Hey there, friends! It's release day for A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa Sheinmel! Below you'll find my review. I hope you enjoy it!
Congrats to Alyssa Sheinmel! 🎉
A Danger to Herself and Others
by Alyssa Sheinmel
Publication Date: Feb 5th, 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 352
Received: From the publisher via NetGalley.
Rating: 4 stars
Only when she’s locked away does the truth begin to escape…
Four walls. One window. No way to escape. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She didn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at her summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. In the meantime, she is going to use her persuasive skills to get the staff on her side.
Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage. And she may be the only person who can get Hannah to confront the dangerous games and secrets that landed her in confinement in the first place.
My Review
A Danger to Herself and Others is a compelling YA story about mental illness.
It’s the summer before senior year, and Hannah is in California at an intensive study program. Everything is going great until Hannah’s roommate, Agnes, falls out of a second story window playing a game of Truth or Dare, and Hannah finds herself locked in a mental institution. The authorities think she made have been responsible for the accident. They say she is a danger to herself & others, but it wasn’t her fault, and she is sure once the misunderstanding is cleared up they will release her.
The story is told from Hannah’s POV; you’re in Hannah’s head and only see her realities. Because of this there were times I felt things were slightly off or not realistic, but as the story moves along and details are revealed, it starts to become clear, and I understood why things were the way they were.
Things get more interesting when Lucy, who becomes Hannah’s new BFF, is brought to the institution, and Hannah starts focusing on Lucy's problems. Lucy is a ballerina and has an eating disorder. There is an important audition she needs to get to, but she's stuck in the institution. Hannah wants to help Lucy, and it won't hurt if the doctor sees what a good friend Hannah can be, right?
I really enjoyed A Danger to Herself and Others! It was fascinating to see how Hannah perceives her situation. The mind is an interesting creature, indeed!
FTC Disclaimer: I received an ARC of the story from the publisher for my honest review.
Buy: Amazon • Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads
FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!
About the Author
Alyssa Sheinmel is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels for young adults, including A Danger to Herself and Others and Faceless. She is the co-author of The Haunting of Sunshine Girl and its sequel, The Awakening of Sunshine Girl. Alyssa grew up in Northern California and New York, and currently lives and writes in New York City. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter or visit her online at www.alyssasheinmel.com.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for my copy of A Danger to Herself and Other!
Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you!
I'm reading Prepared (Sundown Series #1) by Courtney Konstantin. It's exciting! But I guess I didn't read the book blurb very carefully (I must have read only the first sentence! Lol) because I didn't realize this was a zombie/apocalypse story! I love apocalyptic stories, but I could do without the zombies! It's still really good! :) This is Courtney Konstantin's debut novel.
