I couldn’t get into this book. I tried multiple times and it just didn’t grab my attention. I skimmed through hoping something would grab me but nothing ever did.

In “A Danger to Herself and Others” by Alyssa B. Sheinmel we meet Hannah.  She has been institutionalized because something horrific happened to her summer program roommate.  But she believes it is all a misunderstanding, she is a straight A student, always mature for her age.  Then Lucy arrives and as the two girls become fast friends Hannah starts to see that what is happening around her is far more out of her control then she originally thought.

A compelling read that pulls you in very different directions.  I received an ARC of this book through Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this one as much as I was hoping to. I liked the idea behind it and the storyline, but it fell flat for me. I can see why some people love this one, but it just wasn’t for me.

This book was not what I was expecting! I thought it was going to be a typical YA Thriller but that was not the case. 

Hannah finds herself in a mental institution after being accused of pushing her roommate out the window. The story starts coming together in pieces as you experience Hannah’s daily life in the institute and go through flashbacks leading up to her admittance. Over time you realize things are not what you expected and the people in Hannah’s life may not be real at all.

This book addresses a variety of mental illness and has a scene that does include a suicide attempt but is not graphic. 

I thought this book was a good representation of mental illness and how it doesn’t just affect the person with the diagnosis but those around them. Overall I enjoyed this one & I’m so glad I finally picked it up!

As far as YA mystery/thrillers go, this wasn't the best one I've read, but it is a great one for those who are new to the genre. I thought the plot was interesting overall, though some of the plot points felt a bit too familiar as someone who is familiar with the genre. I also felt like I got spoiled for the twist, though I don't think I was, it just felt that unsurprising. 

So yeah, not the best or most original mystery, but perfectly fine for someone looking for an introduction to the genre.

The comparison to Girl Interrupted and Pretty Little Liars is spot on. An interesting read with an unreliable narrator that covers many aspects of mental health and illness.

Okay.

That. Was. AMAZING.

I read it in one sitting.

If anyone ever asks me how to write an unreliable narrator I will immediately recommend this book. Because doggone it Hannah's voice walked the fine line between belief and suspicion like nobody's business.

And even though I was suspicious of one twist, it was still very satisfying to see it play out, especially since it came with other stuff I wasn't expecting. And Hannah's inner monologues were beautifully done--natural and believable and enjoyable and very telling of her mental state. I could probably fangirl about this narrator for a good long time but that would postpone your reading of it so go do that instead.

Hannah can’t believe she’s been institutionalized because of her roommate’s accident, but she knows the truth will come out: Agnes was her best friend, and Hannah would never have hurt her on purpose. As the days turn into weeks and she’s still under constant watch, Hannah’s confidence begins to crack, and so does her story about her relationship with Agnes. I think I’ve read too many stories of this sort — I knew almost immediately what was happening, and there was nothing that actually surprised me.

As a high school librarian, I am always looking for books that will hook my students. A Danger to Herself and Others fit the bill completely. An unreliable narrator. Plenty of suspense. A mystery that slowly unravels. I appreciated the uniqueness of this novel and liked how Sheinmel told a story that deals with contemporary issues (mental health issues) with timeless YA themes. Thank you for allowing me to review this. I apologize that I did not post this online (my current blog was not active at the time, so I was reviewing exclusively for my school library).

I flew thru a majority of this book and really enjoyed it. I was surprised a few times, but there were a couple things that were predictable. I feel like the story fell kind of flat at the end.

Here's the thing - I received this as an ARC but for some reason it got lost until recently.  I'm also kind bias since I work in the mental health field.  This being said I think A Danger to Herself and Others was a good representation of mental illness.  The book had a nice flow but I was able to predict a lot of things. This may also be due to my history with working with individuals with mental illness. The only negative I have is the ending was really dismal and kind of terrible. Overall though, I think Sheinmel covered this topic well and provided a great opening for discussions regarding mental health.

This was a deeply moving mental health focused thriller that really kept me engaged and kept me guessing throughout the entire thing!  

I found the main character Hannah, to be highly relatable, as I struggle with mental health issues of my own, and I even shed a tear or two upon finishing this novel.

That being said, although this really is a interesting read with excellent twists, it can also be a tough read at times due to the heavy and dark subject matter involved.

Overall an excellent read that is both emotional and thrilling, and will keep you guessing and turning pages until you reach the end!

**Triggering Warnings for: eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia,), suicide, mental health issues, neglect, abandonment

This is your typical YA read involving mental health issues. But very enjoyable. In high school this was my favorite topic to read about and had this come out while I was in high school it probably would have been 5 stars but as an adult it's a solid 3 star read. Would reccomend!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. I really enjoyed the writing and voice in this book. It was a thrilling ride!

I am so happy to have more mainstream and YA books addressing difficult issues, especially around mental health. This book was quite raw and candid when it came to the topics of disordered eating and mental health issues which I was appreciative of as a doctoral student. It's communicated in a way that is eye-opening, but also digestible and has the opportunity to be relatable to a lot of young readers. The books is pretty fast paced and although Hannah can be a little all over the place, it was a uniquely emotional and enjoyable experience that I had visceral responses to.

This book freaked me out so badly! I first read an excerpt forever ago and I was HOOKED, so I was so happy to see it available on NetGalley. Truly terrifying and compelling, I found that the psychological questions posed were the most interesting, as I mulled them over day and night.

This book was highly engaging and deeply moving! It handles tough subject matter in a very realistic and tasteful way. I highly recommend!

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book I was hooked and I wanted to read it. Sadly A Danger to Herself and Others didn’t end up being what I hoped it would be, I ended up being very disappointed in it. The main character, Hannah, is a very unreliable narrator which is something I don’t enjoy reading about.

There were some great discussions about mental health in this book. Also, huge trigger warnings for eating disorders. There were many scenes that I found hard to read because of the content and the rawness. While this is something other people might enjoy reading about, I didn’t. (Due to things relating to my own mental health.) I also felt that there were things brought up in therapy that were never really unpacked, by any of the therapists and they should have been.

Overall, I didn’t have a good time reading A Danger to Herself and Others. This book just wasn’t for me, but I can see a lot of other people liking it. Not being a fan of unreliable narrators does not make me the target audience of this book. I would recommend you this book if you like unreliable narrators and stories about mental health.

Holy Moly this book has one of the most unreliable narrators, that I’ve ever read about. If you’re not a fan of that, them this book is definitely not going to be for you. 

Im not going to much into detailes because that would spoile the story. But this book is about Hannah who is institutionalized because she is a danger to herself and others. This story had many twists and it got very dark and mysterious at times. 


TW: Bulimia, anorexia, mental health issues, abandonment and neglect, suicide.

I'm usually a big fan of unreliable narrators... but only when they are done well. And unfortunately, this one just wasn't done well.