Jayla, another voracious reader at Beta Books, our read-’em-before-they-are-published teen book club, has submitted our latest review! Check out her thoughts below. Curious? Get the scoop here, sign out a book from the Teen Center, and mark your calendar for the next meeting!
Reviewer: Jayla
Title: Out of the Easy
Author: Ruta Sepetys
What did you think of the cover? I loved the book cover design of the ARC and definitely wouldn’t change it. It’s artistic and I think the birdcage is a metaphor relating to Josie Moraine’s (the main character) life.
What did you think of the book?
I thought “Out of the Easy” was very distinctive from most YA novels. While reading, it was easy to get lost in the story. I really liked Josie – she was a tough heroine, but also had her flaws which made her seem more real than fictitious. And the setting for the story, New Orleans, was perfect. The only things I disliked were the mystery elements (which were too weak and made me lose a little interest in the story) and the supporting characters could have had much more depth to them.
I would definitely recommend this to a friend who enjoys historical fiction, but not to someone who is use to fast-paced novels.
How would you rate this book? 3 stars – Pretty good. I wanted to see how it ended.
LauraO
I read this one too! I agree that it was a little slow. But what I really loved about the book was the NOLA underbelly…that is to say, characters such as Willie and Cokie knew things way before Josie ever did. They were sneaky and secretive and therefore loveable (to me). I also liked that Josie didn’t compromise her personal goals for any boy. Romance AND independence FTW!
Jayla
You make some really good points, Laura! And I agree that Cokie was a loveable character – Willie too, in her own way (“the wicked stepmother with a heart of gold,” as Josie says).
