I discovered Freida McFadden’s books early this year and she has became my go to “popcorn thriller” author. Her books are always quick, entertaining reads!

Ward D has a super spooky setting of a locked psychiatric ward in Long Island. Amy Brenner is a medical student who is required to do a rotation the psychiatric ward. She’s completely freaked out by the locked ward and continues to get more and more anxious as the night goes on.

This book is ridiculous, y’all! But it’s twisty, addicting, and fun if you don’t take it too seriously! Four stars!

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for my ALC. This one is out now!

Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for this copy of Ward D in exchange for my honest review.

Medical student Amy Brenner is spending the night on a locked psychiatric ward. Can she survive the night?
My honest answer at times? I hope not.
While I've enjoyed every book that I've read so far by Freida, with this one I found myself more upset at what I was reading than entertained at times.
From the numerous times the word "crazy" was used to describe patients with mental health disorders to the outright fat shaming. Describing someone's stomach hanging down over their belt-line, and this gem: "His dad got short of breath just by walking up the stairs. He looked like a walking heart attack."
I feel like you can describe someone perfectly fine without shaming their weight regardless of their size.

The saving grace of this book was although parts of the story were predictable, the actual final twists were not.
The ending did leave me slightly confused though.

I'm going to give this an average 3 stars. I liked it for the most part, but that's it.

What can I say about this book? It was a wild ride!!! I started this book in the morning and literally could not put it down! The story follows Amy, a 20 something year old med student who is interning on a psychiatric ward-- but not just any ward, Ward D, the home of some of the most dangerous patients.

Amy can be a bit annoying at times because she does stupid things and asks stupid questions that are self-explanatory. She is also a walking contradiction. She scowls her ex for judging the patients, but she herself does it throughout her shift. She is also very superficial. I really do not think this girl would make a good doctor with all the clues she has missed and mistakes she made throughout the night. My favorite character of all was Will and right away I wanted to hear and see more of him. For me he seemed creditable, and I just loved his character. I think the narrator, Leslie Howard, did a fantastic job bringing life to these characters.

I also really loved the two timelines, one from Amy's teenage years and the other, present day. It really painted the picture of how everything involved up to present day. I really loved the ending! It was very satisfying! It gave the extra oomph it needed. I do totally agree with Amy and the other person that she got lucky and doesn't deserve her lot. She has more luck than brains. I think the author did a great job with keeping the reader engaged! It is a face paced entertaining read. Lastly, I really loved that each patient's condition or term mentioned was explained so that we the readers could fully understand and also learn without ever having to google it. This is my third book by this author and my favorite thus so far. I definitely recommend you read this book!

Oh my friggin God..
Was this book ever insanily (no pun intended) good!!!!
Never saw what was going on which make the book amazingly awesome.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Ward D by Freida McFadden is not a first book of this author that I've read. I wouldn't say it's my favorite book of hers but it's not bad. I thought the middle part was a bit slow and I did not feel the suspense building up quite as much as I wanted. However, the ending was pretty neat and I liked how she wrapped up the story. There were lots of great elements and interesting parts. The narrator was wonderful and I really enjoyed the audiobook version. I would not say it's Freida McFadden's best work but it's still interesting!

Ward D Review!

Thank you so much Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this gifted audio book, in exchange for an honest review! Wars D is out now!

This is my very first McFadden book and it will not be my last! Ward D was a 4.75/5 ⭐️ for me! Wow, why has it taken me so long to try her work?? I see books of hers floating around bookstagram, but hadn’t really thought of it. I’ve always had a fascination with psych wards and psychology. This one was pretty unrealistic at times, but very fun! I was kept on my toes the whole time and the twists at the end were great!! The last few sentences made me chuckle, it was cheesy and I loved it.

Also this narrator was freaking incredible. I was hanging on to every word and I will be so happy when I hear her in my next audio!!

I am a big fan of Freida McFadden, particularly her Housemaid duet. However, this book just did not work for me. First and foremost, the mental health rep was done in such a negative way, I worry that those who suffer from the illnesses represented will be further stigmatized. Derogatory terms were used by the “medical professionals” further adding to this negative portrayal.

Another big issue I had with the book is how far fetched it was. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good thriller and can suspend disbelief - to a point. The small inaccuracies riddled throughout this story were very hard to look past. In addition, the pacing felt off with an intense and gripping beginning and end, but a middle section that felt long and repetitive.

It pains me to write negative reviews, and as I stated above, I’m a big fan of McFadden’s so this saddens me all the more. There are quite a few rave reviews for this book so as always, if you are on the fence, give it a try. You might feel differently.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

Freida McFadden does no wrong! I am always so excited when I pick up a new McFadden book. The characters are always so well written. The story line comes together like the perfect puzzle piece falling into place. If you enjoy a twisty, funny, and overall just good mystery novel, then pick up Ward D. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. Not for me but happy to see that Freida changed the sections that were offensive in the physical version. Unfortunately the same can't be done for audio as easily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book sucked me right in. I was sure Amy was crazy when she talked about seeing a little girl that no one else could see when she was a teenager. There were moments when Amy was in Ward D that I questioned her sanity and the that epilogue made me question everything! This novel was gripping and twisted.

I have been going through Freida McFadden's backlist and I knew I had to listen to this one.

Wow, what a crazy, creepy scary night this book is. I shouldn't have read it at night because it had me shaking. 😬

It was quite a feat of the author to make a good story about largely unlikable people and yet you can't stop listening.

I love Leslie Howard's narration and her ability to do believable male character voices. I see why Freida uses her for every book.

I highly recommend listening to this audiobook '- but during the day!

This was not what I wanted it to be. There were so many different possible ways this could have been written to make the story just as good as other Freida McFadden books I have read but it missed the mark. The main character acts like a teenager rather than a medical student. The events that occur within the story are somewhat implausible and the security on the ward seems ridiculous. If everyone is so dangerous, then why are they wandering around?!!! I enjoyed the pace of this one but the rest seemed a little too unbelievable.

Freida is super hit or miss for me, and this was just a mess. Things are fully looney tunes, yet all Amy can worry about is the condition of her hair or another's smeared mascara. The repetition in this book also made me feel like maybe I belonged on a psych ward - am I dumb and need to be reminded of super basic details every sentence? I didn't think so, but apparently everyone but me loves this book, so maybe.

I was granted a free copy of the audiobook from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

So this book has gotten a pretty wide range of reviews. People seemed to either love it or hate it. I think I might be somewhere in between.
I enjoyed the book for what it was, a short and easy read. It had the thrilling effects I always look for in a thriller, and of course some creepy parts (that by the way, are very unrealistic as to how it really is in a mental institution).
It was a book that just flew by, and was very easy to follow.
I think for one to enjoy this book, one needs to ignore the details and the flaws. Cause unfortunately, there is quite a bit flaws.
Let me start by the egregious inaccuracy when it comes to mental disorders. Honestly, it was so badly represented and that is just a big no no for me.
If you choose to write about illnesses (which I completely encourage by the way) do your research, and stop with the damn stereotypes. Sure, there's a lot of different ways to behave and to experience schizophrenia, and I am sure some people are correctly represented by this book - but it is such a small part. I'm starting to get tired of this very specific way of portraying schizophrenia...
And now, my biggest irritation about this book - the main character. Rarely have I seen such a shallow and incompetent character. She is supposed to become a doctor, yet she acts like she has Absolut zero human skills, and no clue how to interact with patients. Sure, it must be difficult to be in a psych ward for the first time. But come on... The way she talks to them is so patronizing and blunt. She has no filter, and sounds so judgmental. As someone with my fair share of mental illness, I am so grateful to never have encountered a doctor like her. She talks to them, and about them like they aren't even human...

I didn't hate the book, I just think the 'bad' parts overshadowed the good parts for me. Clearly a lot of people loved it, with it's amazing rating on Goodreads - so it might just work for you as well!

Spoilers ahead:
The book is a pretty decent psychological thriller, with good elements and a good attempt to create twisted turns and unpredictable events. I do, however, think it was a bit too inspired by Shutter Island or Tales of Mystery and Madness. That means that I pretty early on caught on the big ''plot twist'' and frankly, that kind of ruined the experience. It really wasn't as original as I could have hoped for.

Amy Brenner is a medical student about to start her rotation shift on Ward D - the Psychiatric ward of her hospital. She hasn't been looking forward to this one, since she has ties to this ward that cost her the lovely little life she has built for herself. As the night goes on during the shift, Amy grows increasingly convinced something terrible is happening within these tightly secured walls. When patients and staff start to vanish without a trace, it becomes clear that everyone on the unit is in grave danger.

In Ward D we have another of Freida's daft woman, who can be gaslighted easily - but, was that daft women written well? You bet she was. Told through a single voice, feeling the stress and strain on the mind of being locked away and having a mind playing tricks, the MC starts becoming increasingly unreliable. I genuinely believed I knew what was happening from mid book, but once you reach the end, you realise it was obvious the whole time. I spent the entire read captivated, waiting for the next chapter. The same as other Freida novels, I recommend the audiobook for this one, Leslie Howard always does a great job narrating. This is for fans of Freida's other works and those who love a gripping psychological thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Freida McFadden for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, this story was absolutely not for me. I found the writing lacking, the mental health representation absolutely abysmal and completely stigmatizing, and the entire plot completely outlandish. I’ve spoken with a few people about McFadden and this book is representative for what she is known for and what people like about her: a bingey, crazy story full of twists and turns. Normally I like that but not this execution. This is my first book by this author, so I just think this is more of a case of me and not the book. So if you’re a fan of McFadden, don’t mind me! Not everyone is for everyone. I do think that she can at least do better as a physician and not represent mental health in such a poor and offensive manner, but that’s just my two cents.

As for the audiobook, I did like the narrator. She did a good job keeping me connected to the story and did a good job with voice inflections to differentiate characters. At times I thought her voice was a bit young sounded but upon further consideration, I think the character just came off as immature. I would listen to another audiobook narrated by this voice actor.

Ward D

4 ⭐️

Freida McFadden is queen of jaw dropping endings!
Amy a medical student doing a rotation in the psych ward where her friend well ex-best friend is a patient the main question is will Amy make it to the end of shift?
Very quick read binge worthy.
I read books for fun not to see if everything written is accurate or believable so with that being said yes I liked it.
But one quick question
Where can I find that super strong floss at?? 😂

Ward D by Freida McFadden was a good book! Not my all time favorite of hers, but still a quick and easy read with unpredictable twists. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narrator. I also liked the past and present timeline and the usual suspense you've come to know and love.

3.5 stars

Ward D had most of what I look for in a thriller- fast-paced, easy, with lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed it and will continue to read Freida McFadden!

As with the other books I’ve read by this author, you absolutely have to suspend belief while reading- there is not a lot of believability in her storytelling. And that’s fine with me but not for everyone!

I truly did not enjoy the narrator in the audiobook- I think I would have found the main character less annoying if she’d been narrated by someone else.

I really like the narrator, Leslie Howard. I think she’s great at portraying the different characters and overall feel of the book. This was the first book of hers I have read/ listened to. Sadly, I just couldn't get very interested in it. I listened to the audiobook and tried speeding it up to get through it faster but I’m finding the writing overly simple and the main character immature. I also don’t like the way mental illness is portrayed as “crazy” over and over again. Theres already a stigma society has when it comes to mental illness and one of the reasons people are afraid to get help. I think wording could of been different while still bringing a sense of fear. I also think the MC should of been thinking of schizophrenia in terms of how it affects the brain and body medically since she is studying to become a doctor. Mental illness is an illness just like heart or lung conditions. The MC could of discussed how the illness affects the brain and how medication can help but also why people stop taking the meds. Because of this I could not believe the MC was a medical student. If you want a quick easy read this might be good for you. 2 stars for the story and another added for the narrator for 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest opinion/review.