Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Big Easy by Ruta Sepetys

6 reviews

whats_miranda_reading's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad 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

3.25

Was very excited to read this book due to an upcoming trip to New Orleans. It was an interesting read, but other than when and where it’s set I didn’t get as much history as I would have liked. The mystery aspect of the story also kind of lacked. There wasn’t many twist and turns as I would have liked. But then again it was likely realistic of the time period. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Vomit, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and War

emily_koopmann's review against another edition

dark emotional lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, and Racism

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment

claraxann's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

everything sepetys touches is golden. her books always manage to reach me at exactly the right time, and i think that’s the kind of luck that can’t be understated. they always have a profound effect on me - i’ve never stayed dry-eyed while reading one of her books. out of the easy was not an exception. 
sepetys cares deeply about her writing. her dedication to research is clear and it comes with real rewards - she consistently writes some of the best historical fiction i’ve read. although i don’t think this is her best book, i do think it lives up to her track record and i cannot say i was disappointed. as always, she blew me out the park. 

my favourite aspect of her writing is her use of structure - motifs and repetition play such an integral role. in this novel, it was her use of quotes that stunned me, particularly the one from keats. no one writes emotions like sepetys - no one conveys them as strongly. her portrayals of very human feelings never fail to reduce me to tears - she really understands people. id say particularly grief in this novel plays a key role and is presented strongly. 

despite the title, i enjoyed seeing how difficult it is to “get out” of the easy. she seems to have something to say about the cyclical nature of poverty, as well as relationships, and i think, in part, it’s the themes of this book that makes it so strong. although i think more could be said on the topic of prostitution, especially during the 50s,  as well as race, which is perhaps somewhat of a blindspot for sepetys, i enjoyed the varied representation of parental relationships, and the dynamics between parents and their children, especially in the more tragic cases. the coming of age aspect is handled well. 

(sidenote: jesse has fundamentally changed who i am. he gives her pink lilies! pink lilies! not only does he have impeccable taste, he’s also funny and charismatic and he clearly cares about her a lot. also, the motorbike helps. the adrenaline junkie in me wants a shot, but my more cautious side might need to resign itself to busy queues and the occasional speed walk.)

although i think this was weaker than  some of sepetys other books, it still sets an impressively high standard for historical fiction aimed at a teen audience - that’s a never a bad thing, in a market saturated by ww2, regency ladies, and victorian urchins. sepetys consistently gives a voice to the voiceless, and she always aims to do it in the most respectful way possible - she understands the importance of her work.

literally just read it omg. it’s good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dementia, and Grief

Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Abandonment

Minor: Racism and Sexual content

black characters experience racism typical of the period. unfortunately, they seem placed in the role of helpers to the main character. prostitution is a key focus of the book, but sexual content is fairly limited. death plays a larger role, as does dementia.

irodori_megu's review

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Self harm and Grief

Minor: Car accident and War

awells96's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Dementia, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, and Toxic relationship