Review: Out of the Easy

Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publish date: February 12, 2013
Source: Borrowed
"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." (Goodreads)

It's no secret that I loved Ruta Sepetys's first novel, Between Shades of Gray. I was immediately excited to read Out of the Easy and the lovely Tara was kind enough to lend it to me last year. I loved it and am happy to say that Ruta Sepetys is now one of my favorite authors.

I'd never read a book in either this time period or setting before, but after Out of the Easy, I really want to. I thought it was such a great time period for historical fiction (although I love historical fiction in general) and the setting just made the story fascinating. I'm such a sucker for settings and this is definitely one of my new favorites.

This book is completely different that Between Shades of Gray, but I loved it just as much. Josie's mom was very easy to dislike, which is exactly what she was supposed to be like, and I was rooting for Josie herself the whole time. The writing style also added to my enjoyment as well: elegant, yet simple and impulsively readable. I tore through the pages of this one and was sad when it ended because I just wanted to keep reading!

I plan on purchasing a copy of this for myself and despite not really being a rereader, I know I will be devouring this and Between Shades of Gray again.

Review: Between Shades of Gray

Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publish date: 2011
Source: Library
"Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously-and at great risk-documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart." (Goodreads)

A couple weeks ago, I was doing a rare perusal of the library shelves (instead of putting everything on hold as usual), I found Between Shades of Gray and picked it up, remembering that I had wanted to read it and historical fiction sounded good at that time. Let me just say...WOW. I loved it. A lot.

I've never read a book set in this particular time and place before and I have to say, I'm pretty ignorant about that era as well. Ruta Sepetys has COMPLETELY opened my eyes to history, which I'm sure was one of her goals. I can't imagine going through what Lina and her family did and I'm so glad that Ms. Sepetys decided to make this horrible aspect of history more widely known. My mind was blown.

I really loved the writing style here: simple, but brutally effective. Reading about things like death, starvation, and sickness were like a punch to the gut and to characters that I knew and loved? Ouch. My heart hurt. Ms. Sepetys created some wonderful characters that I was sad to say goodbye to when I finished the book.

If you are looking for wonderful historical fiction (or just a wonderful book), do yourself a favor and read Between Shades of Gray. You won't regret it.