"Ward D" by Freida McFadden

 

Wow, what a ride! "Ward D"  by Freida McFadden is a breathtaking and dark psychological thriller that follows one night shift of a medical student in a locked psychiatric unit. Yes, it is as creepy as it sounds.

Amy Brenner is a third-year medical student who, along with another student is assigned to an overnight shift in a locked psychiatric ward, Ward D, as part of her studies. She isn't very enthusiastic about it, to say the least, and even dreads it, but has no choice in the matter. Her anxiety increases when she sees a couple of familiar faces in the unit. It doesn't help when she is told by some of the patients that a dangerous patient that was supposed to be in seclusion is on the loose and threatens to kill them all. 

The tension keeps rising when strange things start happening in the ward, and the lack of internet connection prevents any outside contact. As the night goes on, the patients become more and more perturbed. it is obvious that something is not as it should be on that ward. Add to that flashbacks from her past that provide useful insight into Amy's fears, and you got one heck of a story.

This is my first book by the author but definitely not the last. I loved the story and couldn't stop reading it. It was well written, well plotted, and kept me interested throughout the book. I think it will make a great movie. The book is written in the third POV, from Amy's perspective, and jumps back and forth between the present day (the night in the ward) and the past (eight years previously). I liked the heroine but sometimes wanted to shake her and was afraid for her.

Nothing much happens until the middle of the book, but there is enough plot jumps to keep your head spinning. The build-up suspense is great, and the tense atmosphere jolts the reader and makes him doubt what's going in and who can be trusted. If you like your chill with things that go bump in the night, this is the book for you!

* For more info about the book: "Ward D" by Freida McFadden

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.