Exit, Pursued by a Bear

"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, starred.

Unflinching and powerful, and completely necessary Bustle

"A powerful rape survival story to make you believe in a better world." The Rumpus

"While assault survivors, both in fact and in fiction, often find their lives narrowed to this one designation, Johnston refuses to flatten her heroine. Instead, she insists that Hermione's joy in being thrown into the air during cheer routines, and the strength of her best friendship with co-captain Polly are just as vital to our understanding of her as the facts of her assault." NPR

"E.K. Johnston has a seemingly limitless range. This is realistic fiction at its best." The Globe & Mail

"Every girl who has ever been sexually assaulted or known someone who has, should read this book. So should every boy who has ever raped or known one who has. Every reader might try to be a friend like Polly. E.K. Johnston writes so well, showing a dark reality highlighted by compassion." The News-Gazette

"Fierce and gorgeously drawn, this is a rape story that doesn t focus on victimhood." Booklist, starred.

A beautifully written portrait of a young woman facing the unthinkable, this is a must-buy for high school collections. SLJ, starred.

"While Hermione is a victim, Johnson never portrays her as victimized, instead focusing on how Hermione reasserts control over her life with help from family, friends, and therapy, using her own decisions to push back against something in which she had no such choice." PW, starred.

"The reader is kept engaged, and like Hermione hopeful, even in the darkest moments. [...] Exit, Pursued by a Bear is a story of triumph, not just survival." Quill & Quire, starred.

"Johnston creates a strong female main character that will not be afraid, and refuses to be a cautionary tale or a pariah. SLC, starred

"Exit, Pursued by a Bear is both a tenderly written, heartfelt coming of age and an incisive, sensitive examination of trauma after an assault. Fresh, memorable, and thought-provoking."
Courtney Summers, author of All the Rage

"A unflinching exploration of what it means to be a girl, what it means to be a friend, and what it means to be a survivor. A determined, transformative book that every teen girl should read."
Tess Sharpe, author of Far From You

"Soberly triumphant." Toronto Star

A NPR Best Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Book
A Booklist Best Book
A New York Public Library Top Ten Book for Teens
A Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction
A Globe & Mail Best Book of 2016
A CBC Best Book
A Quill & Quire Best Book
A Nerdy Book Club Best YA
A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
A Ontario Library Association White Pine Honor Book
A Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers