★ "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

★ "Fierce and gorgeously drawn, this is a rape story that doesn’t focus on victimhood."—Booklist

★ “A beautifully written portrait of a young woman facing the unthinkable, this is a must-buy for high school collections.”—School Library Journal

Exit, Pursued by a Bear

E.K. Johnston
Dutton / 2016

From #1 New York Times bestselling author E.K. Johnston, comes a brave and unforgettable YA heroine whose story will inspire readers to rethink what it means to be a survivor. 

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.

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