Exit, Pursued By a Bear by E.K. Johnston

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Ok, so I have a confession to make. I've read a lot of Shakespeare, but I haven't read The Winter's Tale. And supposedly, Exit, Pursued By a Bear is a loose retelling of that play.

Anyways.

Exit, Pursued By a Bear is about a cheerleader named Hermione, who was raped at cheerleading camp. The book is about her healing emotionally from the trauma, and a really great friendship that holds Hermione together.

Exit, Pursued By a Bear is a nice, solid, short book that deals with a difficult topic. Overall, I enjoyed it. By far the best part of this book is Hermione's friendship with Polly, her best friend who is fiercely loyal, staunchly defends her, and is really just the greatest friend anyone could ask for. I feel like this is somewhat unique, as a lot of books that deal with sexual assault generally don't feature a survivor with a solid support system, and it was really refreshing to read a story about a survivor with a strong support system, although the reality is that many rape victims have no support system to help them heal from trauma. That being said, I've read better books about sexual assault. There was nothing wrong with this book, but I just wanted more from it. The book is also very short, and I think if it had been longer it would have been better developed. I also wasn't a big fan of the ending; I understood why it ended where it did, but I think the novel would have benefited from a more wrapped up ending. As for the retelling aspect of it, I can't speak to that as I haven't read The Winter's Tale. Exit, Pursued By a Bear does make me want to read it, and I may even have more enjoyment for the book should I like The Winter's Tale.

Overall, Exit, Pursued By a Bear was a solid read that deals with a difficult subject in a well-done, refreshing way. Is it the first book I will recommend to someone who wants a good YA book that deals with sexual assault? No. But I do still recommend it, particularly to those who would like to read a novel that speaks to sexual assault but don't want to read any super graphic content.

Rating: 4/5 Stars


XOXO,

Isabella

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