Georgia’s chapters are written in second person present tense, and Mandy’s in first person present tense.
I’ll be honest, if this had not been an advance copy I would have stopped reading on the first page because of the points of view and tenses used. I can sometimes get past the first person present tense if a story really captures my attention, but every time I read one of Georgia’s chapters in second person present tense, it grated on my nerves.
For this reason alone it was very difficult for me to enjoy the rest of the book, but I also wasn’t the greatest fan of the story over all.
Just a little warning that the remainder of this review may contain some spoilers. I generally try to avoid them, but it’s hard not to be specific about a couple of issues I had with the story
To start with, there were a few things that didn’t make sense to me, most notably, about how the twins came to be separated in the first place. Like, how did Georgia’s family explain that one of the two babies they adopted just disappeared, and no one questioned it?
I didn’t find the story very suspenseful. It felt like some of the threats to Georgia, especially while she was in the hospital ward, were forced. I also find it hard to believe that she was able to fake a mental illness to the point that more people weren’t suspicious of her.
And finally, Mandy being shown to be the real threat was not really a surprise. It had been hinted at throughout the novel so was not much of a twist.
Overall, I felt this book was just an okay read. I’m sure some people will love it, but it wasn’t for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Life, Tea, and Everything 