Razorhurst

Even though this book was quite violent and contains very mature concepts for young adults, I absolutely LOVED it and couldn't put it down! Kelpie is a homeless girl on the streets of Sydney in 1932 with an unusual gift - she can see ghosts. When one of them goads her into going into a house to steal some apples, Kelpie stumbles across the brutal murder of Jimmy who has had his throat slashed by a razor, his girlfriend and "best girl" (i.e prostitute ) Dymphna of one of the crime gang's madams Gloriana Nelson. Kelpie is unwittingly then drawn into the rivalry between Mr Davidson and Gloriana , is followed and harangued constantly by the ghost of Jimmy and unbeknownst to her is teaming up with a girl (Dymphna) who is not only the same show more age, but also has the same gift of seeing ghosts but chooses to keep it quiet.

This is very similar to one of the Underbelly TV series that was set in Sydney at a similar time except it is populated by ghosts which adds a great dimension. Jimmy the ghost knows who killed him and constantly badgers Kelpie with that information in the hope of revenge. The ghosts that Kelpie ( and Dymphna) can see give them information that no-one else can and they fill in the back story. The introduction of Mr Davidson's best assassin and his connection to Kelpie and her aboriginal heritage is inspired.

Razorhurst is not for the fainthearted - there is murder, abuse, swearing and misuse of women which was prevalent at the time, but it is such a great read. Highly recommended for mature readers. show less

Justine Larbalaestier’s Razorhurst is gritty, intriguing novel blending history and the paranormal to create an interesting and exciting story with crossover appeal for both young adult and adult audiences.

It’s 1932 and the tentative truce between Sydney’s rival underworld gangs, headed by Gloriana Nelson and Mr Davidson, is on the verge of collapse when Gloriana’s right hand man, Jimmy Palmer is murdered in his bed.
For Dymphna, Gloria’s ‘best girl’ and Jimmy’s girlfriend, Jimmy’s death is a problem. Was he murdered by Mr Davidson in a calculated move against Glory, or was he killed because Glory learned of his and Dymphna’s plans to oust her?
Climbing into the Surrey Hills dosshouse housing Gloriana’s men in search show more of food, street urchin Kelpie is shocked to find Dymphna standing over the body of her murdered lover.
Both are forced to flee as the police close in, with Dymphna insisting Kelpie remains with her for protection, but safety is hard to come by on the streets of ‘Razorhurst’.

Razorhurst is told from the alternating perspectives of Kelpie and Dymphna, interspersed with brief omniscient vignettes. Both girls are feisty, brave, and smart, but most importantly they are survivors.
Kelpie is an appealing character. When her mother died in childbirth, she was taken in by ‘Old Ma’ who raised her as best she could. Upon Old Ma’s death, desperate to escape the Welfare, Kelpie took to the streets, surviving with the occasional kindness of local hard man, Snowy, and the ghosts that she can both see and hear that haunt the streets.
Dymphna was born to privilege but tragedy left her orphaned twice and she was forced to find a way to survive. As Glory’s ‘best girl’, she has earned status among the underworld, but she wants more. She too can see and hear ghosts but hiding her ability has become second nature.

Larbalaestier’s gangland characters are inspired by infamous Sydney identities (most notably Tilly Divine and Kate Leigh), and the author’s research into the ‘razor’ gangs of Sydney, so named because straight edge razors were the weapon of choice during the 1930’s.
I loved the historical elements that evoke inner city Sydney during the period. Grounded firmly in fact, the setting is fascinating and vividly drawn, from the slum of Frog Hollow to the seedy streets of Surry ‘Sorrow’ Hills lined with bordello’s, opium dens and gambling houses.

Unfolding over the course of a single day the pacing of the novel is well managed, the action is non stop as Dymphna and Kelpie scramble to survive. There are explicit, though not gratuitous, references to violence and the occasional use of language. A touch of humour and romance tempers the ever present sense of menace and danger.

Entertaining, thrilling and original, Razorhurst is a great read I’d widely recommend and I’m really hoping Larbalestier has plans for a sequel. show less

Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier is a YA historical fantasy set in Sydney in the 1930s. I have to admit, I didn't know very much about Sydney in the 1930s until I read this book but it certainly seems like it was an interesting period.

Razorhurst follows two main characters, both of whom can see ghosts: Kelpie, a street urchin and Dymphna, the most expensive prostitute in the city. Kelpie has survived on the streets in large part thanks to some ghost who have taken her under their wings, helped her find food and taught her general survival skills. Dymphna has survived mostly by being good at what she does and having the right appearance and upbringing to impress higher society types.

One of the things I found really interesting was the show more way the story was told. Alternating chapters were from Kelpie and Dymphna's points of view and in between chapters there were short, semi-omniscient mini-chapters (I'd call them sections but they did have headings, if not numbers) telling the story of someone's past, usually. If not a flashback to one of the main characters' pasts, then the back story of one of the secondary or incidental characters. As a story-telling method it worked really well. The reader gained information that neither Kelpie nor Dymphna knew, which fleshed out the plot and, in some cases, cast other events in a new light. Or gave us back story for the main characters which it didn't make sense to insert into the main narrative. In this way, Razorhurst is as much about the region of Surrey Hills more generally as it is about Kelpie and Dymphna specifically. I found it a really effective way to set the historical scene.

I enjoyed Razorhurst a lot. Larbalestier has a way of revealing information gradually that worked really well for me. There were some things we didn't learn about Kelpie until much later, which other authors may have foregrounded much sooner. I'd be more specific, but I don't want to ruin the reading experience for others. In part, though, I think this is also a reflection of how Kelpie hasn't had much opportunity — until the start of the story — to put her own life into context with those around her who aren't also living in the streets. For example, she doesn't even know how old she is at the start of the story and doesn't understand why people keep asking her that anyway. Dymphna, on the other hand, has always been very aware of her place in life and society and how to play the roles she needs to to survive. More acutely horrible things have happened to Dymphna, but she's also had more opportunities and knows how to make use of them. Kelpie, on the other hand, has mostly only had to worry about finding (barely) enough food and somewhere warm to sleep.

The ghosts are an important element in the story but not actually the driver of the plot in anyway. They're just another form of character and, at times, a challenge for Dymphna and Kelpie to overcome. The main plot is of the "who will try to kill us next and where can we be safe" variety, and the whole novel spans approximately twenty-four hours.

I highly recommend Razorhurst to pretty much everyone. Well, not younger-than-YA readers, since there's several short bursts of acute violence — the story does revolve around razor gangs, after all — but anyone interested in historical fiction as well as the more speculative element. I think the story will work for both types of readers, and for readers who don't usually read YA.

5 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog. show less

Dymphna’s beauty makes her the prized possession and money earner in Gloriana Nelson’s brothel. Yet her beauty also means that men want to own her and are prepared to go to any lengths to have her that includes murder.
When Dymphna finds latest beau Jimmy Palmer with his throat slit and the police banging on the door and finding an exit is not looking good. Kelpie having been tricked by a ghost to enter the house Palmer is in is surprised to find an extremely beautiful woman standing over the body. In that moment Kelpie and Dympha become linked as they both need to find a way to survive. That is pretty much the essence of the story as it develops over the next 24 hours.
First of all I have a huge interest in the period of history show more that this book is set in, Sydney in the 1930s when the razor was the weapon of choice. It is a bleak and ugly time with some wonderful characters. For me it was fairly easy for me to realise the historical background of a fictional character. I knew that Dymphna was a combination of Dulcie Markham and Nellie Cameron and Gloriana Nelson was Tilley Divine and Kate Leigh. Larbalestier has really done her research and paints a realistic Sydney in the 1930s.
I have to be honest as I was reading the book and I was somewhere near the 200 page mark, I was wondering what was this book about and whose story was it?
I did not mind the multiple points of view but it was never clear what the ultimate goal for the two characters was. I mean after coming together what were Dymphna and Kelpie hoping to achieve? Escape from the criminal world, escape from the ghosts, a life that is their own as it was never clear what they wanted until the very end.
The two main protagonists are thrown together by chance, they come from very different backgrounds and they both share the ability to see ghosts. Dymphna never mentions this skill at all to Kelpie until near the end of the book. You just seem to be following these two characters, switching point of view but neither is really driving the story forward. Dymphna tends to take the lead for the majority of the story but she just seems to want to straighten the mess out. As for Kelpie, her name is appropriate as she tags along like a puppy and apart from the ending I am not sure what her purpose is.
It was frustrating because I liked the characters, they had depth, they were flawed and they made smart and dumb decisions. You became emotionally invested in them as you wanted them to rise above those holding them back.
The ending well that was a disappointment. Not because of the lack of happy ending, that did not bother me in the least. What annoyed me was Mr Davidson with his quick and sudden prominence in the ending. I understand why, it had been set up during the story but maybe I did not appreciate why Dymphna did not want to work or be with him.
I liked the book, I liked the world creation, I liked the use of the ghosts and it was a really unique take on a historical theme. The brutality of the gangs, the seediness of Sydney, the corruption and the poverty is expertly crafted. There are a lot of things going for the book and I enjoyed it. show less

The first half of this book felt pretty slow, which is weird because the book essentially takes place over the course of a single day; I wasn't sure if I felt compelled to keep reading. It took me a while get all the characters down and the structure of the book (and to get less annoyed by Jimmy's relentless character), but when I was able to read a larger chunk of it at once, it really started to pick up. The second half zoomed by. This whole crime world of early-20th century Sydney (based on the actual history of the place) was really fascinating. I love the way it ended, and I love that I wasn't able to totally guess the ending. It seems like this book could go either way between being a standalone or the first of a series, but I show more would definitely read the next installment just to follow the survivors on their next escapade. show less

Great audiobook, and a really fascinating story. I loved the characters and there was real suspense from scene to scene. Even with the ghost element, I think it's a solid choice for any fan of historical fiction, as the ghosts really add to the atmosphere and elaborate on the historical details.

My only issue is that the resolution felt a bit too quick after all the build up. Also I can't really bring it on our middle school visits, since there's some fairly frank discussion of brothels and sex workers (the word whore is used quite a bit, which makes sense in historical context) along with the oodles of swearing and violence. I think there are definitely middle school kids that it will work for, but it's not a great fit for our class show more visits. show less

RAZORHURST by Justine Larbalestier is an absorbing chase novel from beginning to end.

Set in the gangster-filled slums of 1932 Sydney during a time of extreme poverty and violence, a young orphan stumbles upon a murder involving organized crime. This bloody discovery sets off a non-stop thrill-ride filled with fascinating characters. From the ghosts she’s been able to see since birth to the wide array of criminals put in her path, Kelpie doesn’t know who to trust and who to follow.

What makes this young adult historical suspense particularly intriguing is the way it weaves in ghosts as a fantasy element. Many young adults find the idea of ghosts alluring. While most novels use ghosts as a one-dimensional plot element, Larbalestier show more has built a complex ghost world complete with rules that guide their existence.

Readers will find the glossary at the end of the book useful in explaining some of the lesser-known vocabulary. Although some readers may find the use of archaic terms distracting, most lovers of history and fantasy will find that the rich vocabulary brings the world alive for readers.

From history and fantasy fans to those that enjoy a heart-pounding suspense-thriller, librarians will easily identify readers for this well-written young adult novel.

This book was influenced by the real-life gangs of the twenties and thirties in Sydney. To learn more about what sparked the author’s interest, go to http://justinelarbalestier.com/books/razorhurst/influences/.

To learn more about the author and the book, go to http://justinelarbalestier.com/. show less