Summary
At the turn of the second half of the twentieth century, Josie Moraine hides a farfetched dream that she shouldn’t have as the daughter of a prostitute and cleaner at Willie Woodley’s brothel establishment: she wants to go to New England and get a college education. But the path there is not straightforward: not only does she have to grapple with the difference in education and experience between herself and other Smith applicants, she also has to deal with her mother’s selfishness and ignorance. But with the support of some good friends, Josie just might be able to find a way…even as her mother gets them caught up in an unsolved murder crime and a dangerous mobster’s path.
Review
What an immersive read! This is the first book by Ruta Sepetys that I’ve read, and she has an effortless way with characterization and words. Despite a few hiccups in the form of head-scratching plot twists and too-convenient revelations, I was easily caught up in Josie’s world and plights.
Josie is eminently likable. Literary, self-possessed, and determined, she is a gem among the New Orleans brothel community that comprises of most of her social circle, only she has no unattractive pretensions to get over. Sure, there is some romantic turmoil, but because Josie doesn’t place that at the forefront of her concerns (thank goodness!), we get a fuller and more enjoyable picture of who she is and who she can be.
Supporting characters, especially the tough madam Willie Woodley and her “posse,” are a delight. Willie Woodley is the mother that Josie never had, only she doesn’t need to unconditionally love her genetic offspring, and so the love between Willie and Josie is much more relaxed and something that Josie—and we—never take for granted.
OUT OF THE EASY does sympathetic characters so well, but it hiccups a little when attempting to tie together so many plot strings. The book is ostensibly driven by the mysterious death of a well-to-do out-of-towner, but that plotline quickly becomes tangled in a plethora of other subplots: Josie’s mother’s sinister gang connection, the romance, police busts, money issues, etc. In the end I didn’t feel like they were all given the time and space needed for a comfortably full story. The book could’ve been a hundred pages longer and I would’ve really appreciated the extra space for the story to stretch.
All in all, a delightful one-time read for me, not for the richness of its historical setting or the cohesiveness of its many plotlines, but for the good hearts of its characters.
Cover discussion: I enjoy its vibrant colors and painting-like feel. I also appreciate the symbolism going on. It's a nice image, but it would've been cool to see more of 1950s New Orleans in the picture.
Philomel / Feb. 12, 2013 / Hardcover / 352pp. / $17.99
e-book provided by publisher and NetGalley.
I've been so excited for this, Steph. I love the cover and I'm glad to hear that the characters were so well done, even if there were a few too many plot lines.
ReplyDeleteThis book could've gone on forever and I wouldn't have minded.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree.
DeleteI really wasn't too bothered by this when I got it, but I'm a little more tempted to give it a go now! I love the sound of Willie.
ReplyDeleteI'm very much looking forward to reading this book! I haven't read anything by Ruta Sepetys yet, but I've heard only wonderful things about her books - and your review makes this one sound like a winner.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you loved this book. I adored Ruta's first book. I've had this one on my shelf since BEA but still haven't read it. I keep kicking myself.
ReplyDeleteOh, this sounds really interesting! The book seems to have a lot going on, but it seems to have worked (for the most part). I'm definitely adding this to my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm thrilled that you loved this book! Like you, I was so moved by the characters and they truly made this book for me, not to mention the vibrant setting and the grays prevalent in every seemingly black-and-white situation. Another fantastic review, Steph! :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. - In response to your comment on my blog, I'd recommend starting with Gone, Gone, Gone from all of Moskowitz's novels. It's rumored to be her best work and it isn't as strange as Teeth or as juvenile as Marco Impossible. Also, Break and Impossible Summer seem to be hit-or-misses with readers - I have yet to read them myself - but Gone, Gone, Gone is just...AMAZING. I hope you love it! :D
Thanks so much, Keertana! I think I'll give GGG a try then, later this year. I downloaded the Kindle sample of Teeth just to see what it's like: maybe the weird will be for me? :)
DeleteSo glad that you enjoyed this one! I'm reading it now and falling head over heels for Ruta's writing and for Josie.
ReplyDeleteI have so many feels for Josie! I wish she was real so I could be her friend.
DeleteThe characters definitely made this book for me, too. I loved Josie to bits! This was also my first book by Ruta Sepetys, but I definitely plan to try Between Shades of Grey now. Great review, Steph. :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really great read. I haven't (like you hadn't) read any Ruta Sepetys books, so I definitely need to think about checking her out because she sounds like there is lots to watch out for.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely glad to hear her novel has some great characters as they are my favourite part of a novel! :)
This one is on my to buy list and your review is nudging me. I already have her BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY in my stack. Time to go offline and read.
ReplyDeleteSarah, I think you'd really appreciate how well Ruta writes historical YA that can be enjoyed by readers of a variety of ages, including, first and foremost, YA's target audience.
DeleteYes, Ruta Sepetys has proved that she's a Writer. I really enjoyed this one too, but I'm having a hard time reviewing it for some reason.
ReplyDeleteThere's not a character in this book I didn't love (or love to hate). Sepetys created a world that was both realistic and simply fabulous, and she made me want to go there to explore, at least for a day, if such a thing were possible.
Fantastic review. :)
I would have loved for this book to be longer because I enjoyed my time in it so much-I was so blown away after having medium expectations. One of my favorite 2013 releases!
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