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 the 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." (book jacket)
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What I really liked about Exit, Pursued by a Bear was that E.K. Johnston was not graphic in talking about Hermione's rape. One moment things fade to black the next moment she wakes up in an emergency exam room with her best friend and a nurse. She wakes up disoriented with holes in her memory of what happened to her. I also like that the book doesn't open up with a rape. You meet Hermione and get a peek into her life, cheer camp and her squad before we get to the party that changes her life.
The aftermath of the rape is the central focus of the book, what Hermione remembers and how she handles the changes and surprises that come her way. From realizing that the DNA evidence was compromised because of where she was found and knowing every boy on her squad was a suspect to those same boys volunteering to give DNA samples to help solve her rape, Hermione learns a lot about herself, her best friend and her squad.
I like that E.K. Johnston gave Hermione her best friend, Polly. Polly was able to be a grounding force in Hermione's life. She had Hermione's back at every moment and I can only hope that I have a friend as amazing as Polly.
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