Alyssa Sheinmel's "A Danger to Herself and Others" is a masterfully crafted young adult novel that delves into the intricacies of the human mind, blending psychological depth with a riveting narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. This dark and compelling contemporary story, perfect for fans of psychological thrillers, weaves a tale of mystery and self-discovery that lingers long after the final page.

One of the novel's standout strengths is its protagonist, Hannah. Sheinmel skillfully navigates the complexities of Hannah's character, painting a vivid portrait of a young girl grappling with her own understanding of reality. The exploration of mental health is handled with sensitivity and authenticity, offering readers a window into the challenges faced by those dealing with psychological struggles.

The narrative unfolds with a perfect balance of intrigue and suspense, making it a page-turner from start to finish. The story's pacing is expertly executed, keeping the reader engaged while gradually peeling back the layers of the central mystery. The inclusion of Lucy as a character adds an extra layer of depth, becoming the catalyst for Hannah's self-reflection and confrontation with her own secrets.

Sheinmel's writing is evocative and thought-provoking, capturing the emotions and nuances of the characters' experiences. The novel serves as a poignant exploration of themes such as mental illness, self-perception, and the consequences of secrets.

While the novel stands as a remarkable achievement, some readers may find certain plot elements predictable. The balance between maintaining suspense and telegraphing certain outcomes may be a point of contention for those seeking complete unpredictability. However, this minor flaw does not overshadow the overall brilliance of the storytelling.

In conclusion, "A Danger to Herself and Others" is a compelling and thought-provoking read that resonates with readers who appreciate emotionally charged novels, stories about mental health, and suspenseful narratives. Alyssa Sheinmel's exploration of the complexities of the mind is both captivating and impactful, making this novel a standout in the young adult genre.
I absolutely recommend it to fellow book lovers seeking a compelling journey into the depths of psychological fiction.

I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis held so much promise, but the book failed to deliver as much as I hoped for from it. I enjoyed it well enough, but with a few tweaks it could have been an even more enjoyable read.

Soon-to-be high school senior Hannah, a privileged New Yorker who ate caviar before Kindergarten, finds herself in a mental health treatment facility after a tragic incident leaves her summer school roommate seriously injured. Labeled "a danger to herself and others", Hannah struggles to understand why she is a patient and is convinced the doctors just need to see she's fine and doesn't belong in treatment. Her new roommate, Lucy, seems to be Hannah's best bet at convincing everyone she's fine -- starting a "normal" friendship could be her ticket out. But not everything is what it seems, and Hannah's world is about to tip over, leaving nothing the same...

Thoughts: Interesting setting but didn't deliver. Several reviews and summaries label this story as a suspense, mystery, and/or thriller, but it's really not. I agree with the comparisons to Girl, Interrupted in that it centers around a teen girl who is institutionalized and doesn't feel she should be, but that's where the road ends. Author Alyssa B. Sheinmel does a good job capturing the mind of a mentally ill teen girl, and getting to know Hannah as she figures out herself kept me invested. But there was no real suspense and while the twists were interesting, I kept waiting for something big to happen. Not a bad story, just a case of false advertising and unrealized potential.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.**

I wasn’t able to finish this book. Because of this, it is my policy not to review the book on my site or on Goodreads/Amazon. I also didn’t mark it DNF.

This was such a dark and twisted book! I was really intrigued by the title and the concept, of this girl who thinks that she isn't a danger to herself and others, but for now is in an institute. Which, you know, has other people who have that designation.

Hannah is an unreliable narrator, because she is here, and we don't know why, but we do know that the legal system put her here. So I wanted to know what happened to her best friend that sent her here-and whether she truly was a danger to herself and others or not.

Knowing that Hannah was unreliable, I was questioning everything that she was telling us. Maybe she was lying, or maybe it was mental health or some combination of the two, but the question was, how much of it? And what parts? The questions just plagued me!

And oh, that ending! That ending was something else! After the ride that this book gave us, that ending was just so fantastic! It was heartbreaking, to be sure, but oh, it was a great ending. Mental health is tough, and I loved how it was explored in this book!

This was a great read, and I can't wait to read more by Alyssa Sheinmel!

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

So many trigger warnings please look them all up but notably for me were eating disorders, depression, and psychotic episodes.

I’ve been holding onto this book for ages after receiving a copy from NetGalley but was never in the mood for it. But then I saw the audiobook was available and thought it was my time to get this off the list! And I was so disappointed. I knew this centered on mental disorders, psychiatric care, and an unreliable narrator but I felt like it was over-emphasized and under-explained.

Knowing this was the author's third novel had me expecting more from the writing and plot progression. The “big reveal” happened fairly early in the story and nothing interesting really happened after that.

It was a quick read though so I’ll give it that.

A big mistake led to Hannah's hospitalization. Or so she would have you (and herself) believe.

The truth of what happened, her mental state, and her entire perspective is muddled as soon as you realize how unreliable of a narrator she is. Sure, you WANT to believe she is a good person who wouldn't hurt others, but you can't help the sneaking suspicion in your gut that that isn't the case.

It starts slow, but picks up pace around the halfway point.

There is nothing that I love more in a story than an unreliable narrator, and Sheinmel has created one of my favourites, this books is so interesting and will keep your engaged. I would highly recommend it.

Great read! Looking forward to reading more from this author! I highly recommend this book and author to all!

TW: anorexia, bulimia, self-harm, anxiety, assault, cheating, depression, hallucinations, psychiatric hospitals
I chose to read A Danger to Herself and Others in audio format, and the narrator did a great job at keeping me engaged for the entirety of the story. However, I was also frustrated throughout the book because of how the author portrayed psychiatric hospitals. Between 2014 and 2016, I was admitted into a mental health hospital a total of three times due to my struggles with self-harm and two untreated mental illnesses. I was diagnosed with bipolar and borderline personality disorder. The last time I was admitted, I remained in the hospital for almost a month. Originally, I was not going to write a review for this book because I felt that my opinions did not matter, but they do. I am tired of mental health hospitals being portrayed poorly all of the time for entertainment purposes. While I can agree that many have had poor experiences, that is not the case for everyone, and yet we only ever see the bad in the stories that we read and watch. The negativity surrounding hospitals made me embarrassed to admit that I had to seek treatment in the past.

In this book, the author confines the protagonist to her room, and at one point, has her drugged and dragged to a padded room. The patients have to reach milestones to earn basic things such as a shower and eating with other patients. These showers are taken either in front of staff, or they are forced to shower in groups. If granted access to the cafeteria, the patients are divided into different groups based on their admission. When the doctor visits the main character in her room, she often has a guard with her, and if they are prescribed medication, a nurse is there to inspect their mouth thoroughly. Those are the types of stereotypes that can make people either avoid seeking help because they think that their experience might be like that or are too embarrassed to admit that they were hospitalized because of the impression someone else might have.

My experiences were nothing like what the main character faced. The first time I was admitted, my mom dropped me off after my therapist referred me to the hospital. The second and third times, I was taken to the local hospital by ambulance and admitted to the mental health section of the hospital before being transferred to the behavioral hospital. The nurses were kind each time, so I was lucky in that aspect. I did have a negative experience with a doctor, though, which I think about often. According to my doctor, my family would leave me if I continued down the path that I was going. During each stay, I had my weight and blood pressure checked. I shared a room and a bathroom, but I had privacy when changing and showering, unlike the main character. When I was first checked in, I had to undress in front of a few nurses to ensure that I was not bringing in anything that could harm myself or others, but that was the only time. The bathroom doors did not have locks, but you could close the door to use the restroom, and the showers had curtains. They tried to keep us on a schedule, so we were awoken at the same hour each day and had lights out at the same time every night. We had three main meals each day and two snacks. The hospital divided patients into different levels, so we ate in the cafeteria, attended an art class, and went to the gym for exercise with the group of people in our unit. A few times, they allowed us to eat outside, swim in a pool near the gym, and have group outdoors. On top of group therapy each day and individual time with our doctors, they also allowed us free time. We could read, color in the main room, or even watch television. I took medication each day, but no one inspected my mouth, and I was never threatened with a sedative.

My story is unique to other people in many ways because I met my husband the night we were both taken to the hospital. He was from a different town, so the chances of us meeting seem like fate sometimes. After we were both transferred to the mental health hospital, I was originally in a different unit than him. However, in a week, I changed to a room in his unit after a conflict with my roommate. Less than two months after meeting, we got married and have been together for almost five years now. On top of meeting my husband in the hospital, I met many sweet people that impacted my life in positive ways.

Again, I know that not everyone will walk away with a great experience, but we need to start shedding light on the good that can come from behavioral hospitals as well. The care that I received and the people that I met saved my life.

This was just okay for me. I found Hannah Gold to be pretty hard to connect with and the book didn’t quite give off the thriller-vibe, though I know it was trying to. It just fell a little short for me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Okay.

That. Was. AMAZING.

I read it in one sitting.

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

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

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