A Danger to Herself and Others

De: Alyssa Sheinmel

Narrado por: Devon Sorvari

Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She doesn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at that summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctor and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year - those college applications aren't going to write themselves. But until then, she's determined to win over the staff and earn some privileges so that she doesn't lose her mind to boredom.

Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage, and she's the perfect project to keep Hannah's focus off all she is missing at home. But Lucy may be the one person who can get Hannah to confront the secrets she's avoiding - and the dangerous games that landed her in confinement in the first place.

©2019 Alyssa Sheinmel (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC

OUTSTANDING story & Narration

The narrator did an awesome job and the story was great. I couldn't stop listening.

Best book

And every day was really good, I love the book so far, it's the best book I've read

Inaccurate representation

Hospitalized against her will, Hannah struggles to figure out why her doctor thinks she’s “a danger to herself and others.” Hannah’s roommate lies comatose in another hospital following an accident that led to both teens’ hospitalizations. Hannah needs to tell the judge keeping her is a mistake, but she’s not allowed phone privileges, even to call her parents. When the truth of that night comes to light, Hannah’s life will never be the same.

Alyssa Sheinmel crafted an intriguing story about psychosis and mental illness, which unfortunately doesn’t come close to resembling how psychosis actually works. Sheinmel’s research seems to have been primarily reading, but diagnoses look different on people than they do in books and articles. Having studied schizophrenia, I thought I understood the diagnosis. It wasn’t until I did an internship at a state hospital and witnessed the different ways patients manifested the illness did I truly get it. Auditory, visual and tactile hallucinations are products of a disorganized mind with misfiring synopses. Patients don’t create new people with fully fleshed out personalities who are constant companions. The voices and visions are usually people in their lives of historical figures. Sometimes patients think they are someone else. We had a few Jesuses and the Dali Lama among others. Sufferers hear voices in their head or ears. Many books and movies go with hallucinations as an actual “normal” person until the big reveal. Sheinmel did do a good job equating physical and mental illness. I wish she had interviewed practitioners and patients with psychotic diagnoses to get a better handle on the disorder. Reading as a sole means of research gives a one dimensional understanding of conditions.

DANGER TO HERSELF AND OTHERS is a slow read, more character study than plot. I did like Hannah’s acerbic wit and voice in her narration. Sheinmel’s word building was clever and enjoyable. The story ended with a whimper rather than a bang.

Because of the positive representation of mental health, I do recommend DANGER TO HERSELF AND OTHERS with the caveat of the unrealistic representation of psychosis.

ETA: the audiobook elevates story.

Beware: you'll get into Hannah's head

ironically, that's what this story is all about, Hannah's great. The way he brain misfires and the diagnosis she finally lands at. that's all I can say without giving things away that you aren't supposed to know until later on. don't get me wrong, you definitely know there's more to the story throughout. the author sits a fantastic job on getting into a mentally unstable brain, especially in a teenager, but the ending really upset me. To me, you could tell what triggered Hannah's issues. They never really addressed the type of negligence of her parents that are evident throughout the book. but, then again, I guess that wasn't the point of the story. I just felt very sad at the end.

Good read.

This was the first book to capture and hold my attention for awhile. The narrator did a fantastic job. The story had a few twists and turns.