Out of the Easy
by Ruta Sepetys
Format: Hardback
Price: checked out from library
Price: checked out from library
Author Website: http://rutasepetys.com/
Basic Premise: With the 1950s New Orleans Quarter as a backdrop, this story follows Josie Moraine, who has been trying for years to disassociate herself from her immature, scum-sucking, thieving, prostitute of a mother. She wants more than anything to go to college, but when her mother gets pulled into a murder scandal, it looks like Josie is going to become more associated than even she could have imagined.
My Take: 8 out of 10 (scale here)
This is another title that was recommended that the YAL book conference I attended. I liked this book. The atmosphere was fun (though, when you consider the fact that a kid is growing up in a brothel, fun doesn't really seem like the right word). There characters were stout and loveable. I really liked the protagonist. She was level-headed and realistic, not fanciful and flighty like so many. This is the first book I've read by this author, and while I liked her a lot, there were times I felt a bit underfed. Most of the time it was little things, like a setting change - like suddenly she would be walking down the street after having had a conversation with someone in the bookshop, but since there was no transition, you just had to kind of say, "Oh, she must have left the bookshop." But some of the time it involved storyline, and I'm not sure if that was my fault for not filling in blanks, or if she intentionally meant for me to not have the information. Either way, it was not significant and I still really liked it. I don't think it's one I can comfortably hand to my 7th graders. There is too much "shop talk" about Mom's job for it to be entirely appropriate for 12 and 13-year-olds. I'm interested in the other book by this author, Between Shades of Gray.
I've had between shades of gray on my list for a long time! Need to get on it!
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