Hey guys! I've read yet another Freida book. This one has been on my TBR for a while now, and I read it on a whim the other day. As usual, I absolutely loved it. From this point on, this review will contain spoilers. So if you haven't read it yet and you want to, come back later, or scroll to the bottom to read my thoughts.
Ward D Summary and Review
This one starts when a medical student, Amy Brenner, is required to complete her psychology rotation on a 24-hour locked floor. She is nervous, not just because of the potential dangers, but because she has a secret from her past (shocking!). Her boyfriend, Cameron Berger, who dumped her a few weeks prior switches with another student so he can be there with Amy. As if the night couldn't get any worse for her.
They meet the nurse, Ramona, and the on-call doctor, Dr. Richard Beck and get their assignments for the evening. Everything seems okay, besides one patient. Damon Sawyer. Dr. Beck says he's dangerous and they need to stay away for the secluded room. And never open the door. Amy and Cameron meet several patients, including Spider-Dan, a person with schizophrenia who thinks he's Spiderman, Will who says he hears voices telling him to kill people, and the one person Amy didn't want to see. Jade Carpenter.
Jade is Amy's ex-best friend. They did everything together, until it all went wrong. Jade was a horrible influence, with a troubled home life. One day she encouraged Amy to cheat on her Trigonometry test, so she wouldn't fail. When the teacher became suspicious, Jade went to his home and was going to murder him to keep him from telling the principal. Amy called the police, and that was the first time Jade was hospitalized for bipolar disorder. Amy has another secret, something only Jade knows. When she was a teenager, Amy would see and hear a little girl that's not actually there. Jade gave her a hard time about it, but eventually she ignores it and the little girl goes away.
The night goes on like normal, of course until the murders start. Cameron goes missing first, prompting Amy to think Damon Sawyer has escaped from the seclusion room. One of the other patients comes running out after the power goes out covered in what looks like blood. But Ramona and Dr. Beck laugh and tell it's just strawberry jelly and not freak out. However, the patient gets put in the other seclusion room, screaming. Amy doesn't like it, but there's not much she can do as a student. When the power went out, the code for the door stopped working, so of course, she is trapped in her nightmare.
Things get weirder when Amy gets close to Will. She learns he is also suspicious of what's going on, and is actually a reporter undercover. After being told this, Jade and Dr. Beck rush in and tell her she needs to leave the room. They tell her Will is lying and they think he murdered Mary, the sweet elderly lady who likes to knit. Amy goes to Mary's room and finds her dead, and covered in blood. Ramona and Dr. Beck hold Will down to sedate him, which doesn't bode well.
Amy also read Jade's file and found out she came to the hospital with her boyfriend, after being caught robbing banks with beer bottles. Amy realizes too late that Dr. Beck is actually Damon Sawyer, Jade's boyfriend. They killed the real Dr. Beck, who was the one in the seclusion room. Jade admits that she was drugging Amy, making her see the little girl. Damon and Jade plan to set the hospital on fire, fake their own deaths, and start over. Fortunately, with Spider-Dan's help, Amy is able to stop them and makes it out alive. Also, Amy never stopped seeing the little girl. She's always with her, whispering things she shouldn't do.
Alycia's Thoughts
Ward D is one of Freida's best. My only complaint is that the way the mental illnesses were portrayed isn't exactly accurate, and could be misleading if you're unaware. But I liked the characters, loved the plot, and it keep me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The twist in Ward D was good, although because I've read so many of her books, I could see it coming.
Overall, I'd recommend this one if you enjoy fast-paced thrillers with interesting endings. I rated Ward D four stars. It's definitely worth reading if this is your genre. Have you read it yet? What did you think? Let me know in the comments! Be sure to subscribe for more book reviews and other bookish content.
-xx Alycia
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