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badseedgirl's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fantasy novel that did not need the fantasy and a horror novel that was not horrific in the traditional sense. This novel was about a day in the life of 1930's Australia, rife with gangsters and the violent lives these women (and men) lead. The supernatural aspects of the novel deal with the two major characters ability to see ghosts. Kelpie,the first main character, is a young orphan who has lived on the street raised by ghosts that she feels she is the only one who can see. The second is Dymphna, a high class call girl who has plans to become more, and has been hiding the fact that she is also able to see ghosts.
This novel did not need the ghosts. It would have been amazing as just a plain old thriller. The story harkens back to those old gangster novels, but with an interesting twist, this is a novel about women, and strong women at that. All the women in this novel are strong and interesting characters. Kelpie lives in a world of women, men are in the periphery. They are there but are props for the women characters to move around the board that is Razorhurst.
I loved this novel. I want to read more like this novel. The female characters were rich and well developed, from the main characters of Kelpie and Dymphna, to the supporting characters, of Glorianna, Old Ma and Miss Lee. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for most of the male characters, who seemed to be a bit one demensional.
The Author was able to create a very convincing world. I felt like I was running on the streets of Razorhurst, and because the character and world building were so good, the novel flew.
This novel is receiving a well deserved 4.5 stars from me.
This novel did not need the ghosts. It would have been amazing as just a plain old thriller. The story harkens back to those old gangster novels, but with an interesting twist, this is a novel about women, and strong women at that. All the women in this novel are strong and interesting characters. Kelpie lives in a world of women, men are in the periphery. They are there but are props for the women characters to move around the board that is Razorhurst.
I loved this novel. I want to read more like this novel. The female characters were rich and well developed, from the main characters of Kelpie and Dymphna, to the supporting characters, of Glorianna, Old Ma and Miss Lee. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for most of the male characters, who seemed to be a bit one demensional.
The Author was able to create a very convincing world. I felt like I was running on the streets of Razorhurst, and because the character and world building were so good, the novel flew.
This novel is receiving a well deserved 4.5 stars from me.
bookishmadness's review against another edition
4.0
What I Thought: Razorhurst is fast, thrilling, dark and dangerous, and it will leave you wanting more than just the one book.
Razorhurst is about gangs and life in an Australian town in the 1930's. It follows the POV's of two girls - Kelpie and Dymphna. Kelpie is a a dirty, malnourished girl who lives on the streets, and can see ghosts. Dymphna is a gorgeous girl who lives a lavish life, and who can also see ghosts. They come together by fate, over a dead body, each already knowing who the other is, and starting on a whirlwind journey over a twenty-four hour period.
Yes, this 365-page novel takes course over a twenty-four hour period, and you won't even realise because Larbalestier does such a damn good job of disguising that fact. We get to see behind the curtains of gang life with competing mob bosses, and watch the two girls try and figure out how to stay alive, and out of gaol.
Larbalestier also gives us intermittent chapters that give us flashes into each of the characters lives, how they lead up to this point, and how the town and the mob bosses came to be. At first, it was semi-confusing trying to keep up with it all, but once you get into the rhythm of the story, you'll be flying through it like there's no tomorrow.
The Good: I loved the background stories, and how everything manages to fit together.
The Bad: Both main characters annoyed me at one point, I seriously wanted to strangle them both.
Rating: 4 stars
Razorhurst is about gangs and life in an Australian town in the 1930's. It follows the POV's of two girls - Kelpie and Dymphna. Kelpie is a a dirty, malnourished girl who lives on the streets, and can see ghosts. Dymphna is a gorgeous girl who lives a lavish life, and who can also see ghosts. They come together by fate, over a dead body, each already knowing who the other is, and starting on a whirlwind journey over a twenty-four hour period.
Yes, this 365-page novel takes course over a twenty-four hour period, and you won't even realise because Larbalestier does such a damn good job of disguising that fact. We get to see behind the curtains of gang life with competing mob bosses, and watch the two girls try and figure out how to stay alive, and out of gaol.
Larbalestier also gives us intermittent chapters that give us flashes into each of the characters lives, how they lead up to this point, and how the town and the mob bosses came to be. At first, it was semi-confusing trying to keep up with it all, but once you get into the rhythm of the story, you'll be flying through it like there's no tomorrow.
The Good: I loved the background stories, and how everything manages to fit together.
The Bad: Both main characters annoyed me at one point, I seriously wanted to strangle them both.
Rating: 4 stars
sarabz's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun read, although it was a little slow going for me. Early 20th century Sydney slums, and the social challenges of people stuck there. The story starts with Dympha Campbell and Kelpie finding the recently murdered corpse of Jimmy Palmer in the early hours of the morning, and the two young women spend the rest of the day trying to find a safe place amid the power struggle of competing bosses. Oh, and there are ghosts.
I loved that Kelpie and Dymphna are living their own lives in their own ways. Over the course of the story, we discover that they have a lot in common but also that they are very different. Both of these things bring them closer together. And they finding ways to make their own choices to navigate a situation and social system that are structured to take away their agency.
I loved that Kelpie and Dymphna are living their own lives in their own ways. Over the course of the story, we discover that they have a lot in common but also that they are very different. Both of these things bring them closer together. And they finding ways to make their own choices to navigate a situation and social system that are structured to take away their agency.
mcf's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5
I feel sort of guilty about not LOVING this book. After all, it's got fantasy themes and has a couple of tough, independent female characters at its center, two things which tend place stories right in the middle of my wheelhouse. But I just ... wasn't that into it. Make no mistake: I respected the hell out of Dymph, thought Kelpie was really nicely wrought, and appreciated the fact that Larbalestier resisted the urge to give us the perfect happy ending, but I just wasn't ever engaged enough with the characters and their stories (except for Snowy, about whom I would totally read a standalone) to feel any sense of urgency.
I feel sort of guilty about not LOVING this book. After all, it's got fantasy themes and has a couple of tough, independent female characters at its center, two things which tend place stories right in the middle of my wheelhouse. But I just ... wasn't that into it. Make no mistake: I respected the hell out of Dymph, thought Kelpie was really nicely wrought, and appreciated the fact that Larbalestier resisted the urge to give us the perfect happy ending, but I just wasn't ever engaged enough with the characters and their stories (except for Snowy, about whom I would totally read a standalone) to feel any sense of urgency.
liketheday's review against another edition
3.0
There's running and jumping and also talking in measured tones and avoiding the gaze of ghosts. There's a little bit of romance, but not much, and there is a lot of overthinking next moves and then just going for it and hoping for the best.
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lindsayb's review against another edition
4.0
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 would definitely read the next installment just to follow the survivors on their next escapade.
luisasm's review against another edition
5.0
It was a slow burn to get into this book. The whole thing would have benefited from just the tiniest bit of exposition in the beginning. An introduction, an author's note, just something to establish when and where. I only knew what was going on because I had read the cover summary. But don't let any of that stop you! This is an excellent book that grows increasingly better as you read it, until when you finish you forget all your complaints. The characters are fantastic, everyone is complicated and interesting. The relationships are complex and important, every character has it's secrets, and the way the story is narrated makes it dynamic and never boring. It's harsh to read. The author doesn't pull any punches, with violence, prejudice, corruption, sexual abuse, racism, sexism, gang warfare. But it makes up for it with a fascinating supernatural premise and a period of history that I knew nothing about. I loved learning about it, because it seems to unbelievable, but the author's explanation at the end makes you shocked that this is so close to reality. And the number of strong female characters in here is unreal. Looking for POC and LGBTQ and strong women and all kinds of history? Read this book.
hmonkeyreads's review against another edition
1.0
Not a fan. Didn’t care about the characters, found the dialog repetitive and annoying and the part about ghosts truly served no purpose.
Extra big creep factor that one of the main characters “Glory’s best girl” is a seasoned prostitute with a city wide reputation and seemingly huge list of dead lovers and it’s revealed that she’s only 16......which is just gross in about 1000 ways. The main talking ghost is her dead boyfriend...who is 36.
From an old subscription box
Extra big creep factor that one of the main characters “Glory’s best girl” is a seasoned prostitute with a city wide reputation and seemingly huge list of dead lovers and it’s revealed that she’s only 16......which is just gross in about 1000 ways. The main talking ghost is her dead boyfriend...who is 36.
From an old subscription box