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mbm7pink's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was another really good read by Ruta Sepetys. This book was unlike the authors other books and not what I typically go for, but to my surprise I really enjoyed it. The mystery in it kept me wanting to keep reading to find out what would happen next. Set in New Orleans this is a well told and fascinating story of a seventeen-year-old girl named Josie Moraine, a daughter of a brothel prostitute, wanting to leave New Orleans and go to college but gets tangled in a murder investigation along the way. A story of a young girl’s desire to be someone different than her past as she is reminded that decisions can shape our destiny.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Blood
churrocaitie's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What a delightful read. This one surprised me. Ruta Sepetys writing is very digestible, which makes this an enjoyable “light” historical fiction. And I love me some NOLA. I did feel like some parts of the plot weren’t explained in the end, but I can’t complain too much - it added to the allure of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Murder
sydneyhenshaw's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I found this book to keep me intrigued as all Ruta Sepetys books do but I didn’t find myself learning as much on this one. I also found the plot to be predictable at times and Josie (the main character) to be naive. I would still recommend it but with a trigger warning to anyone with sexual trauma and not above Ruta’s other books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
brookey8888's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this one! It wasn’t what I was expecting, it’s a more lighter tone than most of her other books which I appreciated. I loved the New Orleans setting. I loved Josie as a main character and her strength and character. I loved the found family aspect in this that was my favorite part. It was interesting to see this time period and the topic of prostitution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
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.
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
achay91's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexism, Dementia, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Blood
katiejohns's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-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
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
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.
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.
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.