A review by sarah2438
Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

mysterious medium-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I love this author's writing style so much but this one just didn't do it for me. There was a lot of missed potential and the story dragged a bit. The romance never drew me in. The murder mystery aspect is very predictable. I really hoped Patrick was going to be the killer, with ties to Marcello, and that he would be the one who *actually* beat up Charlie (he could've stolen the drugs for murder from Charlie!) but no, he was gay just like my favorite Patrick (the name will forever be associated with The Perks of Being a Wallflower). The Charlie storyline felt unnecessary because we never had any opportunity to bond with him; the story takes place after he's been beaten, and the author only gives a few memories to get attached to him. The highlight of this story is Cokie, who I'm convinced is one of the purest, kindest characters I've read this year. I needed more Cokie.
It's hard for me to tell what I would actually rate this book if I hadn't read this author's other works. This was only her second novel, and the two since then were incredible. She's been a strong writer since the start, and even though this one wasn't my favorite, I'm excited to see what else she comes out with. 
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