The Memory Ward by Jon Bassoff is a psychological thriller. It's a dark and atmospheric thriller. What a story full of twists and turns! I really enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy.

Speculative fiction straight out of the twilight zone and black mirror combining element from The Truman show (initially) and then later Stepford wives. The whole book gave me a sort of dejavu vibe. Have I read or seen something similar before?
The setting seems to mirror a 1950/60s time period, however I believe that was all smoke and mirrors and the real setting is actually present day or near future.
The book is split into different parts each part told by a different character all of which live in Bethlam, Nevada and idyllic picture perfect town where the residents are definitely not what they seem.
I listened to this on audio which provided a different voice for each character, which is always welcomed but I do have to say the voice of the main character Wally was really really off putting. Whether intentional or not (i actually think the former) this characters voice sounded meek and unintelligent often with a slight stutter. I understand voice acting and to a certain degree matched the character but wasn't needed it could have been portrayed differently and it really put me off the book a lot of the time. The rest of the narrators where excellent.
Without giving too much away I have to add that the pace of the book was very slow and repetitive (although the repetition makes sense) however there isn't much happening. A LOT of gaslighting (again makes sense) but incredibly frustrating because the pace is so slow and we as the reader are already 10 steps ahead and waiting for the book to catch up. It's not that we realised the twist (can we call it a twist) for me at least it was all very obvious what was going on we just needed to get there. Most of the action is presented to us in the last third of the book where pace picks up but in an effort to be 'original or clever' the author fell into the trap of adding drama and detail for the sake of shock value which was unnecessary.
The ending? Well I think it can be taken both way and again was trying to be 'clever' and was not well executed. Sometimes sticking to the plan is the best way.
An unfortunate execution to what could have been an excellent premise.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing who provided me with an audiocopy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to like this book so bad….and I really got hooked in the very first few chapters and then it went down hill fast. It was very repetitive with the same story told from different people but still was all the same. Overall the story concept was very much like a Twilight Zone episode that went on for way too long. The concept was there but the execution for me was lacking. The ending made me annoyed.

This one was very reminiscent of The Twilight Zone! I love a “what’s real and what isn’t real” book and I was intrigued from the beginning. The story was creepy and atmospheric, with a constant unsettling vibe. I think I just needed…more. A bigger twist, more twists, something. The pacing was slow throughout the whole book and never really quite picked up. I also feel like the narrator was a little off-putting and not in a good way. Overall it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for my gifted copy!

I am going to give this a three because I just couldn’t get into it. It felt like this was a plot I’ve read a dozen times. The narrator did a great job!

This was definitely a different book. It seemed to cross multiple genres. It made for an interesting listen. Wasn’t one of my favorites but was still not too bad.

Was this horror or sci-fi or just a psychological thriller? You tell me!

I liked the way this started out. Very intriguing. We have the whole "what’s real, what’s imagined?" theme throughout. Later, it definitely felt like the Truman Show. There are moments where it feels like things are intentionally unclear, but at times it crosses the line into frustratingly ambiguous. I did start to get bored about 3/4 of the way through. Didn't like the ending, it was too gory and unnecessary.

Memory Ward has that creepy, unsettling vibe you’d expect from a Stephen King novel—just without all the gore. It pulls you into a strange, dreamlike world where you’re never quite sure what’s real, which makes for a pretty tense and eerie read.

That said, the story can be a bit too vague at times. Some parts feel like they’re leading somewhere but never really pay off, and the characters, while interesting, don’t always feel fully fleshed out. It’s definitely more of a slow-burn psychological horror, so if you like your stories straightforward and neatly wrapped up, this one might not be for you.

Overall, it’s a decent read with a cool, unsettling atmosphere, but it left me wishing for a little more clarity and depth.

*3.5 rounded up*
This book was quite enjoyable! Let's get the negatives out of the way first. There were 2 reasons why I almost rounded down to 3 stars instead of up to 4:

1. I hated the narration. The narrator made most characters sound like a robot with unrealistic breaks in their speech - it seemed like small pauses after almost every word. It was AWFUL!
2. The ending was confusing. It doesn't have to be wrapped up perfectly, but I really had no clue what had just happened. You think you have all the answers, then, not in a good way, you end with "wait, what?"

Okay, onto the good...
I loved the Black Mirror vibe of this story & trying to figure out what was going on. Given the title, you have a pretty good starting point & it's not completely a mystery, but there's still plenty you don't know. It would make a great movie! I also thought the characters were very well done & the pacing was spot on. I really wish I would've had a physical copy of the book. I think I would've enjoyed it so much more without the narration. I'll be keeping an eye out for more by this author!

Since I read the premise of this one I knew I wanted to read it. While this book wasn’t exactly what I thought it’d be, it also still was in some ways.

The Memory Ward by Jon Bassoff is a one-sitting type of read. By the end of chapter one you are all in and by chapter four you have to finish reading to see where the plot going.

While this was a fun read I found the pacing a little too slow, but it still kept me entertained. It felt reading a book version of Pleasant Ville and The Truman Show with a hit of We’ve Come to Welcome You.

This would make an excellent limited series! I think it’d work well, maybe better than reading it.

Quick fun read that begs you to find out what is going on. The writing is intriguing with eerie vibes and the main character pushes the plot along. I liked the sci-fi angle of the book.

The audio was also well done. I listened while following along.

Def a thought-provoking read that begs discussion! If given the option I think I’d have what’s in the book (no spoilers) done to me.

4-5 hr read

Thank you NetGally for the audiobook ARC, but sadly I was not engaged, and while I wanted to like this book,, I did not finish it.

Postal employee Hank Davies lives in idyllic Bethel, Nevada, where the residents are friendly, the crime is low, and life is comfortable.... until one day he realizes all of the letters he's been delivering have been blank. As some of the residents begin to realize he senses something is off, they start approaching him with some of their own suspicions.

I liked this one initially. The beginning has definite Truman Show vibes and I felt like I could picture the miniseries in my head but unfortunately something about the narration just made me feel like the main character just wasn't smart enough to put the pieces together and he ended up needing his dad and some other people to just tell him. Such a good idea I just didn't love the execution. I still think it would make a great mini series where maybe the creepy angle could be pushed a little further.

🔎 Speculative fiction
🤯 Twists + red herrings
🗣️ Multiple POV
📖 One sitting read
🏠 Small town Nevada setting

“𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.”

This was so utterly BIZARRE. A fast paced, mind bending fever dream of a book that had me so confused but also captivated, unable to stop listening.

This was my first book by this author + they weren’t lying when they described it as a “russian doll of a novel”. Eerie, unsettling and riveting, this will pull you in headfirst + have you questioning reality as the truth is divulged piece by piece in a claustrophobic, nightmarish tale.

Although marginally repetitive at times due to the format (no spoilers but I did at one point think I’d accidentally started the book again🥲) this was spectacularly plotted and, after a slower start, picks up the pace and moves along quickly. A quick and entertaining read that read like a blend of 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 and 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠.

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑃𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 & 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤. 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛. 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝐼𝐺 (@𝑟𝑒𝑑ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙) & 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ.

Although predictable, I enjoyed this eerie and atmospheric mind-bending speculative fiction about a man named Hank Davie who lives in Bethlam, Nevada. Bethlam is a safe and quaint little town with charming neighbors on the surface, but things are seldom what they appear to be. This had strong The Truman Show + The Stepford Wives + Paradise vibes. The narrator did a fantastic job keeping the story suspenseful throughout. A huge thank you to NetGalley, Jon Bassoff and Blackstone Publishing Audiobooks for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The town is called Bethlam but it really should be Eden; life is perfect there. Everyone knows each other. Everyone has a job. There is no crime. The day starts and ends the same way every single day.
Our main character is Hank, the postman, who lives with his demented father. His repetitive delivery job is shaken when one of the letters on his route is open and a blank paper falls out. Who mails blank papers?
This the start of Hank's awakening to his not so perfect world.
Think the Truman Show but exceedingly spookier.
As a reader, I did get as confused as Hank did in the slow unveiling of this idyllic society and why it existed. Had I a paper version I might have been impelled to turn the pages and read faster to discover the next revelation. The audio version kept me listening at the pace necessary to maintain the atmosphere of this bizarre new reality.

Thank you Blackstone audio for the review copy of The Memory Ward, this was a wild and fascinating, kind of bonkers in a good way, audiobook. I have not read this this author before but will be looking for his next book!
What really worked as excellent narration from Bronson Pinchot that kept me engaged and set a moody, but also curious/quirky, tone that moved into growing suspense and suspicion as the main character uncovered what was happening around and to him. This is an excellent plot that is really well done on audio, I will be recommending this one for a while!

I’m not quite sure how to feel about this book which is a bit Black Mirror meets Truman Show. It was an interesting premise (postman learns he’s had his memories and old self erased with new implanted memories). The style felt a bit dated, like I was reading something from the 1950’s and some of the characters felt a bit much. It was propulsive and the audiobook narrator did a good job of keeping me roped in but ultimately I’m probably not the ideal audience for this book.

This book explored really intriguing themes! I loved the psychological aspects. However, I had a hard time connecting with the story and that is obviously on me and not the book. I recognize that it has great potential to appeal to other mystery/thriller readers and I encourage others to try it out! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC.
3.5
I really enjoyed listening to this, I sped through it pretty quickly. The premise is trippy.. very 1950s perfect town with perfect neighbors…. You know something is off but it’s not exactly clear. It’s a little too idealistic . I don’t want to give too much away on the trope or comparisons however I highly suggest the audio, the narrator did a great job capturing the Candace of the character which imo played a big part. A little eerie, a little speculative. I feel like this book was enjoyable but the speculative nerd in me would have liked more of a backstory. However someone serve its purpose and are a short effective read and I highly suggest giving this a go

This was NOTHING like it thought it was and that made all the difference. It was such a thrill to follow along and see who the true "bad guy" is. It felt very futuristic, and dystopian (A great combo for me). I enjoyed the jumping with time frames and how the character would always go back to his not so great tendencies.