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frombethanysbookshelf's review
4.0
"I know what you're thinking, but I'm not half faery, or demon, or angel or anything like that. Mum's a Body Shop consultant living in a bungalow in Birmingham and Dad enters crossword competitions."
Once upon a time there was a girl, a talking cat, and the apocalypse.
It sounds like the start of a joke, but Ivy's life is anything but - a while ago she had just a normal life but after a very stupid thing she did Dark Matter is slowly leaking into the world, easily accessable by everyone who knows how to turn on a computer.
Hell is coming to earth and Ivy has no idea what to do next.
Raising Hell was a hilarious riot of a story with non-stop action, bloody fights and absolute absurdity. It packed a punch right from the first chapter and kept going - in less than 250 pages this story was ridiculously fun and easy to read, with some very cute moments scattered throughout. Featuring what could have been very typical storylines, Pearce gave her own unique spin on the supernatural. Ivy was instantly best friend material and it was a pleasure to watch her descent into the bowels of hell.
Also ... talking cat.
Once upon a time there was a girl, a talking cat, and the apocalypse.
It sounds like the start of a joke, but Ivy's life is anything but - a while ago she had just a normal life but after a very stupid thing she did Dark Matter is slowly leaking into the world, easily accessable by everyone who knows how to turn on a computer.
Hell is coming to earth and Ivy has no idea what to do next.
Raising Hell was a hilarious riot of a story with non-stop action, bloody fights and absolute absurdity. It packed a punch right from the first chapter and kept going - in less than 250 pages this story was ridiculously fun and easy to read, with some very cute moments scattered throughout. Featuring what could have been very typical storylines, Pearce gave her own unique spin on the supernatural. Ivy was instantly best friend material and it was a pleasure to watch her descent into the bowels of hell.
Also ... talking cat.
hwebb88's review
3.0
Buffy the Vampire Slayer with zombies is what first sprung to mind whilst reading Raising Hell. This was a fun little book, extremely gory and action packed! If you are in a reading slump this will soon get you out of it.
The writing isn’t of the most highest quality, but if I am honest I don’t think it needs to be. This is a fabulous B movie in book form, the sort you can thoroughly enjoy without having to think to much about what’s going on.
The writing isn’t of the most highest quality, but if I am honest I don’t think it needs to be. This is a fabulous B movie in book form, the sort you can thoroughly enjoy without having to think to much about what’s going on.
kba76's review
4.0
This has the potential to be an interesting series, though I felt some elements of the story were not explained early enough to help us really understand why certain events were happening. A healthy disregard for the rules and a knowing black humour helps this story rattle along, and definitely hint at some potential issues to come.
Our main character is a young woman called Ivy. When we first meet her she is wandering into her old high school carrying a machete and on the lookout for dangerous teenagers. I admit, at this point, I had no idea what was happening or how we came to be in this situation. Little information is given at the beginning, but we witness Ivy's involvement in trying to prevent one of the students from summoning a hell hound and causing total chaos. The world building does not come early, and though this does lead to some uncertainty over why these events are happening it didn't mar my enjoyment of what was actually taking place.
What we soon learn is that Ivy and a group of friends were responsible for carrying out an act four years ago that changed the way the world works. They opened a portal to hell as they tried to summon the dead body of their friend. Things did not go to plan, people died, and Ivy now feels she has to atone for her dalliance in black magic by protecting those teens who seem to have an affinity for the dark arts.
We follow Ivy and her unwilling companions - which include her grandma's spirit stuck in a cat - in this journey to try and help banish the hell hounds summoned at the start. Someone is behind these growing events, and Ivy eventually learns that no matter how well prepared you are for strange occurrences, sometimes you have to make it up as you go along.
There's plenty of action, a lot of bizarre events and a healthy love of gore. As a teenager I think I would have loved this - we watch the misfits trying to find their place in this new world, without guidance and - on occasion - getting it horribly wrong.
While the world-building left a little to be desired at times, there was enough here to entertain me. I particularly enjoyed the hints of what might come next as Ivy learns to adjust to her new skills.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance of publication.
Our main character is a young woman called Ivy. When we first meet her she is wandering into her old high school carrying a machete and on the lookout for dangerous teenagers. I admit, at this point, I had no idea what was happening or how we came to be in this situation. Little information is given at the beginning, but we witness Ivy's involvement in trying to prevent one of the students from summoning a hell hound and causing total chaos. The world building does not come early, and though this does lead to some uncertainty over why these events are happening it didn't mar my enjoyment of what was actually taking place.
What we soon learn is that Ivy and a group of friends were responsible for carrying out an act four years ago that changed the way the world works. They opened a portal to hell as they tried to summon the dead body of their friend. Things did not go to plan, people died, and Ivy now feels she has to atone for her dalliance in black magic by protecting those teens who seem to have an affinity for the dark arts.
We follow Ivy and her unwilling companions - which include her grandma's spirit stuck in a cat - in this journey to try and help banish the hell hounds summoned at the start. Someone is behind these growing events, and Ivy eventually learns that no matter how well prepared you are for strange occurrences, sometimes you have to make it up as you go along.
There's plenty of action, a lot of bizarre events and a healthy love of gore. As a teenager I think I would have loved this - we watch the misfits trying to find their place in this new world, without guidance and - on occasion - getting it horribly wrong.
While the world-building left a little to be desired at times, there was enough here to entertain me. I particularly enjoyed the hints of what might come next as Ivy learns to adjust to her new skills.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance of publication.
thewoollygeek's review
5.0
I loved this, it was so quick and easy to get into and just fall in love with the world and it’s characters, it’s so fast paced and so much action, so much fun, gore and such a great YA horror, recommend to anyone, I’d have loved this as a YA myself
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
hylian_narwhal's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Gore, Cannibalism, Child death, and Grief
ame1ia_fox's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stephbookshine's review
4.0
This starts by immediately hooking you in to the action, with a twist on the idea of school “checkpoints” scanning students for weapons/contraband.
The story then begins from the middle: in the past, Ivy and her teen friends, grieving, meddled with forces outside their understanding and brought magical forces into the world, which only teens have access too. Chaos ensued. In the present, Ivy has a job Buffy-ing magical security at the local high school in order to secretly make amends, and lives with her grandmother, who is… a little unusual. And that’s where this story begins.
Teens meddling, like teens will, manage to start a zombie near-apocalypse, and it is down to Ivy and her friends to try to right past wrongs and fix their mistakes before everyone dies… or worse!
There is loads of shock-horror here – heads lopped off and babies eaten – some humour, and even a little bit of a political commentary (the BRP). There are themes of guilt and blame, sacrifices and selfishness, and the dangers of acting on pure emotion without considering the consequences.
Not everything in the plot made sense, and the characters were not all as well-developed as I would have liked, but this was a really fun, action-packed read and I would definitely be happy to read more from both Ivy Mann and Bryony Pearce in future.
- Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
The story then begins from the middle: in the past, Ivy and her teen friends, grieving, meddled with forces outside their understanding and brought magical forces into the world, which only teens have access too. Chaos ensued. In the present, Ivy has a job Buffy-ing magical security at the local high school in order to secretly make amends, and lives with her grandmother, who is… a little unusual. And that’s where this story begins.
Teens meddling, like teens will, manage to start a zombie near-apocalypse, and it is down to Ivy and her friends to try to right past wrongs and fix their mistakes before everyone dies… or worse!
There is loads of shock-horror here – heads lopped off and babies eaten – some humour, and even a little bit of a political commentary (the BRP). There are themes of guilt and blame, sacrifices and selfishness, and the dangers of acting on pure emotion without considering the consequences.
Not everything in the plot made sense, and the characters were not all as well-developed as I would have liked, but this was a really fun, action-packed read and I would definitely be happy to read more from both Ivy Mann and Bryony Pearce in future.
- Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
calypte's review
4.0
I'd maybe give this book a 3.75 rating - it was fun, I enjoyed the read, but it could have been a little better.
The pace never lets up as Ivy Mann and her trusty machete, Matilda, end up battling their way through zombies, ghosts, and old friends (!), in a world that is pretty much ours - apart from the bit where magic actually started working. For teenagers. In the UK. I would have loved to delve deeper into the world-building - how do the Yanks (and everyone else) take to not having magic when the Brits do?! - but it's a pretty short, light book.
I say light, but there's a lot of death and (suggested) gore. Not sure it all sat well, tonally, beside the talking cat.
Still. Fun read. Full review is, as ever, up on my blog.
The pace never lets up as Ivy Mann and her trusty machete, Matilda, end up battling their way through zombies, ghosts, and old friends (!), in a world that is pretty much ours - apart from the bit where magic actually started working. For teenagers. In the UK. I would have loved to delve deeper into the world-building - how do the Yanks (and everyone else) take to not having magic when the Brits do?! - but it's a pretty short, light book.
I say light, but there's a lot of death and (suggested) gore. Not sure it all sat well, tonally, beside the talking cat.
Still. Fun read. Full review is, as ever, up on my blog.
cathyp72's review
4.0
Despite a fair bit of gore, I really liked this YA horror. The premise was quite good, a magical rift that only teenagers can manipulate, frequently with dire and horrific consequences. What lifts it to better than average was the way it highlighted the dreadful power of grief, how political factions will often seize any opportunity to advance their interests and how ultimately it all comes down to sacrifice. I liked the characters, I felt they developed well though the novel and there were enough twists to keep up a good pace. I found this an easy read and as someone who likes horror, I also found it enjoyable.
My thanks to #NetGalley and UCLan publishing for the ARC in return for an honest review.
My thanks to #NetGalley and UCLan publishing for the ARC in return for an honest review.
athravan's review
4.0
We meet Ivy Mann as a kickass school security guard, along with her trusty machete, Matilda. She might be barely out of high school herself, but she's got direct experience with the minions of Hell being called into the world, so she's there protecting the kids from any magical mumbo jumbo and gigantic soul sucking hell hounds. That's because there's a rift in London which means magic and demons are real - but only controllable by teenagers, as the magic fizzles out in adults.
This is a fast-paced romp, taking place over a single day as Ivy gets drawn into a much larger conspiracy and the stakes are raised. But Raising Hell isn't all action, it's got some depth to it too; abandonment, grief, guilt and love.
A little bit darker and more gruesome than a lot of YA I've read, the action escalates to a fever pitch and it all becomes a little gruesome when people start coming back from the dead, as zombies. Can Ivy (along with her gran, trapped in the body of a cat) save her friends, and what about the bigger picture, is it possible she could even save the world?
Well you'll have to read it to find out. A very compelling one-sitting read.
This is a fast-paced romp, taking place over a single day as Ivy gets drawn into a much larger conspiracy and the stakes are raised. But Raising Hell isn't all action, it's got some depth to it too; abandonment, grief, guilt and love.
A little bit darker and more gruesome than a lot of YA I've read, the action escalates to a fever pitch and it all becomes a little gruesome when people start coming back from the dead, as zombies. Can Ivy (along with her gran, trapped in the body of a cat) save her friends, and what about the bigger picture, is it possible she could even save the world?
Well you'll have to read it to find out. A very compelling one-sitting read.