This was the first book I’ve read by Boye. I loved how this chilling story played with the unsettling terrain of the human mind, identity, and the blurring lines between reality and delusion. The story was very atmospheric and complex with an interesting ending, perhaps more of a mystery novel than a thriller. I love a good mental hospital setting for a story. This was right up my alley, psych wards, institutional secrets, and just enough paranoia to keep me flipping pages.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

Absolutely loved this book, a gripping thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. I would definitely read more books from this author

I had high hopes for this, particularly based on the setting, but it didn’t hit the mark. There were too many character points of view which made the story hard to follow. I enjoyed the use of short chapters to create suspense and there were a few twists, but the overall reveal felt obvious. The ending felt very rushed and abrupt. This was a disappointing read for me…

Thank you to NetGalley & Saga Egmont for the ARC.

I actually enjoyed this book. It took a few times to read some chapters and I had to be in the mood to read it, but when I sat down and took the time to soak it in, it was pretty okay, The characters were decent. I did find there to be a lot of characters and I admit, I really didn't get attached to the characters or feel too much for them, and I know that does matter, but at the same time, they did add to the plot of the story and drive the direction of the novel. I did like how not all of them were good. They each had a goal and a personality, whether they were a nice person, a user, flirty and dirty, or just "off".

Plot was pretty good. The book follows the main character Anna who just gotten a new job, I believe out of college as a psychologist at this psychiatric hospital, I think rural...it pays good and such, but the place is just off from the beginning, especially finding out why the person she replaced disappeared or just "left". Then there was her receiving messages about this room 55.

The ending wasn't disappointing and I am glad that I stuck with it. I'll round this up to 4 stars from a 3.5-3.75.

This book starts off slow but gradually picks up pace. Just stick with it. You will be glad you did.

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review………..

What an intriguing story. I love a good mental hospital setting for a story. If you like books centered around mental hospitals and a good mystery, you'll love this book!

I enjoyed the plot and the different characters eas not confusing. I was just expecting a little bit more, the characters development was not as built up as I’ would have enjoyed , and the lead up to Room 55 was not totally jaw dropping. I would recommend this books for those looking to get into this genre as a beginner.

3.5 rounded up. A interesting read, more mystery than thriller. I understand that some reads struggled with the formatting in the unfinished ARC copy, but I was offered access to the audiobook which was excellently done and enhanced my reading experience.

Lots of POV changes and some unexpected romance, but worth a read.

Dark, Dismal, isolated, with ghosts of the past haunting the hallways - the past filled with women institutionalized for "hysteria" and being unwanted or to be put out of the way. Have things really changed? A wide cast of characters, several layers of mystery and a web of paranoia - who can be trusted. An addictive Scandi mystery, what's not to love!

I was really excited to get stuck in, as the premise of the book was intriguing to me. It started big with an exciting initial chapter, but unfortunately I just didnt feel that the drama continued enough for me. Trying to keep up with the variety of viewpoints was a bit challenging at time too, and the short chapters meant I couldn't really get into a good flow.
Not for me, unfortunately.

this is an intense and creepy read and delves into the mind of madness really well.

Room 55 is a depiction of the locked mind and the author gives a chilling and brilliant tale
It is a slow burn but develops well and ends fantastically. it is one of those read that just gets better...

Set inside a clinic it is a read that I couldn't put down. I loved my reading time and will be looking for more of this genre...

The premise of this book was so enticing, I couldn’t wait to get started! Unfortunately it fell flat for me. It had such promise and unfortunately just didn’t come to fruition.

Most of the chapters were 1-2 pages, and I love short chapters, but I feel that these didn’t allow for the story to develop the way it needed to. The story goes through the perspective of way too many characters and it was hard to keep everything straight. I didn’t build any sort of connection to any of the characters and that just made the story drag on.

The ending was very unsurprising and did not feel very developed as a plot line. It felt very rushed and not fully thought out.

I was really intrigued by this book — the premise is strong, and the story itself has so much potential. The setup had me hooked early on, and I was excited to see where it would go.

However, the formatting in the ARC I received via NetGalley made it hard to stay engaged. POVs would switch mid-paragraph, which was confusing and pulled me out of the story repeatedly. Because of this, I struggled to connect with the characters and found myself more focused on figuring out who was speaking than enjoying the plot.

That said, I read an advance copy, and formatting often isn’t final in ARCs. I’m hopeful the finished version will be more polished — and I genuinely think readers who pick up the final book will have a much better experience. The core of the story is there; it just needs the right presentation to really shine.

I did enjoy this book however there were a mix of pros and cons. I expected a really creepy thriller and it just didn’t deliver, there was no creepiness, no imminent threat and it all kind just fizzled out. It was a slow burn with a few plot holes that didn’t go anywhere.

One big pro is that I could vividly visualise this book in my head which is a testament to the way the author writes and the descriptions written.

I was hoping for a bit of a longer epilogue that tied every thing up, also the character of Lina? It was like she was written out and then just forgotten about.

The summary of this book sounded intriguing, so thought I'd give it a shot! I was just a little confused because NetGalley has the Publication Date as August 5th, 2025; however, there's also a 2018 copyright date. The book has been translated to English, so maybe that's why there's a 2025 date?

I have to say the book started off with a bang!! Soooo much action! Exactly the way I like for a book to start. Sucks me in and keeps me wanting more!

Unfortunately, the first chapter was the most exciting chapter. The rest of the book was very dry and boring. I feel like it was a "bait and switch" moment. The storyline was also told from MANY different points of view. So many, in fact, that I had a difficult time keeping all of the different characters straight.

The premise of this book had so much potential. Unfortunately, it just didn't live up to my expectations. It could have been so much better if the author focused more on the inmates receiving psychiatric care.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

I haven't read a proper creepy thriller in ages, so I had high expectations for this. However, it didn't quite hit the spot.

It's a story about a psychiatric clinic in Sweden where Anna, a newly qualified psychologist, is excited to begin her career there. Working alongside one of her best friends treating some of the most dangerous offenders. It isn't long until she starts receiving mysterious messages mentioning a Room 55. Her friend and colleague advised her to ignore it, but she couldn't help and wonder if there was something else going on at the clinic.

I expected a much sinister and chilling atmosphere, but honestly, it just felt flat despite the topics of the story.

At first, I thought we would only get Anna's narrative, but we got several other characters' POV. Which usually is great, but in this instance, there was no real introduction to the characters or their roles in the story. So it was a little confusing.

It's also clear quite early on who the bad guys are, but we're just not sure what it is exactly they may be hiding, so this didn't help with the suspense factor.

This really could have been a proper chilling story, maybe if it had 100+ more pages. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC.

I received a free copy of, Room 55, by Helena Kubicek Boye, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Anna Varga lives in Sweden and is starting a new job at Sater, but is she ready for what is going to happen? Sater is isolated and is known for room 55, where strange things happen including a death. This dark book, did not help my anxiety at all.

a dark and weirdly realistic book. if you've ever had the unfortunate time of being near one of these places or types of "hospital" you will know of the treatments that go on inside and behind closed doors without there even needing to be a fiction book about it. its nice to read a fictional dark tale about them though. and this one did all the uneasy dark things you want it to.
this book brings to a Psychiatric clinic and a psychologist who finds sinister goings on there and specifically one haunted room. there is the tension that ripple throughout this book and as you are fed more details and situations you feel it rolling on and creeping upwards.
and of course you are never quite sure what is real and what is delusion.
i really enjoyed the symbolic reason behind the room 55. and adds to that layer of not knowing what or who to trust.
it was such a layered book with mystery and darkness woven throughout. you are never quite sure and then not quite sure of what your not sure of!
its a mind one this book. and fits perfectly in its premise. and smartly done. i felt or hope i felt exactly how the author wanted me to and that was all by her writing.

This was an amateurish thriller that had quite a few plot holes. I couldn't find any way to connect to any character and it was a struggle to finish. This was not the book for me.