This is really fantastic – there’s this great paranoid vibe, and it’s just maddening. Whenever the inmates make any progress, they end up back at the starting point. Even if they manage to leave some information behind, it’s incomprehensible to them after their reset. Their interpersonal relationships, whatever measure of trust they manage to build, that just goes back to zero anytime somebody learns something they shouldn’t.
I want to be careful of what I say here, because I don’t want to spoil any surprises. The reveals are surprising and elegant, and it all makes complete sense by the end. I’m not going to get into further plot specifics here, but it’s really excellent. The story had me guessing the whole time. Ward 6 is not a book to be read casually – you’ll want to give it your full attention. It pays off.
