Thank you, NetGalley and UCLan Publishing for the Arc in exchange for an honest review. Wow, this book just drags you straight in from the first page and you just can't let go. Ivy is such a kickass character and for it to be set in the UK was a perk for me. This was such a wild ride and I enjoyed every part of it and it was nice to see the main character who appears strong but deep down you know she's not and she is showing cracks from trying not to fall apart. This is a must-read and I'm hoping there is more to this.

Thank you to Bryony and Graeme of UClan Publishing for my gifted copies (digital via Netgalley and a finished print copy) of this fantastic book, in exchange for an honest review. This book is hilariously witty, gorey and full of characters that you just love. Ivy is the one left behind after a drunken spell with her friends goes a bit wonky. I say a bit, basically it opens a portal that is now allowing dark matter into the world. More specifically the UK. Now ivy feels that she has to try and stem the tide of evil that is caused by the portal. It’s her duty to protect as many as she can. The book definitely has Buffy-TVS vibes but is also a uniquely funny story that pulls you in from the get go. Filled with Black Magic, Hell Hounds and Ivy’s Gran as a fat tabby, you will not want to put this book down. The story is fast paced and woven so seemlessly that sometimes I forgot I was reading..... the story seemed to play out before my eyes. I loved the symbols at the head of each chapter. Just so much attention to detail from cover to cover! This book is the epitome of why I LOVE YA still, at 36! We all need a little bit of magic in our lives - even if it is black magic! Bryony! Is there a book 2? I NEED a book 2!!

Full disclosure, I didn't get anywhere near this book - my teen son grabbed it off me and read it over two days. It's been a while since I've seen him this engrossed in a book. I'm looking forward to reading it too but he kept stopping to tell me what was happening every few chapters so I feel like I already know what is going to happen!! Son has given it five stars.

I loved this book and its characters. Really good fun and lots of action right from the start. I would highly recommend giving this a try!

Bryony Pearce's "Raising Hell" feels a bit like the natural progression for anyone who enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. Not the same mythical world but similar, more grown up and very much set in the UK. I really enjoyed it and galloped through the book in just two sittings, frequently tutting at my wife whenever she interrupted me. It throws you straight into the action and the world, so you have to rely on the narrator, Ivy, to orientate you. It's a great way to build affinity for a protagonist. I've not read anything else by Pearce but I find her tone and characterisation very appealing, so I'll definitely be grabbing more of her work. Whilst Pearce delves into magic, zombies, spell-casting and dead things, she really uses these to tackle a wide range of bigger issues like grief, responsibility, guilt and consequences. Choices aren't straight forward and the wrong-doers aren't always in the wrong: that complexity adds to the narrative. Ivy's world is our world but different; I do wish there was a little more world-building. I can absolutely see how politics would have changed when magic appeared (particularly in the hands of teenagers) but I'd like to linger with that idea for longer and learn more about it. Within a fantastical setting, it could provide YA readers an insight into how political landscapes can shift and how national crises can be hijacked for political power. Given that Pearce has potentially left the rift* open for a sequel, I'm hoping we get to see more of this. What I have relished the most is the carefully balanced combination of action, gore and humour. In the same chapter, the narrator explains she "had less sense than a Year Seven in the last week before Christmas" and a few lines later describes "a bubbling hiss from the woman as air rasped in and out of her mangled throat." This isn't the goriest moment by a mile but I don't want to spoil any delights for future readers of the book. And if you need another reason to pick up a copy, there's a talking cat. *It's an in-joke... you'll get it when you've read the book!