A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa Sheinmel
Published: February 5, 2019
Publisher: Sourcefire Books
Pages: 352
Genres: contemporary fiction, young adult, mental health
Rating: 4 stars
Recommend to fans of: books about mental health, unreliable narrators
Foodie Vibes: room temperature, soft food that can’t be a danger to yourself or others in the hospital mental health facility
Synopsis:
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.
Review:
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcefire Books, and Alyssa Sheinmel for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me.
Like:
- Unreliable narrator: Normally, I’m not a fan of unreliable narrators, but in this book I enjoyed it.
- Your opinion of the main character’s situation changes as you get more information.
- Shows a fairly realistic portrayal of forced inpatient psychiatric stay
Love:
- Can really feel her feelings through the writing: the panic, confusion, and desperation is evident
- Quick read
- Had to keep reading to find out what happens
- Book about mental health diagnosis that’s rarely written about
- The little clues that are left along the way for the reader and Hannah to figure out
Dislike:
- That the staff could be manipulated/bribed by the patients
- Her family wasn’t that supportive
- The circumstances that sent Hannah to the facility
Wish that:
- There’s another book to show how Hannah copes with the real world
- Could see the circumstances from Hannah’s doctor’s point of view occasionally
Overall, a great book about mental health and all the challenges that can come with first being diagnosed. An interesting story that I absolutely flew through.
Lately there have been lots of books about mental health.
Do you think the genre/market is saturated yet?
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