Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Big Easy

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.

Content Warnings