I’ve read a few books on mental illness which take place in a mental institution. This was an interesting book in some ways, but it fell a bit flat in too many other ways. The concept was interesting, but more could have been done to make the story hit the mark.

The reader is in Hannah’s head as the story unfolds. She’s deemed an unreliable narrator, so you question things along the way. Due to the format of the book, I expected to be more engaged than I was. I wanted a bit more suspense, drama … something. Many of the characters, such as the doctor, came across as totally incompetent or clueless, which could give the wrong image of mental hospitals and those who work in the field. The ending felt unresolved, which was a bit frustrating.

Trigger warnings: eating disorder, suicide attempt

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

I struggled with my thoughts about this book. The book itself left me feeling uncomfortable, and somewhat angry. In a good, way. This is an outstanding debut and really gets under your skin.

The fast-paced plot will keep you reading, and I actually finished this one pretty quickly. Once I started I had a difficult time putting the book down. The main character is not like-able, even before we realize the full story. She is arrogant; narcissistic. In short, difficult to feel empathy for. I thought this would be a typical girl-in-hospital-learns-about-herself-and-improves-herself book.

However, this book was anything but typical. By the end of the book, Hannah has certainly learned about herself. But has she improved herself? This is more difficult to know. I think, for me, the jury is still out.

My first book about mental illness and set in a mental hospital and I gotta say this was definitely unlike anything I’ve ever read before.

Hannah is a very unreliable narrator. At first you don’t realize that there’s something wrong with her and you start doubting your own (in)sanity because she seems so normal, until about halfway through, things in her story start falling apart and the reasons for her being institutionalized start making sense. We’re in Hannah’s head the entire time and really go through the process of realizing that she is sick, and coming to terms with it, more or less.

Though I did find the topic and the setting very interesting, I was kind of bored reading this. Not a lot happened during the story aside from Hannah going through the days, and I felt like they could’ve done a lot more with it. I personally expected more intrigue and suspense, but it was nice to have an inside look of Hannah’s mind. The title of the book is mentioned a lot, to the point of becoming a bit repetitive.

This would be a good book for you if you’re interested in the mental aspect of mental illness, or don’t know much about it like me.

I want to thank Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review


This is a very GOOD book, although I expected to read it a lot, I admit I went into it with few expectations and managed to pleasantly surprise me. I think the book in general is very deep, powerful, addictive and has a mysterious and even a dark touch that makes it very compelling . I’m so grateful to have read it before its release date because now I can recommend it non stop!

The book follows Hannah’s point of view, she has been hospitalized in a mental institute after the doubtful accident that brought her best friend to a coma. Hannah is sure that there’s a mistake and that she shouldn’t be there, but as her parents have taught her, she’s determined to maintain a flawless behavior and use her persuasion skills, until everything is cleared up, and and so prove to the doctor that she’s not what they call “a danger to herself and others”, to finally return home. But one day Lucy arrives as her roommate and little by little Hannah realizes that Lucy is the only one who can help her face the dangerous games and secrets that took her there in the first place

Before continuing, I must mention some Trigger Warning: for suicide attempt and eating disorder, among others.

I think that in order to explain well A Danger to Herself and Others I would say that it’s a contemporary story focused on a mental illness. 80% of the book is developed with our main character in confinement, she’s hospitalized in a mental institution so we go through her days there, but all this within her own mind. It was very interesting for me to be able to explore Hannah’s mind, that’s what makes of this book something so compelling and real. Besides discovering things about her, we ‘ll also meet other characters with their own stories and affliction.
The most interesting thing, is the subtle way that this book has to show you a mental illness, I think it’s taken from a very real perspective and I really like how you can tie things together that will lead you to understand things that seem inexplicable at first. It’s a very smart and complex plot, that get more and more interesting as you advance through the story.


I really love the writing style, it’s very clear and extremely addictive , although took me a long time to read it, (which had nothing to do with the book itself but with which I’ve been very busy), it’s a very fast and easy to read book. With saying that if I had time I would have devoured this book in one day, it’s so addictive.

I love the main character, Hannah is the kind of characters I love to see in mystery and suspense movies. She’s very hateful at the beginning of the book, I was like “Who does she think she is?”, But then ends up liking her. There’s so much we don’t know at the beginning and that’s wonderful, now that I see it, it’s so smartly told. Returning to Hannah, she’s a bit egocentric and a little disrespectful at first, but she’s also very smart and it shows. She’s so proud of her life and of her “perfect” millionaire parents and doesn’t stop repeating how mature she has always been and how proud her parents are of her for being such a mature girl from such a young age. Andthis facade of her being that perfect girl isn’t really true. And at first you’ll not see it because it’s very well done, as I said, but then you’ll begin to see patterns in her behaviors, some impulses or obcessions, and you’ll begin to open your eyes to many truths and possibilities of who Hannah is

I can’t honestly talk much about this book without spoilers or revelations, it’s one of the most difficult reviews, because anything I say could be a spoiler, so I’ll try to be careful. But keep in mind that there’s much more about this book that I can’t tell you, but I recommend that you find out, because it’s worth it


Now that I’m thinking a lot about the book, I think it’s quite serious too, it touches topics, as I said, quite delicate and takes you through many emotions along with the characters, and although in the beginning there are some things that seem inexplicable or little bit unrealistic at the end when you have a more complete perspective, then you understand better and everything makes sense. It was very hard to read at times, since it’s a book that has mental illness as a central point. It’s frightening what the human mind can do. It was incredible, very intense and informative

To finish I can recommend this book with total security, if you would like a quick but very deep and shocking reading at the same time, then you should give it a try, on the other hand I’m not sure to put this book in the mystery category as such, but I would qualify it as a contemporary about mental illnesses, engaging and very suspenseful. I also recommend it if you’re looking for a unlikeable character, you’ll love this one

Seventeen-year-old Hannah is institutionalized after her roommate at a summer program ends up in the hospital. The only person who knows what really happened is Hannah and according to her it's all just a big misunderstanding. She doesn't belong institutionalized; besides she's got better things to do with her senior year approaching and college applications looming.

When Hannah gets a new roommate, Lucy, and she hatches a new plan to get what she wants everything begins to slip out from under her self assured feet.


At first glance Hannah is a spoiled, manipulative, perfectionist. She's a perfect student, daughter and friend. She is calculating, dishonest, paranoid and clearly in denial. Hannah is an unreliable and unlikable a narrator, as unlikable as I've read from a main character. Everything is a game and she knows exactly who to be to make people like her, friends and family included. She is in control.

Painstaking detail and time go into show casing her worst qualities. That is why when her mask finally starts to slip and you find yourself beginning to sympathize with her, it is so much more powerful and shocking. The intensity with which you begin to feel for her and how complex she becomes as a character is so well done.

It does seem a slow build up at first. Hannah is bored, she's stuck in a small room, her thoughts drag, and she can be very grating. It does make the read difficult. But the wait is worth it.

You then see Hannah as vulnerable, uncertain, hurt, even selfless. Confused about relationships, about who she is, confused about everything. Hannah is not in control, she's mentally ill and though it is clear she is from the beginning, it is not until halfway through the book you see the depth and brevity of it all. Her own important realization is a sickening gut punch. The portrayal of her symptoms and experience raw and realistic.

At the end you are left with the weight of her sadness and the difficulty of her circumstances. It's not all resolved or neat. It's a step into a life long journey for Hannah. One in which she will continue to struggle.


The highlights –

The slow revelation to the reader of Hannah’s complexity as a character.

Realistic and personal way in which it’s written and paced making some of the later moments in the book all the more hard hitting.

A promising but dark and unresolved ending.


I have received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


- 4/5 While not totally original or surprising, A Danger To Herself And Others is a devastating journey to go through with Hannah, and that impact is really what stays with you long after you put down the book.

Unfortunately this book didn't work for me at all!

I was SO excited about it because most reviews said it's a good mental health rep, and mental health is a very dear topic to me.

However, I'm a plot reader and 40% into the book absolutely nothing had happened.

Hannah is institutionalized because something that happened to her best friend who is in a coma in a hospital. But she doesn't know exactly what happened. She is the typical unreliable narrator so I brace myself for a mystery and slow plot development, where Hannah slowly discovers/accepts what happened.

The issue for me is that there wasn't much story or character arc either. Neither the story nor the character were changing in any way. Most of the 40% of the book was internalization about the place where she is now and about her life before she was institutionalized. I really didn't learn anything about Hannah that got me invested in the story.

BUT, clearly many readers did, so I'd recommend that if you like YA contemporary about mental health, you give it a try

Hanna is institutionalized after her roommate Agnes falls two stories from a window. She thinks it is all a big misunderstanding. All she needs to do is convince her doctor and the staff that she does not belong there. Readers are told what happened from Hanna's perspective but Hanna's account does not add up. A Danger to Herself and Others mostly takes place in a mental institution where Hanna the narrator is being treated. The narration could get quite disorienting as you are never quite sure whether things happened the way we are told. For most of the book there are only two other characters Agnes interacts with regularly, her psychiatrist, Dr. Priya Charan, who she refers to as "Dr. Lightfoot," and her roommate Lucy. With the bulk of the narrative taking place in one location with a narrator with little sense of reality, things get claustrophobic at times. This book has two additional parts but both seems rushed. While Hanna's mind is fascinating, the story could use some grounding in the real world.

This is a supplemental purchase for libraries where books like It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini and In Sight of Stars by Gae Polisner are popular. For other libraries I would not recommend.

This was interesting.Although I didn't like the nd in the beginning,I definitely empathize with her as the novel went on. A definitely twisty thriller.

There is nothing that I love more in a story than an unreliable narrator, and Sheinmel has created one of the best ones yet. Hannah was such a compelling and complex character that I devoured this book in one sitting. I knew that I was really going to enjoy this book the moment Hannah told us she was lying about something she had said earlier in the book and I couldn't read this fast enough to try and determine what was the truth and what was a product of Hannah's mental illness. Hannah, was also not the most likable character but I was extremely empathetic towards her and her parents neglect towards her, and I think that that really worked to the advantage of the author's story.

I did find some of the bigger plot twists to be rather predictable, but it still didn't take too much enjoyment away from the story. Ever since I read We Were Liars I've always been extremely skeptical around unreliable narrators and continually question what is real and what is not. So, I think me figuring out the plot twists is mainly due to how much I often overthink the plot of a book. I also enjoyed the open ended-ness of the book and loved that this makes you think about the stigma that comes with mental illnesses, the author handled the topic in a professional and thought provoking way.

Overall, this is great psychological rollercoaster that I think will appeal to many readers!

I have a soft spot for books that discuss mental illness. I guess it could be a way of seeing myself in a book, or getting an insight into what others may be experiencing. It makes me feel less alone and I find the topic fascinating.

Sheinmal does not disappoint with this intense look at mental illness. Her main character Hannah is a top student, a model daughter and she doesn't deserve to be institutionalised over a simple accident, but her lawyer disagrees. Hannah decides not to waste her time and uses this as an opportunity to befriend Lucy and show the doctors, lawyers and judge, just how wrong they are about her. She would never have hurt her friend. She is the perfect friend, how could anyone think differently?

Hannah is the perfect unreliable narrator, she makes that clear from the outset. 6% in and she tells you that outright.
"It's not true that I can only see a few plants from here. We're actually in the middle of a forest.
I was lying before."

This book drew me in quickly and had me completely invested in Hannah's life within a couple of pages. She is complex and fascinating. Because it's from her point of view, we never get other people's versions of Hannah, so we have to kind of just take her at her word. And it's hard to take someone at their word when they have hurt their friend.
Hannah starts out brash, confident and annoying. She is so sure of herself, that watching that façade crumble around her is heartbreaking. She becomes so vulnerable and unsure of herself that you just want to hold her tight and tell her it will all be ok. It's an emotional ride that was able to surprise me throughout.

I don't want to discuss the plot more as it will give away too much. I think part of the emotional investment in books like these comes from not knowing where they are heading.
I can tell you that the writing was superb and i feel like the author really did her research. The way she describes Hannah's symptoms and behaviours is realistic and honest. I liked that she didn't shy away from the ugly parts of Hannah's personality and illness. Hannah requires a great deal of your empathy and understanding, which can be hard for some as she isn't exactly the nicest girl.

My only problem with this book is that I wanted more, I wanted to know what happened next. I get why the author left it like this, I think anything more would have cheapened it, but it would be great if she could pop me an email to tell me how Hannah's relationship with her parents is going?

Overall this is a fantastic, emotional, contemporary read. I highly recommend.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Review to be published February 4th on The Nerd Daily]

Alyssa Sheinmel’s latest book, A Danger to Herself and Others, is a young adult dark contemporary book about mental health and people’s prejudices, but also about gradually learning to accept yourself as you are.

Hannah Gold has been wrongly accused of hurting her best friend from summer camp and sent to a mental health institute to be diagnosed, even if she’s sure she shouldn’t be there with real patients.

"Of course, the other patients are here because there’s actually something wrong with them. I’m only here because of a misunderstanding, so there’s no need for me to panic."

However the reader knows something’s up from the first chapters of this novel. Hannah is in fact an unreliable narrator, and the book is told exclusively from her perspective. That’s why reading A Danger to Herself and Others was interesting, entertaining, and a challenge in itself.

"I gaze out the window. […] There are redwood trees as far as I can see, and when the fog gets thick, it condenses on the needlelike leaves and drips onto the roof. It sounds like rain, but it isn’t. It’s not true that I can only see a few plants from here. We’re actually in the middle of a forest. I was lying before."

This book has an excellent mental health representation. The main character spends almost all her days inside a single room and has daily meetings with her therapist. This way the reader gets to really understand how Hannah’s head works and why she has certain goals in her life. At the beginning she can even come out as a creepy character, for example when she seems determined to make new best friends with every girl who has something in common with her.

She is also calculative, determined to obtain what she wants, and she is not scared to use other people in the process. This is why the institute assigning her a roommate, Lucy, seems like a bad decision. However, her friendship with Lucy is going to end up influencing Hannah’s recovery in unexpected ways.

The represented mental illness is finally seen with different eyes in this book. A Danger to Herself and Others: there’s a reason behind the title and you’ll be reminded about it quite a lot (maybe too many times), but in the end it’s there to explain you that people with mental illnesses are not “crazy” or “not normal”. Their brains just work in different ways, and it’s not because of that that we should treat them differently and have prejudices against them. Ignorant people are scared of what people with mental illnesses could do to them, but it turns out they are more a danger to themselves and they are confused about what they should feel. As a result, they should be loved more than ever.

"But can you really call it sanity when it isn’t real, it isn’t natural, it’s chemically induced? When it doesn’t technically belong to me because I wouldn’t have it without the pills they keep giving me? Maybe I’ll never know for certain what’s real, what’s madness, what’s the medication."

All the characters shine in this book. All of them have their rounded personality and goals. I particularly found Hannah’s closeminded parents to be very unlikable and vexing, but that’s why they stood out so much.

I also enjoyed the writing style a lot, as it was quick and simple, but not too much. It really showed Hannah’s personality.

The plot was perhaps the weakest part of this novel. While the mental illness representation and the acceptance process were really well done, the rest wasn’t as exciting. The reader is left with Hannah’s thoughts for the entirety of the book, and only a few major plot points happen. Sometimes she wanders a bit too much with her thoughts when there’s no reason to be given that information. This can lead the reader to feel bored, even if the writing style never lets you put the book down. The “mystery” also wasn’t exactly a mystery as it was advertised.

In conclusion, this book is highly recommended to people who are tired of seeing mental illnesses romanticised and want to see good YA representation instead.

"That’s just my imagination, not a hallucination. That’s okay."

Hannah is an unreliable narrator with a story to tell. We are given glimpses of truth through a reality that may or may not be real, through the eyes of the self-assured girl who believes for all the world that she does not belong in the institution she has found herself in. Very readable and intriguing from the start.

A Danger to Herself and Others is a YA novel that deals with mental illness and coming to terms with a diagnosis. The book is part mystery, part thriller and is a compelling and fast read. I recommend it and I plan to read Sheinmel’s previous books. A Danger to Herself and Others grabbed me with the very first sentence:

“When I first got here - when they brought me here - a man with blue pants and a matching shirt, both of which looked like they were made out of paper, asked me questions.”

We soon learn that our protagonist is Hannah Gold, a 17 year old high school student is in a mental institution after her roommate Agnes is in a terrible accident and she is a suspect. Hannah keeps reminding herself and the reader that it is exactly that — an accident. She wholeheartedly believes that her “imprisonment” is a huge mistake and is determined to correct it and get back to school.

A Danger to Herself and Others keeps the reader guessing and it’s not clear what’s real and what’s not. Is Hannah a reliable narrator? I was intrigued by Hannah’s description of the hospital’s setting the end of chapter 1 and the end of chapter 2, which led me to suspect that she is an unreliable narrator:

“I stand on my tiptoes to look out my small window and wait for the few plants and trees I can see to dry out and die.” (end of ch.1)

“It’s not true that I can only see a few plants from here. We’re actually in the middle of a forest. I was lying before.” (end of ch. 2)

One gets to know Hannah well through her internal thought process. Some of her thinking is pure stream of consciousness which I enjoyed reading, like at the beginning of chapter 5 when she looks at and contemplates the sky, then the ceiling, then the walls, and then the ceiling lights. From there she imagines what would happen if the bulbs stopped working. Would they let a maintenance worker come in her room to fix them, considering that they have labelled her “a danger to herself and others?” Would they send her outside? There is a lot more detail to these thoughts in Hannah’s mind.

Sheinmel writes Hannah as witty and clever, which makes A Danger to Herself and Others a more entertaining read. For example, she nicknames her psychiatrist Dr. Lightfoot because she wears ballet slippers and taps the floor as she walks. Also, Hannah doles out interesting tidbits to ponder along the way.

"I suppose your name is the first thing that ever really belongs to you, but when you think about it, it’s not yours at all. Your parents chose it.”

“They needed someone to blame, and I was the only available scapegoat. Their daughter was my best friend. Playing the scapegoat was the least I could do under the circumstances.”

“Being locked up is absurdly boring. The monotony is enough to drive a sane person crazy.”

Some of Hannah’s thinking is amusing, which endears herself to the reader. She is a likable protagonist and I found myself rooting for her.

“I know a bedpan is supposed to be humiliating, but I have to disagree. There’s something oddly luxurious about not having to leave the bed to pee. And about the fact that someone else has to take your waste away. You don’t even have to flush it yourself.”

“I don’t feel like talking. I don’t feel like thinking, either. Thinking means doubting, and doubting means Lightfoot has gotten under my skin like a rash that won’t stop spreading. Doubt means I’m beginning to believe what she says about me. I wish there were an antidoubt drug I could take instead of whatever Lightfoot gave me.”

Hannah alludes to a classic psychology experiment in the early 1970s in which a psychologist and others easily get themselves admitted to a mental hospital after claiming they heard voices saying empty, hollow and thud. Once they are diagnosed and admitted, these pseudo patients explain that they are not insane and act normally. However, now that they have been labelled, all their subsequent behavior is viewed thru the mentally ill filter. For example, they take copious notes since this is a research experiment but such behavior is considered obsessive-compulsive by the hospital staff. The conclusion was essentially that one cannot differentiate between the sane and insane within the confines of a mental hospital.

“‘Whoa there,’ he says, reaching out to catch me. I want to shrug off his touch, but I don’t. He might report it to Dr. Lightfoot. I imagine her noting the incident in my file. Hannah Gold doesn’t like to be touched by nameless strangers. Out in the real world, that’s good common sense. In here, it’s a symptom."

“Well, I understand everything. I understand that Dr. Lightfoot is lying to me, playing some kind of game, enjoying a sick power trip. Maybe she’s still mad at me for getting locked out of my room the other day. Maybe she wants to remind me that she’s the one in control, that as long as I’m in this room, the truth is whatever she decides it is.”

But that is Hannah’s mission, as she sees it, to prove to them that she is completely fine, this has all been a terrible mistake and what happened to Agnes was an accident. But does she know what she is really up against? Is her thinking in fact faulty and is she irrational?

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The point of view of a teenaged girl suffering from psychosis was compelling. Watching the story unfold through her experiences was compelling. The ending of the book felt abrupt and instead of punctuating the story, left me feeling stranded. I understand what the author intended, but for me, she didn't achieve it. Still, I recommend this book highly to YA readers, especially those who are YA aged.

I have to admit I mostly wanted to read this one because of it’s stunning cover. It was so eye-catching that along with the title I decided to give it a go. I tend to find the whole taking place in an institution (which seemed very outdated to me) very interesting. I would consider this one very fast paced, I felt like I flew through it.

I feel like going into this one with just a vague idea of what it’s about really helped with the overall flow of the story. I didn’t see a lot of what was coming, and going on with Hannah until the moment it happened. Hannah is a complex character, to say the least. I was very intrigued with her, but had the hardest time trusting her.

I do read a lot of books that take place in mental hospital settings, so I was almost convinced I knew how everything was going to play out. Luckily for this one it was completely unique to any others I’ve read. The writing was absolutely stunning and I got real Girl Interrupted vibes for sure.

It's the perfect bad girl "I'm innocent and right about everything" story that I love. You're constantly turning the page to find out WHY she's been locked up. Fresh and unique. Love it!

A Danger to Herself and Others pleasantly surprised me. As a person who loved the book We Were Liars, when I read the comparison, I was excited for another mind-twisting, creepy, psychological read but I was curious as to how this book was going to live up to the high expectations.
This book managed to satisfy my craving for a book that is a psychological rollercoaster. As a psychology student who plans to work with people of Hannah's age, I was instantly interested in how the story was going to turn out. I love how I was increasingly interested in what actually happened. Hannah sort of reminded me of Mara Dyer in that I almost never trusted her. Hannah is not a nice girl and she isn't always likeable. She believes she's better, smarter, and more mature than everyone else. She believes she's always right (at least until some key events in the story unfold) and this was at times annoying, especially since I found myself not really caring if she even got out at all. Hannah didn't seem to care about Agnes' condition in the hospital at all, even though they were supposedly best friends for weeks. But I also love how strong she was. She believed she was wrongly accused of the crime, and was put into a psychiatric facility due to a misunderstanding, but as the story unravels, she realizes maybe she was the one who was wrong all along.
I was surprised that both Lucy and Jonah were hallucinations, but with the comparison to We Were Liars, I wasn't as surprised as I would have been if I didn't know of that comparison. I liked how Hannah's hallucinations were "imperfect," and managed to show the diverse set of hallucinations that people with this illness can have.
I also like how the story is not wrapped in a pretty bow. Hannah was right. Her life is changed forever and she will have to learn to manage her illness. Surprisingly, I felt the most anxiety during the last few pages when Hannah debates not taking her pill at all, when she considers keeping Lucy and Jonah around. I really wanted to shout "Hannah, take your damn pill!" at her! But it goes to show that this will be a journey for Hannah, and even though there were lots of times I didn't necessarily like her, I found myself wishing the best for her. I hope that she manages her illness. I hope that her parents manage to understand her illness better. I hope this experience was humbling for her. I hope she can move forward from this. I hope Hannah can live the full live she's always wanted.

What a beautifully-written little mind f*ck. I finished A Danger to Herself and Others and spent a few minutes in silence, just wondering how it's possible for an author to dream up such a strange, dark, disturbing tale. I've always found Alyssa Sheinmel's style not to my liking, but there is something about this story, the characters and the bleak setting that really just... works.

This story paints a dark, weird picture of the friendships, rivalries and backstabbing that goes on between the patients It's about intense female friendships and the deepest, darkest aspects of human nature. It's a really odd novel, straddling the line between contemporary thriller and paranormal mystery. It's a very psychological story. The reveal of the mystery itself comes far behind the strength of exploring the mindset of denial and acceptance as Hannah tries to deal with her diagnosis. She has go through treatment and it's a delightful treat to be in her head as she deals with the emotions and repercussions. She's suddenly given a roommate called Lucy, who adds a whole other element to this story, especially since she may be a danger to herself and others.

The writing is absolutely stunning. It is beautiful and haunting and Sheinmel establishes an atmosphere that sucks you in and compels you to read on. The prose gets under your skin.

The ending is very strange, a little stranger than I would usually like, but this is a powerful book about what humans are capable of under subdued circumstances- the good and the bad. Can you separate the lies from the truth?

This likable and unreliable narrator (Hannah) tells her story from behind the walls of a mental institution and you can't stop reading. What really happened to Agnes? Where is Jonah? Why do they give her a roommate if she really is a "danger to others?" So many questions and as the narrative unfolds you learn more about Hannah and gain a better understanding of what it is like to live with mental illness. It is a bit terrifying to see our mental health system from that vantage point. Do books like this and "Gone Girl" make only child families look like breeding grounds for impaired mental health?

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars
Review by Nancy
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog

A Danger to Herself and Others, by Alyssa B. Sheinmel, was a quick, engaging and very interesting read. A take on mental illness and those who suffer from it. I went in with an open mind and was surprised to see where Alyssa B. Sheinmel took the story.

Hannah finds herself in a mental institute after her best friend suffers an accident that leaves her in a coma. She is being accused of possibly causing the accident but, why would she hurt her best friend? That was the big question. Was Hannah involved, was she a harm to herself and to others? It took me a little while to truly understand and like Hannah— I couldn’t get a grasp on her character.

Although I did enjoy this book, I felt it lacked in some areas. The writing was great but I couldn’t completely fall in love with the story. There were a couple twists I did not see coming and those kept me reading. I was captivated up until the end, where I felt like I needed more closure than I was given. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story!

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **