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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
holy fuck, why is no one talking about this book?! i saw it on netgalley as an audio ALC and randomly requested it, and i'm so glad i did! not only are the narrators absolutely incredible, but the story had me hooked from the start.
from the first few pages, you know that something's off. i had an idea of what was happening, but the brilliance of this book is that it kept me second guessing myself until the very end. is the mild-mannered mailman main character unreliable, or is there really a huge conspiracy going on? the feeling of being watched is palpable on every page — think the truman show, on steroids. the interwoven frame narrative is full of creeping dread and paranoia. the writing is so immersive and well done that i literally forgot that there was a story inside a story (inside a story)!
thanks to blackstone publishing for the audio copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
from the first few pages, you know that something's off. i had an idea of what was happening, but the brilliance of this book is that it kept me second guessing myself until the very end. is the mild-mannered mailman main character unreliable, or is there really a huge conspiracy going on? the feeling of being watched is palpable on every page — think the truman show, on steroids. the interwoven frame narrative is full of creeping dread and paranoia. the writing is so immersive and well done that i literally forgot that there was a story inside a story (inside a story)!
thanks to blackstone publishing for the audio copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An intriguing short story about the town of Bethlam, Nevada, a small but perfect town. However, one day, Hank Davies, a postal worker, notices that a letter that he needs to deliver was blank, and life isn't what it seems and he starts to uncover the truth behind the town of Bethlam and realizes that his memories of his life, might all be a lie.
I was hooked from the first page of this book as more was revealed. While I do wish that there was a bigger reveal at the end that just shocked me, in addition to the smaller reveals throughout the story, I do think that this book was executed pretty well in terms of adding a "world of madness "and thriller aspect to this book. Even though I knew where the book was going, it still made me question everything and who was a part of it all.
Thank you to Jon Bassoff, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
I was hooked from the first page of this book as more was revealed. While I do wish that there was a bigger reveal at the end that just shocked me, in addition to the smaller reveals throughout the story, I do think that this book was executed pretty well in terms of adding a "world of madness "and thriller aspect to this book. Even though I knew where the book was going, it still made me question everything and who was a part of it all.
Thank you to Jon Bassoff, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC!
🎧 The Memory Ward by Jon Bassoff
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot, Dawn Harvey, Janina Edwards
⭐ Overall Rating: 4/5
🎧 The Memory Ward by Jon Bassoff
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot, Dawn Harvey, Janina Edwards
⭐ Overall Rating: 4/5
📖 Quick Summary:
A mailman in a quiet town starts realizing things aren’t adding up—his memories, his past, even the town itself. The more he digs, the weirder things get.
A mailman in a quiet town starts realizing things aren’t adding up—his memories, his past, even the town itself. The more he digs, the weirder things get.
💭 What I Liked:
✔️ The whole vibe is unsettling in the best way. You know something is off, but you’re never quite sure what.
✔️ The mystery kept me hooked, and there were some legit surprises.
✔️ Plays around with memory and identity in a way that makes you question everything.
✔️ Bronson Pinchot’s narration was spot on.
✔️ The whole vibe is unsettling in the best way. You know something is off, but you’re never quite sure what.
✔️ The mystery kept me hooked, and there were some legit surprises.
✔️ Plays around with memory and identity in a way that makes you question everything.
✔️ Bronson Pinchot’s narration was spot on.
🤔 What Didn’t Work for Me:
❌ Some parts were a little too vague, to the point where I wasn’t sure if I was confused in a good way or just plain lost.
❌ A few side characters felt like they existed just to push the plot along.
❌ The pacing was a bit uneven. Some stretches had me locked in, but others dragged a little.
❌ Some parts were a little too vague, to the point where I wasn’t sure if I was confused in a good way or just plain lost.
❌ A few side characters felt like they existed just to push the plot along.
❌ The pacing was a bit uneven. Some stretches had me locked in, but others dragged a little.
🎙️ Narration & Audio Performance:
Pinchot absolutely nailed the creepy, detached tone. The other narrators were good too, but nothing special. A solid audiobook overall, but Pinchot carried most of it.
Pinchot absolutely nailed the creepy, detached tone. The other narrators were good too, but nothing special. A solid audiobook overall, but Pinchot carried most of it.
📖 If You Liked...
- The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
- Wayward Pines by Blake Crouch
- Severance (TV Series)
💬 Final Thoughts:
This one really worked for me. It’s weird, unsettling, and kept me guessing the whole time. Not perfect; Some parts were a little too ambiguous, and not all the characters stood out, but the story and atmosphere made up for it. If you like psychological thrillers that mess with your head, definitely worth checking out.
dark
emotional
funny
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
The Memory Ward by Jon Basoff is a psychological thriller that follows a protagonist who, after losing his memory, finds himself trapped in a mysterious town where he seems to be the subject a large-scale science experiment. He suddenly- and then repeatedly as he regains and loses his memory- realizes he is in a Truman Show-like environment, where everyone is in on the science experiment except him.
If you enjoy Severance, I think you’ll enjoy this story. In Severance and in The Memory Ward, the pains that the characters go through to remember- to find out who they were before having their memories erased- are heartbreaking at times. The same way Mark in Severance gets his memory wiped to forget about the pain of losing his wife, the protagonist and others in The Memory Ward make similar decisions to get away from pain (or jail time), only to end up searching for themselves over and over as the medical procedure wears off.
There are some haunting dialogue and messages in The Memory Ward. When the protagonist realizes the postal mail he has been “delivering” to neighbors for years were blank papers in envelopes, he complains “what a waste of time,” only to be told by his father “hour after hour wasted? Don’t worry; everybody’s life is that way.” Cue me, thinking about how I am scrolling endlessly on Instagram. This book made me think about how I lead my life, for sure.
The voice narration by Bronson Pinchot is terrific. He voices the roles so well; it was a pleasure to hear him. I didn’t want the story to end.
I highly recommend this novel for people who enjoy Severance, and/or liked Brain Damage and Do You Remember by Freida McFadden.
I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of “The Memory Ward” by Jon Bassoff, courtesy of Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley. This novel explores the theme of memory and the disorientation of being trapped in a world that feels perpetually unfamiliar. The pacing of the book is well-timed, engaging me in a continuous effort to connect the dots throughout the narrative.
“The Memory Ward” has a vibe reminiscent of the show “Severance,” making it a compelling read for fans of psychological and existential mysteries. It was a quick read, packed with interesting plot twists that kept me intrigued and eager to see how each twist would unfold. Overall, the deep dive into the intricacies of memory and identity was thoroughly enjoyable.
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Meet Hank Davies, a kind-hearted mailman who lives in an idyllic small town. Hank is recovering from a recent accident under the watchful eyes of his doting wife when suddenly a disturbing undercurrent is shaken loose from the fabric of his perfect world. Hank, and all of us, are suddenly face to face with an identity crisis of Inception-like proportions.
The building of tension was masterful, particularly at the start of the book. I felt myself being pulled down the rabbit hole into the various dimensions of Hank, as well as the characters in his orbit. The opening chapters were dripping with dramatic irony, as the reader is quickly clued into the strange nature of Hank's reality before he starts to come to the realization himself. The reveals happen in stages; we wend our way through false starts and psychological mazes and games before landing at the next level, and then the next, and then…? That's all you're getting from me on the "reveal," you will just have to read this one yourself to find out! (And careful reading reviews that may give away too much)
The publisher sent me the audiobook version of this book, so I would like to mention that the narrators were all fantastic (was this really Bronson Pinchot? What a gem!) Sometimes I prefer reading a book with my eyeballs, but in this case the narrators really added to the enjoyment of the book. The acting was very well done, and all the narrators' voices were pleasant to listen to, adding to the overall experience of storytelling. Pinchot's portions especially created a sense of unease at the start of the book, even as our protagonist seemed to be living an idyllic life.
The shifting nature of reality in this book is one of my absolute favorite treats to find in a Sci-Fi book. If you love those classic 1950s Twilight Zone episodes, this will be right up your alley. I would classify this book as a psychological thriller with Sci-Fi and speculative elements, but horror fans will also enjoy this. Classic Sci-Fi enthusiasts will definitely want to check this out -- this felt very reminiscent of Phillip K. Dick, particularly the book Cosmic Puppets and his short story "We Can Remember it for You Wholesale."
Thank you NetGalley, Jon Bassoff, and Blackstone Publishing for sending me this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
The premise and initial set-up were compelling. That little blip, where something reveals itself to be unsettlingly, but subtly off and slowly but inexorably the illusion starts peeling away builds dread well. Who can you trust? Who is stuck with the main characters and who is keeping them trapped? Is anything safe when everything starts to look like part of the conspiracy? When the characters can’t trust their own minds? It lends itself well to psychological horror and paranoia.
But it plateaued. I felt ahead of the characters in terms of figuring out where things were going and the pace slowed down so that gap was dragged out. Hank and the others trapped in the experiment also got away with a lot without too many major consequences, which killed the tension of worrying that someone would realize they know too much or that there’s some way of watching/controlling them that they haven’t realized yet.
But it plateaued. I felt ahead of the characters in terms of figuring out where things were going and the pace slowed down so that gap was dragged out. Hank and the others trapped in the experiment also got away with a lot without too many major consequences, which killed the tension of worrying that someone would realize they know too much or that there’s some way of watching/controlling them that they haven’t realized yet.