Woman 99

Author: Greer Macallister
Genre: Historical Thriller
Type: e-book
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
First Published: March 5, 2019
Opening Lines: "Goldengrove devoured my sister every time I closed my eyes."

Book Description from GoodReads: A vivid historical thriller about a young woman whose quest to free her sister from an infamous insane asylum risks her sanity, her safety and her life

Charlotte Smith's future is planned to the last detail, and so was her sister's - until Phoebe became a disruption. When their parents commit Phoebe to a notorious asylum, Charlotte knows there's more to the story than madness. Shedding her identity to become an anonymous inmate, "Woman Ninety-Nine," Charlotte uncovers dangerous secrets. Insanity isn't the only reason her fellow inmates were put away - and those in power will do anything to keep the truth, or Charlotte, from getting out.

My Rating: 3 stars

My Review: This book is touted as a 'vivid historical thriller' and was inspired by the famous investigative reporter, Nelly Bly who, in the late 19th century, snuck into an insane asylum to report on the atrocities occurring within its walls. Woman 99 is written in a similar vein, but I wouldn't call this a thriller. It lacked the tension and suspense of a thriller. But it is a solid historical fiction read with its focus on how mental health 'therapies' were inflicted on the female residents - many of whom found themselves there for reasons that had nothing to do with mental health.

The book had a good premise and but even with the atrocities that are described, there is a lack of emotion and depth to the subject matter as well as the characters' development. Charlotte was a bland main character who goes from total naïf to diving head first into her last-minute plans and getting by with an unbelievable amount of luck. 

With a slow-moving plot, particularly in the beginning, and an ending that seemed to peter off, this book was a good but a much lighter read than I was expecting.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.