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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Quick Summary:
Josie Moraine has been dealt a hard life in The Big Easy.
My Review:
The cover is weird, and at quick glance, would look to have absolutely nothing to do with the book. A racially ambiguous girl is squinting behind a bird cage. Still, I like it. And perhaps it's metaphorical for Josie peeking through the bars of New Orleans, struggling to fly free.
I give the book 5 stars because it blew away every preconceived notion I had about it. It caught me completely unaware. I was engaged from beginning to end, never bored. And the writing was top-notch; the characters were believable.
Josie is a 17-year-old girl. Her mother, Louise, is a prostitute, and makes Norma Bates look like mother-of-the-year. She has no clue of who her father is, and when your mother's a prostitute that comes as no surprise. Josie's been on her own since she was 12 years old because she couldn't take living in a brothel. Honestly, who could? She lives in a room above the book store where she works and is close with the owner, Patrick. Josie finds a surrogate mother in the brothel's madam, Willie, who cares more about her money than your feelings. Though she manages to spread love and sunshine in her own unique bluntness.
There is a love triangle, but it doesn't pan out the way any of us would ever have thought. Patrick is the college-educated, cultured good boy. But don't let that fool you; he does know how to rip-and-run the streets at night. Jesse is the motorcycle riding, grease monkey, bad boy. But don't let that fool you either; he works a steady gig selling flowers for his father during the day. Josie has such special relationships with each of them that I spent much of the book torn about who she should pick. Although, I did guess early on that there was something different about Patrick. I can't remember what exactly tipped me off.
The murder plot of the book merely stood to tie many of the characters of together, though I wish more had come of it. Like Josie finding out that Hearne actually was her father, instead of Cincinnati.
The one thing I didn't like was the death of Willie. It brought the story to a halt, which may be what it was supposed to do, mirroring Josie's world. But it happened so suddenly. I just wish Willie and all of her "well-meaning" wisdom had lived to the end. Even with that minor grievance, I give it 5 stars.
The language wasn't bad. Frankly, I don't remember any instances of profanity at all. What makes this book a YA read is the brothel and mentions of sexual acts. It fills the book unabashedly. In a book where the first line reads "My mother's a prostitute," you know exactly what you're getting. But there is a healthy balance of Josie cleaning the brothel during the day, and working at the bookstore in the evenings.
Ruta Sepetys surprised and impressed me, and I will look into reading her other books.
Josie Moraine has been dealt a hard life in The Big Easy.
My Review:
The cover is weird, and at quick glance, would look to have absolutely nothing to do with the book. A racially ambiguous girl is squinting behind a bird cage. Still, I like it. And perhaps it's metaphorical for Josie peeking through the bars of New Orleans, struggling to fly free.
I give the book 5 stars because it blew away every preconceived notion I had about it. It caught me completely unaware. I was engaged from beginning to end, never bored. And the writing was top-notch; the characters were believable.
Josie is a 17-year-old girl. Her mother, Louise, is a prostitute, and makes Norma Bates look like mother-of-the-year. She has no clue of who her father is, and when your mother's a prostitute that comes as no surprise. Josie's been on her own since she was 12 years old because she couldn't take living in a brothel. Honestly, who could? She lives in a room above the book store where she works and is close with the owner, Patrick. Josie finds a surrogate mother in the brothel's madam, Willie, who cares more about her money than your feelings. Though she manages to spread love and sunshine in her own unique bluntness.
There is a love triangle, but it doesn't pan out the way any of us would ever have thought. Patrick is the college-educated, cultured good boy. But don't let that fool you; he does know how to rip-and-run the streets at night. Jesse is the motorcycle riding, grease monkey, bad boy. But don't let that fool you either; he works a steady gig selling flowers for his father during the day. Josie has such special relationships with each of them that I spent much of the book torn about who she should pick. Although, I did guess early on that there was something different about Patrick. I can't remember what exactly tipped me off.
The murder plot of the book merely stood to tie many of the characters of together, though I wish more had come of it. Like Josie finding out that Hearne actually was her father, instead of Cincinnati.
The one thing I didn't like was the death of Willie. It brought the story to a halt, which may be what it was supposed to do, mirroring Josie's world. But it happened so suddenly. I just wish Willie and all of her "well-meaning" wisdom had lived to the end. Even with that minor grievance, I give it 5 stars.
The language wasn't bad. Frankly, I don't remember any instances of profanity at all. What makes this book a YA read is the brothel and mentions of sexual acts. It fills the book unabashedly. In a book where the first line reads "My mother's a prostitute," you know exactly what you're getting. But there is a healthy balance of Josie cleaning the brothel during the day, and working at the bookstore in the evenings.
Ruta Sepetys surprised and impressed me, and I will look into reading her other books.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
LOVED it!!
Interesting premise and setting, but it just fell a little flat for me. I wound up skimming toward the end just to finish.
I liked this book, but, for me, it didn't live up to all the hype and good reviews. The characters in the novel felt real to me, and represented a spectrum of strong and wonderful, if flawed people. However, I still fee like there could've been more character development.
The other main reason for my disappointment with this book was that I didn't feel like the the author really developed and utilized the 1950s New Orleans setting as much as she could have, especially since it seems that, according to the afterword/acknowledgements, that she spent a decent amount of time going through archives. On the other hand, maybe it's a good thing that Out of the Easy isn't so tied to its setting, because its story is one that may resonate with many, the story of a smart, good kid who has a non-traditional "family," deals with losing people she cares about, and feels conflicted about trying to "get out" to make the most of her potential and fulfill her dreams. In this way, Out of the Easy was reminiscent of Tequila Worm by Viola Canales and the musical In the Heights by Quiara Algeria Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The other main reason for my disappointment with this book was that I didn't feel like the the author really developed and utilized the 1950s New Orleans setting as much as she could have, especially since it seems that, according to the afterword/acknowledgements, that she spent a decent amount of time going through archives. On the other hand, maybe it's a good thing that Out of the Easy isn't so tied to its setting, because its story is one that may resonate with many, the story of a smart, good kid who has a non-traditional "family," deals with losing people she cares about, and feels conflicted about trying to "get out" to make the most of her potential and fulfill her dreams. In this way, Out of the Easy was reminiscent of Tequila Worm by Viola Canales and the musical In the Heights by Quiara Algeria Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think Ruta Sepetys is a queen of historical fiction. How does she consistently find such interesting subjects to write about? She's amazing at immersing the reader in historical settings. I'm impressed.
Out Of The Easy is set in 1950s New Orleans (which you could probably tell by the title). It stars Josie, the 17-year-old daughter of a prostitute who is desperate to attend college. In her quest to get money and recommendation letters, she crosses paths with brothel owners and sleezy businessmen, mobsters and cops, cab drivers and booksellers, and a boy who has the potential to be more than a friend. She even becomes a suspect in a murder case.
I like how compassionate the author is toward the characters she writes about. When you're examining the underbelly of a city, you're going to uncover some dark things. The author shows the good and the bad side of her characters, especially the prostitutes. The women at the brothel are a family to Josie. They're just as dysfunctional as any family. The women don't love being prostitutes, but they're strong and funny and are doing whatever it takes to survive.
The characters are where this book shines. I was completely invested in their lives. If you like character-driven historical fiction, then I think you should pick up this book and meet Josie.
Out Of The Easy is set in 1950s New Orleans (which you could probably tell by the title). It stars Josie, the 17-year-old daughter of a prostitute who is desperate to attend college. In her quest to get money and recommendation letters, she crosses paths with brothel owners and sleezy businessmen, mobsters and cops, cab drivers and booksellers, and a boy who has the potential to be more than a friend. She even becomes a suspect in a murder case.
I like how compassionate the author is toward the characters she writes about. When you're examining the underbelly of a city, you're going to uncover some dark things. The author shows the good and the bad side of her characters, especially the prostitutes. The women at the brothel are a family to Josie. They're just as dysfunctional as any family. The women don't love being prostitutes, but they're strong and funny and are doing whatever it takes to survive.
The characters are where this book shines. I was completely invested in their lives. If you like character-driven historical fiction, then I think you should pick up this book and meet Josie.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
To be honest looking back on this story, nothing really happened. The plot and main events that occur in the novel could probably be recounted, without the details, in a 15-page novel, but the essence of this book is all in the characters and their development throughout the novel. As the reader begins the novel they are introduced to Josie Moraine, who is rough and tumble, and mixes the perfect drinks at the mere age of 8 years old. But other characters are also given much description, which pulled me in particular into the novel.
So I just finished the book and I'm a sobbing mess. This is definitely one of the best books I've read this summer. The book was very hard to put down and is really well-written. The plot is fast-moving and interesting but the stars of the book are the beautifully crafted characters, whether despicable or loved. Josie will go down as one of my favourite characters - far from perfect, full of heart and lessons learned.