The Rip by Mark Brandi

Publisher's Synopsis

A young woman living on the street has to keep her wits about her.
Or her friends. But when the drugs kick in that can be hard.

Anton has been looking out for her. She was safe with him. But then Steve came along.
He had something over Anton. Must have. But he had a flat they could crash in. And gear in his pocket. And she can't stop thinking about it. A good hit makes everything all right.

But the flat smells weird.
There's a lock on Steve's bedroom door.
And the guy is intense.

The problem is, sometimes you just don't know you are in too deep until you are drowning.

My Review of The Rip by Mark Brandi

The Rip is a dark story telling a sadly familiar story that immerses the reader in the day to day battle for survival faced by homeless, drug addicted youths. This is a harrowing story told from the perspective of Dani, a young woman living rough in the inner suburbs of Melbourne.

The story opens as Dani and her best friend Anton come up with an idea to raise some money to score her next hit of heroin. They scratch, they clean windscreens and they dodge the cops, but they manage to scrape together the dollars necessary to get by. It’s a rough life on the margins of society but there is an undeniable sense of contentment with her life, as hard as it seems.

Through Dani’s matter of fact narrative it becomes clear that every move they make revolves around their fight to survive. Finding food to eat (dumpsters), a place to bathe (the Salvos), preparing for the coming winter, caring for Sunny, her beloved bull terrier. And the next hit, always the next hit.

Life is hard, but manageable, it seems, until they run into Steve, an old friend of Anton’s. He’s clearly a fellow addict, but there’s also an aura of evil around him, according to Dani. He has a flat and invites them to stay for a few days. It’s a chance to sleep under a roof and in a bed so they move in. But it also means Dani and Anton are giving away their autonomy with Steve now calling the shots.

It’s from this point that their already difficult life takes an undeniable turn for the worse.

“I’m using more since we’ve been in the flat. It’s funny how quick it happens and without you really noticing. Anton said once that it’s like walking out into the sea, and you think everything’s fine and the water’s warm, but when you turn back you’re suddenly miles from shore.
I’ve never been much of a swimmer, but I get what he means. Like, being caught in a current or something. A rip.”

This is a heartbreaking story of survival. All of the characters involved have a backstory of hardship, difficulties and challenges and their life on the streets is the best outcome out of some truly awful options.

The life of a drug addict revolves around scraping money together to get enough for the next hit. Dani, Anton and Steve choose between begging, prostitution and burglary. It’s pretty grim and it’s only a short term solution.

I found this to be a particularly well told modern day noir story that takes us directly into the mind of a person living right on the edge. We get to take part in her thoughts as she deals with fear and confusion as her world gradually crumbles around her.

It’s a compellingly readable feel-bad story that confirms the story-telling talent of Mark Brandi.