Veronica Mars meets William Shakespeare in E.K. Johnstonโs latest brave and unforgettable heroine.
Hermione Winters is captain of her cheerleading team, and in tiny Palermo Heights, this doesnโt mean what you think it means. At PHHS, the cheerleaders don't cheer for the sports teams; they are the sports teamโthe pride and joy of a tiny town. The team's summer training camp is Hermione's last and marks the beginning of the end ofโฆsheโs not sure what. She does know this season could make her a legend. But during a camp party, someone slips something in her drink. And it all goes black.
In every class, there's a star cheerleader and a pariah pregnant girl. They're never supposed to be the same person. Hermione struggles to regain the control she's always had and faces a wrenching decision about how to move on. The assault wasn't the beginning of Hermione Winter's story and she's not going to let it be the end. She wonโt be anyoneโs cautionary tale.
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"Johnstonโs cleverโbut never preciousโupdate of Shakespeareโs The Winterโs 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."__โ_ Kirkus Reviews, _starred review
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"Fierce and gorgeously drawn, this is a rape story that doesnโt focus on victimhood." โ Booklist, starred review
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โ A beautifully written portrait of a young woman facing the unthinkable, this is a must-buy for high school collections.โ** ***โ**** SLJ** , starred review***
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