Title: Out of the Easy
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Format: Hardback
Release Date: February 12th, 2013
My Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Format: Hardback
Release Date: February 12th, 2013
My Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer.
She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.
She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.
My Review:
I wasn't going to do this one right away, but I couldn't help it. This book has a few things about it that I couldn't put it off and do the review later. I have a list of books that I'll get to later down the road, this one just had to come first. The reason I decided to this so soon, was this book has created such an odd view and the reaction to it has been a bit different than what I saw. Normally I wouldn't plan on pushing a book ahead of the line, but this book just blew me away and it was easily to rate this book.
At a 5.0 this book was spectacular, and a great emotional read. Josie was character I think most of us can relate to, an average teenage girl growing up in a world she has no reason or no right to be part of. A harsh world, and raised in a brothel she has no one she can trust, no one to call family except those friends close to her. As well, those that support her, are the people who shouldn't have to, but out of the kindness of their heart, they decide to give her a hand.
Josie captured me the most, her attitude was great, and she was a girl of her word. If she believed in it, she sought it, She spoke her word especially in a quote like this: "The only reason I'd lift my skirt is to pull out my pistol and plug you in the head." I loved that about Josie, and sought more and more of that through each page.
Throughout the book all of the supporting characters knew that Josie didn't belong to the live she was living, and throughout the book I felt sorry for her. Her mother was a prostitute, arguably the worst mother ever, and life's values in all the wrong places. Josie lived in a bookstore, in a second floor office, after she snuck in and was discovered but allowed to stay in. Her family from there on became Patrick and Charlie.
Willie, was the madam that owned the brothel or house that Josie's mother fancied. The girls that Willie had were Evangeline, Sweety, and Dora. All of the girls had a personality that was unique and made me want to see more and more of them. They weren't the typical whorish, or slutty type girls that you would think be in a brothel. All the girls had personality, had a flair that made them unique. My favorite would have to be a toss up between Evangeline or Dora, both had a perfect concern almost motherly, and seemed to look after Josie as part of their own than someone above them.
There were two other characters that need to be introduced, Cokie and Sadie. Cokie was the wheelman for Willie and did pretty much anything for Willie and more. Sadie wasn't in the book that much, either way she was the cook for Willie and I know it's not much to mention but Sadie was mute. It was these characters that showed just the compassion and the emotion of the city and the people close to Josie. Cokie's actions said more about who he was than what he said, granted he wasn't to be ignored either. Sadie said the most in this book, even if she was mute, her actions made me smile and cry in all the same moment.
The issues with this book that I had was Jesse, Josie's love interest. He was a great guy, a mechanic, a chivalrous gentlemen, but the man always dropped what he needed and did whatever Josie asked him to do. I understand that he cared about her, and wanted more out of her than what any other guy saw in her. However, what I don't understand is that he never questioned her; why she needed anything done? It wasn't that she needed help, but if he wanted more he should be concerned for Josie.
Furthermore, a series of reviews that I read commented that the mystery part of the book (what happened to Forest Hearne) needed a more clear cut resolution. I disagree with that statement, Willie clearly explains exactly what happened near the end of the book. There should have been a way for Josie to figure it out herself instead of relying on Willie to do it for her. However, as Willie would say, she knows everything that goes on in the Big Easy.
Josie was great, her passion to get out of the Big Easy, and her troubles made her a character I fell in love with time and time again. From her hard persona to the times she makes a mistake and ends up trying to be a prostitute and fails. We all make mistakes in life, and the fact Josie does as well, makes her character better. Furthermore, I loved Jesse and all the supporting character, Ruta Sepetys does it again. I wouldn't say that this book was better than Between Shades of Gray, but it's on the teetering edge of being a 4.5 but Josie was too great.
At a 5.0 this book was spectacular, and a great emotional read. Josie was character I think most of us can relate to, an average teenage girl growing up in a world she has no reason or no right to be part of. A harsh world, and raised in a brothel she has no one she can trust, no one to call family except those friends close to her. As well, those that support her, are the people who shouldn't have to, but out of the kindness of their heart, they decide to give her a hand.
Josie captured me the most, her attitude was great, and she was a girl of her word. If she believed in it, she sought it, She spoke her word especially in a quote like this: "The only reason I'd lift my skirt is to pull out my pistol and plug you in the head." I loved that about Josie, and sought more and more of that through each page.
Throughout the book all of the supporting characters knew that Josie didn't belong to the live she was living, and throughout the book I felt sorry for her. Her mother was a prostitute, arguably the worst mother ever, and life's values in all the wrong places. Josie lived in a bookstore, in a second floor office, after she snuck in and was discovered but allowed to stay in. Her family from there on became Patrick and Charlie.
Willie, was the madam that owned the brothel or house that Josie's mother fancied. The girls that Willie had were Evangeline, Sweety, and Dora. All of the girls had a personality that was unique and made me want to see more and more of them. They weren't the typical whorish, or slutty type girls that you would think be in a brothel. All the girls had personality, had a flair that made them unique. My favorite would have to be a toss up between Evangeline or Dora, both had a perfect concern almost motherly, and seemed to look after Josie as part of their own than someone above them.
There were two other characters that need to be introduced, Cokie and Sadie. Cokie was the wheelman for Willie and did pretty much anything for Willie and more. Sadie wasn't in the book that much, either way she was the cook for Willie and I know it's not much to mention but Sadie was mute. It was these characters that showed just the compassion and the emotion of the city and the people close to Josie. Cokie's actions said more about who he was than what he said, granted he wasn't to be ignored either. Sadie said the most in this book, even if she was mute, her actions made me smile and cry in all the same moment.
The issues with this book that I had was Jesse, Josie's love interest. He was a great guy, a mechanic, a chivalrous gentlemen, but the man always dropped what he needed and did whatever Josie asked him to do. I understand that he cared about her, and wanted more out of her than what any other guy saw in her. However, what I don't understand is that he never questioned her; why she needed anything done? It wasn't that she needed help, but if he wanted more he should be concerned for Josie.
Furthermore, a series of reviews that I read commented that the mystery part of the book (what happened to Forest Hearne) needed a more clear cut resolution. I disagree with that statement, Willie clearly explains exactly what happened near the end of the book. There should have been a way for Josie to figure it out herself instead of relying on Willie to do it for her. However, as Willie would say, she knows everything that goes on in the Big Easy.
Josie was great, her passion to get out of the Big Easy, and her troubles made her a character I fell in love with time and time again. From her hard persona to the times she makes a mistake and ends up trying to be a prostitute and fails. We all make mistakes in life, and the fact Josie does as well, makes her character better. Furthermore, I loved Jesse and all the supporting character, Ruta Sepetys does it again. I wouldn't say that this book was better than Between Shades of Gray, but it's on the teetering edge of being a 4.5 but Josie was too great.
