EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR

Narrator Jorjeana Marie’s youthful voice is an excellent fit for this YA retelling of Shakespeare’s WINTER’S TALE. Along with her best friend, Polly, Hermione Winters is cocaptain of her school’s legendary cheerleading squad. Senior year looks to be perfect. But at cheer camp, Hermione is drugged, raped, and left half-submerged in the lake. The story that follows is an honest portrayal of a young woman’s recovery from trauma, including an abortion, and the community that rallies around her. Marie’s straightforward narration is well matched to the novel’s tone. Hermione is a character who is struggling emotionally, and there are scenes in which Marie’s voice breaks. But Hermione is also level headed, and Marie avoids histrionics while managing to convey her grief, anger, and ultimate triumph. E.C. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2016]