I'm a Freida fan. This book is centered around medical student, Amy, who has a fear of the psychiatric ward. The whole book revolves around this fear as Amy has to spend the night in the psychiatric ward as part of her studies. The book was faced-paced as usual. There are a few problematic issues with the book, but you really can't think about this one if you want to enjoy it. It is decent, but not my favorite McFadden book.
Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC to preview.

Freida McFadden does it again. She is the queen of twists and turns. From the beginning of the story until the end, you are held captive wondering what is real and who is telling the truth. I loved this book the first time I read it and cannot wait for other fans and readers to experience a rollercoaster of a ride

As this book is being republished under a different publishing company, right now is a great time to pick this one up.

** spoiler alert ** I'm usually a huge Frieda fan and most of her twists usually catch me a little bit by surprise.

I think I had my expectations set a bit too high with this one. I was waiting for this big huge plot twist to pull me in and make me rethink every scene in the book leading up to it but I didn't feel grabbed like that.

From the start, I was worried I was essentially reading a retelling of Shutter Island. That the mental hospital itself was all set to help the FMC unwrap some of her trauma, and we'd be met with some wild story about the FMC herself, instead... we find it's actually about some random best friend instead. Frieda leans into that a bit with her focus on how anxious and worried the FMC is in the ward when in reality.. she didn't have much of a reason to be that way.

I, like many of the other reviewers, was not super impressed with the portrayal of mental health in the book either. I was surprised given she had a professional in her family to consult with. I expected more on that end given that background.

YOU WILL. NOT BE ABLE TO PUT THIS BOOK DOWN and if this is the first book you’ve read of McFadden’s you’ll be a loyal reader!! As always, her books are quick and suspenseful reads and she ALWAYS leaves you wondering “what just happened” at the end! Kudos for another GREAT book and thanks for the ARC!

Another book that is fast-paced and unputdownable by McFadden. I read this in a day, as I do with most of her books. I would however drop a star because the plot could’ve been better and if the writing was less repetitive at times. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so confused on why this book was on NetGalley, but then I learned it was previously self-published, and that this edition has been updated. I read the back of the book and knew I wanted to read the book. Mental health and wellness are near and dear to my heart. I really wanted to hear a thriller about a psych ward. I saw some reviews, but it is like I did not read the same book.

I think this is the second book I have read by this author so far. It was a very quick read, one that I really did not want to put down at all. I am sure I could have read it in one sitting. I did not see the changes coming, but I knew something was up- matter of fact I was telling a friend about something similar that I read in a non-fiction book last year.

Ward D by Freida McFadden is a psychological thriller full of suspense that will have readers fully engaged throughout. Medical student Amy Brenner is spending the night on a locked psychiatric ward as part of a required overnight rotation. Ward D is the hospitals inpatient mental health unit, and Amy’s worst nightmare. She has specific reasons for dreading this assignment. As the hours go by, something is not right. Patients start to vanish. Who will survive the night?

The characterization is well done. Amy likes to read, follows the rules, is smart, and she's a good listener. However, she is also impressionable. The other characters had the right amount of depth for their roles.

Those who enjoy psychological thrillers will likely enjoy this novel. I felt the book fell into this genre more than horror because it tended to use suspense, ambiguity, and Amy’s mental state more than graphic imagery and startling scares to create terror. However, there is also some of the latter as well.

Using flashbacks to eight years ago, the author eventually reveals the reasons for Amy’s anxiety for this assignment. While there are predictable elements in both timelines, there are also a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming. The pacing is fast and there’s little time to catch one’s breath before another event occurs that causes Amy to be fearful and wonder who she can trust.

Overall, this is a compelling and suspenseful story that kept me rapidly turning the pages. This is my first book by the author and I’m looking forward to reading more of her works.

Poisoned Pen Press and Freida McFadden provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 4, 2025.

This is a horror movie in book form, and I mean that as high praise. It’s a survive the night thriller following a medical student on her first night shift at the psychiatric ward. You’ve got Michael Myers Damon Sawyer and he’s not locked in there with them, THEY’RE LOCKED IN THERE WITH HIM! I could not help but think of the opening scene of ‘Malignant’ with like lightning crashing on an isolated facility and all hell immediately breaking loose. That is such a fun movie and I will recommend it until the day I die (which is hopefully not tonight in Ward D.) Anyway, this book is equally balls to the wall madness and that’s why it was so fun.
So just switch your brain off for once and let yourself enjoy a silly little thriller, because why not?

This was very mediocre and forgettable, but I was engaged in the story the entire time (which is how I feel about most Freida McFadden books that I read).

The synopsis is exactly what you get in this story, so if it sounds interesting, pick it up. There were some fun elements and twists but everything is very surface level and obviously written to “trick” the reader. And personally, I cannot stand when I am obviously being led to think the wrong thing in a mystery/ thriller. All facets of this book (the characters, development, plot, foreshadowing, twists, and writing) are very mediocre. But, i enjoyed that I could turn my brain off and just have a good time reading.

If you care about accurate, empathetic mental health representation, I would not recommend this. If it doesn’t bother you (which is totally fine!) you will probably have better luck with this book, as it will be easier to suspend your disbelief and become more immersed in the story.

TLDR: I had a fun time reading, but I will never think about this again.

Undeniably bingeable, but the storytelling feels padded with unnecessary repetition (as, I feel, do most of Freida's books). The portrayal of mental illness also feels shallow and very insensitive, especially given that the protagonist is a med student who should know better.

This was not my favorite Freida book, and I think it is entirely due to the representation/presentation of mental illness. Amy Brenner is a med student pulling an all-night shift at a lockdown psychiatric ward, Ward D. She is unbelievably anxious heading into this placement, and through brief flashbacks to eight years prior, readers learn why. Ok, this part was fine...but then how the patients were portrayed and Amy's reaction to them just seemed very stereotyped. She was a med student flipping out over the sight of blood (strawberry jelly), referring to patients as crazy/psycho, and overfamiliarity with some patients (Will in particular). Still a fast-paced and engaging read, but not as up to par with her others.

Amy has been dreading her evening working on Ward D, the hospital's inpatient mental health unit. There are specific reasons why she never wanted to do this overnight rotation. Reasons nobody could ever find out. And as the hours tick by, Amy grows increasingly convinced something terrible is happening within these tightly secured walls.

Not one character in this book is trustworthy. And there was so much of the contents that were predictable, but there was something that kept me reading. Who wouldn't be scared doing their first at nighttime on a mental health unit, It's the fear of the unknown. This is a twisted read. There were a couple of characters I liked, both of them were patients in the mental health unit. Will Amy make it saely through the night? You'll need to read this book to find out.

Published 4th March 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress and the author #FrediaMcFadden for my ARC of #WardD in exchange for an honest review;

Flew through this book!!! Such a fun fast read and didn’t not see the twists that came!!!! Definitely one of my favorite books by her!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 Star Review

Freida McFadden you did an outstanding job on this one! I loved this book and all its twist and turns - couldn't peel myself away from it. I was up late at night and rising early in the morning to get some extra reading time in because it had me so intrigued about what happened next. This was truly a page turner.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book!

Who survives the night shift on Ward D?
Read this binge-worthy book to find out, you will not be disappointed!!

Release date March 4, 2025

Freida did not disappoint with this book. This book keeps you guessing throughout the whole book. Fast pace and lots of twists and turns.
Two best friends trying to find their way through High School, but grow in very different directions. Will they stay friends through a deadly night in Ward D?

Freida never disappoints! As an avid reader and librarian, I obviously read a TON of books. Plots often become predictable over time. But Frieda somehow is able to surprise me with at least one--but usually several--plot twists!!! This book was no exception! This was not my favorite of hers, but it was still really fun to read. I enjoyed the characters and trying to figure out who (if anyone) I could trust.

Fast-paced and furious, it's a bad trip to an overnight psychiatric facility. Twisty and turny, but almost predictably so.

The story alternates between two timelines, eight years apart, allowing us to learn about the characters' backgrounds through flashbacks. The main character Amy is a 3rd year medical student and she was portrayed poorly to be that educated. As with all the female leads in McFadden's stories, Amy is a little naive? dense? or too easily misses the plot points.
But, it's another engaging, fun and quick read, even though the female leads can be frustrating at points.
It's definitely a refreshing break from some heavier content stories and highly recommend for a fun time.

Loved this one. Great story with a twist I never saw coming. Freida never disappoints. Great characters you won't soon forget. This book is difficult to put down once you begin the story. Schedule your life accordingly.

Another quick, twisty read from Freida McFadden! If I'm ranking her books though, this one is more of a mid-level read (where as I loved the Housemaid, Never Lie and The Coworker. While this one was equally twisty, I found the voice to be slightly annoying (though this could've just been the age of the protagonist.) But something about the story felt a bit more juvenile than her other ones I've read. Not sure if the mental illnesses that are presented are totally realistic, as I'm not an expert. Though, the presentation did feel nuanced among all the characters. Overall a quick and easy read, though maybe not quite up to the same bar as other books by Frieda McFadden. But if you're a fan and you like fast and wild, then this will definitely be a good read.