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A review by streetwrites
Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
5.0
Character (5/5)
Plot & Pacing (5/5)
Setting & Surroundings (5/5)
Dialogue & Diction (5/5)
Craft & Voice (5/5)
Reading Experience (5/5)
Final Rating:
5/5
Comments:
This was a perfect, 5-star book. Absolutely mesmerizing. This is now my second-favorite Ruta Sepetys novel, just barely behind Fountains of Silence. I say this in every Ruta review: she’s hands-down the greatest historical fiction writer of our time. Not just YA, but PERIOD. Ruta dives so deeply into her research and her craft that her characters and settings feel as though they were lifted straight out of the past and placed onto the page.
There was so much to love about this book, from the colorful imagery, the way the French Quarter comes vividly to life, the heart and soul of unforgettable characters, both lovable and despicable. Willie, the madam who serves as something of a tough, frosty mentor for Josie, the main character, is one of my favorite supporting characters in a very long time.
This is a story about finding your truth amid the lies you’ve told to keep yourself alive, and pursuing what you want with your whole heart, despite the bad hands life might have dealt you. I am so mad at myself for waiting this many years to finally pick this book up. I fully expected it to be my least favorite of Ruta’s books, and yet it is now very nearly at the top of the list.
Plot & Pacing (5/5)
Setting & Surroundings (5/5)
Dialogue & Diction (5/5)
Craft & Voice (5/5)
Reading Experience (5/5)
Final Rating:
5/5
Comments:
This was a perfect, 5-star book. Absolutely mesmerizing. This is now my second-favorite Ruta Sepetys novel, just barely behind Fountains of Silence. I say this in every Ruta review: she’s hands-down the greatest historical fiction writer of our time. Not just YA, but PERIOD. Ruta dives so deeply into her research and her craft that her characters and settings feel as though they were lifted straight out of the past and placed onto the page.
There was so much to love about this book, from the colorful imagery, the way the French Quarter comes vividly to life, the heart and soul of unforgettable characters, both lovable and despicable. Willie, the madam who serves as something of a tough, frosty mentor for Josie, the main character, is one of my favorite supporting characters in a very long time.
This is a story about finding your truth amid the lies you’ve told to keep yourself alive, and pursuing what you want with your whole heart, despite the bad hands life might have dealt you. I am so mad at myself for waiting this many years to finally pick this book up. I fully expected it to be my least favorite of Ruta’s books, and yet it is now very nearly at the top of the list.