.
Title: Exit, Pursued By A Bear
Author: E.K. Johnston
Publisher: Dutton Books For Young Reads
Publication Date: March 15, 2016
Description:
“I love you,” Polly says suddenly when I’m almost to the door.
“I know,” I say.
Hermione Winters has been a flyer. She’s been captain of her cheerleading team. The envied girlfriend and the undisputed queen of her school. Now it’s her last year and those days and those labels are fading fast. In a few months she’ll be a different person. She thinks she’s ready for whatever comes next.
But then someone puts something in her drink at a party, and in an instant she finds herself wearing new labels, ones she never imagined:
Victim. Survivor. That raped girl.
Even though this was never the future she imagined, one essential thing remains unchanged: Hermione can still call herself Polly Olivier’s best friend, and that may be the truest label of all.
Heartbreaking and empowering, Exit, Pursued by a Bear is the story of transcendent friendship in the face of trauma.
“I love you,” I say, because I really, really do.
“I know,” says Polly.
“I know,” I say.
Hermione Winters has been a flyer. She’s been captain of her cheerleading team. The envied girlfriend and the undisputed queen of her school. Now it’s her last year and those days and those labels are fading fast. In a few months she’ll be a different person. She thinks she’s ready for whatever comes next.
But then someone puts something in her drink at a party, and in an instant she finds herself wearing new labels, ones she never imagined:
Victim. Survivor. That raped girl.
Even though this was never the future she imagined, one essential thing remains unchanged: Hermione can still call herself Polly Olivier’s best friend, and that may be the truest label of all.
Heartbreaking and empowering, Exit, Pursued by a Bear is the story of transcendent friendship in the face of trauma.
“I love you,” I say, because I really, really do.
“I know,” says Polly.
My Review:
Trigger Warning: Rape
This book is part of a collection of hard hitting YA books that have been showing up lately. This book covers the subject of rape and that isn't a spoiler, it is a fact.
Our main character goes to a co-ed cheer camp with her competitive cheer squad. She is part of a tight knit team who cares about her and supports her. Her boyfriend is also on the squad as well as her best friend.
While at the camp she is raped. The story takes off from there. One thing that made this stand out from the other stories that have a similar theme is the amount of support receive by our main character. She is consistently supported by her peers and parents with very few instances of people doubting her story or slut shaming/blaming her for the attack.
I thought that was an interesting approach to this story. The character dealt with the situation very maturely and with her families support. The officer on the case was a female as well which was refreshing. There were also gay characters and they were not stereotypes which was also awesome.
Just some many positive things about a book about such a negative topic. I will say however that books that approach the topic from a stand point where slut shaming is involved or there is doubt from family or friends or even jealousy is a often an accurate representation of the situation. I think authors often exaggerate some of these things so somewhere in-between this book and others like it is probably most accurate but both are important reads and I love that books are opening a dialog about this topic.
Star Rating:
4 Out of 5
Read If You Enjoyed:
No comments:
Post a Comment