Exit, Pursued by a Bear
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Sexual Abuse
4
(155)
E.K. Johnston
From #1 New York Times bestselling author E.K. Johnston comes a brave and unforgettable story that will inspire readers to rethink how we treat survivors. Hermione Winters is captain of her cheerleading team, and in tiny Palermo Heights, this doesn’t mean what you think it means. At PHHS, the cheerleaders don't cheer for the sports teams; they are the sports team—the pride and joy of a small town. The team's summer training camp is Hermione's last and marks the beginning of the end of…she’s not sure what. She does know this season could make her a legend. But during a camp party, someone slips something in her drink. And it all goes black.In every class, there's a star cheerleader and a pariah pregnant girl. They're never supposed to be the same person. Hermione struggles to regain the control she's always had and faces a wrenching decision about how to move on. The rape wasn't the beginning of Hermione Winter's story and she's not going to let it be the end. She won’t be anyone’s cautionary tale."E.K. Johnston has a seemingly limitless range.... This is realistic fiction at it's best."—The Globe & Mail ★ "Johnston’s clever—but never precious—update of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is unflinching but not at all graphic in its treatment of sexual violence.... Middle and high school readers will pass this powerful, engaging story around and around."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review★ "Fierce and gorgeously drawn, this is a rape story that doesn’t focus on victimhood."—Booklist, starred review★ “A beautifully written portrait of a young woman facing the unthinkable, this is a must-buy for high school collections.”—SLJ, starred review"Exit, Pursued by a Bear is an important new novel comparable with Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.”—VOYA."This story of a cheerleader rising up after a traumatic event will give you Veronica Mars-level feels that will stay with you long after you finish."—Seventeen MagazineA NPR Best Book of 2016A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2016 A Booklist Best Book of 2016A New York Public Library 2016 Top Ten Book for TeensA Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction of 2016A Globe & Mail Best Book of 2016 A CBC Best Book of 2016A Quill & Quire Best Book of 2016A Bustle Top 30 YA Book of 2016A Bookish Best Book of 2016A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the YearA finalist for Audible’s Best Young Adult Audiobook of 2016A 2017 Ontario Library Association White Pine Honor Book
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Author
E.K. Johnston
Pages
256
Publisher
Penguin
Published Date
2016-03-15
ISBN
1101994614 9781101994610
Community ReviewsSee all
"Good book, sad"
Skye Edelson-Bennett
"A very good book that deals with difficult issues very well."
Where's Waldo
"It didn’t turn out how I expected, but the lessons in this novel were gloriously valuable. It was compelling and triumphant. I loved the characters, too. Especially Polly!"
Rhiannon Rabby
"*3.5"
Panda44
"Amazing writing about some serious issues, absolutely love this book"
Hannah Lalonde
"The more I read, the less I liked. I felt emotionally disconnected from the entire story and that was a strange, disturbing thing considering the subject. I think what made it even more striking was at the same time I was reading this, I was reading about the Stanford University rape case which had similarities to Exit, Pursued by a Bear. Similar to Hermione, the victim doesn't have any recollection of the incident and there are ties to the smell of pine and pine needles. Unlike Hermione, there wasn't the almost unanimous support and reading the victim's statement I felt sad, angry and almost sick to my stomach. These are the feelings I would expect when reading about someone being raped. I can understand why some reviewers liked Hermione's refusal to play the part of a victim, and I can see how that might seem refreshing. However, it didn't feel real to me. I understand people respond to trauma differently and perhaps her not remembering the incident gave her some distance, but it just didn't ring true for me. I skimmed more and more towards the end because I started feeling sick to my stomach--but unlike with the Stanford University victim it wasn't because I felt a connection and sympathy, but instead I felt sick at how everything was glossed over and felt almost light-hearted. <br/><br/>Obviously I'm in the minority with the opinion, so perhaps you will have the positive take-away many others did, but this was not for me. <br/><br/>Also, it seems a lot of people are missing the Shakespeare connection. Most connect the title to The Winter's Tale, but the overall plot and characters' names are a modern retelling with a more uplifting ending."
Liesl Prentice
"My favorite ^^"
Allison A
"I loved this book so much. I read it a few years ago when I wasn’t at an age I could completely understand it. Now being older & thinking back to it, it’s incredibly beautiful. It tells the story of a girl who gets drugged & raped at a cheer camp party. While most trauma books surrounding rape tell about the hate the survivors get, this one focuses more on the character’s trauma, her way of coping, & how she refuses to be a victim. I would mostly recommend this book to rape/assault survivors. "
Bri Mcginty