"A compelling and beautifully told story." --Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

From New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel comes a dark psychological contemporary about a teenage girl who is institutionalized after an accident at her summer program, perfect for fans of We Were Liars and I'll Give You the Sun.

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 doctors 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. Until then, she's determined to win over the staff and earn some privileges so 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.

Packed with intrigue and suspense, A Danger to Herself and Others is a good choice for readers who loved Suicide Notes for Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten and Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus

A great pick for anyone who wants:

emotional novels
books about mental illness
suspenseful reads

Also by Alyssa Sheinmel:

What Kind of Girl

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls)

Praise for A Danger to Herself and Others:

"A thrilling page-turner."--School Library Journal, *STARRED REVIEW*

"A tense and terrific read."--Natalie D. Richards, author of One Was Lost and Six Months Later

"A great story full of mystery, heartbreak, and hope."-- Jennifer Shaw Wolf, author of Dead Girls Don't Lie and Breaking Beautiful

"Intense, compelling, and wholly original."--Kerry Kletter, author of The First Time She Drowned

"This compelling character study begins like a thriller--the mystery of what happened to her friend Agnes draws considerable suspense... it becomes a nuanced exploration of mental illness."--Booklist

"A respectful, authentic rendering of mental illness and treatment."--Kirkus

Book Talk

Start the conversation