The Ward

Written by Jordana Frankel

Narrated by Merritt Hicks

Jordana Frankel’s thrilling and imaginative YA dystopian novel The Ward is set in a near-future New York City. A catastrophic flood has washed out Manhattan, leaving the rivers polluted, and entire neighborhoods underwater. Some areas are quarantined because of an outbreak of a deadly disease.
 
The illness, known as the Blight, is killing sixteen-year-old Ren’s sister. Desperate to save her sister’s life, Ren agrees to lead a secret mission from the government to search for a cure. But her quest leads to a confounding mystery beneath the water and an unlikely friendship with a passionate scientist.
 
Readers who love speculative fiction and crave action-packed stories similar to Veronica Roth’s Divergent will find The Ward absolutely unputdownable.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
• Release date: Apr 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9780062253958

Jordana Frankel

Jordana Frankel is a creative-writing instructor at Writopia Lab and a former marketing associate at the Book Report Network. She received her BA from Goucher College and an MFA in creative writing from Hollins University. She currently lives in New York City. The Ward is her first novel.

Reviews for The Ward

[Ashlee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I didn't love the story at first. It took me a few chapters to really get into the story. Then it hooked me deeply! And the audible narration is excellent!

[tripsis_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

BookNook — Young Adult book reviewsOverall, I thought The Ward was a really interesting and intriguing story. In some ways, it surprised me. The Ward has more of a fantasy spin than I originally anticipated. I think I expected a lot more realistic science; and while The Ward does have science in it, it's more rooted in fantasy (in my opinion). They do try to pass of the fantastical elements as science, but I didn't quite buy it. But whatever. It was still a good read!This story is very much focused on Ren trying to save her sister (who isn't actually her sister, but pretty much is in every way except for blood). Ren's sister—Aven—is a victim of the terminal virus that's spreading throughout Manhattan. Ren is desperate to find a cure or some kind of miracle that can save Aven. I think the bond between Ren and Aven was super sweet. I almost wish we got to experience more of it. There is no shortage of Ren showing her dedication to her sister, but since her sister is sick and basically on her death bed, we don't see them interact that much.The mobile racing aspect of The Ward was really interesting! I haven't read anything quite like it in any other book! It was certainly a cool and original take on futuristic sports! Some of the technical stuff kind of went over my head, but it was still fun to read about! I think the mobile racing complimented the rest of the book quite well, with the broken down Manhattan, the quarantined city, etc.Some people will definitely be refreshed by the lack of romance in The Ward. It isn't completely non-existent, but it almost is. There is an inkling of a romance with one character—Derek—but it is so far from the focal point of the story. This romance is like.. a subplot of a subplot. It is kind of an interesting, complicated relationship for sure! I really loved watching Ren gawk over Derek because that's the one time where she really loses her composure. Her inner dialogue during those scenes was pretty funny! I'm inclined to think that the second book might have more romance in it, and I'm really curious to see how it progresses!I think the place where The Ward could use some work is in the world building. I think I got a pretty good picture of the world Ren lives in, but I never got a clear picture of how that world came to exist. I was most interested in the Wash Out (the event that cause Manhattan to become water-logged) and the virus currently making its way through Manhattan.. but we never get much information about any of those. We only get one tiny tid-bit describing the Wash Out, and it's pretty vague:March's meteor collided with the Antarctic's Pine Island Glacier, and high-temperature gases were released, causing a global rise in sea levelThat's the only explanation of the Wash Out we get. I think I was expecting more of the book to be focused on what the heck happened to Manhattan, but at the end of the day, it's a pretty small piece of the story. And as for the virus, that's also really vague. We never really find out where exactly it came from. We just know that it's there and that there's no cure. I personally really eat up the background information in sci-fi dystopians, and unfortunately The Ward didn't have much of it. Also, we never really find out why Ren is immune to the virus, and even she never seems to question it. Hopefully this will be expanded upon in book two because that seems like a pretty huge deal, but no one gives it much thought! There's also one other area that lacked details, but it's a little spoiler-esque, so I won't go into it!Overall, I liked The Ward. Was I blown away by it? Not really. But I do think it's worth reading and some elements of the plot will definitely surprise you!

[jeneaw-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 hearts

The Ward was one that I was very excited for this year, I mean New York City all under water, and a disease that is wiping people out, sounds good to me.

The main character Ren is an interesting protagonist. There is a lot to her, for one she is the only girl racer, which isn’t easy and she deals with a lot of crap for it. But Ren seems to have some pretty tough skin. Sometimes I found myself wanting to shake her for being selfish and such a dare devil, but as the story progressed I began to understand why and she did grow on me. I guess in a world where most people are only out for themselves, you tend to be this way. One thing that stood out the most for me with Ren is her loyalty to Aven. It was quite commendable and Ren does turn out to be a pretty good heroine. Aven is Ren’s sister, was a sweetheart all the way around, but she is sick with Blight, and might not have long to live. Her personality was wonderful, so full of heart and love for Ren.

There are a few secondary characters that were a large part of the story. Callum and Derek. Derek is Ren’s long time crush. At first I wasn’t real sure what to make of him, he is a little older than Ren but he does seem to care for her. There turned out to be more to him than I expected, but he is a pretty good guy. Callum on the other hand, was one mystery that I would love to unravel. What was his real motive with Ren and Aven? Was he really our to help her? He was intellingent and trying so hard to work toward a cure, so I found him to be intriguing and I hope that we get to learn more about him. Now on to the romance, Ren and Derek seemed to have some chemistry, but was a little on the lacking side, but that’s not to say that what we go get to see wasn’t sweet.

This world is one that I wished would have been explained more about, why the flood happened in the first place, and why if there is all this water everywhere, why is their water supply so low? I’m sure a lot of those questions will be answered in due time. The concept was great, with the mobile racing, they mystery of the water and Ren’s determination to save Aven, all made for a fun and exciting read. There was plenty of action once the story got going, maybe not the edge of your seat kinda action, but action that keeps you wanting to know more. Of course there villains, people who were trusted to good, don’t always turn out to be that. Personal agenda’s seem get in the way.

Overall, The Ward was enjoyable, I am curious to see what happens with Ren and Aven and how all of this ends for them. Will they find a cure, will they save her? I think this is a great book, with a fantastic plot and the sequel will be one that I will certainly be picking up.

[samaside · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rising sea levels are a very real danger around the world – though perhaps snot in the way that the author necessarily describes. Though, granted, after the hurricane we saw last year in New York City you might begin to wonder.The Ward takes place in the 2100s after a catastrophic event caused the sea level to rise dramatically. It’s set in a NYC that is largely underwater and survivors live in the ruins of old buildings tall enough to poke out of the water over the remains of the old city. That sounds bad enough but to add to the hardships of the people in the city there is a terrible plague infecting the poorer quarters. It’s gotten so bad that the richer parts of the city have completely quarantined the lower wards. No one gets in or out and it’s been that way for years now. The only people who can cross the border are those working for the specialized police force – nicknamed the Blues – who tyrannize the people under quarantine and arrest those who are contagious as if being sick is the worst crime imaginable.It’s in these poorer quarters that our hero, Ren, lives. She’s a plucky thing and an orphan whose made a place for herself in this crazy world as best as she could. In the poorer quarters there are people who have made a living out of racing futuristic hybrid crafts across the ruins of old buildings and skyscrapers. Ren is a racer – one of the best. She races to win and uses those winnings to make her best friend – a girl she met in the orphanage and who she considers a sister – comfortable in the last days of her illness. She also works for the Blues now as a water scout searching for what she thinks are just fresh water deposits hidden away in springs in the city. But there’s a whole lot more at stake – the future of everyone wealthy and poor – and Ren is just finding that out.Now she finds herself in a tough position with the weight of the city on her shoulders. Throw in the fact that her bookie is suddenly starting to notice her that way, there’s this really hot and cryptic boy named Callum hanging around, and things just seem to get more and more complicated for her. And that’s all before she realizes the truth of what’s going on with the fresh water spring she’s just discovered…So, the Ward?It’s an interesting book.I don’t entirely understand how most of the things in it work. Like, how are you searching for fresh water springs in abandoned buildings? I just don’t understand how that is in any way geologically possible. Nor am I entirely sure how the physics of racing work in this world but none of that really mattered. I could follow it. I enjoyed it a lot. Up until it started taking a supernatural sort of turn. Then it started to lose me.I mean, some of the stuff just didn’t make a whole lot of sense and seemed really out of place to me in the whole grander scheme of things. .What is cool, though, is Ren the racer. I like that they’ve got a girl racer whose sort of showing up the boys on a regular basis. In most racing stories the girls are on the sidelines and there is this assumption a lot of the time that girls just wouldn’t be interested in something like that. Which I think is absolutely wrong. Girls can be just as much of adrenaline junkies as boys and they can appreciate action in a book, too. Harrowing races, daring escapes, action and adventure? Girls like that, too. The only problem I have is how much Ren focused on how plain she as and how pretty other girls were and how much she wanted boys to notice her. So many YA books do that. I wish they wouldn’t. Being pretty isn’t everything. It shouldn’t be, either.Ren is an awesome, strong female lead. Just let the girl be bad ass!That said, the Ward was a good read. Not the best post-apocalyptic story out there but if you like the genre it’s definitely worth a read. I don’t regret it at all. The book is all kinds of exciting and it keeps up a very fast pace that keeps readers interested the whole time. It sets up for a sequel, too, though I don’t know if there is any plan for one to actually be released. They should, though. I think it would introduce readers to a lot more of this world the author had built and provide a whole new opportunity for fast paced action and girls being awesome.In short, it’s a lot of fast paced action for the girls. Worth a read for the adrenaline junkies out there!

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Oh, post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction, I love you so much, but you keep trying to make me stop. The Ward fails to stand out, aside from the largely lackluster writing.Why Did I Read This Book?Because I am a sucker for dystopian fiction. What can I say? I've been burned over and over again, but I keep sticking my hand in the fire. I never claimed to be incredibly intelligent. Well, I think I have claimed that but solely in jest.What's the Story Here?Ren lives her life to support her sister (not biologically but in everything that matters), Aven, who is sick with the Blight. She earns money racing and by scouting for freshwater as a mole for the Blues, the police force. Basically, she finds some fresh water and it can cure diseases, but then there are suddenly a bunch of forces trying to do different things with the water. Ren, of course, is heading up the good guys and trying to make sure her sister and others get cured.And the Romance? There's some sort of half-hearted love triangle going on between Ren, Derek, and Callum. Derek is her bookie and she's been crushing on him for ages, but, now that she's mixed up in things, he's all interested suddenly. Then there's Callum who pretended to be a Blue and sent her on the quest for the fresh she found. He's also rich. So far, it's mostly been all about Ren and Derek, but he's weird and creepy, so I think I would be rooting for Callum if I had to root for someone.What About the Writing? Ugh. There were so many awkward phrases, clearly intended to be thought-provoking or poetic which landed with a thud. I did quite a bit of eye-rolling at stupid sentences. Plus, it was REALLY repetitive. The evil sentence was in this book at least four times, which is just crazy. That's just the top of the iceberg, though. If there's a breath that Ren takes or holds that the reader doesn't have to hear about it, I will consume my bonnet with a freaking cherry on top.Am I Going to Continue with the Series?Nope. Not happening. I don't care about any of these characters one bit. They're flat and failed to make me love them, so, even if I were enthralled with the minimal plot, I probably wouldn't venture forth.How was the Narration?The saving grace of The Ward is that I listened to it, rather than reading a print copy. I love Merritt Hicks as a narrator. Her voice is soothing and a bit huskier than the average female narrator who does YA audiobooks. Her voice matches perfectly with Ren's character too. She makes the story a much more pleasant experience, but she can only do so much with what she's given.

[alcarinqa_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The idea behind this book is interesting, and I think I could have enjoyed it a lot more if it didn't suffer from the weird, stilted romance, and the shaky world building. The Ward is a dystopian novel that takes mixes two staples of mankind's story-telling - the Great Flood myth, and the search for the Fountain of Youth - and turns them into a teenaged girl's adventure. But the book, instead of being clever and exciting, is sluggish and meandering, and there are huge holes and inconsistencies in the world building and premise.A huge flood has caused the Manhattan area to exist mostly under-water, and Ren makes a living racing through the maze in a omni-vehical (it can travel on land, air and water). Meanwhile, she also works for the government, looking for precious fresh water. Plot-hole #1 soon rears it's ugly head - why can't the people of the Ward make their own fresh water using crude desalination plants? All they really need to do is evaporate the water. Now you might say, they can't sanitise the water, and the disease might be in the water! But it's not clear whether the dilapidating plague that exists in the Ward is water-bourne.Ren begins as a cool protagonist, she's smart and brave and independent, and cares deeply for her best-friend-come-sister, who is sick with the plague. She quickly becomes a simpering, quivering mess of a girl when she's around Derek, the bookie she's fallen in love with for no clear reason. That Derek seems to have a girlfriend doesn't deter her, neither do all the secrets he's obviously keeping from her. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of being expected to believe in a protagonist's intelligence and years of successful self preservation when they put their trust in the wrong people and act like fools around them.I was surprised at the twist in the novel when it became clear that Ren was going to have to search for a magical spring that could cure the plague. I thought the book would become more enjoyable because of the Fountain of Youth plot line. Instead, it became quite confusing, with the addition of an illuminati like organisation trying to hide the water source and a (horrifyingly young) doctor with extremely confused motivations.I don't know. On one hand, I feel like the premise of The Ward is awesome, and I do want to know more about the world and the plague. On the other hand, I no longer think Ren is a believable character, I've had trouble with the world-building and the plot line, and I don't feel like I'm invested in the story or the fate of the characters and the world. I am disappointed to say this book is another case of a beautiful cover hiding mediocre insides.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

[stacyatufi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was a tad skeptical going in to THE WARD but I have loved the dystopian genre lately and I thought I would throw it into my reading mix. WOO HOO So glad I read it. What a wild story. It was extremely different and daring. The characters were excellent and the setting was beyond anything I have read before and totally believable the way that Jordana writes it.Ren lives in the ward. She is daring and outgoing and beyond determined. She wanted to be a mobile racer so she found a way and has won every race thrown at her until now. The way Ren and the mobile racers drive will leave your heart racing if nothing else. The ward where Ren resides is where the poor and diseased live. It is run down and they don't receive a lot of resources. The whole world that is THE WARD lacks fresh water so it is highly coveted and highly searched for. Water is collected from rain so most people in the ward have never had fresh water in their entire lives. Ren ends up being the one to find a cure to the plague that is rampant in the world and most of the book is spent with her trying to get more and come up with a way to get it to everyone who is sick even though people are trying to stop her. I enjoyed it, there was plenty of action and suspense. I enjoyed the characters. There is some 'mean girl' type behavior but it wasn't bad enough to annoy me. There are a few instances where some better explanation of events would have benefited. There is a bit of romance thrown in too.I really enjoyed this book. I don't have many complaints about it and I already listed the ones I have. I'm excited to see what will come next in the series so I will be keeping my eyes out for book 2 (there is a book 2 right?).

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: A fantastic dystopian similar to Mad Max. On the search for fresh water, the main character discovers much more than the truth.Opening Sentence: This is no ordinary flea-bitten day — not for me, it ain’t.The Review:When The Ward by Jordana Frankel was first brought to my attention, they told me it was about a dystopian society searching for freshwater. If you have read the synopsis, you might get the same message out of it. But let me tell you, it is so much more than that. I was excited to read The Ward, only for the promise of infinite possibilities where Frankel could have taken me. She not only exceeded my expectations, but she managed to make a lasting impression. Now let me tell you a little more about The Ward.The beautiful cover gives you clues on what it’s about. A society, decaying each day by an incurable disease, thirsty for fresh water that is to be believed as nonexistent. A young girl, sixteen-year-old Ren is a racer. She defies gravity and is filled with bravado to race mobiles around the the most dangerous courses. She risks everything to survive in the Ward, not only for herself but for her adopted sister who is trying to survive the deadly illness. The illness is believed to be caused by years of pollution. It not only has affected the people but their surroundings. Fresh water is nonexistent, and the government has tapped Ren to scout for fresh water while on her races. But in search of fresh water, she discovers much more than just the truth. The big question is what will she do with it all once she has it in her grasp.I loved Ren. Wait, in the beginning, I struggled a bit. I felt she was so disconnected and void of any human emotions. But I quickly realized it’s what she does to protect herself and her heart. She’s tough on the outside, but soft and vulnerable on the inside. She uses her confidence as a shield, never thinking about what it could mean or what it could sacrifice. I loved her for who she was and who she eventually became. In the moments behind the controls of her mobile, she is at peace. Adrenaline fuels her calm, and fear becomes her strength.In this world that Frankel wrote, The Ward showcases the reality of depleting resources. Frankel writes an environment that isn’t pretty, where the poor only get poorer in sickness and never health. I found the world to be another character, and something that is an unstable variable of twists and turns. The Ward’s world lacks fresh water, something that the people yearn for and will only obtain dependent on your social status. Fresh water becomes the key to health and happiness, a symbol for so many things.The plot is interesting, reminding me of details from Mad Max. A dystopian society on the cusp of death and decay because of lack of simple resources. But Frankel adds an element that turns it into a hint of fantasy. The culture that she introduces surprised me, and at first I wasn’t sure if it was good or not. As I continued reading the story, I grew more and more interested in this culture. It added a depth to The Ward that gratified my imagination.As much as I loved The Ward, I did feel I didn’t connect to the story at times. Let me explain why, and only because my reading preferences may differ from yours and that my nuances may be your favorite things. It throws me off sometimes when the momentum of the story changes. What I thought was a simple dystopian suddenly changed to showcase a culture. While I did love this, it took me a while to love the idea. It threw me off, and I simply wasn’t expecting it. I enjoyed the hint of a love story, but I would have rather loved Ren as the badass that she began as. While I feel she deserves love, especially after you read more about her, I think she was strong enough on her own. She survived everything and anything, at that point, and I thought she would have survived without an interest.But as I write this, I realize that all of these details that I laid out are what made me love the book. Frankel threw curves, wrote twists, and took turns that I didn’t expect. The Ward was outside of the norm, and I loved that.I highly enjoyed Frankel’s The Ward. I think you will too!Notable Scene:My Rimbo’s nose slices into the water. Against the window, a great splash crashes. I remember too late that I should have tried to open it before going under.Will the glass hold? Maybe I should have had it replaced . . . maybe it really is too old.Right, I remind myself. Like I could have seen this coming.Any moment now I bet it will crack directly over my head. Bust open, sending a dozen pointy daggers down on me.For the briefest instant the tail nods against the surface, readying itself to sink. Then the nose and front wheel sucks slowly underwater.My Rimbo isn’t airtight and so, within moments, water begins to flow through the unsealed spaces. I tug at the moonroof, trying to slide it open, but the water’s weight is too heavy. Nothing budges. My Hessians feel the leak first, poor things, and then my toes feel cold and wet.The water is rising.FTC Advisory: Katherine Tegan Books/Harper Collins provided me with a copy of The Ward. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[booktwirps · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Roughly 100-years in the future, New York is mainly under water after a large meteor crashed into Earth causing sea levels to rise. Because of this, people now live on rooftops, or in upper-levels of old high-rises, and due to the lack of fresh water, a cancer-like illness known as The Blight has begun to spread rapidly throughout the poor. For some reason, Ren is immune to the disease. Of course, she can’t tell anyone this because then the government would want to take her and study her, and honestly, who would want to be a lab rat? Because of her immunity, Ren is a little reckless, and participates in a type of street-racing as well as does a few job for the government in order to bring in extra money to help her best friend, Aven, who has The Blight. The need to help Aven and possibly find a cure drives Ren to seek answers, and, as is to be expected in dystopian novels, she discovers something is amiss in the world they live in, and Ren begins to wonder who (if anyone) she can trust.Ren, the MC, is very head-strong and a bit reckless. Since she is immune to The Blight and seems to heal very quickly, she tends to feel indestructible and makes some rash decisions. The admirable part of these questionable decisions is that she makes them to help her friends, mainly Aven whom Ren considers to be a sister. Ren is strong, loyal and for the most part, I liked her, but at times she felt a little inconsistent.Aside from Aven (whom I adored), the rest of the characters were just okay. Derek is Ren’s “booker” and a relationship develops between them. While I liked that the relationship seemed to grow at a natural pace, I didn’t feel much toward Derek, so I wasn’t really rooting for them. There was a lot I liked, but there where a few issues with the book. I loved the concept. I thought it was very unique, and I really liked the racing aspect. This isn’t your typical street-racing (mainly because the streets are pretty much non-existent in this world). The “cars” they use to race can go up and over sides of buildings, and some of the more advanced vehicles can even go under water. The races were exciting, though, at times felt a little too weighed down with detail. My biggest problem with the book was the lack of world development. I knew what the world looked like and I knew what the threat was, but I wanted a little more history. I wanted the how’s and why’s to be more clear. There were several details that I felt were missing. What surprised me the most in the story was the introduction of a fantastical/supernatural element that I wasn’t expecting. This twist took me by surprise, and while at first it felt random and out of place, the more I think about it, the more I kind of liked it. I’m interested to see where it goes. An interesting concept and a quick pace made this a fairly enjoyable read for me. Despite some of the characters seeming rather flat, predictable/expected plot points, a few pacing issues, and a cliffhanger ending, I really enjoyed the action of the story. While it isn’t at the top of my “fave” list, I am interested in seeing where this series goes because there is a lot of potential here. I’m hoping that the next installment will turn things around.

[hermyoni · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Review:The Ward was one of my most anticipated releases of 2013. A city buried under water, a mysterious plague yep The Ward had all the makings of a stellar Dystopian. Unfortunately this debut while very interesting in concept stumbled quite a bit in its execution. Normally I wouldn't start a review off with the negatives but feel this one is to big to not point it out.In The Ward next to the plague, water shortage is the biggest problem the characters face. Now here's my problem, the water isn't toxic,nor filled with pathogens that will turn someone into a mutant if ingested, nope the water is just filled with saline. Survival 101 will tell you not to drink sea water straight but with just a little know how it can be converted to clean drinkable water. The people in The Ward have all this technology, from the racing boats to the equipment designed to test patients for HBNC. But and this is a big BUT, you expect me to believe these same characters are to stupid to build a desalination machine or crack open a survival book where they can make homemade ones. I mean, seriously?? It has been damn near a century since the ice caps melted surely someone would of figured this out by now. The above mentioned was absolutely my biggest pet peeve with this book and almost made me stop reading it entirely.Next to the obvious plot fail with water shortages, my next biggest gripe with The Ward was its main protagonist Ren. While I felt sorry for her being an orphan and all, I just couldn't get past her personality & inner monologue. Ren is catty to the point most people would probably call her a bitch. Ren claims not to care about her looks or having a boyfriend but then harps on the female characters who do. It's really no small wonder why she has no female friends. I also didn't like her obsession with Derek. We get it he's hot but the fact she said she wanted him even more because he had a girlfriend made me want to smack her upside the head. Personality flaws aside, I liked Ren being a female racer in a sport dominated by males and I also think the dedication to her sister was compelling.Speaking of Ren's sister, I loved Aven!! Her storyline was fantastic and her personality shined through the pages. I strongly hope that we get to see more of her in the next book and also a bit more back story on her character and how she came to be in The Ward. I have theories... but until the next book they will remain just that.The last problem I have with The Ward is the world building. With the exception of 3 very brief lines describing the melting of the polar ice caps we see nothing else describing how events happened. I've seen a trend recently where Authors have been holding off back story for later books. So I suppose we might be more flashbacks in the future. I however, would of appreciated more in the first book.Now I do have to say that while the points above really made me struggle at times, I do think this series shows a ton of promise. One of the things I really found interesting was the spring Ren finds it added a completely different element to the story, a twist if you will that really made things more complicated for the characters. I liked it!Another thing I liked were the races. I'm not going to lie, I definitely got a Mad Max feel from them but Jordana Frankel put her own spin on the races that made them feel fresh and distinct to the world of The Ward.Lastly, I liked the use of Pennies. You'll have to read the book to understand the meaning but it was creative and it left me smiling seeing the use of them come up again at the end. I love consistency and the pennies were utilized very well throughout the entire story.Overall, I really did like The Ward. For all its many flaws this debut was worth reading. I guess this begs the question, Would I recommend The Ward? Yes, if you're a fan of unique Dystopians than pick this up. I think you will find The Ward enjoyable, least I hope so. Despite The Wards flaws I will be looking forward to the next book in this series, that's for sure! In the end, I will be rating The Ward by Jordana Frankel ★★★ 1/2 stars.