Razorhurst

by Justine Larbalestier

"Vivid and bloody and bold and fast—I feel like Razorhurst is in my bones now."
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert

The notoriously bloody history of a mob-run Sydney, Australia neighborhood is fertile ground for this historical thriller with a paranormal twist: two girls' ability to see the many ghosts haunting Razorhurst.
 
Sydney’s deadly Razorhurst neighborhood, 1932. Gloriana Nelson and Mr. Davidson, two ruthless mob bosses, have reached a fragile peace—one maintained by “razor men.” Kelpie, orphaned and homeless, is blessed (and cursed) with the ability to see Razorhurst’s many ghosts. They tell secrets that the living can’t know about the cracks already forming in the mobs’ truce.
 
Kelpie meets Dymphna Campbell, Gloriana’s prize moll, over the body of the latest of Dymphna’s beaus to meet an untimely end—a string that’s earned her the nickname the “Angel of Death.” Dymphna can see ghosts, too, and she knows that Gloriana’s hold is crumbling one henchman at a time. As loyalties shift and betrayal threatens the two girls at every turn, Dymphna is determined to rise to the top with Kelpie at her side.

• ISBN10: 1616956259
• ISBN13: 9781616956257
• Publish Date: 17 May 2016 (first published 1 January 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Soho Teen
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781616956257

Reviews

[Kelly]

3½ Stars.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/07/razorhurst-by-justine-larbalestier.html



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.