Name: A Danger to Herself and Others
ISBN: 9781492667247

Alyssa Sheinmel

After her best friend, Agnes, goes into a coma as a result of a game of Truth or Dare, rising senior Hannah's secrets begin to escape while she is locked in a psychiatric hospital.

A Danger to Herself and Others

I want to start this book by giving a TW to anyone who has a mental illness, especially those that are misunderstood. I didn't expect this book to be upsetting for me, but it was--that isn't going to impact my rating or anything, but I wanted to put that out there.

I feel iffy on this one. I found the premise interesting (even though I accidentally spoiled a plot twist for myself) and was excited to read it. I have never been sent to a mental institution, so I can't speak on the accuracy of the portrayal in this book and it doesn't help that Hannah is an unreliable narrator.

I also think that the did-she-did-she-not aspect of Agnes' accident/fall could potentially be seen as problematic because in the author's note, Sheinmel correctly points out that people with mental illness (especially those with psychosis) are 

 likely to be victims than to be aggressors. Granted, we see this sort of thing in shows like 

, but even there it's usually included in dialogue (especially earlier seasons) that people with these conditions are most of the time not dangerous. So I feel kind of torn. This book spends a majority of the time with Hannah in denial/maintaining that she's "fine" and barely any time dealing with the fallout, the latter of which would have helped humanize her. I also saw a ton of repetitions, and I'm unsure if that was meant to be a symptom of Hannah's illness or if it was an oversight on the author's part. There's also inconsistent information (Agnes' older younger sister is said to be two years, then four years younger than her) provided. Overall, I think this book would've been more thought-provoking if it focused on the diagnosis and living afterwards than the mental institution aspect. 

Holly

I want to start this book by giving a TW to anyone who has a mental illness, especially those that are misunderstood. I didn't expect this book to be upsetting for me, but it was--that isn't going to impact my rating or anything, but I wanted to put that out there.

I feel iffy on this one. I found the premise interesting (even though I accidentally spoiled a plot twist for myself) and was excited to read it. I have never been sent to a mental institution, so I can't speak on the accuracy of the portrayal in this book and it doesn't help that Hannah is an unreliable narrator.

I also think that the did-she-did-she-not aspect of Agnes' accident/fall could potentially be seen as problematic because in the author's note, Sheinmel correctly points out that people with mental illness (especially those with psychosis) are more likely to be victims than to be aggressors. Granted, we see this sort of thing in shows like Criminal Minds, but even there it's usually included in dialogue (especially earlier seasons) that people with these conditions are most of the time not dangerous. So I feel kind of torn. This book spends a majority of the time with Hannah in denial/maintaining that she's "fine" and barely any time dealing with the fallout, the latter of which would have helped humanize her. I also saw a ton of repetitions, and I'm unsure if that was meant to be a symptom of Hannah's illness or if it was an oversight on the author's part. There's also inconsistent information (Agnes' older younger sister is said to be two years, then four years younger than her) provided. Overall, I think this book would've been more thought-provoking if it focused on the diagnosis and living afterwards than the mental institution aspect. 

jess

another thriller that uses mental illness as a plot point, portrays harmful stereotypes of people living with mental illness, and contributing to stigma through ambiguous disorder trope. 

don’t try to paint this as “girl comes to terms with a mental illness diagnosis” and write misinformation

Lauren Tabor

Cynthi

3.25✰
The plot twists were definitely plot twists.
I actually really enjoyed this book.
It's kind of confusing and feels incomplete.
I feel like I need another book to know what happens afterward.
Does she get help?
Do her parents still treat her differently?
I need more

Allie Herrington

Librarian: Unreliable narrators are very popular in adult fiction, so it comes as no surprise that they're spreading into YA as well. In this case I find that to be unfortunate. I understand that this type of sensationalized suspense novel is very popular, but I feel like the depictions of mental illness in this particular story is likely to cause more harm then good. There are many excellent depictions of mental illness in young adult literature today (i.e. Turtles All the Way Down, Eliza and Her Monsters, etc.) but this isn't one of them.
Reader: I really wanted to like this one. I went in after hearing good reviews, and I was hoping for a suspense filled read. That isn't what I found. Instead I got an entire cast of thoroughly unlikable characters, who it was impossible to root for, and a overly sensationalized depiction of mental illness that feels like a throwback to a time when it was stigmatized instead of helped.

Elizabeth Neill

Danger to Herself and Others is something I wasn't expecting to read. I thought it would be just a normal YA thriller but it wasn’t. That pleasantly surprised me, I loved Hannah’s unreliable character and you could feel the truth right there on the edge of her mind. She is smart, somewhat a little cocky and could be a total jerk at sometimes but I think that is what made her human.The author wrote about mental illness in a real light. She didn't romanticize it like I have seen a lot do. She showed the dark side of it and how people react to it. Like Hannah's parents and everyone else including Hannah herself didn’t handle it well. You could tell the author took her time with this book and didn't rush into it. I will probably be picking up her other books later on.

Milo Jean

I really enjoyed this book, which I listened to on audiobook. The book was about Hannah, a girl who is institutionalized after an “incident” where her school roommate falls out a window. Hannah is being observed for signs of mental illness, too see if she was crazy and to try to see if she was capable of pushing her beloved friend out the window. 

Hannah is obviously an unreliable narrator from the start. She tends to ramble and not always make sense but I really enjoyed listening to her. The book was an interesting depiction of mental illness and not really like anything I had read before. The plot line, and style of the book gave me similar vibes to the movie “The Uninvited” which I love, though without all the creepiness or mystery since this book is pretty straightforward: no creepiness, no big twists or surprises.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received an arc in a contest I won hosted by the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Danger to Herself and Others

Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: contemporary lovers, mental health readers, mystery readers, ya readers

Publication Date: February 5, 2019

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 16+ (mental health, suicide mentions, gaslighting)

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 341

Synopsis: Four walls. One window. No way to escape. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She didn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at her summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. In the meantime, she is going to use her persuasive skills to get the staff on her side.

Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage. And she may be the only person who can get Hannah to confront the dangerous games and secrets that landed her in confinement in the first place.

Review: I had to DNF this book at page 71. While the book is wonderfully well written and I love that I won it, I just couldn't read it at this time and it's time for me to put it off my TBR for awhile. The book has some graphic detail about mental health and some various ways the character and her therapists try to deal with it. I don't feel like I'm in the best health myself to read that and unreliable narrator books don't really interest me as they are sometimes wrote too confusingly. However, the book didn't shy away from calling people out who dehumanize people with mental health issues and I love how raw and unapologetic it is. 

Verdict: It wasn’t for me this time, but it could be for you!

Emily C Peterson

This was so good until the end.... Which was just crazy anticlimactic

Joleen

This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

Hannah has been institutionalized due to an accident with her roommate. We follow Hannah as the doctors begin to diagnose her and to prove she doesn’t belong there. Hannah then meets Lucy, a girl who begins to help Hannah deal with her own issues and how she never saw them coming.

A Danger to Herself and Others has a solid concept but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the whole book. It got incredibly predicable right at the start but it was still able to maintain a little mystery. And the ending left me so incredibly disappointed, but not in the way, you would think. I am disappointed at how real that ending was. It feels more real to leave it the way the author did and I am glad she ended it on a note like that.

I enjoyed Hannah and Lucy as characters and I enjoyed going back and seeing how Hannah evolved. Hannah is portrayed as rich and smart, but as time goes on you begin to see how manipulative and cruel she is. You get to explore some of her past friendships and you find that her friendship with her roommate was not what you thought it was. I figured the friendship wasn't as described but I wasn't prepared for the reality.

I appreciate the take on mental illness as it's not often you find it wrote like this. I think the author did an incredible job portraying a very sick girl who did not know what was happening to her. I look forward to reading more by this author and if you enjoy a little predictability with some mystery this might intrigue you.

Ocean

A Danger to Herself and Others was captivating right from the start. A fascinating story about mental health. I was immediately drawn in and the MC was a very unreliable but believable narrator. I believed her even though in hindsight it was obvious that something wasn't right. I enjoyed this book.

Amanda Autumn Berrey

From the author of FACELESS 'Devastating. This is already one of my favourite books of the year' Irish Times 'The author's cunning deployment of information keeps the reader guessing' Financial Times Only when she's locked away does the truth begin to escape... Seventeen-year-old Hannah Gold has always been treated like a grown up. As the only child of two New York professionals, she's been traveling the world and functioning as a miniature adult since the day she was born. But that was then. Now, Hannah has been checked into a remote treatment facility, stripped of all autonomy and confined to a single room. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. What happened to her roommate that summer was an accident. As soon as the doctor and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can get back to her life of promise and start her final year at school. Until then, she's determined to win over the staff and earn some privileges so she doesn't lose her mind to boredom. But then she's assigned a new roommate. At first, Lucy is the perfect project to keep Hannah's focus off all she is missing at home. But Lucy may be the one person who can make Hannah confront the secrets she's avoiding - and the dangerous games that landed her in confinement in the first place. Gripping, heartwrenching and powerful, A Danger to Herself and Others is Girl, Interrupted meets We Were Liars in this new novel from New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel.

From the author of Faceless

Yi Yaw

Melissa Bragg 

"A compelling and beautifully told story." --Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces Four walls. One window. No way to escape. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She doesn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at that summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. Those college applications aren't going to write themselves. Until then, she's determined to win over the staff and earn some privileges so she doesn't lose her mind to boredom. Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage, and she's the perfect project to keep Hannah's focus off all she is missing at home. But Lucy may be the one person who can get Hannah to confront the secrets she's avoiding--and the dangerous games that landed her in confinement in the first place. Packed with intrigue and suspense, A Danger to Herself and Others is great for readers who loved Suicide Notes for Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten and Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus!

A Danger to Herself and Others

Reviews