Book info:
Title: A Danger to Herself and Others
Author: Alyssa Sheinmel
Genre: YA contemporary mystery, unreliable narrator
Release Date: February 5th, 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: ARC received from publisher which did not affect my review in any way
My rating: 4 stars
Synopsis:
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:
I know that the whole unreliable narrator thing is big right now. This book is a perfect example of that. The author also does a great job with keeping you guessing on what happened for a long time. But needing to know those details is part of what kept me going as I continued reading to find out why exactly Hannah had been put in this institution. You know that there is something missing, I mean obviously, why else would she be put there. It’s hard to figure out at first, since she tells us about how she has always been a good student, and how mature her parents have always been so proud of her for being.
There are characters that you soon wonder if they are real, or what is really happening with them. In the end, I was saddened for how her parents were with her, and hoped that Hannah would be able to figure it all out, as you could see that things might not go on to be how she could deal with the world around her. This was a good look at mental illness and definitely a good read.
I liked this book, and once I understood what the authors goals were, I have to say, she did a very good job. It was twisty and then it was sad, but it was good at the same time.
Totally agree with that! It was a good book, and will definitely be students I will recommend it to. Thanks for stopping by!
Sounds like a good one! I'm glad you thought it dealt well with mental illness. I'm curious.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
It definitely had a good take on it, and was realistic. I would recommend it for sure. Thanks for visiting!
This book sounds so twisty and unique, and like the parents role in this book is a very important one as well. Thanks for giving nothing away. It has me intrigued to knowing the reason why she was there.
Actually the parents aren't that big, at least not for the specific story taking place. But it is a good one! Thanks for stopping by!
This book sounds like it will be one to play mind games with me and that sounds intriguing. Thanks for the review.