EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR -- a beautifully written portrait of a young woman facing the unthinkable8/24/2016 Exit, Pursued By a Bear by E.K. Johnston (2016, Dutton Books For Young Readers; 256 pages) This is the story of Hermione Winters, the captain of her cheerleading team. She is the popular, envied girlfriend and the queen of her school. The book is the story of her last year at school and how she discovers that most of the time, even when we seem to be in control, an event can change our lives forever. And that is what happens to Hermione when someone puts something in her drink at a party, a moment that determines the new labels she will be both wearing and fighting for the weeks to come. The story is heartbreaking and empowering. It celebrates the power of friendship, it talks about the difficult decisions that have to be made, and about how to work and deal with trauma. The book is beautifully written and the story is so engaging that you simply can't put the book down until you get to the final page. The pages are filled with tenderness, rawness, and truth. This is the portrait of a young woman facing an unthinkable void. It is also a portrait of a strong and fierce friendship between women, and a portrait of the horrors of sexual violence. There is a great conversation in the book between Hermione and a pastor that also brings faith and spirituality to the table in times of trauma. And the story does a great job describing the cheerleading world, and treating it with respect, as a sport. "Broken is harder to deal with. That´s the first time I´ve thought of myself as broken. Polly won´t let me, I don´t think, but everyone else seems to expect it. And maybe I am. Maybe this would be easier if I acted like I am broken. Then they´ll be able to fix me. You can´t fix something that doesn´t know it´s broken." A must read. Find this title in our catalog: Exit, Pursued By a Bear Recommended by: Maite
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