4 Star Books · ARC Book Reviews · Book Reviews · contemporary fiction · mental health · Young Adult

A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa Sheinmel |Release Day #BookReview

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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. 

 

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Lately there have been lots of books about mental health. 

Do you think the genre/market is saturated yet?

 

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4 Star Books · Book Reviews · contemporary fiction · Medical · mental health · Young Adult

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

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Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow 

Published: August 30, 2016

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 416

Genres: young adult, contemporary fiction, mental health 

Rating: 4 stars

Recommend to fans of: realistic portrayals of mental health struggles, homelessness and self harm, realistic non fluffy books

Foodie Vibes: peanut butter and bread — cheap, doesn’t require refrigeration and is filling — required for when times are tough 

 

Synopsis: 

Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she’s already lost more than most people lose in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The broken glass washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you.

Every new scar hardens Charlie’s heart just a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough to not care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen before you can find your way back from the edge.

 

Review:

Trigger warning: self harm, alcohol abuse, mentions of sexual assault

 

Girl in Pieces tells the story of Charlotte, a teenage girl who struggles with self harm. The book starts out with her hospitalized in a mental health facility. She doesn’t speak to anyone, but is glad to be there. Due to a lack of family support, she was homeless prior to the hospital. 

Girl in Pieces isn’t like many other young adult books featuring self harm. It tells the story of a different subset of teenage girls. I like that it gives a voice and a relatable character where there wasn’t one before. I also appreciated that the author didn’t glorify self harm. The story and Charlotte’s journey is very intense, almost a bit much for me at times. She has lots of ups and downs in her journey along the path to recovery and figuring out her future. It’s very realistic. 

While the representation is great, there are multiple aspects that I didn’t love. #1: her relationship with her boyfriend, for multiple reasons. Also, the fact that no one makes her go to school. No explanation about this either. When Charlotte was not making the best decisions for herself I was very frustrated for her. In general I enjoyed reading about her, but didn’t connect with her character as much as I would have liked. 

Overall, a well written story with great representation of self harm and other mental health struggles in general. The downsides didn’t mean a bad book, but more annoyances/frustrations on my part as a reader. Definitely worth checking out!

 

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How should we react when we see someone who has self harm scars? Discuss below. 

 

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