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A Danger to Herself and Others

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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!

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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.

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[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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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. **

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It’s been a recent trend lately where the female protagonists are named Hannah (think Thirteen Reasons Why, Pretty Little Liars, Hanna Fell From The Sky) in novels, and both films and shows haven’t been immune to this phenomenon either (think Girls, Hanna, and recently The Exorcism of Hannah Grace). So when I started reading this novel I noticed that the protagonist’s name was Hannah, I somewhat groaned. I hope you five me, but I’ve overdosed on Hannahs as of late.

On the upside though, is that the author writes with such clarity and poise that I could forgive her naming the protagonist Hannah. And it helped that the story was narrated in the first person, meaning that the name would be used even less.

Apart from my dislike of the name choice, I really, really, REALLY enjoyed this book immensely. I don’t know what it says about me that I LOVE books that take place in any sort of mental institution whether it be contemporary fiction, nonfiction, or historical. I really enjoyed having the story being told by Hannah’s point of view. She’s smart, sarcastic, and somewhat manipulative. This is probably why the reader initially may believe Hannah into thinking that she has no place being in the mental institution, after all, her best friend Agnes falling out of the window could’ve been an accident, right? The majority of the book focuses on Hannah being stuck in the institute and finding a way to get out (but not as in breaking out but proving to the doctor that she’s sane). The reader receives hints and flashbacks and those are compelling enough to make one want to know what exactly happened the night that Agnes fell. Was Hannah to blame or has she been placed in the institute by mistake?

Some of the twists in the book I suspected, while others completely took me by surprise. It was one intense wild ride. If you’re into books about mental illness, asylums, deception, and unreliable narrators, then this book is right up your alley.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

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I feel like I’ve read this book a hundred times. Unsurprising plot twists that I figured out almost as soon as the characters were introduced.

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A Danger to Herself and Others

Author: Alyssa Sheinmel

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publishers Author Page

Publication Date: February 5, 2019

Genre: Young Adult > Coming of Age > Literature & Fiction > Social & Family Issues > Depression & Mental Illness

Page Count: 320 Pages

ISBN-10: 1492667242

ISBN-13: 978-1492667247

SNEAK PEAK & DISCUSSION GUIDE

Now Available for Pre-order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Books-A-Million, !ndigo, Waterstones

My Rating: 5 Stars

About the Author (From Author’s Website):

Alyssa Sheinmel is the bestselling author of young adult novels including A Danger to Herself and Others, Faceless, Second Star, The Beautiful Between, The Lucky Kind, and The Stone Girl. She is also the co-author of the New York bestselling novel The Haunting of Sunshine Girl and its sequel, The Awakening of Sunshine Girl. Alyssa grew up in Northern California and New York and attended Barnard College. She now lives and writes in New York City. For more bio information on Alyssa visit the BIO Page of her website.

Social Media Sites: Instagram, Twitter, Alyssa Sheinmel’s Website

About A Danger to Herself and Others (From Publisher’s Author Page):

Girl, Interrupted meets We Were Liars in this gripping new novel from New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel.

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 doctor 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.

For all other books by Alyssa Sheinmel, please refer to the Books Page on her website:

Contact Alyssa Sheinmel

Media Inquiries: Brooke Shearouse – Scholastic Inc. – 557 Broadway New York, NY 10011 – BShearouse@Scholastic.com

Rights Inquiries: Jessica Regel – 33 West 17th Street – New York, NY 10012 – (212) 929-5064 – jregel@foundrymedia.com

Agent Inquiries: Molly Glick – Creative Artists Agency – 405 Lexington Avenue – New York, NY 10174 –
(212) 277-9000 –mollie.glick@caa.com

My Review:

In Alyssa Sheinmel’s compelling fictitious novel A Danger to Herself and Others, she takes on mental health by writing about the psychotic episodes of a coming of age teenager. Hannah is the only child, comes from a well to do family, is conspicuously more intelligent than those of her age, is quick-witted and appears to know exactly where her path in life is taking her.

Sheinmel included an Author’s Note at the end of her novel in which she writes, “This book is a work of fiction, and is not meant to educate readers about mental illness or institutionalization. No doubt I granted myself some creative liberty to tell the story I wanted to tell: no good doctor would keep Hannah confined to her room the way she is for much of the story, and Hannah might not be sent home quite so quickly following her diagnosis.” The key words here are “good doctor” and “sent home so quickly following her diagnosis.”

The truth is we are experiencing a mental health epidemic in the United States today, and the mental health disorders do not discriminate whether by age, sex, religion or any other orientation. Mental health disorders come in all shapes and sizes, are overt and covert, and those with a mental health disorder can go undiagnosed for years, or life. These are the facts. Look at how many young people have gone into schools, malls, movie theaters, churches, etc., and taken the lives of so many innocent children and adults. These individuals had mental disorders that were not acted on even though family members, friends, and neighbors all spoke up after the fact, too late to intercede and prevent the killings. As I read A Danger to Herself and Others I could not stop thinking that every one of us must report another’s unusual behavior and actions, whether brother, sister, son or daughter, friend, neighbor, teacher, etc..

Sheinmel may have written a fictitious novel, but it is a novel that must not be dismissed as “not possible” or “unbelievable,” or whatever dismissive means that have been used in reading and reviewing this novel. The truth is we all know, regardless of age, race, economic class, etc. that what we read in A Danger to Herself and Others is possible, believable and happens every day. If you are shrouded from seeing the effects of mental disorders, you need to wake up to real life because although this particular novel is fiction, it is real life.

Hannah may have been confined to her room for the majority of her stay at the mental health facility, but in actuality, Hannah was only in the faculty for one and a half months, maybe two. It's easy enough to calculate because we know Hannah’s parents sent her to California to attend summer school and Hannah had already been in summer school for two months before the incident happened that had her ordered to the mental health facility for observation and being a potential danger to herself and others.

And because Hannah was considered a danger to herself and others, she would have, in reality, been kept away from the other patients until she was correctly diagnosed, after which she would start a medication regiment. Here’s another fact, there is no one size fits all when it comes to medications and diagnoses. We know that when Hannah returned to New York with her parents’ school had been in session for a month before her return. So, again, do the math. Also, remember that Hannah was a juvenile so it would be natural to turn her over to her parents to be taken home for additional monitoring and treatment. There are roughly three-thousand miles between New York City and San Francisco.

Alyssa Sheinmel also wrote in her Author’s Notes, “Additionally, I read that antipsychotics may take effect after a few days, but following acute episodes, they can take as long as four to six weeks…” This is also not fiction; it is a fact. As I said, there is no one size fits all. What works for one may not work for many others.

Sheinmel’s novel is skillfully written, and although she makes it clear that her novel is a work of fiction, she wrote a novel befitting a non-fiction novel. It was clear to me that Sheinmel had not just put pen to paper and began to write, just as it was manifested in her writing that she had spent more than enough adequate time researching the topic of mental health disorders and medications used to treat disorders. In this case a psychotic disorder. Sheinmel was very much on point when writing A Danger to Herself and Others.

I have to admit that I was dismayed by the 1-3 Star reviews that Alyssa Sheinmel’s novel A Danger to herself and Others received. I was also put off by the dismissiveness of what is and is not believable or capable, as I have already addressed. I would suggest to the readers and reviewers who have doubts about psychosis and psychotic episodes that they get themselves a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Health Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5 and familiarize themselves with mental illness as Sheinmel clearly did. It is unfair to the novel and the author when someone reads a book and decides what is right or wrong about the book, or reads a book that may be in your genre, but the subject matter is not in your genre. You are not required to read a book that is not in your genre, simply notify NetGalley that you are not going to write a review because the book was outside of your genre. Don’t bash a novel or the author that put hundreds of hours into writing the novel you are criticizing. The negative reviews are as wrong as the 1-3 star reviews that A Danger to Herself and Others received from reviews on NetGalley. I have to say that I would like to see how things go for Hannah now that she is back in New York with her family, or is she? I hope there will be a sequel to A Danger to Herself and Others.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, Alyssa Sheinmel and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review A Danger to Herself and Others. And a special note of thanks to Alyssa Sheinmel for taking on a subject too many turn their backs on.

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Compelling writing, grabbed me and didn't let go until the last page... I found the ending slightly unsatisfying, but in keeping with the story. It had to end that way, to have taken it any further would have undermined the general plotting. Hannah, in particular, was so well-written, very believable.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give my unbiased opinion

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I haven't read many books that are set in mental hospitals and yet they seem pretty popular in the YA community which is why I decided to give this one a try. The characters were really interesting and the writing was very personal.

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A Danger to Herself and Others was a book that grabbed hold of me from the first chapters and held on through the end. While many novels set in mental institutions feel similar or monotonous and sketch the routines of daily clinical life and the trappings of mental illness, this book centers around Hannah, who is an intelligent character who struggles with her circumstances. And its no wonder, because the book forces us to question them too. What really happened to her roommate? Can she truly trust her doctor? Why is she still in the mental hospital? This book made my heart pound and my head spin and all in a good way.

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(I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire but all opinions are my own.)

When Hanna Gold is placed under observation in a California psychiatric ward, she knows it's just a matter of time before her name is cleared. She has no reason to be under observation and her stay there is all part of a huge misunderstanding.

She's primarily worried about the wellbeing of her summer camp roommate, Agnes, who took a horrible fall from their dorm room window, just before Hanna was shipped away. Her secondary worry is getting released from observation before the school year starts with college applications on the horizon.

She does her best to do ask she's asked, but still maintains that she doesn't belong on the ward, so her resistance feels genuine.

That is, until things start to unravel. The life and stories Hanna has relied on start to fray at the edges, little by little, rapidly descending into internal chaos.

Sheinmel has created a beautifully dark portrayal of reconciling who we are with or without our mental health. In a world where we are just now accepting the tip of the iceberg of mental health (like high functioning depression and anxiety) she tackles the heavier aspects of stigma and institutionalization surrounding much deeper issues (bulimia and psychosis).

We have a long way to go with mental health awareness and care (says the clinical therapy grad student...) but as more raw and honest portrayals make their way into literature, we can start to chip away at the hurdles in front of us.

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"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."

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Sourcebooks Fire. Trigger warnings: mental illness, severe injury, eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia.

When Hannah's best friend and roommate falls out a window during a game of Truth or Dare and suffers life-threatening injuries, Hannah is surprised to find that Agnes's parents blame her. She doesn't argue when a judge sends her to an institution for a mental evaluation. Hannah knows this has all been a big mistake, and as long as she proves that she's not dangerous to herself or anyone else, she'll be out in time to begin her senior year at school. Her new roommate, Lucy, is a dancer, and Hannah decides to befriend her to help prove her innocence. But Lucy has her own demons, and Hannah's memory of that night may not be as reliable as she thinks.

It took me a while to adjust to Sheinmel's writing style. Not being familiar with her other books, I'm not sure whether it's her usual style or Hannah's narrative voice, but it's rambling and repetitive. (Far too many repetitions of the phrases "Light as a feather, stiff as a board" and "a danger to herself and others". I started skipping over them at some point.) There isn't a lot of substance to it, and it's full of pointless details and Hannah's meaningless speculation on aspects of the hospital, staff, and patients. Nothing much happens in the first half of the book; there aren't a lot of other characters, so it's just Hannah's inner monologue going full speed without really getting anywhere.

Hannah isn't a very likable character. She arrogantly believes she's always the smartest person in the room, and she doesn't see a problem with using her intellect to manipulate people. In fact, the descriptions of her numerous best friends seem to imply that she chooses girls with low popularity or self-esteem and shapes them into more appropriate friend material. She calls it helping, but it sounds a lot like self-aggrandizing manipulation. Her relationship with her parents is complicated and borderline neglectful, but all we really know about them for most of the novel is what Hannah tells us. Her relationship with Lucy isn't as fleshed out as I was hoping for, and most of the other characters are shadows in Hannah's personal drama. She's also a textbook unreliable narrator, since she openly lies about some of those pointless details and misremembers others that aren't as pointless.

I have mixed feelings about this book, but I think my doubts are more about the psychological thriller genre as a whole than this book in particular. I'm wondering whether books that rely on a character's mental health for "thrills" are inherently ableist and perpetuating stereotypes that people with mental illnesses are dangerous. In that respect, A Danger to Herself and Others may have a few problems. Hannah's mental health is used as a major plot twist, so much that it edges into shock value territory, and the possibility that she may have pushed Agnes out the window somewhat feeds into that stereotype of danger. Much as the author's note claims that this is not meant to be an accurate picture of mental illness or institutionalization, the representation still matters. I'm not the best person to decide whether it's offensive; just know that there may be some issues going into it.

However, it isn't all bad. From my limited perspective, it isn't even mostly bad. Hannah receives treatment for her illness, which is already an important step. She has talk therapy sessions and takes medication. Her struggle with accepting her diagnosis is well-developed and far from complete by the time the novel is over. The book makes it very clear that her illness is lifelong, and she will have to continue to manage it--but also that it can be managed without sacrificing the rest of her life. There's some effort toward the end to convince readers that patients with Hannah's diagnosis are far more likely to hurt themselves than other people (and, in the author's note, that they're even more likely to be hurt by other people). I found the second half of the book more engaging, since it deals openly and in depth with these issues. The biggest problem for me is that the two halves of the novel seem to be at odds with each other. It can’t seem to decide whether it’s a thriller or a story about mental illness, and it doesn’t really do justice to either side.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

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