Hooligans

by Chaz Fenwick

The Metalheads – Heavy metal music, partying, drugs, alcohol and sex are the only things that matter to this subculture of teen misfits. When the hottest rocker chick in town, Trisha Williams, is thrown a 16th birthday bash at her father’s house, things take a turn for the worst. The notorious Westside Gangstas, a criminal gang feared for its ruthless street thuggery, gatecrash the party. A brawl erupts and popular teenager Dayne Hetfield is caught having sex with a gang member’s girlfriend. This begins the cycle of tit for tat violence that turns the streets of urban Sydney into a battleground. Friendships become strained and relationships are broken as the beatings, bloodshed, bombings and murder take their toll on Dayne and his metalhead mates. Yet, neither side is willing to submit to the carnage, and the animosity rages on until only one side is left standing. If you do not like excessive violence and vulgar language than this book isn't for you.

295 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2015

About the author

Chaz Fenwick, born on May 11, 1980, in Wollongong, Australia, is a devoted heavy metal fan and filmmaker. Introduced to Metallica at 15, he developed a lifelong passion for the band. His teenage years were a blend of music, partying, and screenwriting influenced by Quentin Tarantino. Chaz refined his skills in Los Angeles (2006-2010), deeply immersed in the heavy metal scene and film industry. Returning to Australia in 2014, he penned the novel "Hooligans." In 2021, he established Chazfen Studio, producing the psychological horror film "Malice: Nu Gui."

Reviews

[Gordon Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of You Shouldn’t Read This Book.

“Hooligans” is a modern version of West Side Story, a novel about a world most of us will never see. It is the youthful underside of every big city, where teens with no guidance spend their time seeking relief from the agony of the world they inhabit. Parents are nowhere to be seen except as peripheral irritations, antagonists, or sources of stolen cash. The days are a long blur of drugs, fights, and (for the lucky ones) sex.
Because this is set in Australia, the usual skin colour lines are blurred and the most important point of contention is what music one listens to. Which is a pretty good metaphor for most of the violence in the world, come to think of it. “I’ll bring the violence; you find me an excuse.”
So in this Lord of the Flies atmosphere the simple act of a “gangsta” girl going to a “metalhead” party and banging one of the metalhead guys leads to an escalating round of fights, rapes and bombings, culminating in a mass gang battle.
And that’s the story.
Somewhere in the mass of foul language, rampant hormones, mind-altering substances, violence and hatred there is a fairly complex plotline that carefully unravels the many characters and influences that lead to the outpouring of violence at the end. It all follows as naturally as sewer water down a drain.
Apropos of the title of this review, I do see a problem with selling the book. Due to the language, sex, and violence, I doubt that there are many people who are old enough to be allowed to read it but still immature enough to really become involved in it. Those who obviously should love it probably don’t read novels. Or anything. The rest of us can, however, be wowed by the writing.
The element I appreciated most was the language. It is impossible to judge the veracity of teenage sub-cultural slang; after all, by the time you get the book through the publishing process, half your terms will be already out of date. However, the dialect of the characters in this book walks the right line: strong enough to be distinctive, controlled enough to be understandable. After a while I was able to distinguish the different slang of the two different groups. Of course, the f-bomb predominates, but what’s changed in the last fifty years in that respect?
However, in discussing writing quality, I must remark on the overly intrusive dialogue tags (a hobbyhorse of mine, I admit).
‘Massive, we gotta get to this f**kin’ metalhead party bro,’ Dee said in his gangsta slang.
If we don’t know that’s gangsta slang, no amount of telling us is going to help, and those of us who figured it out already find our intelligence insulted. Never speak down to your readers.
And, be warned, there is more to come. This is a stand-alone story, true, but the “To Be Continued…” last page gives us the promise of an even wilder party.
Much though I admire the writing, I think that’s enough for me.
Recommended to anyone who dares.

[Sleepy Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooligans by Chaz Fenwick delivers exactly what you would expect: a tough and gritty urban tale about criminal behaviour. The story centres around two warring gangs: The Metalheads and The Westside Homeboy Gang. Both are very much your cliched music-loving, wayward hooligans, and to be honest, this book delivers little in the way of originality. However, originality is not the focus so much as action and authenticity, and in this respect Hooligans delivers.

There are scenes of rape and violence that are depicted in a visual and visceral manner that you will leave you wincing. Initially, The Metalheads are not at the same level of criminality and brutality as The Westside Homeboy Gang, but nor are they to be intimidated, and confrontations soon escalate into gangland warfare. Not all of the characters are heinous individuals, and Fenwick cleverly explains how each of them get sucked into this lifestyle, doing things that perhaps in another life they would not have done. As such he successfully adds a human element to the brutality on display.

This book is not for those looking for a light-hearted read but you already figured as much. If gritty urban dramas that show the dark side of society are your thing, then Hooligans by Chaz Fenwick is a worthwhile read.

[Ashley Tomlinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was asked to review this by the author and I have to admit that this is not something that I would normally pick up. I don't usually mind violence in my book but this was a bit much for me. Though this was well written it just wasn't a book for me. It was described as a modern West Side Story but I didn't get that. WSS had dance battles this just had regular senseless battles.

The characters felt real, they were so very believable. Kudos to the author for creating such dark scenes, dialogue, and life-like characters. Though it was violent and it was difficult for me to read at times it was so well written.

Most of the time while I was reading I kept wondering where the hell these kids parents were. I know they are teenagers but geez do they not have parents. While I was a teenager my mom was always around and most definitely did not let me join a gang and then go to another gangs club. I know there are people that really live this way and it was interesting to see a world that I'm not involved in but I couldn't help but wonder that.

[Chris Lavery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book