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Out of the Easy
Out of the Easy
Author: Ruta Sepetys
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 l...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780399256929
ISBN-10: 039925692X
Publication Date: 2/12/2013
Pages: 352
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 28

4 stars, based on 28 ratings
Publisher: Philomel
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
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Top Member Book Reviews

skywriter319 avatar reviewed Out of the Easy on + 784 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
What an immersive read! This is the first book by Ruta Sepetys that Ive 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 Josies 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 doesnt 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 doesnt need to unconditionally love her genetic offspring, and so the love between Willie and Josie is much more relaxed and something that Josieand wenever 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: Josies mothers sinister gang connection, the romance, police busts, money issues, etc. In the end I didnt feel like they were all given the time and space needed for a comfortably full story. The book couldve been a hundred pages longer and I wouldve 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.
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eadieburke avatar reviewed Out of the Easy on + 1609 more book reviews
Josie Moraine, the daughter of a brothel prostitute, is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld in New Orleans. It is a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny. This is a character driven book and I especially liked Josie's character. Her mother was a prostitute but she was not going in that direction. The plot was one that led me to read the book to the sad ending. I look forward to reading more from this author as I really liked this book. If you like heartfelt books then you will love this book.
reviewed Out of the Easy on + 1435 more book reviews
Locals in New Orleans of the 1950s know Josie Moraine as the daughter of a brothel prostitute but Josie wants more from life than she can find in The Big Easy. Making plans to leave, she is disturbed when a mysterious death occurs in the Quarter when she realizes that she met the murdered man in the book store where she works.

Some books have characters whose lives are filled with experiences that are discouraging and depressing. This one does. Josie has a dysfunctional mother who loves wealth and fame in whatever form it comes, even in gangsters. She named poor Josie after a famous prostitute. Her mother usually ignores Josie who raises herself and lives in a room above the bookstore since the age of twelve. Her mother steals from her daughter time and again and denies being her mother except when she has something to gain particularly fame. money, weapons or expensive jewelry.

Josie works hard to be as different from her mother as she can be. There is romance for her but it is the least important factor in her life. Her main goal is to leave New Orleans to attend Smith College. Is this a dream beyond all expectations? Read this story to see what happens to Josie and how she survives a threat from a mobster looking for her mother. Can she find love? Will she get to attend Smith College?


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