Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier

Razorhurst
Written by Justine Larbalestier
Paranormal, Historical Fiction
Published June 25th 2014
365 Pages
Thanks to Allen and Unwin
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★★★☆
The setting: Razorhurst, 1932. The fragile peace between two competing mob bosses, Gloriana Nelson and Mr Davidson, is crumbling. Loyalties are shifting. Betrayals threaten.

Kelpie knows the dangers of the Sydney streets. Ghosts have kept her alive, steering her to food and safety, but they are also her torment. Dymphna is Gloriana Nelson’s 'best girl', experienced in surviving the criminal world, but she doesn’t know what this day has in store for her.

When Dymphna meets Kelpie over the corpse of Jimmy Palmer, Dymphna’s latest boyfriend, she pronounces herself Kelpie’s new protector. But Dymphna’s life is in danger too, and she needs an ally. And while Jimmy’s ghost wants to help, the dead cannot protect the living...
Kelpie lives on the mean streets of Surry Hills in Sydney, where the seedy underworld struggle to maintain a truce, where men slash each other with razors instead of guns, and how a young girl on the streets leaves her fate in the hands of the ghosts who guide her. She's hungry and can't remember the last time she ate, now that Snowie is in prison, the man she grew up with before her guardian died and her main source of finding her next meal. On the advice of a spirit, Kelpie finds an derelict house which promises apples in abundance. But what Kelpie finds is Dymphna, dressed immaculately and standing over a dead body.

Dymphna is Glory's best girl, with only the toughest Razormen spending an evening in her company. Known on the streets as the Angel of Death, Dymphna is never long without a man for protection, until her latest boyfriend and conspirator Jimmy is killed violently, with only a note from Mr. Davidson as a warning. Glory and Mr. Davidson run Razorhurst, a truce called after the brutal killings a few years prior, but Davidson wants Dymphna and seems will stop at nothing to make her his. Both girls are in a panic as they sirens near, and both girls decide to run. Kelpie can see and hear Jimmy's spirit, pining away for Dymphna even in death. She knows her time may be coming to an end, as she's fears her plans with Jimmy to take over Razorhurst may have been what lead to his demise. But Dymphna holds a secret, not only can she see ghosts, but can hear Jimmy's warnings.

When the girls hide in the home of aspiring writer Neal Darcy, much to the annoyance of Jimmy's ghost. If Dymphna tries to flee, Glory's men will find her, her only option is to confront her before Davidson finds her first. Both their lives are about to become a dangerous game of cat and mouse through the streets of what is now known as Sorrow Hills. Will either make it out alive?

Kelly's Thoughts

Razorhurst was sassy, sultry and a brilliant take on gangland warfare with a paranormal twist. Keplie, named after the likeness to being a wild pup, is a phenomenal young lady, her life has been little more than tragedy and destitution but yet she's tough, feisty and isn't afraid to go down swinging. She and Snowie were raised by a woman known as Old Ma, who would tell Kelpie the story of how her parents died before being able to name her. It wasn't long before Old Ma had passed as well, and Kelpie relied on her ghosts to keep her safe, leading her to food and away from trouble. But for the past few years Kelpie has been on her own. Her clothing is threadbare and disintegrating, her hair wild and knotted and not only can't she remember the last time she ate, she has no idea how old she is. Kelpie broke my heart, her short life thus far was incredibly sad and finding Jimmy's dead body only added to more trouble the young girl doesn't need.

Dymphna is a prostitute. Not only does she know that Kelpie can see and speak to the dead, but she holds the same gift. She knows to survive the streets of Surry Hills, she needs the protection of her man, but a succession of murdered boyfriends has now left Glory's 'best girl' alone and vulnerable. The two girls were essentially from two very different worlds, but brought together through circumstance and now share a bond.

I loved the glimpse of Sydney during the Razor Gangs era, where it's said that the surge in organised crime was caused by the prohibition of sale of cocaine by chemists, street prostitution and the local watering holes closing at 6:00pm each night. It paved the way for the Davidson and Glory's of the era to run racketeering and underground crime syndicates. The paranormal aspects of Razorhurst only seemed to serve the purpose of Dymphna and Kelpie meeting, and sharing Kelpie's memories of how she survived the streets. I would have enjoyed it more so without it, it took what could have been a very realistic scenario of that era and added a element that felt incredibly out of place.

Regardless of the gift both girls shared that let the storyline down, I really enjoyed it. It was slow to start, but the sorrowful story of Kelpie drew me in, and the seedy underworld of the Razor Gangs kept me enthralled. If you're a fan of mobsters, hired goons or the tough street life and hard living of the twenties and thirties, you'll love this one.

18 comments

  1. Wow, interesting review on the book Kelly! I didn't realise this book was about gangland Sydney, which would have been really fascinating. Definitely not your typical YA, but it sounds amazing.

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    1. It was a mild young adult version of Underbelly, I really enjoyed it. The paranormal aspect didn't click with me, but it really gave it a different aspect. Can't wait to see what you think of this one Jeann.

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  2. Ooooh, another mob story! I never tried a a mob story with a paranormal aspect! This sounds so different and mysterious :D

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    1. I've only read one other young adult about gang warfare and mobsters, being Sempre. But this one has a completely different feel. Apart from the paranormal twist, it felt so incredibly genuine and really immerses readers in the era.

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  3. Oooh, I don't think I've read a YA book with gangland warfare before. I've only read about those in documentaries where drug lords fight for turfs, but other than those, nada. Zilch. I'm highly interested in checking out this one, especially since the characters are awesome as well. Who doesn't like tough, feisty, fantastic heroines? I think you're the second or third Aussie blogger who I've seen has loved this one!

    Faye at The Social Potato

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    1. It's really good Faye, and completely different from your typical young adult novel. Both girls are feisty in their own right, but I loved Kelpie. She'll break your heart. Just one of those characters that will invoke a strong emotional reaction in readers.

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  4. HHhmm, I'm starting to see some quite mixed reviews on this book! Even so, your review has made this book seem really interesting! I love how it's a mix of so many different genres with heaps of layering themes. I'm excited to read it soon! Amazing review Kelly! :D

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    1. I love the Underbelly series, Sopranos and most gangster underworld related series, so I knew I'd really enjoy this one. I kept imagining the movie Chicago while reading this though, think it was the sass and glamorisation of prostitutes during the era, which I can imagine would have been sassy, independent women. The paranormal aspect fell flat for me, as though it was used to explain how the characters met, how Kelpie survived on the streets. It would have been a four star read had it not been included. The ending is a little too neat, but overall it's a pretty good read once it begins to evolve.

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  5. I've seen this book around and I love the cover, it's absolutely gorgeous! But I had no idea that this is actually based in Sidney in an era that I know next to nothing about! That's awesome and I will def be adding this book to my wishlist now. I love history and the mix of paranormal and the interesting characters present is definitely adding to my excitement of this book. Lovely review, as always, Kelly!

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  6. I am not much of a fan of mob stories in books, if this were a film, I'd watch it though. The fact that it is somewhat paranormal makes it more interesting. I also like that Kelpie isn't a weakling. I like MCs that are feisty!

    ~ Sporadic Reads

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  7. I love that GIF. Where is that from? I want to watch it. :P also, that cover reminds me of Sweeny Todd. Thanks for the review, Kelly, but I don't think this one is for me. Ghosts, gang stories, and the twenties are not things I normally read. But then again, maybe I'll experiment more in the future so who knows.

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    1. Chicago, the movie with Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta Jones.

      I loved the gangland aspects, I've always been a big fan of The Sopranos and underworld type mobster movies, so this was perfect. You should give it a go, sometimes we find real gems when we read outside of our comfort zone.

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  8. Hmm, maybe I gave up too soon! This one definitely felt slow to me so I gave up rather than push on. I do agree with you about the setting, it was great to see Sydney in the 30s!

    Mands @ The Bookish Manicurist

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    1. It was really slow to start for me as well, but I'm glad I persisted with it. If not for the paranormal aspect, it would have been a brilliant read. Others will probably love it, that part just didn't click for me though.

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  9. Well I don't think it would be a book I would enjoy, and I'm sorry that the paranormal element made it more of a let down for you than it'd have otherwise been- I'm glad you liked it for the most part, though! I enjoyed learning about the name of Kelpie, too, because it seems sad and beautiful at the same time, and I really like it.

    Now I really want to know what that gif is from- do you have any idea?

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    1. Kelpie is short for Australian Kelpie, as when the character was young, they likened her to a wild puppy.

      It's from the musical movie version of Chicago.

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    2. I thought it might be! We have a Kelpie Cross, so I wondered.

      Thank you!

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  10. Sydney gang wars? I'm intrigued! (Although I've never heard of that time period before...definitely sounds much more interesting than the US history we're forced to learn - LOL!) I'm all for a creepy, suspenseful read once in a while...and this sounds like the perfect one! And yeah for the strong female characters! :D

    Thanks for sharing Kelly, and, as always, BRILLIANT review! <3

    ~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

    P.S. <3 the Chicago GIF!

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