Scan barcode
miss_merna's review against another edition
3.0
Out of the easy is rather a simple story if you dig under the layers of the plot. The story should have been slightly more complex for a historical fiction. I’m not particular sure if it intended to inform me about life in New Orleans back in the 50’s, because nothing was added to my knowledge that I didn’t already expect of 50’s New Orleans. Out of the easy taught me the importance of social class and your background in 50’s New Orleans and...basically that’s all. I felt the racism was greatly toned down. This is 50's Louisiana, right? In the 60s they threatened a small black girl with death for daring to attend a majority white school? I can only imagine how horrible Louisiana was in its pre-civil rights days.
So from the opening paragraph you can already guess there was going to be major mummy issues. This book was based on mummy issues. I thought there might be some fights between the heroine and her mother about her being a prostitute. But the would have been too ‘simple’. Instead, the mother had to be the most cold-hearted parent that every existed – or that’s how she’s portrayed. Well, she’s not far from being the worst, however, the constant mention of all the bad things the heroine’s mother had done got extremely tiring.
Josie, on other hand, is the opposite of her mother. She’s intelligent, demanding and caring. I’m not particularly sure how many times the secondary characters had to mention that Josie is intelligent, but they did it enough times that I finally remembered. You know, I can’t simply understand the first time, so you have to do it again and again and again.
Cincinnati is the primary antagonist of the novel. He works for a mafia apparently. He once beat Josie’s mum and her close friend’s father. He he has done a list of other terrible things that Josie mentions.
“My mother’s a prostitute. Not the filthy, streetwalking kind. She’s actually quite pretty, fairly well spoken, and has lovely clothes. But she sleeps with men for money or gifts, and according to the dictionary, that makes her a prostitute.”
So from the opening paragraph you can already guess there was going to be major mummy issues. This book was based on mummy issues. I thought there might be some fights between the heroine and her mother about her being a prostitute. But the would have been too ‘simple’. Instead, the mother had to be the most cold-hearted parent that every existed – or that’s how she’s portrayed. Well, she’s not far from being the worst, however, the constant mention of all the bad things the heroine’s mother had done got extremely tiring.
Josie, on other hand, is the opposite of her mother. She’s intelligent, demanding and caring. I’m not particularly sure how many times the secondary characters had to mention that Josie is intelligent, but they did it enough times that I finally remembered. You know, I can’t simply understand the first time, so you have to do it again and again and again.
Cincinnati is the primary antagonist of the novel. He works for a mafia apparently. He once beat Josie’s mum and her close friend’s father. He he has done a list of other terrible things that Josie mentions.
“There was something ice-cold, dead in Cincinnati.”
Really Josie, after everything you told me…you think so?
Now, I ain't no sherlock but...
The love triangle was actually…unique. It was different and I never thought it would turn out the way it did. The romance is somewhat the positive aspect of this story.
The mystery is the negative aspect of the story since the author clearly makes it obvious who committed the crime. I kept thinking “No, the author is trying to trick me. It’s not who I expect. It’s someone different.” But it was exactly who I expected.
Character development was decent, and the book was fast-paced which I loved, but the ending was rushed and I felt things happened to quickly and came together far too perfectly at the end.
This feels more like a negative review when I go over it, but it's an okay novel. It's not bad. It’s just not a good historical novel. I still rated it four stars because as I was reading, I desperately wanted to found out how everything turns out for Josie. I was addicted. It was entertaining.
Some might enjoy/others might not. But overall I would suggest this.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
3.0
Ruta Sepetys is a rather popular historical fiction author and, after finally reading the book I've heard the least buzz about, I can safely say that I completely understand why she's popular.
brianne_k's review against another edition
5.0
"Call this place 'The Big Easy,' shoot, ain't nothin' easy about it."
Beautifully written, this is a wonderful story.
Josie 'Jo' Moraine hasn't had an easy life. She is the daughter of a prostitute in 1950's New Orleans. Her mama has fallen in with the wrong man. Josie has lived on her own, above a bookstore, since she was 12 years old. With a solid group of people, she has a makeshift family.. and boy do they go through a lot.
Willie, Cokie, Patrick, Charlie, Sadie, and Jesse.. these are the people who love Josie and help her grow. They stand by her.
I will tell everyone to read this story. Amazing.
Beautifully written, this is a wonderful story.
Josie 'Jo' Moraine hasn't had an easy life. She is the daughter of a prostitute in 1950's New Orleans. Her mama has fallen in with the wrong man. Josie has lived on her own, above a bookstore, since she was 12 years old. With a solid group of people, she has a makeshift family.. and boy do they go through a lot.
Willie, Cokie, Patrick, Charlie, Sadie, and Jesse.. these are the people who love Josie and help her grow. They stand by her.
I will tell everyone to read this story. Amazing.
sanjana1510's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
renuked's review against another edition
5.0
It's a strange book that makes you say that your favorite character is a brothel owner. A strange book that makes you fall in love with New Orleans and hate it at the same time. A special book that makes you think and wonder and dream.
Everything was fascinating. New Orleans is really a city of sin. Half the men are absolutely sleazy and the other half are so adorable I want to squeeze them. There's gambling, drinking, mobs, and of course, prostitution. But as filthy as everything is, it is handled perfectly in the book. There was never anything uncomfortable. It was all just real. Fact. Things like this happened.
I really loved Josie. She was trying so hard to escape the life her mother had created for her. She was determined and reached for the things she really wanted. It's admirable. And the contrast between her and her mom was unbelievable. If Josie is everything good - her mother is evil. She steals and cheats and lies and is just overall a really terrible person. Some of the things she said and did to her own daughter made my jaw drop. Some humans are just evil people.
The boys - Patrick and Jesse - are pretty awesomely cute. Although I was totally rooting for Jesse the whole time. Flower sellers with motorcycles. Yum. But none of them were my favorite characters. Willie. I loved Willie. While she might have run a brothel, she used her money to benefit her community. She took care of her girls. The best description for her was given in the book: "evil stepmother with a fairy godmother heart." That was Willie.
Basically this book is awesome. There are some really tense spots. Sometimes you want to slap characters across the face. The mob politics get really crazy. And some spots you want to cry. It's an amazing setting, so vibrant. There's basically nothing about this book I don't like.
Everything was fascinating. New Orleans is really a city of sin. Half the men are absolutely sleazy and the other half are so adorable I want to squeeze them. There's gambling, drinking, mobs, and of course, prostitution. But as filthy as everything is, it is handled perfectly in the book. There was never anything uncomfortable. It was all just real. Fact. Things like this happened.
I really loved Josie. She was trying so hard to escape the life her mother had created for her. She was determined and reached for the things she really wanted. It's admirable. And the contrast between her and her mom was unbelievable. If Josie is everything good - her mother is evil. She steals and cheats and lies and is just overall a really terrible person. Some of the things she said and did to her own daughter made my jaw drop. Some humans are just evil people.
The boys - Patrick and Jesse - are pretty awesomely cute. Although I was totally rooting for Jesse the whole time. Flower sellers with motorcycles. Yum. But none of them were my favorite characters. Willie. I loved Willie. While she might have run a brothel, she used her money to benefit her community. She took care of her girls. The best description for her was given in the book: "evil stepmother with a fairy godmother heart." That was Willie.
Basically this book is awesome. There are some really tense spots. Sometimes you want to slap characters across the face. The mob politics get really crazy. And some spots you want to cry. It's an amazing setting, so vibrant. There's basically nothing about this book I don't like.
slherbel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
alice007's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
foraging_pages's review against another edition
5.0
New Orleans, 1950.
You divide your time between a bookshop & brothel.
People all around you are dying.
The mob is at your door demanding retribution.
............Spoilers Ahead.............
Josie just wanted to get out of New Orleans where bad memories lie, danger is always near, and happiness falters. She wanted to find her biological father, go to college, make something of herself so she could be seen as something besides the daughter of a well-known whore. When worlds begin to collide, everything simple becomes complicated and everything complicated seems easy.
Things to love about this novel:
The historical element - 1950, between the Second World War and the impending Korean War
The setting - the Quarter, New Orleans
The diverse characters - daughter of a prostitute; author/bookshop owner losing his mind; teen girl attending progressive all-female university; whore house madam - to name a few. The compilation of the lowest of the low with the uptown folk makes for an all too realistic travesty.
The murder element - wealthy, handsome, intelligent, healthy gentlemen keels over in a nightclub when his belongings are found in the whore house.
What I admire about Sepetys is the way she writes young characters (15 - 18) as mature because of their trauma and experiences. She is able to make it believable while keeping them young enough that they are relevant in the YA world. Trauma matures most, and Sepetys doesn’t hold back with the traumatic events.
You divide your time between a bookshop & brothel.
People all around you are dying.
The mob is at your door demanding retribution.
............Spoilers Ahead.............
Josie just wanted to get out of New Orleans where bad memories lie, danger is always near, and happiness falters. She wanted to find her biological father, go to college, make something of herself so she could be seen as something besides the daughter of a well-known whore. When worlds begin to collide, everything simple becomes complicated and everything complicated seems easy.
Things to love about this novel:
The historical element - 1950, between the Second World War and the impending Korean War
The setting - the Quarter, New Orleans
The diverse characters - daughter of a prostitute; author/bookshop owner losing his mind; teen girl attending progressive all-female university; whore house madam - to name a few. The compilation of the lowest of the low with the uptown folk makes for an all too realistic travesty.
The murder element - wealthy, handsome, intelligent, healthy gentlemen keels over in a nightclub when his belongings are found in the whore house.
What I admire about Sepetys is the way she writes young characters (15 - 18) as mature because of their trauma and experiences. She is able to make it believable while keeping them young enough that they are relevant in the YA world. Trauma matures most, and Sepetys doesn’t hold back with the traumatic events.
stephxsu's review against another edition
4.0
What an immersive read! This is the first book by Ruta Sepetys that I’ve read, and she has an effortless way with characterization and words. Despite a few hiccups in the form of head-scratching plot twists and too-convenient revelations, I was easily caught up in Josie’s world and plights.
Josie is eminently likable. Literary, self-possessed, and determined, she is a gem among the New Orleans brothel community that comprises of most of her social circle, only she has no unattractive pretensions to get over. Sure, there is some romantic turmoil, but because Josie doesn’t place that at the forefront of her concerns (thank goodness!), we get a fuller and more enjoyable picture of who she is and who she can be.
Supporting characters, especially the tough madam Willie Woodley and her “posse,” are a delight. Willie Woodley is the mother that Josie never had, only she doesn’t need to unconditionally love her genetic offspring, and so the love between Willie and Josie is much more relaxed and something that Josie—and we—never take for granted.
OUT OF THE EASY does sympathetic characters so well, but it hiccups a little when attempting to tie together so many plot strings. The book is ostensibly driven by the mysterious death of a well-to-do out-of-towner, but that plotline quickly becomes tangled in a plethora of other subplots: Josie’s mother’s sinister gang connection, the romance, police busts, money issues, etc. In the end I didn’t feel like they were all given the time and space needed for a comfortably full story. The book could’ve been a hundred pages longer and I would’ve really appreciated the extra space for the story to stretch.
All in all, a delightful one-time read for me, not for the richness of its historical setting or the cohesiveness of its many plotlines, but for the good hearts of its characters.
Josie is eminently likable. Literary, self-possessed, and determined, she is a gem among the New Orleans brothel community that comprises of most of her social circle, only she has no unattractive pretensions to get over. Sure, there is some romantic turmoil, but because Josie doesn’t place that at the forefront of her concerns (thank goodness!), we get a fuller and more enjoyable picture of who she is and who she can be.
Supporting characters, especially the tough madam Willie Woodley and her “posse,” are a delight. Willie Woodley is the mother that Josie never had, only she doesn’t need to unconditionally love her genetic offspring, and so the love between Willie and Josie is much more relaxed and something that Josie—and we—never take for granted.
OUT OF THE EASY does sympathetic characters so well, but it hiccups a little when attempting to tie together so many plot strings. The book is ostensibly driven by the mysterious death of a well-to-do out-of-towner, but that plotline quickly becomes tangled in a plethora of other subplots: Josie’s mother’s sinister gang connection, the romance, police busts, money issues, etc. In the end I didn’t feel like they were all given the time and space needed for a comfortably full story. The book could’ve been a hundred pages longer and I would’ve really appreciated the extra space for the story to stretch.
All in all, a delightful one-time read for me, not for the richness of its historical setting or the cohesiveness of its many plotlines, but for the good hearts of its characters.