this one had such a promising premise creepy small town ,blank letters, hidden messages, and that unsettling sense that something’s really off. i was drawn to the themes of memory, identity and paranoia, and the unreliable narration kept me guessing what was real and what wasn’t.

but as much as i liked the atmosphere, the story didn’t fully deliver for me. the twist was way too easy to spot and the tension never quite built up the way i expected from a thriller. it felt more like a slow literary exploration than a true psychological mystery-horror.

i think it’ll work for readers who enjoy introspective, unsettling reads. but if you’re looking for major twists or intense suspense, it might leave you a bit underwhelmed.

Thankyou @netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the audiobook

I couldn’t finish this audio book. I did not like the narrator. I was immediately turned off and bored. I’m interested in the story, though, so I’ll read a physical copy.

The Memory Ward by Jon Bassoff
4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I am truly torn on how to rate this book. I was so invested, I thought about this book constantly. I spent the entire book confused, convinced I knew what was happening, and then going right back to confused. The ending frustrated me, I wanted it to end in a really conclusive way.

Is it the memory ward? Is it mental illness? Is anything real? Was anyone in the story real? AM I REAL??

If you enjoy ambiguous endings, this is for you! If you want it to have a solid clear cut ending, maybe just know it’s a good book and I’m so intrigued by it.

Absolutely hooked and loved every second of this book. To the point where I found myself sitting in my driveway not wanting to have to go inside and stop listening. If you have been chasing the vibes of Vivarium and Don't Worry Darling in book form, this book is for you!

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

CN. A lot of things referenced, including SA, Child Abuse, Child Murder.

I am really not sure how I feel after finishing this.

The various audiobook narrators were all great and I was gripped by the story until the very end when things continued to twist...

Without spoiling too much I can see this is a bit of a nightmare Truman Show situation, which begins to unravel very early on.

The core premise is great and conveyed very effectively, but where it ultimately goes I just didn't enjoy.

It's incredibly hard to discuss without spoilers, but it is very clear from the title, blurb, and intial pages that mental health plays a bit part in this book. I am someone with complex post traumatic stress disorder, autism, and ADHD. I have been living with and suffering the negative effects on mental health my entire life, so this is a topic I am invested in and absolutely have skin in the game as it were. I also read Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street recently, which has some broadly similar themes and horrific things referenced. Ward's exquisite and heartbreaking book and the incredible author's note speak to a serious understanding and respect for mental health and it's portrayal and handling in fiction.

I mention these things because, knowing nothing about Bassoff and certainly not casting any aspersions, it reads to me like they do not have the same experience and understanding of mental health. This is not to say that mental health is especially poorly handled in this book and I absolutely don't believe there is any malice or disrespect intended by Bassoff, but there is an element of the very end that made me feel a little like mental health was used as a bit of a gimmick for a final twist in the ending, which took the jam out of my doughnut somewhat.

This was immensely readable/ listenable, pretty much did the whole thing today, and I definitely enjoyed it.

I think if it wasn't for my feelings about the very end I would have given this a mediumly high 4/5, but I think 3/5 is where I ended up.

4⭐
Really, really, REALLY enjoyed this audiobook! What an absolute mind-mess!
I genuinely want to see this turned into a movie/Series one day!

Need to pick up more of Mr. Bassoff's books.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wild ride! There was a feeling of foreboding throughout this entire book. An uneasiness. I felt from the start that I (like the “patients”) were being gaslit. I was constantly questioning myself along with the characters as I couldn’t understand “how did we get here”.

As the book progresses, and the intertwinings of the characters are unravelled, showing how this game of dot to dot finally aligns, was a mouth a gape, forehead smack, lightbulb moment. The jigsaw finally pieced together.

This book was wonderful! The narration in particular was performed excellently. The range of dictations within the narrators voice. The emotion that was conveyed. The urgency, the desperation. All of it was fantastic.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. This dystopian novel had me constantly thinking “what if this happened?” With technology propelling everyday and the global phenomena that is AI, there is a possibility that one day, technology will have the means to manipulate our thoughts, feelings, memories and not just imitators our physical looks.

This book could be an indication of what’s to come.

Overall I rate this 4.25. I thought it was excellent. I will be reviewing this on my TikTok. I am extremely grateful to have been accepted to listen to this book on Netgalley.

Xena_morgan -Tiktok

The Memory Ward is like a twisted version of The Good Place where everyone seems to know the main characters, but something isn't quite right. The narrators seem to have extremely good memories, but can those memories be trusted even when they include snow in a Nevada town?

The story is told in layers with multiple characters describing similar experiences where something is somewhat off such as townsfolk remembering the character's birthday even though the character themselves forgot. I kept guessing what would happen next.

This book gave off strong Black Mirror vibes, and I found the storyline fast-paced and easy to follow. The plot twist took me by surprise, and I wasn’t expecting the direction it ended up taking. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. The narrator did a fabulous job bringing the story to life and kept me fully immersed from start to finish. I think this story would translate well into a movie or limited series.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and overall it was a quick enjoyable read. Right off the bat it reminded me of The Truman Show. It felt like you were spiralling into madness with the lead character while trying to figure out what’s real and what’s not. It’s hard to say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything. I found the end to be quite predictable, but it was still a gripping story. I also thought the voice actor did a great job. It was nice to listen to.

I genuinely liked the premise of this book cause it was so confusing and I kept going to try and guess what was going on. It’s not hard to guess, but you still want confirmation ;) anyway, it was quite interesting, but fell somewhat short in the last few chapters.

This book was twisty and crazy. I loved it! Hank lives in a picturesque town where live seems nearly perfect. Then he starts finding clues that life may not all be what it seems. He goes on a search for answers. I am not sure we as readers/listeners ever get the answers but that makes this book all the more intriguing. A fantastic book!

This thriller kept me intrigued from the beginning. Ive read many thrillers and this one is unique. I’ve never read anything quite like it. I never saw the twists coming up until the very end.

Thank you so much @blackstonepublishing for this copy! This is my first book by @jonbassoff I’m definitely won’t be my last!

✨In Bethlam, Nevada everyone is friendly. Nosy, but friendly. With no crime, why wouldn’t you wanna live there? Everything seems perfect… but for postal worker Hank Davies, he suspects something is off. He accidentally discovers that all the letters he’s carrying are blank, so now he’s sure of it. Hank isn’t the only one starting to notice all the odd things happening. Someone shows up in the middle of the night banging on his window and tells him to check his bedroom wall… Hank goes and pulls back all of the wallpaper to discover a manuscript. A full story that’s either complete madness or unbelievable truth. As he begins to look beyond the veneer of his smiling neighbors and their white picket fences, Hank is drawn further and further into his new disturbing reality.

✨Jeeeez, this was eerie!!! I was pretty sure of the plot early on but you never can be sure which way it’ll go when you’re reading a thriller. I liked the little twist with how some of the residents came to be in Bethlam. The characters are weird in the best way. The way their stories come together was very entertaining.
I enjoyed the atmospheric writing. It really helped to build the tension with the sinister vibes.
This was a little slower than I’d like my thrillers to be but that’s my personal preference because of my attention span but it’s still a very enjoyable pace.
Overall I would definitely recommend but reader beware, there’s some very sensitive topics discussed toward the end. A little too disturbing for my taste but pertinent to the story.

What’s real? Who’s real? And who are you? This mind-bending story takes you on Hank’s journey as he begins to unravel mysteries about his life. The beginning of the book gave me The Truman Show vibes, mixed with maybe some Stepford Wives, Black Mirror, and Twilight Zone. This is certainly not a light hearted book; it takes you on a dark, sinister twisting ride largely revolving around memory.

As I got further into the book, there were times that I thought I was losing my mind. The more information that was revealed, the more confused and intrigued I became.. but also it gave more clarity.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

First off, huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, you’ve officially ruined my ability to trust small towns forever. As always, no fluff, just my completely honest thoughts!

Okay, so picture this: Bethlam, the perfect little town. Like, suspiciously perfect. No crime, no drama, just sunshine, picket fences, and smiles so bright they could blind you. Our main character Hank, a humble postal worker, is just living his best (if slightly boring) life, delivering mail and minding his business… until he realizes the letters he’s been delivering? They’re all blank. Empty pages. Nada. Cue existential crisis.

And that’s when things get really weird.

This book was such a wild ride, I devoured it so quickly because I had to know if my suspicions were correct. Bassoff does an amazing job slowly peeling back the layers of Bethlam’s creepy perfection, and watching Hank unravel piece by piece was equal parts fascinating and terrifying. The whole vibe gave me major Black Mirror energy. You know, that mix of psychological horror and "oh god, this could totally happen" dread? Perfect!

Now, I wish I could say the twists blew me away… but I saw it coming pretty early on. That said, if you’re not a thriller junkie like me, the ending will absolutely knock your socks off. And even though I predicted it, the execution was still so satisfying—tense, eerie, and packed with that "wait, what?" factor that makes psychological thrillers so addictive.

A sharp, unsettling, and seriously entertaining read. If you love mind-bending stories that mess with your head (and make you double check all the people you see), The Memory Ward is 100% worth the ride.

I was confused the whole time. I’m sure there is audience for this book but I’m not it. I don’t think it’s the worse book I’ve read and I think the author is super talented but this book didn’t land for me.

Loved the beginning. The ending not so much. It left me with too many questions. I am one who needs a conclusion, and this book left me wondering what the hell happened. I also thought the characters were very well done & the pacing was spot on.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley.

First thing first, the narrators all knocked it out of the park. Their tone and inflection really added to the intensity and eeriness of the story. As for the story itself, I am a mess. I NEED MORE. GIVE ME MORE.

Okay that was dramatic, but I really enjoyed this. It was a total mindf*ck from start to finish. It slowly builds tension page by page until everything explodes. Even I don’t know what to believe. This was so creative and so well done. I feel like there have been a handful of stories/movies/shows that have flirted with similar ideas but this one has worked the best for me. It was unsettling until the very last word.

ALC 🎧📖 Review: The Memory Ward by Jon Bassoff
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: March 4th

Okay, I did not expect this book to be as crazy as it was! I loved the insanely unique premise. I think it would make a really cool movie, too. Highly recommend checking this one out.

Thank you, @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing, for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

✉️📬🛋️

They say it’s always beautiful in Bethlam, Nevada. No place you’d rather live. The people are friendly, if a little nosy, and there’s no crime to speak of. Life is pretty perfect.

But postal worker Hank Davies has started to suspect something is off in this idyllic little town. And he’s certain of that when he realizes the letters he’s been delivering are just blank pages.

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