Exit, Pursued by a Bear

by E.K. Johnston

At cheerleading camp, Hermione is drugged and raped, but she is not sure whether it was one of her teammates or a boy on another team--and in the aftermath she has to deal with the rumors in her small Ontario town, the often awkward reaction of her classmates, the rejection of her boyfriend, the discovery that her best friend, Polly, is gay, and above all the need to remember what happened so that the guilty boy can be brought to justice.

• ISBN10: 1101994584
• ISBN13: 9781101994580
• Publish Date: 15 March 2016
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Dutton Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

My emotions during this book was all over the place. I raged, grieved, and cheered for Hermione. I was so shocked by the tears I shed. I mean, I knew what this book was about. I saw it coming, yet it was still such a gut punch. I found I cared so much for Hermione, and I was really pleased with the way Johnston depicted her before and after her rape. She incorporated so many things - the medical side, the criminal investigation, the fallout, the healing and the pain experienced by Hermione as well as those who loved her.

This was a really powerful story, and I am so glad I finally read it.

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[liz089]

Really enjoyed reading this one, very compelling writing and a strong message behind this plot. I really liked how the MC did not act much like a victim, but a survivor and had a strong support group of friends and family.

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: I liked Exit, Pursued by a Bear. It made the best out of a heart-breaking story without undermining the gravity of sexual assault. There were important discussions about victim-blaming and how misguided it is, as well as the choices available to a rape victim.

[payton]

3.5

[Bianca]

You’re okay with asking a girl who was wearing a pretty dress and had nice hair, who went to the dance with her cabin mates, who drank from the same punch bowl as everyone else—you’re okay with asking that girl what mistake she made, and you wouldn’t think to ask a boy how he would avoid raping someone? Would it be a better story if she had known what she was drinking? If her skirt had been two inches shorter?

— A book dealing with rape and victim blaming. I loved how empowering this was: how the main character refused to let what happened to her define her, and how she had a strong support system (family, friends, etc.).