Reviews

Big Easy by Ruta Sepetys

linz_k's review against another edition

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4.0

Not quite as good as her other books...but still a great story!

fairlyoddmother's review against another edition

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4.0

I largely love Ruta Sepetys's books, and Out of the Easy is another terrific historical fiction, though maybe of a period that doesn't carry quite as much weight as Beyond Shades of Gray and Salt to the Sea.

One of the things that I think she does best is create an entire cast of characters that add to the story in meaningful ways, even if they only command a few paragraphs in the story.

pattyo1984's review against another edition

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4.0

Yet another historical fiction novel by Ruth Sepetys that does not fail to keep me intrigued. Sepetys has a way of telling a story that seems so effortless ~ I fall right into her books and nestle in for spell. This was different from her previous books I had read (Between Shades of Grey and Salt to the Sea - both AMAZING !!!) but since I had just recently been to New Orleans, I enjoyed the return trip. My impressions of the French Quarter and Uptown rang true in this story, as well as the characters who were a mixed blend of good, bad and miserable in both neighborhoods. Good read!

readingwitherin's review against another edition

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5.0

"Sometimes we set off down a road thinkin' we're goin' one place and we end up another. But that's okay. The important thing is to start."

Ruta Sepetys is becoming a must read author for me.

I had tried to read this book a little earlier this year, but just could not get into it. So I put, it off for a while and then picked it up once again and this time I absolutely loved it.

In this story, we follow Josie a teenager whose mother is a brothel prostitute and is the most uncaring person in the whole story. Despite this, Josie becomes independent at a very young age living above a bookshop at the age of 11, and working there from then on. With the help of the bookshop owner Charlie, his son Patrick, Willie the brothel Madam, and Cokie the cab driver, Josie finishes high school and then works in the bookshop full-time while cleaning the brothel to earn money to go to college as far away from New Orleans as possible. Sadly everything got turned upside down when her mothers boyfriend, Cincinatti, comes back to town. From then on everything goes to crap. Charlie's health gets even worse, and Josie's mother becomes involved in a murder, and Josie has a hard time getting accepted into Smith University due to finances and not having enough extracurricular activities.

On top of all of this we have a slight love interest. There is Patrick who she has known since she was little a grew up around, and there is also Jesse the boy that all of the girls in town want. I'm not going to lie a lot of the time I don't care about the whole love interest in books, but Sepetys always makes me like the ones she creates. I love how she makes the relationship slowly happen and it feels natural. I was so happy she ended up with who she did.

While the ending was sad I was happy how it turned out, and how everyone was able to end up "happy" in the end. I would love to see more of what happens to Josie
Spoiler and how she gets on with things in her new life.


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janelleleigh12's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

bookmaid5's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5

jenn_garcia11's review against another edition

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5.0

Loved this read. I just fell in love with the characters and their love for each, particularly the way the care for Josie. Great read. Highly recommend!

epoullio's review against another edition

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5.0

*Spoiler*

I love this book, but reading it a second time around made me wonder more about Willie. I wish more about her illness would have been discussed/revealed. Like, how long had she been sick? How come Dr. Sully didn't noticed when he came by to check on the girls? Did she know she was sick and just chose to ignore it? And even though it wasn't like her character, I really wish that she and Josie would have had some sort of heart to heart because it was obvious how much Willie loved her.

In just a few short weeks, Ruta Sepetys has become one of my favorite authors

aross1's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

4.0

lludw23's review against another edition

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challenging emotional slow-paced

3.5