Title: Out of the Easy
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Genre: Contemporary YA, Mystery
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
Publication Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill, Penguin
Source: ARC received in exchange for an honest review


Purchase
Amazon | Chapters | TBD







Description
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.


 
My Thoughts
Where do I start? This novel is set in 1950s New Orleans and we meet a young girl names Josie and her sad excuse of a mother who drags her into a life of Madams and whore houses.

From the moment I opened this book I was transported into Josie's world where she pretty much left to fend for herself. She is cared for by the Madam that is in charge of her mother and the men she brings home. But when a man from her mothers past comes back and reeks havoc on everyones lives, and all of a sudden a wealthy business dies unexpectedly, Josie has to make a decision. Does she believe her mother was involved or that it was all an accident like the papers said.

This story was everything I wanted and more. Josie was such a great character, she was smart, educated even though she lives in the quarter, and had the unfortunate life of a prostitute's daughter. Josie was a character that you want to root for, you want her to leave behind the mess of a life her mother created and start fresh. But that seems to easy, doesn't it? and I loved that it was portrayed as being extremely hard to leave the life of the quarter behind. The writing was not only beautiful, but real. Everything fit with the time period and it made me want to be there, in that time to see the culture and entertainment. It is amazing.

I not only loved Josies character but all of the secondary characters as well, they were the reason the setting was so accurate and why I loved this books so much. The villain was very well done, he was sleazy and rich, something Josies mother loved and chose to overlook the other...indecencies that arose. I loved that Josie loved books and reading and that her best friend was an avid reader as well. That is something you don't see much anymore in YA books, characters that love to read. I also loved Willie, the Madam that was in charge of everything. She was so hard on the outside, but you saw glimpses of a warm, and nurturing woman when Josie was around.

Overall I loved everything about this books, although the romance element that is always present in YA fiction is toned down a lot in this novel, i didn't care. The characters were so vibrant and well rounded and developed that you hardly notice. The mystery elements made me read this book exceptionally fast, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know if Josie would the happy ever after she always dreamed about, and if she would ever escape the wrath of her mother for good. Want t find out if she does? Well read the book! You will not regret it!

5/5 Stars