OUT OF THE EASY

Teenager Josie Moraine, portrayed perfectly by narrator Lauren Fortgang, is typical in so many ways that you forget about the dire and dangerous circumstances of her life. Fortgang affects a teenager’s edge of anger and shame as she describes the brothel where Josie has grown up and the plaintive yearning of her dream to attend an Ivy League college, worlds away from New Orleans. Tension grows in Fortgang’s performance as Josie become entangled in a murder investigation that threatens her escape plan. Listeners who enjoyed Sepetys’s previous bestseller, BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY, will find the same quality of writing and characters to root for, enhanced by the superb performance of Fortgang. R.O. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2014]