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Razor Blades
Enter into the minds of the most dangerous gangs in the city. Razor, the gang's leader, is known for his brutal, cut-throat methods, and cold eyes. His arrogance, getting to the better of him, prevents him from noticing some of his member's evil intentions. Every man in the gang has their role, and it's up to you to determine who is genuinely Razor's right-hand man.
173 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 13, 2020
7 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 27, 2021
This is spectacularly gritty, action packed, and dark in very realistic ways. It is suspenseful and starts off quite jarring, which can be a little off putting to some. However, as the story matures, there is a camaraderie between the gang members that explains a lot. I also enjoyed the character development of Razor, as an unlikely romance blossoms between him and a young raven haired woman. This part of the story is touching and reveals a duality to the character that is both tragic and raw. My favorite characters were Brett and Dalton. I identified with their sacrificial natures. This very raw and gritty story about a group of young men in a gang that is on the edge of chaos ultimately ends as tragically as it begins. It is very unique.
July 27, 2020
Friendship, Betrayal and Love. This book has it all. What starts out as the typical story of gangs, violence and the dark sides of society, this story, being as short as it is, reveals depth and character. It thus makes it a very beautiful read.
The author follows the story of Razor, the leader of a gang dealing deep in drugs. Although narrated by a few more characters, this story brings to its readers, the possibility of love and hope in the darkest corners.
The book is a simple yet beautiful, and most importantly a very realistic and tragic read. This is particularly surprising since it is quite intense, it will leave you with a sad aftertaste, but either way, you’ll wish for a flicker of hope. Sophia and Razor deserve it.
It was a beautiful read.
The author follows the story of Razor, the leader of a gang dealing deep in drugs. Although narrated by a few more characters, this story brings to its readers, the possibility of love and hope in the darkest corners.
The book is a simple yet beautiful, and most importantly a very realistic and tragic read. This is particularly surprising since it is quite intense, it will leave you with a sad aftertaste, but either way, you’ll wish for a flicker of hope. Sophia and Razor deserve it.
It was a beautiful read.
October 7, 2021
Gritty, disturbing, and, at times, moving.
Noir Hayes has written a powerful and unique character-driven story which doesn't glamorise or romanticise gang-culture. Rather, it exposes it for all of its darkness, treachery and horror.
Being told from different characters' perspectives works well. Some of the writing could do with a little polishing, but this is close to five stars.
Well worth the read, although you might want to brace yourself... This certainly isn't a fairy tale.
Noir Hayes has written a powerful and unique character-driven story which doesn't glamorise or romanticise gang-culture. Rather, it exposes it for all of its darkness, treachery and horror.
Being told from different characters' perspectives works well. Some of the writing could do with a little polishing, but this is close to five stars.
Well worth the read, although you might want to brace yourself... This certainly isn't a fairy tale.
January 6, 2022
A good, exciting book woot a violent gang leader.
December 28, 2021
I would boldly claim that most people who write gangs, including myself, write them with too much mercy because it's convenient for the main characters' survival. Hayes broke that mold beautifully by making every one of her gang members ruthless and savage, and that true villainy made my stomach quiver every time a gun was pointed at a victim. Well done writing realistic over convenient.
The three stars is because of the non-traditional storytelling. There was no plot except the motives of the REAL villains, and we never knew there was an ulterior motive until more than halfway through the book. There didn't seem to be a conflict, just bad distrust amongst a group of bad guys, and so about halfway through I asked myself why I was reading this.
But when the issue hit, it hit hard and I devoured the last quarter of the book within an hour and a half I was so engaged. So I'm not entirely sure if the diversity in storytelling worked or if I just got to the point of interest in hopes that reading that far would pay off.
Definitely a unique story with once-in-a-lifetime characters and the rawest of emotions I've felt in a while as a reader. I'll recommend this one to anyone who's able to tolerate gore, blood, and violence. At times it was quite a bit to bite off brutality-wise, but I feel like the story wouldn't have held its own without those hard-to-stomach details. Hayes did a fantastic job molding a realistic gang and uniquely telling their story.
The three stars is because of the non-traditional storytelling. There was no plot except the motives of the REAL villains, and we never knew there was an ulterior motive until more than halfway through the book. There didn't seem to be a conflict, just bad distrust amongst a group of bad guys, and so about halfway through I asked myself why I was reading this.
But when the issue hit, it hit hard and I devoured the last quarter of the book within an hour and a half I was so engaged. So I'm not entirely sure if the diversity in storytelling worked or if I just got to the point of interest in hopes that reading that far would pay off.
Definitely a unique story with once-in-a-lifetime characters and the rawest of emotions I've felt in a while as a reader. I'll recommend this one to anyone who's able to tolerate gore, blood, and violence. At times it was quite a bit to bite off brutality-wise, but I feel like the story wouldn't have held its own without those hard-to-stomach details. Hayes did a fantastic job molding a realistic gang and uniquely telling their story.
April 20, 2021
"Razor Blades" throws us right into the thick of a small gang at the end of its life. Focusing on the three leads and each chapter allowing us to get into each man's mind, readers are shown a variety of layers of these characters.
It's more a focused, almost slice-of-life look at this gang, run by the leader Razor, who is cold, unstable, and cruel. And yet, like most people, has layers that will be peeled back as we get to know him. The purpose of the book was not to make us sympathize with Razor, but to show us the depth of people.
We only get a small glimpse at Razor's life, but it is enough to reveal who he is and why. There is still a ton of mystery around him, though, by the end of the book.
It's the other characters, though, who really stand out. Brett in particular, I wanted to protect and shield from the life he was thrown into. Dalton and Noah, they had a significant impact on the story and the ways heart strings were tugged at, all excellently done by Hayes.
I wasn't entirely sure what the gang really did - but again, the story was at the end of the gangs peak. It was a crumbling empire from the first page. It's a quick tryst into the gritty underbelly of a world most of us have no desire to be part of, but love to take a gander and gawk at from the safety of a book.
It's more a focused, almost slice-of-life look at this gang, run by the leader Razor, who is cold, unstable, and cruel. And yet, like most people, has layers that will be peeled back as we get to know him. The purpose of the book was not to make us sympathize with Razor, but to show us the depth of people.
We only get a small glimpse at Razor's life, but it is enough to reveal who he is and why. There is still a ton of mystery around him, though, by the end of the book.
It's the other characters, though, who really stand out. Brett in particular, I wanted to protect and shield from the life he was thrown into. Dalton and Noah, they had a significant impact on the story and the ways heart strings were tugged at, all excellently done by Hayes.
I wasn't entirely sure what the gang really did - but again, the story was at the end of the gangs peak. It was a crumbling empire from the first page. It's a quick tryst into the gritty underbelly of a world most of us have no desire to be part of, but love to take a gander and gawk at from the safety of a book.
July 13, 2021
“Cut him. Cut him while I stand here and watch. I want to see the blood flow. Don't make me tell you twice.” That quote by Alexis Machine in Stephen King’s “The Dark Half” could just as easily have appeared in Noir Hayes’ gritty blood-fest “Razor Blades.”
The author’s 156-page debut is definitely not for the faint of heart. For example: “My intentions are focusing entirely on demolishing this guy and making him nothing more than a pile of bone and blood.”
A period romance it ain’t.
The book reminds me of the early Jack Reacher books — especially the Killing Floor — where the amount of blood spilled is measured in buckets not drops.
I’m some ways the book is a psychological profile of a bunch of bad dudes, and Hayes leaves it up to the reader to figure out who to root for.
Told in multiple points of view, Razor Blades gives us exactly what we should expect from an author named Noir.
The author’s 156-page debut is definitely not for the faint of heart. For example: “My intentions are focusing entirely on demolishing this guy and making him nothing more than a pile of bone and blood.”
A period romance it ain’t.
The book reminds me of the early Jack Reacher books — especially the Killing Floor — where the amount of blood spilled is measured in buckets not drops.
I’m some ways the book is a psychological profile of a bunch of bad dudes, and Hayes leaves it up to the reader to figure out who to root for.
Told in multiple points of view, Razor Blades gives us exactly what we should expect from an author named Noir.
July 25, 2023
Interesting But Flawed
This is a story of a gang, drugs, booze, illegal fight clubs, and the concomitant violence. It is raw and yet has an emotional pull, and it seems to take "A Clockwork Orange" and "Romper Stomper" as inspiration. It isn't nearly as good as those two works, however. But it tries. It really, really tries.
Where does it go wrong? In the simplest places, really. First, this gang seems displaced in time. The gang members have phones, but their uniform is leather jackets with the collar upturned. It also seems like every character rolls his or her eyes at some point. And what is with the common description of people holding up their arms in a "W" shape? These may seem like minor complaints, but they work to take you out of the story.
Read it, but don't set your expectations too high.
This is a story of a gang, drugs, booze, illegal fight clubs, and the concomitant violence. It is raw and yet has an emotional pull, and it seems to take "A Clockwork Orange" and "Romper Stomper" as inspiration. It isn't nearly as good as those two works, however. But it tries. It really, really tries.
Where does it go wrong? In the simplest places, really. First, this gang seems displaced in time. The gang members have phones, but their uniform is leather jackets with the collar upturned. It also seems like every character rolls his or her eyes at some point. And what is with the common description of people holding up their arms in a "W" shape? These may seem like minor complaints, but they work to take you out of the story.
Read it, but don't set your expectations too high.
October 4, 2020
Razor Blades is a pulpy, energetic, violent read about a brutal gang on the road to self-destruction written in alternating POV's. The writing style is very vivid and borders on being over-the-top...there are lots of descriptions of blood and broken bones and bruised knuckles. A few of the brief interludes into the mindsets and psychologies of the gang members were poignant. I enjoyed the character musing on all of the innocent people in the city park being oblivious to their looming evil deeds as they cruised through in their car.
As a debut novel much of this was unpolished, but the rawness fit the story. This might not be to everyone's tastes, but there's definitely an audience for this style.
I look forward to more from Noir Hayes.
As a debut novel much of this was unpolished, but the rawness fit the story. This might not be to everyone's tastes, but there's definitely an audience for this style.
I look forward to more from Noir Hayes.
October 19, 2021
Razor Blades is an energetic slice of Pulp storytelling, where a cast of unrelenting characters inhabit a dark world. The writing and prove is very descriptive and engaging. The reader feels as if they've been pulled into the gang's world. The reader can feel the sweat on the gang members' person and the gunshot powder in the air after the trigger has been pulled. The story's occasional rawness leans into the story's dark world, adding more character to it. I simply couldn't put it down, and I look forward to more literature from Noir Hayes. Purchased at Pulp Fest in Pittsburgh in August 2021. The perfect book to read on a summer evening as the sun goes down.
September 15, 2020
This is a gritty tale of a gang of street toughs. The chapters are written from the perspective of different members of the gang which was well done. The characters are interesting and unique. The ending caught me a little by surprise. I would recommend this story it was a good read.
January 31, 2022
Dark, but fun read!
Short novel that keeps the story moving at a great pace.
Short novel that keeps the story moving at a great pace.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews