*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Books for this ARC!*

Before reading this book I knew hardly anything about Nellie Bly. I knew that she went undercover in an insane asylum for ten days and then helped jumpstart reform, but that was really it. This was a fun look at the process of getting herself committed, and then getting back out again.

Overall, I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this book. I thought that the author did a great job including facts without making it feel like a textbook. I could absolutely envision myself at Blackwell’s, which is not a place I ever hope to be, that’s for sure! I also liked how we were able to learn a little bit about Nellie’s personal history as well. It helped to make her feel more relatable as a character.

I will say, I had a hard time determining if this book was intended for an adult audience or YA. The whole time I was reading, I thought it was aimed at a YA audience. However, when I finished reading, I noticed that it was being marketed as an adult book. I felt that the writing style lent itself well to YA audiences, but what do I know?

Speaking of the writing style, this was actually my main hang-up with this book. I felt like the author used turns of phrase that felt more modern than the late 1800s setting. The narration also felt more informal than I was anticipating for this kind of novel. I also did not terribly enjoy the parts of the book that were from Colton and Marian’s points of view. But, that is just personal preference. The plot points that were revealed in their parts were very important, but I would have preferred to stay in Nellie’s point of view throughout.

I really did enjoy the main story. I was horrified by the conditions at Blackwell’s and in awe of what Nellie went through in order to make a difference. It made me want to pick up her book, and also learn more about her! If you are interested in historical fiction, especially late 19th century New York, then this is a fun book to pick up!

My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

I gave The Mad Girls of New York 3.5 Stars!

Many thanks to Tara O’Connor at Berkley and Netgalley for an advanced copy. This did not affect my rating.
*3.5/5*

The Mad Girls of New York is a historical fiction novel that follows Nellie Bly as she fights her way to make a place for herself as a female reporter on News Paper Row in New York City. She catches her break when she pitches a story – getting admitted to Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum for Women. The conditions are said to be deplorable and what a story this would make! Reporters are not allowed in but to get someone in on the inside to see the atrocities firsthand.

What makes this novel special is that it is a fictionalized account of the real Nellie Bly. Nellie Bly did go into Blackwell’s and helped bring this disgusting place into light.

I didn’t know about Nellie Bly before going into this novel, but I am interested in learning more about her, even reading her original story about Blackwell’s. The author did have a really good note at the end about creating a fictionalized account of a real-world person, so if you do read this book, please read that portion too.

This book flew by – I read it in one sitting. The writing was easy to get through. There was another string about another female reporter that tied in so nicely with Nellie’s. I really enjoyed seeing the threads all settle.

If you want a historical fiction book with a strong female lead, check this out.

THE MAD GIRLS OF NEW YORK by Maya Rodale is a fascinating historical novel about famed reporter, Nellie Bly as she gets her start in journalism in the 1880s in New York City. When Nellie arrives in New York from Pittsburgh in 1887, she is determined to do whatever it takes to break into the world of investigative reporting despite the lack of opportunities for women in this field. Writing for the ladies pages is definitely not for her! But when she keeps being turned down for more ambitious assignments, Nellie comes up with a daring stunt to ensure herself a front page story in the New York World: feign insanity and get herself admitted to Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum for Women. She plans to write an undercover exposé of the horrifying conditions rumored to exist at Blackwell’s and the stories behind the women who become committed there. Can she survive ten days in the asylum and get out to tell about it? The story has just the right blend of fact and fiction to keep the reader engaged from beginning to end. I enjoyed this compelling and thought-provoking novel and look forward to what comes next in this new series. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

this book was so sweet! i really enjoyed getting to read this one early!! it was so much fun and exciting and full of surprises! please check this one out soon!!!!

Rodale is an American romance novelist, but this new release is historical fiction. Nellie Bly was the pen name of Elizabeth Cochran. She was a journalist originally working in Pittsburgh, but then tried to work in New York City. In 1887 she volunteered to go undercover as a patient at the notorious lunatic asylum on Blackwell Island in order to get a job reporting hard news. She spent ten days facing the brutal conditions of the place and then wrote about in two front page pieces for the paper. This was a new form of investigative journalism. This book fictionalizes some of the events, but captures the essence of this true story and this fascinating and courageous woman. I really enjoyed it.

i had never heard of nellie bly before this, i requested it purely because i have loved maya rodale's books in the past. i assumed this would be similar to her others, but it really is more historical fiction than historical romance. which is totally fine! just not what i expected. i saw a few reviews that said they were glad there was no romance to make the book 'shallow' or 'trashy' or 'dirty' and then had the nerve to tag their reviews as feminism. gah. i won't get on that soap box right now.
anyway, overall, i enjoyed it a lot though i enjoy her historical romance more

This historical fiction book is based on the true story about Nellie Bly’s 10 day experience in the insane asylum for woman in New York City. I’d vaguely heard of Nellie Bly before, she was considered the first woman journalist who specialized in investigative reporting.
She wanted a job at a paper, and knew she could get herself admitted to the asylum and then write an expose. There was no serious evaluation, if a woman was depressed or had a “wandering uterus” (seriously) she could find herself in the asylum, perfectly sane with no way to get out.
I love fact based fiction, and Nellie’s exploits are worth reading about. 4 stars.

Blurb:
Fearless reporter Nellie Bly will stop at nothing to chase down stories that expose injustices against women—even if it comes at the risk of her own life and freedom—in this exciting novel inspired by the true story of one remarkable woman.

In 1887 New York City, Nellie Bly has ambitions beyond writing for the ladies pages, but all the editors on Newspaper Row think women are too emotional, respectable and delicate to do the job. But then the New York World challenges her to an assignment she'd be mad to accept and mad to refuse: go undercover as a patient at Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum for Women.

For months, rumors have been swirling about deplorable conditions at Blackwell’s, but no reporter can get in—that is, until Nellie feigns insanity, gets committed and attempts to survive ten days in the madhouse. Inside, she discovers horrors beyond comprehension. It's an investigation that could make her career—if she can get out to tell it before two rival reporters scoop her story.

From USA Today bestselling author Maya Rodale comes a rollicking historical adventure series about the outrageous intrigues and bold flirtations of the most famous female reporter—and a groundbreaking rebel—of New York City’s Gilded Age.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“Anything that ailed women was diagnosed as hysteria, a condition in which the womb wandered aimlessly around the body causing trouble.”


The Mad Girls of New York is Maya Rodale’s compelling interpretation of the events that catapulted Elizabeth Cochran Seaman, better known by her pen name Nellie Bly, into the male dominated world of 19th Century New York journalism. In her quest to be taken seriously as a journalist Nellie and the renowned editor of the New York World contrive to have her committed to the notorious Blackwell Island Insane Asylum for Women. Her brash and risky stunt earns her a hard sought after story that exposed the horrors and brutality, that was worse than expected, of this secretive and notorious place.


Rodale’s Nellie is a vibrant, daring, and unstoppable character that brings to light the amazing trailblazer that was the real Nellie Bly. Her tenacity and spirit in the face of so many societal oppressions and what she endure in the asylum shine a light on what a truly amazing woman she was. While her own words and history attest to that fact, this fictional account showcases a humor and caring that brings an intimate glimpse of a women that was a head of her time and a pioneer for all women. I am definitely motivated to read more factual accounts of Nellie’s life and the reporting she did on Blackwell Island after reading Rodale’s The Mad Girls of New York.


The sights and activities of New York in the Gilded Age are an vibrant but contrasting backdrop to the restricted and limited lives women had in that era. The Mad Girls of New York, is a fascinating story that hooked me from the very first chapter not only because of the setting but the way it is told through the perspective of both Nellie and other supporting characters. The various viewpoints got me thinking about the lives of women before me and appreciate the advances that these women struggled for but never got to see in their lifetimes. As a side note, Rodale’s Nellie is hilarious, spunky, and a woman I would have loved to have known. I highly recommend The Mad Girls of New York! It’s not just a fascinating interpretation of the life of Nellie Bly but morally profound story that will leave you with many things to contemplate.

The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale is unique and captivating. Nellie Bly is a woman ahead of her times. She’s smart, strong and extremely brave. I was in awe of all the situations that she put herself in. Each of these women’s voices, especially Nellie were so vivid and and Rodale brought them alive. I love reading about strong women who support other women, instead of tearing them down. If you like that plus imagery that comes alive, The Mad Girls of New York is for you! Thank you to Berkley for having me as a berkley bestie and the wonderful discussion on Facebook.

Riveting historical fiction based on the journalist Nellie Bly, who spent ten days confined at Blackwell's Insane Asylum for Women in 1887.

The story is real and the descriptions of those days in the asylum still cause me anxiety when I imagine what it was like and how it would feel to be sent there. Hopeless. What Nellie endured to expose that hideous place as it truly was is nothing short of extremely courageous. The fact that so many women were labeled as lunatics and locked away for the rest of their lives is deplorable history, but it happened.

Having read <i>10 Days in a Madhouse</i> written by Nellie Bly back when I was in high school, I was again intrigued by her story and wanted to revisit it during this particular time when mental health is getting a much needed focus. Reading about the blatant mistreatment of women during those days still angered me as well as made me truly appreciate what she and many other women have done over the past hundred plus years to create a new narrative for all women. But, honestly, in my heart, I still feel that we have not come far enough. Yes, there have been strides in what is claimed by some to be equality, but sometimes when I read the news, hear about new laws or proposed changes, I think that we are not fully there yet.

I know that great improvements have been made in the treatment of the mentally ill, but yet there are still so many who are suffering without any access to the care that could help them. Despite evidence, some continue to believe that psychological illness is not a disease and there is often negative stigma attached to those seeking relief.

This story was a great reminder that outrageous injustice still exists and that we cannot wait for another Nellie Bly but must step up ourselves to affirm and support any methods that will improve the lives of, not just women, but all humanity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishers for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

Nelly Bly wants more then anything to be a female newspaper reporter. Yet during a time where woman are looked at to have rooving uterus’s and were perceived to only have a place in the home. Breaking into a man’s world of reporting is next to impossible. Now if you want to write the woman’s column that might be something that would be acceptable, but there are only so many woman’s columns to go around. Nelly wants to do more. When the opportunity presents itself to pitch a story to one of the top newspaper owners in New York city Nelly jumps at the chance. So what if it means that the person who was actually interviewing loses out on the job. They are a man and can easily walk into any other news paper in the city and have a job within a week. Can Nelly really get herself into one of the most private mad houses in the city? More importantly will she be able to get out in one piece?
This story grabs you from the minute you pick it up to the minute you put it down. While it is completely a work of fiction, by utilizing the articles Nelly herself wrote on the experience the reader is swept up in a wonderful version of how her possible experience could have been. Nelly is such a strong character and the women she meets inside the asylum come to life right off the pages. The fact that you have a small parallel story going on during Nelly’s just adds to the fun. Overall, this is just such a fabulous book and would be great for book clubs. I can’t wait to recommend this title to my patrons.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

A compelling story inspired by an amazing lady.
I will admit, I had no idea who Nellie Bly was before reading this book. I read the blurb and thought, "wow, she seems like an interesting woman", and gave this a try. I am so glad I did.
This is very different from Rodale's usual books. Mind you, I have only read her historical romances, but from the beginning I could tell this was going to be a different reading experience. It's clear from the way the story is written that the author took a great deal of consideration, care and research into writing this story. Considering this is based on a real person, I appreciate Rodale's efforts.
The main plot is compelling and thought-provoking. I never thought the plot was lacking.
The pacing would slow down from time to time but it would always pick up.
I will say, this is more historical fiction than historical romance so readers should be aware of that going in.
Overall this was a great read and I am interested to see if Rodale will continue Bly's adventures.

I received a gifted galley of THE MAD GIRLS OF NEW YORK by Maya Rodale for an honest review. Thank you to @BerkleyPub and @Netgalley!

THE MAD GIRLS OF NEW YORK is a historical fiction novel based on the life of Nellie Bly. Nellie is an aspiring journalist, struggling to find a place for herself in the boy’s club of journalism in 1887. There are very few women on the scene, but Nellie is determined to do whatever it takes.

Nellie pitches a big story – she will go undercover as a patient in Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum for Women. The conditions there are horrific and women are hardly listened to or treated for any legitimate complaints. Instead, women are parked there with something short of even their basic needs being met. Even as she deals with the shocks of things she couldn’t have imagined, she also must fight to get her story before someone else gets the scoop!

I really enjoy learning about different people and time periods through historical fiction. I had a vague knowledge of who Nellie Bly was and similarly had some insight into the conditions of insane asylums of the past, but this book really was eye opening. Working in mental health, I know some of the history of how patients in locked settings have been treated, so while the conditions described in the book were deplorable, they also weren’t unexpected. Sadly, improvements to mental health treatment have taken far too long to improve.

I really enjoyed Nellie’s character and the way she was portrayed. She had a lot of bravery to go into settings where she wouldn’t be welcomed. Early on in the book she conducts a series of interviews with the editors of the various papers around New York and gets their takes on the reasons why women don’t belong in journalism which I found really an interesting element.

This was a really fun read and I’m glad to see it listed as the first in a series! I will definitely look forward to reading more of Nellie’s adventures!

Nellie Bly is a fascinating historical figure. The only book I had read about Nellie before this one was: Nellie vs. Elizabeth: Two Daredevil Journalists' Breakneck Race Around the World, a picture book about the competition between Nellie and Elizabeth Bisland to circle the globe. This is the first in a series of historical fiction featuring Nellie and tells the story of her ten-day stay at Blackwell Island. Reading about her experience is maddening and heartbreaking. For some, committing a woman to such a place was a quick fix. Nellie's front page articles exposed some deplorable conditions and even helped free some women. A compelling read and I hope the next one covers the race around the world.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
THE MAD GIRLS OF NEW YORK is the debut in a brand-new series by Maya Rodale, Nellie Bly.

To be honest, I was unaware of the Nellie Bly story until I delved into this novel. While reading, Nellie was reminiscent of Sarah Howard from THE ALIENIST in her determination to get to the truth, while dealing with the limitations of the era for a progressive woman living in a man's world, set to the backdrop of New York City's Gilded Age.

Based on true events, this is the fictionalized account of Nellie Bly, a journalist willing to do anything necessary to get to the root of the story, depicting it as accurately as possible, even if that meant committing herself into an asylum.

The story is propelled by Nellie's struggles in Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum as her narration draws to light the atrocities her fellow women endured. I won't go into great depth, as this is truly what the story entails, and I wish readers to view it through their own eyes.

I'm thankful the heavy content wasn't made shallow by a strong romance thread, other than a hint here or there, as that is part of the human condition. The heaviness was offset with Maya Rodale's personal brand of humor, the levity much needed and appreciated. The strength of the novel is the connection between all the women, as they support one another.

Captivated from start to finish, read cover-to-cover, an intriguing take on a real-life woman's bravery, while allowing the reader to transport themselves back in time to where we can appreciate how far we have come as women, giving us the bravery to never stop making strides for equality.

The only con of the novel was the shift in points of view. I enjoyed being in Nellie's head and felt the shift to others was unnecessary. I wasn't invested in the story from their perspective, slightly annoyed to be thrust from Nellie. While I understood it on the whole at the completion of the novel, I didn't enjoy those points of view while reading.

Highly recommend to fans of the author, and I greatly anticipate more from the fictionalized journey of Nellie Bly, as well as from the engaging side characters who were introduced. However, I do wish to point out to those who are seeking historical romance, this novel is by no means a romance.

Outstanding! This story tells us about super bada** Nellie Bly and her impromptu decision to go under cover to get a story about the inhumane conditions women faced in the Blackwell Insane Asylum. Nellie gets scooped by a rival paper and decides to go even further by involving the mayor. During a lunch discussion Nellie helps another female reporter solve the missing link an article she’d been writing for the ladies pages and I loved that aspect of the book. Told with heart, sensitivity and humor. Loved this book and can’t wait for discussion about it.

The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale is a fictionalized story based on the real life experiences of Nellie Bly, a New York reporter who broke into the journalism game in the region by committing herself to Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum for Women to report on the conditions there.

The most fascinating part of this story is the fact that it is based on a true story. While I'd heard of Nellie Bly before, I did not have an in-depth understanding of her story. I found myself struck by both her courage and spirit while being horrified at the conditions that the women endured at Blackwell's.

While I overall enjoyed the story, I did feel like the writing and pacing was slightly off. The Marian perspectives and her storyline felt like an afterthought. I imagine it was thrown in for extra drama, but I found it predictable. This was the case of a few other details that seemed like they were not fully fleshed out.

I also felt like there were several moments where the "show, don't tell" rule could've been implemented. Make me feel what it's like to be dragged down the hallway by your hair! Don't just tell me that's what's happening. I think because of this, I felt a bit removed from some of the horrors that the women experienced in the insane asylum. There was so much potential there to really up the tension!

All that being said, I would still highly recommend the novel. I found it engaging and interesting regardless. I think this is going to be a series, so I look forward to the relationships in the book being further developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I know "of" Nellie Bly, the trailblazing reporter during New York's Gilded Age but I learned so much more from The Mad Girls of New York which tells of her entry into the newspaper scene with her undercover stunt of entering into a women's asylum. I recently read The Woman They Could Not Silence a nonfiction book about Elizabeth Packard's imprisonment in a mental hospital by her husband. One of the characters in MGNY is loosely based upon her, but I was reminded again of the terrible treatment that women legally were subjected to during this era. It was far too easy for inconvenient women to be locked away with no legal recourse. Definitely pick this book up if you are interested in any of these subjects: trailblazing women, mental health, women's suffrage, the Gilded Age, newspaper/journalism history.

Thank you to Berkley Books and Netgalley for the electronic advanced copy.

Based on the real Nellie Bly, mixed in with a few fictional characters, the story unfolded to give the reader a bit of history combined with a hint of mystery, for an overall delight of a book. Prior to reading The Mad Girls of New York, I was not familiar with Nellie Bly nor Blackwell's Island Asylum. I found this story very intriguing. Nellie Bly's character is well written, I felt her determination and spunk. I cannot imagine the courage it took to willingly get herself committed to a mental health facility, let alone a 1880's asylum. This book made me want to learn more about her, as well as the history of Blackwell's. The author does well giving the reader a sense of time and place. My only hiccup with the book was the pacing fell a bit flat in parts of the story. That for me kept it from being a 5 star read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend to those that like historical fiction.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly.

I'll admit that I knew nothing about Nellie Bly before reading this book. But, after reading this dramatization of her story, I'm so glad that it's based on a the true story!

I loved Nellie's growing friendship with the other women reporters, the drama of the society elite, and the glimpse into New York of the late 1800's, but the star by far is Nellie herself and her grit and determination to get the story. The conditions she describes happening on Blackwell's Island is appalling and seeing her determination to make changes was motivating.

While I was able to figure out the mystery of one of the patients pretty early on, I still enjoyed following Nellie's journey from the island back to the news room.