Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Book Synopsis:

It's 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

My Review:

4.25/5 stars. This was my least favorite Ruta Sepetys book I've read, but I always love what she writes so this was still excellent. I quickly got attached to the main character, and I loved some of the side characters—especially Patrick, Jesse, and Cokie. I despised other characters, but they were supposed to be hated, so they were well written in that regard. As always, Sepetys' writing pulled me in, and I got invested in the story. The main reasons this wasn't five stars are that the historical setting was not as interesting to me as others, and all the inappropriate subject matter made me uncomfortable.

I love historical fiction, but I enjoy some time periods and locations more than others. The underbelly of New Orleans in the 1950s was never something that particularly interested me. Because of that, it was harder to get immersed in the story early on. However, the main character, Josie, was lovable from the start. I quickly found myself rooting for her and hoping she got out of her situation in life.

The other characters were good, too. I liked Patrick right away, took a bit to warm up to Jesse, and also loved Cokie's fatherly persona. You could tell all three of them truly cared about Josie when so few who were supposed to love her did. There was sort of a love triangle between Josie, Patrick, and Jesse, but it wasn't exactly that trope; it was just two guys who liked her for different reasons. I wasn't sure which of them I liked her more with.

Conversely, there were some absolutely repulsive characters. Namely, Cincinnati and John Lockwell. Josie's mom was horrible, too, but for different reasons. Everything both these men said to Josie sickened me and made me so uncomfortable, especially since she was under 18 for a portion of the book. They were both just so sleazy and predatory. I also hated Josie's mom for what she did to her own daughter.

This book didn't end nicely—Sepetys' books never do. But her endings are always more realistic. Things do go well for the characters somewhat. There are some happy moments, but only after so many bad things happen. The protagonist has to hit rock bottom before there is hope. But, as with all of this author's books I've read so far, I read the last sentence and leave feeling a mix of sadness and satisfaction.

Content:

Language: wh*re, p*ss, a**, sexy, d*mn, h*ll

Sexual Content: prostitutes, a brothel, a mention of paintings of nude women and actual nude women, older men talking suggestively to the 17-year-old MC, lots of innuendo, a mention of hickeys, kisses (innocent ones), adultery, people's eyes "trailing up" someone's body, sexual coercion, some description of a man getting physically close and touching a young woman

Violence/Gore: a man beating up a woman, people getting shot, child abuse, the MC's mother is emotionally abusive and neglectful, someone beat an old man into near insanity, blood, a man cutting himself with scissors, murder and threats of murder

Drugs/Alcohol: smoking cigarettes, people getting drunk, someone is trying an experimental diet pill, someone was poisoned