Razorhurst | 
so-soVery well-written tale that takes place in 1930s Sydney in the middle of the possible end to a mob boss truce. It was an interesting enough setting and characters, and well-written enough, to make me not realize till the end that really not much had happened.
pickThis YA book about tense relations between mob bosses in 1930‘s Australia, & the young prostitute who wants to overthrow them, is perfectly diverting. Also: ghosts! 👻 (If I had a book blog, I think that‘s what I‘d call it: “Also: Ghosts!” 😅)
Short chapters. Clever writing. Lively characters who will “smoodge” their way into your heart (even if Kelpie seems unbelievably young). Worth a quick read. It does feel a bit incomplete. Sequel? 🤷♀️
“Miss Lee... the prim ghost... spent all her time going from house to house, looking for open books or, best of all, someone reading.”
“Can‘t turn the pages,” Miss Lee explained. “Have to peer over their shoulders and hope they don‘t put the book down right when it gets exciting.”
Pretty sure this is exactly what my life as a ghost would look like. 😂👻
I‘ve been so looking forward to finishing my last read (“Difficult Women” by Roxane Gay - it was great, but so upsetting) that I guess I may have stockpiled a bit. 🤷♀️😅 Any votes for what I should read next?
Update: I grabbed one to start the arduous decision process, & I never put it down! “A Brief History of Montmaray” it is!
so-soThis books was good. I give it about 3.5 out of 5. It's not the most life changing book in the world and it could have been better. I feel like there was something missing. It's worth a read but it's not a book I would reread.
#feistyfeb I'm pretty sure this is the only book I have with an #australianauthor. I'd like to read more of her books though, just based on this one. It's an intriguing YA historical/supernatural tale set in a neighborhood of Sydney during the 1930s. The plot involves an orphaned feral girl with a strange ability and the teenage prostitute who tries to help her, ghosts, and rival gang wars.
so-soI'm glad I read this, though it helped solidify the feeling I am not really into atmospheric novels or ghost stories. Now, throw in some dragons and magic and I'm game.
pickThis is a tough little book, much like its leading ladies. It somehow encompasses only one neighborhood in 1930s Sydney, but feels HUGE at the same time. Kelpie and Dymphna are sharp girls full of grit, so different and so similar. I love how the story revolves around them and their strange developing relationship. All of the side characters and history are killer. This book is killer. Oh, and GHOSTS!! 👻
pickA sharp, noirish excursion into 1930s Sydney & the razor gangs who dominated the inner suburbs (plus ghosts). Fun to see familiar locales overlaid by the sensational past - Larbalestier also has interesting things to say about poverty, damage & family.
