What readers think of Out of The Easy, plus links to write your own review.

OUT OF THE EASY tells the tale of Josie Moraine, the 17 year old daughter of a prostitute in 1950’s New Orleans. Sepetys gives a clear picture of the brothels, gangsters, and night life of the city while showing the life of a teen who is willing to work and sacrifice for something better. Josie dreams of entering an elite college in the East and leaving her loser mother far behind.
Peopled with a madam who brooks no foolishness, a driver who cares for Josie, a famous writer broken by crime, two honorable male friends, prostitutes who vary from pigtailed to mute to kleptomaniac to sweet and kind hearted, to gangsters who murder and threaten to maim, to a mother who doesn’t deserve the term, to one prominent businessman who is murdered and one who seeks to bring about Josie’s downfall, the characters are clearly drawn with their speech and actions showing their character.
The plot is tight and carries the story quickly along. You will like Josie and root for her to succeed in her aspirations and her choice of boy friend.
Although billed as a young adult novel, this work of historical fiction is not for anyone younger than 14 or 15. Some of the situations and phrases are not for younger teens. This is a good book for cross over to the adult reader. Book groups will find much to discuss, especially the very obvious class distinctions and snobbery. Crime, “juice” loans, college admissions and cost, friendship and loyalty, discrimination and perception are all addressed here.
Those who read and loved Sepetys’ previous book - BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY – will not be disappointed in this new and very different book.

The strength in Sepetys language is in her character development and that her characters are for the most part extremely likable. The French Quarter in the 1950,s and a story based on an actual madame, in fact the house she actually lived in is part of this book. Liked the atmosphere of this story and really like the fact that she has such strong young females in unusual circumstances as the main focus in both her books. This one is part mystery, part love story, part quest and the struggle in succeeding despite the cards one is dealt in life. Also a big part of this book is that family are those who care about you, not necessarily those who are related to one by blood. Wonder what this author will tackle next.

Ruta Sepetys writes young adult historical fiction. I normally do not care for YA, but I've found that her books work well as crossovers to adult fiction. OUT OF THE EASY, however, although excellent for young adults, does not come across to me as adult.

Josie is 17 years old in 1950 New Orleans, "the easy." As the daughter of a dishonest prostitute, she has been living on her own for years now in a city where she does not belong. She wants out.

So she dreams of going away to college in Massachusetts, and she does everything she can to make it really happen. Most of OUT OF THE EASY is about how she does that.

It's a storyline for young adults. And the situations Josie finds herself in would appeal to young adults. This adult found them predictable, sometimes even silly.