Celebrating Teen Read Week: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

In support of ALA's Teen Read Week I'll be highlighting a new TEEN read each day. 

Challenge yourself!

Published: February 12, 2013
ISBN: 039925692X
Genre: YA, historical fiction
Publisher: Philomel Books
Themes: adversity, achieving goals, character, race, class
Add it on: Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes And Noble/ *Indie Bound*

About The Book: 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.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

What Others Are Saying: "Josie's narrative features a Dickensian array of characters; the mystique, ambience, and language of the French Quarter; a suspenseful, action-packed story; and a coming-of-age realization that personal decisions ultimately shape one's future. With dramatic and contextual flair, Sepetys introduces teens to another memorable heroine." —School Library Journal

"Josie wants more for herself. She is smart, but her intelligence does not automatically free her from social confines. Like every young woman, Josie must negotiate a world where her body is valued over her mind. Her awareness of this difficult position may be what helps her get out of the Easy and into life." —New York Times

What I Thought: Sepetys has a rich lyrical style that carefully weaves a plot full of deeply complicated characters. Set in New Orleans the southern flavor comes through and made this tale enjoyable. Josie is a strong heroine. Her journey to rise above shows how how strength combined with the help of others can help you accomplish anything.

About The Author: Ruta Sepetys

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Who: "In addition to music and writing, I enjoy serving on the Board at the University, collecting eccentric art, and pondering life's mysteries over long meals with my friends and family. I have a passionate love for paper and vintage ephemera. I'm quite good at crying, dancing like a strumpet, laughing too loud, and traveling. In my travels, I have visited 42 countries on six continents. My adventures have inspired dozens of stories and seeing that I am fond of both sitting and being melodramatic, my husband suggested I write a novel.
So I did." — Ruta Sepetys