Praise for Exit, Pursued by a Bear

This story of a cheerleader rising up after a traumatic event will give you Veronica Mars -level feels that will stay with you long after you finish. -Seventeen Magazine

A raw, powerful story that'll stay with you long after it's over. -Buzzfeed

Unflinching and powerful, and completely necessary - Bustle

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

Gripping and devastating. -Anne Ursu, author of The Real Boy.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear is a must-read. Bracing, intimate, tense, and delightful. -Martha Brockenbrough, author of The Game of Love and Death.

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 Reviews, starred review

Fierce and gorgeously drawn, this is a rape story that doesn't focus on victimhood. -Booklist, starred review

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

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. - Publishers Weekly , starred review

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 review

Should a young reader ever need guidance following an assault, she could do much worse than to emulate Hermione Winters. - Bookpage, Top Pick

Crisp engaging writing, strong characterization and a steady hand distinguish this thought-provoking novel about coping and community. -Shelf Awareness

Praise for The Story of Owen The promising Story of Owen is a clever first step in the career of a novelist who, like her troubador heroine, has many more songs to sing. -New York Times Book Review

Humor, pathos and wry social commentary unite in a cleverly drawn, marvelously diverse world. -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Siobhan's narration sings thanks to her dry wit, intelligence, and ability to see the inherent musicality of life, while also commenting on the unreliability of history (and storytelling) and the power of a community to rally to save itself. - Publishers Weekly, starred review

Johnston... knows how to spin a tale. - Booklist, starred review

...nothing short of epic. -The Horn Book Magazine

Johnston has created a whip-smart, witty, and utterly inventive alternate history. If this stellar debut is any indication, hers looks to be a bright, long-burning career. - Quill & Quire , starred review