What can I say, I actually thought this book was more suited to a YA audience. We sell a lot of her books at the store where I work so I thought I would try one but to me it was average, engaging at first but then quite silly, like watching a really bad horror movie.
So many things didn’t make sense and the plot was unbelievable. A student spends the night in a locked in psych ward and of course things start to go wrong.
Not for me I’m afraid.

#WardD. #NetGalley

I don't read this author for depth but she's perfect for a reading slump or to recommend to students looking for a propulsive read (especially ones who don't like to read). This was quick and had some great twists which is exactly why I pick these books up! Yes there are some issues with the depiction of mental illness but if anyone is picking up Freida McFadden for realism or nuanced characters, they are in the wrong place.

Ward D
by Freida McFadden
Pub Date: March 4, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book was previously published in 2023 so with great surprise I saw it offered again in 2025.
Medical student Amy Brenner is spending the night on a locked psychiatric ward.

Amy has been dreading her evening working on Ward D, the hospital’s inpatient mental health unit. There are very specific reasons why she never wanted to do this required overnight rotation. Reasons nobody can ever find out.

And as the hours tick by, 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.

Amy’s worst nightmare was spending the night on Ward D.

This has all the things you want in a psychological thriller. Locked up in the psych ward overnight for a twelve hour shift, Amy, a medical student, is already terrified. But then her childhood best friend is a patient in the ward. Crazy and crazier.... and always when you think you might get a happy ending, Ms McFadden throws in.....

A fantastic book! It kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Freida McFadden has a great way of telling a story, and this book is no exception. Thank you for letting me read it.

If you’re a Frieda fan you will definitely enjoy this one. But I must warn you. You won’t want to put it down!
A medical student who turn it is to do a shift in a locked psychiatric unit is worse than she ever expected. Amy was concerned about her shift on Ward D. A shift that ends up being worse than she could ever imagine.
A book that will keep you guessing.

Ok read, but I felt like I was actively trying to ignore the glaring inaccuracies in the portrayal of psych facilities/patients. It did keep me guessing on whether or not the main character was a reliable narrator!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC! Re-releasing March 4, 2025.

Amy Brenner is very apprehensive about the overnight shift in the locked psychiatric unit she has to do as part of her medical school training. She has visited Ward D before, when her best friend Jade was a patient there during their high school days. So beyond the fear of what she might encounter from the presumably dangerous patients, Amy has to grapple with unpleasant memories of her friend's breakdown. Once Amy arrives, she is dismayed to see that her ex-boyfriend, Cameron, is going to be doing the shift with her. He broke up with her because he wanted to focus on his studies, so she really isn't thrilled to be put into close contact with him again. As they are shown around the ward, they are given the code to allow them to get out of the locked door, should an emergency arise. The cell phones they brought with them don't work, so there is the added pressure of feeling cut off from the outside world. As Amy and Cameron look through files and talk with patients, they are aware of the two locked seclusion rooms that are on the floor. One has a dangerous patient locked inside, since the decision has been made to transfer him to a more secure facility in the morning. They hear him constantly trying to get out of the room and generally causing a ruckus, but there are no windows into the room so no one is able to check on him. As the night wears on, more and more strange things happen, and Amy grows more anxious. The events of the evening are interspersed with her recollections of her high school friend Jade and the events that lead to her being admitted to Ward D all those years ago.

I enjoyed the story and the suspenseful events. It was hard to know who to trust and which events were actually happening, and which might be part of Amy's growing alarm and worry. There were a few things that didn't seem to fully add up, but if you put those aside, the story is certainly a page-turner and I really liked the few final surprises in the epilogue.

“Ward D” by Freida McFadden starts off with a bang. Immediately after reading Chapter 1, I was instantly hooked as I always am by anything McFadden writes. I’ve been a huge fan of hers ever since I read “The Housemaid” as her style of writing, great storytelling, insane plot twists, and how she fleshes out characters are all top-notch.

In “Ward D”, I loved how she had alternating timelines that helped fill in the backstory and add more context to what was going on in the present. This is very hard to do but McFadden did it flawlessly as all the layers of suspense were awesome while reading. There are even some alternating timeline chapters that leave on a cliffhanger that I just couldn’t wait to see what ended up happening.

The overall story is fantastic and as usual with McFadden, it’s always a thriller that keeps you on your toes until a crazy plot twist or insane reveal happens. Don’t worry, I won’t ruin anything for you but this is an addictive story with a lot of tension, suspense, and some good twists that were decent for the most part.

Wow - talk about having mixed feelings about a book! Ward D by Freida McFadden definitely brought those out for me.

Amy Brenner, med student, is scheduled to spend the night working on the hospital's in-patient mental health ward as part of her training. She is NOT looking forward to it. In fact, she's dreading it. Spending the night on Ward D is truly one of her worst nightmares. And that's how she feels BEFORE they lock the door behind her!!

What I like about the book:

- McFadden does a good job of laying out the story so that suspense builds and grows to a high level.
- The book is fast paced and engaging.
If that's all you want in a read, you'll enjoy this one.

What I don't like about the book:

- The portrayal of people with mental health issues is both negative and uneducated, feeding old inappropriate stereotypes. While I realize the book was written for entertainment purposes, unless the genre is fantasy or science fiction, I have an expectation for authors to portray things in a somewhat realistic manner.
- The characters are either lacking in depth or overblown.
- Some of the twists and turns require the reader to suspend all belief in reality.

A quick and engaging read, but one that ended up bothering me more than entertaining me.

My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for permitting me to access a DRC of the novel via NetGalley. Publication is 3/4/25. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Spooky asylum vibes and a MC questioning her sanity. The story kept me engaged like any other Freida McFadden book even though I could kind of predict where it was going. I still liked this book even if it went where I thought.

Ward D by Frieda McFadden is an absolutely gripping psychological thriller that deserves all five stars. From the very first chapter, McFadden pulls you into a twisted, dark narrative filled with suspense and unexpected turns. The story takes place in a mental health ward, where the protagonist finds herself trapped in a web of lies, manipulation, and shocking secrets.

McFadden’s writing is sharp and immersive, with a pacing that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The characters are complex and compelling, especially the protagonist, whose struggle with trust and survival is both heartbreaking and intense. The sense of claustrophobia in the hospital setting adds to the tension, making every page pulse with anticipation.

The twists in Ward D are expertly executed, taking the reader down a path they never saw coming. McFadden is a master of psychological suspense, building an atmosphere of dread that lingers long after the book ends. The way the plot unravels is nothing short of brilliant—full of surprises, dark secrets, and a final revelation that will leave you stunned.

This book is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. It’s dark, addictive, and thought-provoking—definitely one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. Five stars without a doubt! I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Press for an advanced copy of McFaddens upcoming novel," Ward D". Emily is a med student who unfortunately needs to do a night shift in Ward D, the psych ward of the hospital. She is anxious from the start, worried that someone will confuse her with the patients. As the night begins, odd things start to happen, but the most puzzling event is that she finds out her childhood best friend is a patient in the ward. The night unravels and in typical McFadden fashion, nothing ever is as it seems. I enjoyed this book, but this one was a little more predictable with the surprises being less punchy.

Such an amazing book and will keep you guessing until the very end. Every time I think I've figured it out, something happens and I'm right back where I started. Frieda McFadden is amazing and one of my absolute favorite authors.

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy!

This novel follows Amy, a medical student who is dreading a night shift in Ward D, but she dreads it for an unknown reason which slowly gets revealed as the book goes on. The book shifts between two timelines, the present and when she was a high school student. It almost felt as though there were little separate storylines going on which made me wonder what it had to do with the main plot. The end confused me a little bit but at the same time, it was kind of perfect. I find it hard to read consistently when a book is boring, but this one was really fast-paced - I finished this book in a day. The mental health representations are definitely off, so if you're expecting something related to the importance of mental health there isn't any of that. In fact, a lot of the disorders mentioned didn't necessarily link to the characters and what they did...? But overall, as a thriller book, this was a really fun read. There were lots of plot twists and lots of chapters had like a mini cliffhanger which made you excited to read on. The whole story takes place over one night, which also makes it feel very thrilling and fast paced.

I enjoyed 93% of this book but am so soooo very upset with the ending. I did find this was enjoyable and as always, her books are very nice to fly through!

Ward D follows a med student working in a psych ward for the night, I like the psychiatric side of her writing more than just the crime side. The crime side tends to feel unrealistic and leave me disappointed… which is where I found myself at the end of this book. This gets 3 stars because I enjoyed nearlyyy the whole book!

This is the fifth book I’ve read by this author, and oh my god, the suspense kept me hooked until the very end! I’m a huge fan of her writing style and her plotlines. I found myself doubting every character. As for the plot twist, I kind of saw it coming. I had a theory that turned out to be partially right. Still, it was an excellent read, and I absolutely loved it.

That being said, I am never reading another psychological thriller set in a psychiatric ward… especially not at 2 a.m. !

The book has a slow burn but it builds the story keeping you enthralled in the plot, I never saw the ending coming. Would recommend if you are a fan of thrillers.

Freida has done it again. All of her books have the best twists and turns. While this one wasn't my absolute favorite (I've never really been a fan of medical books), I still really enjoyed it because of her writing style.

I was on EDGE reading this book, I don't think I've ever felt so tense when reading, I could feel Amy's panic.
A must read thriller.
4 stars.