A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa Sheinmel is a very well written book about an extremely intelligent girl, Hannah, who happens to have a mental illness. This mental illness may have caused Hannah to harm her friend and that is what lands her in a mental hospital while she awaits trial.

Hannah is extremely smart. As soon as you start the book you can tell she has a very obsessive nature when it comes to her studies. Instead of enjoying her summer doing normal teen activities she is at a summer school program at a college. At this program, she is given a roommate and they become be friends... Or do they? Hannah's roommate ends up in the hospital after taking a pretty nasty fall and Hannah finds herself in a mental hospital labeled as A DANGER TO HERSELF AND OTHERS.

While Hannah is in the hospital she goes through a lot of stuff:
Gaining and losing a friend, Lucy.
Being told that she has a mental illness.
Her trying to come to terms with this.
And worst of all, Hannah watches her parents become distant. They start treating her differently and her mother even starts to pull away entirely. This book hits so many nerves but only because the things the author writes about are so true

You know a book is good when it makes you question your own sanity, right?

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

From the very first page I was hooked. The story had a very great mystery too it with an unreliable narrator at the forfeit t and it gave a mental Illness rep.

A Danger to Herself and Others is a Young Adult fiction novel about Hannah, a young teen who is institutionalized for something that happened over summer school. As Hannah comes to grips with her current situation and what happened over the summer, she discovers things about herself that leave her struggling right until the very end of the novel.
This novel brings up many issues within mental illness. As it does not always paint an accurate picture of mental illness, treatment, and medication, I feel it should be read carefully by vulnerable young people. Otherwise, very well done and an enjoyable read.

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so good. I totally enjoyed it. It surprised me. It hit me in the feels. A Danger to Herself and Others tells the story of a girl in an institution. The story is told from our main characters perspective. She is totally an unreliable narrator, and we learn things as she learns them. She doesn’t always believe the things she’s being told. As the reader, I almost don’t believe the things she’s being told.
Hannah is complex and fascinating. At first, she’s arrogant and goes on and on about how she was the perfect kid and she’s so good at everything. But as the story progresses, she learns that her life is not what she’s always thought it was. It really brought her down a peg or two. The realizations she’s learned about herself really made it so I was able to sympathize with her. The world is taken out from under her feet and I totally felt for her. By the end of the story I really liked her.
Overall, A Danger to Herself and Others was a wild ride. Everything I thought I knew in the beginning was challenged and I felt like I didn’t know anything by the end, which is exactly how Hannah felt. I really enjoyed this. Thanks to NetGalley for providing this eARC for me to read and review. I will definitely be buying this when it’s released.

Title: A Danger to Herself and Others
Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Genre: Teen/YA/Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★(4/5)

A Danger to Herself and Others is a psychological thriller that truly delves into the mind. In the book, the main character is institutionalized for suspicion of being involved in an accident involving her roommate. Despite this clear synopsis, you learn quickly not to take anything for granted as the reader.

It is a story told solely in the point-of-view of Hannah Gold, a confident and intelligent narrator. She has a very distinct voice that is one of the sole drivers of the story. But, as the tale unfolds, you start to see this strong character type unravel with every new page. 

The author has a talent for making you question even the most basic "facts" in a way I've rarely experienced. The twist isn't a typical kind and is rather one that is baffling when you've spent so long in the narrator's head. The books formatting of parts is the perfect way to deliver the narrative. 

There is an overuse of parenthesis that can, and sometimes does, break up the flow of the story. I did notice some small inconsistencies like how early in the book it states Hannah's roommate's younger sister came along when she was two years old but later it changes, "You were an only child for four years before your little sister came along."

The author is a master at internalized thoughts and brings to life the age old conflict of man vs. self. She artfully gives small batches of information that manage the balance of not overloading the reader and instead compelling them to want to read more. 

This author's language has a way of transporting you into the seemingly bland setting that comes to life in her capable hands. She manages to write the dynamics inside the facility well and in a way that prevents the story from seeming to drag on without a lot of external conflict.

Overall it's a very character based novel and less action-packed than competitors, but I would argue that is what makes it so good. You get to focus on the emotions and feelings of this character and completely immerse yourself in her world - no matter how twisting, turning, and unreliable it may be.

"Hannah Gold doesn’t belong in a place like this. Hannah Gold wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Okay, I have to say it, if you’re going to describe a book as “Girl, Interrupted” meets “We Were Liars”… You really need to bring it. Those are both very dark stories and to be a combination of the two, you really need to take a chance and just go for it. Mess with our heads. And I just feel like this story is far too safe for that description. And that’s not to say I didn’t like it. I did. I just thought there could be more.

THE PLOT
After a tragic accident this summer leaves her roommate critically injured, Hannah finds herself institutionalized. 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.

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.

THE CHARACTERS:
“I smile again, this time for real. It was so easy when I was five, to manipulate my parents’ friends into being ashamed of their own children, into thinking I was so much better.”

Hannah is DIABOLICAL. I found her to be very interesting and as someone who really enjoys dialogue WAY more than inner monologues, I still found her POV to be very engaging. I loved how Hannah seems like your ordinary overachiever, but you can sense something is not quite right.

“Luckily, I know how to become someone’s best friend. It’s a skill I’ve honed since kindergarten.”

And her parents are garbage. Honestly, THAT was one of the more tragic parts.

WHAT I LIKED:
I really liked the beginning. It is so strong and so well paced. The beginning is a beautiful slow burn, with little crumbs of the truth peppered throughout, just enough detail to know something is not quite right, but not enough to really guess what’s going on. It was so truly amazing.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
The second half felt way too rushed. The beginning is so wonderful, but then it’s like the author was told you have to keep this to x number of pages and she realized she used too much time already and to fit in the rest it’s going to have to be shoe-horned in.

Overall, I liked this story. I liked the characters and the plot. I liked the way the author was able to slowly show something just isn’t quite right without being too apparent, just seeds of doubt.. I thought the ending was too rushed but with an extra 50 – 100 pages (there is that much that could have been really delved into), the story could have gone from a 3 star to a 4 star for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Danger to Herself and Other by Alyssa Sheinmel

Hannah is an intelligent and mature young lady, but is also a little bit unlikeable. She can seem a bit arrogant at times and often thinks of herself as better than others (although she recognizes her perceived superiority and tries to actively hide it from others so they aren’t uncomfortable around her).

Hannah may or may not have done something to her roommate Agnes that caused her serious injury. As a result Hannah is placed in an institution for evaluation. This book tells the story of Hannah’s time in the institution as well as explaining her backstory, particularly the period of time leading up to Agnes’ accident.

Hannah really has no good idea why she is in an institution for evaluation. She knows she isn’t crazy. Being the intelligent young woman she is, Hannah thinks about a psychology experiment in the early 1970s that she read about where some psychologists were able to get themselves admitted to a mental hospital after claiming they were hearing voices. Once they are admitted and diagnosed with a mental illness, the psychologist “patients” tell their therapists that they are not actually insane and begin to act completely normally. But, no matter what they do, their behavior on the “inside” is always viewed via the lens of mental illness. The “patients” were admitted into the institution so they must be crazy, right? Hannah believes this exact same situation is now happening to her. So her focus is to prove she is completely fine and that this is all a big mistake.

Hannah was a well-written unreliable narrator. As we discover Hannah’s story through her thoughts, her discussions with Lucy (her roommate at the institution), and her therapy sessions with Dr. Lightfoot, we are lead down a path of wrong turns and rabbit holes. However, the reader will begin to realize what is going on at exactly the same moment that Hannah does. It is almost as if the reader is going through the therapy with her.

I don’t feel like I should say too much more about this book. Based on the title and the myriad other reviews available for this book it is clear that Hannah has some issues, but the reader should discover those issues for themselves, not via my review. However, I will mention a few other things I really liked about the book. I was impressed with Hannah’s doctor. While Hannah did not respect her much (particularly in the beginning) it was clear that Dr. Lightfoot really did want to help Hannah. I thought the emphasis on the benefits of quality therapy and medication (or combinations thereof) as well as the focus on self-realization (Hannah finally understanding herself what was going on vs. simply being told) was well done.

POSSIBLE SPOILER – DO NOT READ THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON’T WANT A SPOILER. I also loved how Hannah actually noticed several things throughout the book that gave her clues to her own mental state, but she always rationalized them away. For example, Hannah thought it was odd that Lucy was always in the room when she had therapy sessions with Dr. Lightfoot. Hannah just believed that Dr. Lightfoot had no respect for confidentiality. Hannah couldn’t understand why Lucy returned to the institution after she escaped for her audition, but she accepted Lucy’s explanation that it was just easier to come back. Hannah also wondered why Jonah (a recent boyfriend) never gave her his phone number, but she rationalized that they just lived a few doors from each other and they didn’t need phone numbers, right? So many clues to what was going on that Hannah herself actually noticed, but didn’t pay attention to. That is why it is a mental illness I guess. Some brains work entirely differently than others and Hannah’s brain allowed her to experience the world she needed to experience. END POSSIBLE SPOILER!

Ultimately this is a book about mental illness, mental health and accepting who you are. The ending was a bit sad, and I kind of wish her parents weren’t depicted the way they were; however, that doesn’t really detract from the story. I can’t say it was an enjoyable read – hard to enjoy someone struggling with mental illness – but it was a well-written story that is worth reading.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourebooks Fire for a free electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa Sheinmel ⭐⭐⭐💫⠀
• genre: young adult contemporary thriller⠀
⠀
Hannah Gold is an intelligent, driven, 17-year old upcoming senior from New York City who has always been treated like an adult by her wealthy parents. Determined to improve her college applications, she is spending her summer in a study program in California. During a game of Truth or Dare her friend and roommate, Agnes, falls from a window and ends up in a coma. Hannah finds herself locked in a room at a treatment facility where she is being evaluated to determine if she is 'a danger to herself and others'. Hannah is sure this is a misunderstanding and she will be released in time for her to make it back to New York for the first day of school. After all, it was just an accident. ⠀
⠀
I found this story to be incredibly readable, and it kept me engaged in Hannah's story as she tells about her interactions with the doctors and other patients at the facility, her boyfriend Jonah, and her relationships with her parents and her friends growing up. Through Hannah's unreliable narration we find out that there is more to the story of how and why she is being held at this high-security institution. It is clear that something is wrong, and this page-turner leads us, along with Hannah, on a fast-paced journey to discover the answers. ⠀
⠀
*content warning* There is discussion of mental illness, anorexia, bulimia, and a short description of someone trying to hurt themselves. ⠀
⠀
This title is being published Feb 5, and I do recommend it for readers who enjoy young adult mystery, quick-read thrillers, and unreliable narrators. I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley. ⠀

This book was not what I expected, I expected more of a thriller/twisty novel and while this had some of that it was not the sole attributes. I saw many of the twists as they happened so it was a little formulaic but the ending was really well done.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire Publishing for providing me with a Digital Readers Copy, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. The quotes included in this review are subject to change upon publication.

A Danger to Herself and Others is about a 17-year-old girl, Hannah Gold, who is admitted into a mental hospital on a court order after an incident occurs with her and her roommate Agnes Smith at their summer school. As we learn more about Hannah, we start to discover that her information may not be reliable and slowly start to see her mental health deteriorate.

“Funny thing about lies. When someone doesn’t believe you, you feel like you have the moral high ground. How dare they accuse you of lying?”

Alyssa creates this point of view strictly through Hannah’s eyes and mind. In the beginning Hannah is portrayed as this strong, confident girl that was wrongly accused of being involved in an unfortunate incident with her best friend Agnes. As the story goes deeper into Hannah’s mind, I started to question Hannah’s sanity. While being questioned by Dr. Charan, also known as Dr. Lightfoot, we start to see inconsistencies in Hannah’s stories versus the information Dr. Lightfoot has obtained. We start to see Hannah’s mental health decline, and experience her struggle as she begins to realize what is happening to her.

“Everything we think and feel, every habit and movement, every personality trait and quirk: It’s all a result of our brains. Maybe it’s nature, maybe it’s nurture–but whoever we are, we are because of our brains are what they are.”

Hannah’s story was an interesting read but I did not love the style of writing. The book is a slow burn all the way through, and I kept waiting for something huge to happen, yet when Hannah begins to piece together what is happening to her, that is a slow burn process as well. What I did gather from this story is, there are many steps that she goes through in her realization of having a mental illness, and repeats those steps quite often throughout. If you are a fan of stories such as, Girl Interrupted, I think that you will enjoy this story.

Hanna Gold is in a mental institution. But she isn’t supposed to be there, obviously. There was an accident during an innocent game of Truth or Dare with her roommate. The doctors will figure it out soon enough..
I couldn’t put this book down - I had to keep reading to find out why the MC was <I> a danger to herself and others </I>. And we definitely find out. In a skillfully done and authentic way. While this story is a page-turner, it was also an interesting portrayal of mental illness. It was smartly done and engaging. Recommended.

This was a JOURNEY! I was so enthralled in this story. Hannah is such an unreliable narrator—I never knew what to believe. What was real life? Was she lying and manipulative, especially with her friendships? Or was she actually sincere? I read this in mostly one sitting because I had to keep peeling back Hannah's psyche to get to her true self. I wish the author would have actually said her diagnosis out loud. It's always mentioned as Hannah's "disorder", or her "disease". I think it would benefit readers to put a name to her disease, making her experience feel more real. The authors note is really important, so important that I think it may be more useful at the beginning of the book.

My biggest issues: I felt like the author overly explained parts of the institute. I realize that it's a way to ground the reader but it got a little much. For example, overtly explaining that there were no knives in the cafeteria so no one gets hurt. I feel like the reader can infer that on their own. Also, the repetition of the title is a little on the nose. If the usage had been separated throughout the book it would have a bigger impact.

All in all, i think this was a gripping story about a topic of mental health that is rarely explored with this much detail.

I was sent this e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog: www.lindsayglenne.com

4 stars

* I received an ARC of this book via netgalley however this in no way influenced my opinion.*

I really loved this book, it had me hooked from the beginning. It is about a teenager called Hannah who finds herself institutionalised after her friend Agnes falls from the window of the dorm they were sharing at summer school and falls into a coma. Hannah has to wait and see if she will be held responsible for what happened to Agnes. Hannah is an unreliable narrator as she takes us through the events of what happened leading up to Agnes accident and what happened after, she comments a few times that she is lying. I was so invested in finding out why Hannah was there and what happened with Agnes. The characters are what made this novel for me, Hannah could be so calculating and determined to get what she wanted. In the end the mystery was never solved of what really happened that night with Agnes which I personally think makes the story stand out more. My heart broke for Hannah when she realised that Jonah and Lucy were hallucinations. The last chapter was emotional and brutal, it really stuck with me.

Overall I really enjoyed everything about this especially the characters, Hannah was ambitious and I honestly felt so sorry for her, I found Hannah’s parents to be infuriating. This book made me feel so many emotions. One thing I have to say is I found the writing to be a bit simplistic but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

This was not what I was expecting at all! I don’t quite know how to put into words how addictive this book was, I was so engaged in the story that I just wanted to know what would happen next. In terms of it not being what I expected, I can’t say too much, because I don’t want to spoil anyone, but there were a lot of surprising twists and turns in this book, that I never even saw coming. When I thought that we’d gotten past a huge reveal, another one would pop up, and this was probably a big part of why I was so hooked. I’m a massive fan of books where the protagonist is an unreliable narrator and there’s some sort of mystery, so reading from Hannah’s perspective was a real treat for me, as I had to constantly play this guessing game about whether I believed anything she was saying. With the most noticeable question mark being over whether she had a hand in what happened to her roommate Agnes, who is now suffering a brain injury from the ‘accident’.

Hannah’s is probably one of the most compelling point of views that I’ve read from, as she is very unique in her way of thinking, which will most likely not be to everybody’s taste. I must admit that I struggled to get into the book in that opening chapter or so, as Hannah’s thoughts are quite dense, but once I got to grips with the writing style and Hannah’s voice, I just found her fascinating. Like I said, it’s not clear whether Hannah hurt Agnes or not, Hannah insists that it was an accident and yet, she’s been put away in a psychiatric hospital with the infamous tag line may be ‘a danger to herself and others’ now attached to her. Hannah is kept pretty much in isolation, eating in her room instead of the cafeteria with the other girls, not having showering or outside privileges and generally left to her own devices. This means that Hannah has a lot of time to think, and boy does she think! It’s quite clear that Hannah is a very intelligent individual, not just academically, but in how she navigates the world in general. She knows just what to say to please people (like her parents and their friends), befriend people and ultimately manipulate people. Hannah even befriends girls at school who aren’t considered anything special, because she knows that she can make them into something special. This quality in particular is what I found so interesting about her, sometimes it would be truly unnerving just how manipulative and calculating she was, but then other times it was almost laughable.

I wasn’t really sure what to make of Hannah at first, because as I said, she’s unreliable and is the only point of view that we have in the book, so essentially, everything that we learn comes from her. There are some things that we do learn are certainly true though, like the fact that Hannah’s parents are very well off and that she had an unconventional childhood, which has probably contributed to her current state. Hannah’s parents are extremely rich and so throughout Hannah’s childhood there were many trips taken to the furthest and most exotic of places. But instead of leaving their child with a babysitter or hiring one to accompany them, they carted Hannah around with them. Even at the age of five and maybe even younger, Hannah was given her own hotel room, where she would stay until her parents came back from wherever it is they’d go, sometimes not even checking on her until morning. This is obviously very wrong, but through Hannah’s eyes she just sees it as her parents loved her so much, that they took her everywhere with them and they have this inside joke among them that she was ‘born mature’. To me at least, this is where Hannah learned what was expected of her and how to please people, when other parents were fussing with their kids, Hannah would sit perfectly still, eat what she was given and make herself ‘disappear’ when the adults had tired of how precocious she was. This made me feel so sorry for Hannah as I could see the undeniable connection to her present situation. As the book progresses though and Hannah starts to ‘fake’ her way through her therapy, she starts to realise that her childhood wasn’t okay and she stops just excepting everything about her parents, really looking at them in a way she hadn’t before.

The writing in this was fantastic, as although I felt like I couldn’t fully grasp Hannah (with her being so unreliable), I still felt like I understood what she was saying a lot of the time and actually ended up caring about her. Hannah’s high intelligence and somewhat paranoia, meant that she had a lot of opinions on what was happening to her at this psychiatric hospital, and on the world in general. First of all, Hannah doesn’t even think that there’s anything wrong with her mentally and that this whole thing is one big misunderstanding, because she also thinks she never pushed Agnes. So she immediately distrusts the staff and constantly believes that they are trying to trick her into thinking that she’s ill, she’s so paranoid, that she’s even done a number of checks for cameras in her room. She then begins pointing out the things that she thinks they’re doing to manipulate her, like the different tactics her therapist uses on her. However, when she realises that if she seemingly cooperates, she’ll probably get to leave sooner, she does just that. She is shocked when she gets a roommate as she knows that they consider her to possibly be ‘a danger to herself and others’, but her being as calculating as she is, she seizes the opportunity to appear to be getting better, by making friends with this Lucy.

After Lucy comes is where things really start to unravel and truths spill out from every direction. Through trying to befriend Lucy, in order to appear more stable, Hannah starts to notice certain things that don’t add up. This takes a toll on her mental health and her therapy starts to become more serious, to her and her therapist, as Hannah starts to think that there may actually be something going on with her. As the book progresses, in the lead up to Hannah’s trial regarding Agnes, we eventually learn what has really been going on with her and I was literally gob-smacked. Part of me was doubting whether it could really be true, because Hannah was so convinced of everything, that I ended up being too, so I was completely shocked. This was a truly uncomfortable at times, but riveting story that takes a very honest look at mental health, although the author has used some creative license, so something’s aren’t completely accurate. This book really made me think and feel, as the storyline was gripping, the characters were so real and the writing was tremendous. I urge everyone to read it, because it’s amazing and because I just want to hear about other people’s experiences with it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcefire Books, and Alyssa Sheinmel for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me.

Like:
- Unreliable narrator: Normally, I’m not a fan of unreliable narrators, but in this book I enjoyed it.
- Your opinion of the main character’s situation changes as you get more information.
- Shows a fairly realistic portrayal of forced inpatient psychiatric stay

Love:
- Can really feel her feelings through the writing: the panic, confusion, and desperation is evident
- Quick read
- Had to keep reading to find out what happens
- Book about mental health diagnosis that’s rarely written about
- The little clues that are left along the way for the reader and Hannah to figure out

Dislike:
- That the staff could be manipulated/bribed by the patients
- Her family wasn’t that supportive
- The circumstances that sent Hannah to the facility

Wish that:
- There’s another book to show how Hannah copes with the real world
- Could see the circumstances from Hannah’s doctor’s point of view occasionally

Overall, a great book about mental health and all the challenges that can come with first being diagnosed. An interesting story that I absolutely flew through.

<b>Not a push. Just a little tap.</b>


Have you ever picked up a book not having expectations, not expecting it to bad but also not expecting it to be great, and then it turns out to be a book you devour? Yeah, that was this book for me. I'm still shocked at how much I loved this book!

Alyssa Sheinmel's writing of A Danger To Herself And Others was exquisite, so unlike anything I've read. The writing felt so raw and natural. I felt I was truly sitting in the mind of someone suffering from a psychosis disorder. I'm not claiming the book was a true fabrication inside the head of a person truly dealing with this reality, but for the first time I was seeing it through the eyes of the sufferer.

Hannah had such "rational" reasonings for her actions. She's smart, quick witted, sassy, dramatic, and all the things you'd expect from a NYC Upper Eastside teenage girl. It wasn't like the movies where everyone and everything is "crazy". This book takes you on the journey of terrifying real life disorders. Through the mind of someone coping with who they are and what they have to live with. It's simply imperfectly perfect.

I will be recommending this book to everyone! This book now holds a special place in my bookish heart!

Thank you so much to Netgalley & Sourcebooks Fire for this advanced readers copy!

It has been a long time since a book has my mind asking what or who is real while I was reading. Several times I had to go back and search and see if I remembered correctly because I learned early on Hannah is extremely unreliable when it comes to recalling events. A danger to herself and others is a YA and it was done so well. The story was so good, you forget it is a 17 year old narrating. I strongly suggest going in blind and take on this wild ride.

I received a copy of this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

God this book was awful. Downright boring and dreadful. Hannah’s diagnosis came as no surprise, nothing eventful happened. One of the worst books I’ve ever read. Yes, I realize I’ve said that twice already in different forms but, woof. I really wish I could get the last 3 hours back and read something else.

Now don't get me wrong, the writing was fine. It's the story and the fact that it mostly takes place in one setting between two characters that is just awful. Most of the book is hannah talking to Dr. Lightfoot. Its pretty obvious from the minute "a danger to herself AND OTHERS" is stated in the book, what's really up with Hannahs mental stated when they give her a roomate even though "SHES A DANGER TO HERSELF AND OTHERS". I mean come on.

The back and forth conversations throughout 80% of the book about hannahs mental state was a flop. We could have at least had more flashbacks to her time with Agnes, or more breakdowns from Hannah. But nope.

ALSO!!
Capital crime has been committed in this book.
Now let me say this first - I don't give a good hot dang how long a book has been out. You DO NOT SPOIL OTHER BOOKS! The author COMPLETELY freaking spoils the plot of Jane Eyre and is bold in doing so. Even goes as far as to point by point tell you the major moments in the book. I for one have not read the book yet, and it is something I would have liked to have done. So thanks for completely unearthing the plot for me.

This was incredible. I don't really know what I was expecting when I first started it, but it wasn't this, this was way better than I imagined... It was hard, powerful and emotional. I just couldn't put it down!

Hannah is the best unreliable narrator I've read about... For the first time someone is more unreliable than Yaz from Things We Have in Common and I freaking love it! I adore reading about unreliable narrators and Hannah was just amazing. I don't wanna give too much away about this book because I think it's the perfect book to go blind into. But as you might have guessed already, it's developed around a particular mental illness, and I can't really be specific about which one. But I do have to talk a bit about Hannah. She is an incredibly strong, intelligent and not very likable person, really. She was the type of person one would think  "she must think she is better than me" and that is normally not likable, right? Well, no matter what, I actually really ended up liking her anyway! She might not be likable but the more you get to know her, it turned it impossible for me not to grew attached to her. 

That said, Hannah is a character you will slowly start to like and understand and it's 100% worth it! This book is quite emotional, realistic and utterly sad, but it made me see things in a new light. Not that I see things differently now (no pun intended) but because I actually never thought about a person going through something like Hannah is going through. It's scary, it truly is, and I could feel that. Mental health is not something to take lightly, and this book talks about a particular mental illness that I've never read about, and to be honest, a really interesting one. It's just so complex and different! But if you wanna know more, you will have to read the book, because that's all I'm gonna say.

I found this book really captivating and gripping and I absolutely loved the theme and how the story was written. It shows how a lot of people take metal illness like something stupid, or wrong. But on the other hand, it shows that anything is possible even if you have a mental illness - it might be difficult, but it is possible to achieve as much as you want in life (at least in some cases). It's a hard book for how realistic it is, but it's also helluva exciting and quite a fast read. I would definitely recommend it!

A riveting read that grabbed me from the beginning. I loved the character of Hannah Gold and that the entire story was told from her perspective it. I didn't see the twists coming. The author told this story with compassion and it was nice to read the author's note at the end. I would love to read more books by this author!