It had the musings of something great but didn’t hit the mark. Which is a shame because I love the concept.

Left me unsettled and uncomfortable the whole time. EXACTLY what I look for in a horror story. The details and worldbuilding sucked me in. I devoured this book.

I really don't want to give too much, I recommend going in blind, honestly.

I guarantee you that you'll be hooked within the first couple pages.

Hell Pulp is a wonderful title with a great cover that immediately got my attention. This book had some interesting concepts and seemed to be a huge undertaking. Our main character, Oscar, leads us on a journey rising from his grave through the trenches of Hell but there are no flames and demons here. This book had some really interesting concepts to ponder. When your basic needs are met, when there is no looming threat of an afterlife, how will humans react? In this hell, it isn't the demons doing the torturing but fellow humans. I enjoyed the horror elements in the story and did appreciate a number of unique torture scenes related to the dead cast of the book.

That being said, the world building was a bit lackluster for my personal liking. We did get some description but nothing that would indicate our characters were anywhere but earth. I wanted to know what the air tastes like in hell, to feel the grimness on our character's tongue. To get a better understanding of the land. The story felt much more apocalyptic than a journey through a new realm. There were a lot of unanswered questions throughout the book, as well. I'm fine being in the dark about some aspects, especially if our character's can't explain what they're experiencing but some information did seem to contradict itself. They don't die in hell but do, they don't need to drink but water is prominent throughout the book, they have the knowledge they died with but some can learn, they come from graves but have tools, books, rope, etc. I also think the bulk of the book surrounded the journey and not necessarily the reason for it/the ending, lowering the stakes for me.

All in all, I think world building an entire unique hell that counters everything we've been been told hell is in literature is a huge feat for a debut novel. I would be interested to see what this writer accomplishes in the future.

From the start of Hell Pulp, I was fully expecting to be in love with it. The darkness, world building, and interesting ideas on what Hell is, and how we get there, were amazing.

That said, I found the book felt longer than it should have. It felt like during the parts that were most action heavy, it didn’t quite manage to change the gear fully and get into place before it was over.

That said, it felt very much like a part one of a series, with the amazing amount of world building, and I’d be interested to see where things go for Oscar next, if it comes to fruition.

I thought this was a good read, would recommend it to my friends, but it just felt like it was missing a little something to tip it over to really great!

Hell Pulp lives up to its name in that it chewed me up and spat me out complete with disgusting mastication that left me haunted for days. That is to say, I loved it. Even as someone who enjoys body horror, there is something quite raw about it in a world where no one dies. This book truly shines as it explores the idea of eternity, and what it would really mean to remove death as the defining escape of our lives.

The ride starts slow, but it picks up speed quickly. I really wanted it to keep digging in to those grounded, primal, and human moments that bring questions to existence in such a viscerally philosophical manner. Perhaps I haven’t read enough horror lately, but I felt a bit bereft by the ending, that didn’t quite feel like the scab or scar I wanted from a harrowing journey. But I feel that may be more personal taste, as it did ring true with several themes that follow our characters throughout the book.

The characters and world show a remarkable amount of depth despite the little we know of them. It very much gives a tempting tip-of-the-tongue that makes you yearn for more. I often felt that the prose wasn’t quite as graceful or potent as I wanted at expressing the ideas, feelings, and conversations happening around it. But that slight shortfall just shows the great promise that Ylikangas has, and I hope they continue writing, because I believe their ability will only get better.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants a ruinous horror that considers the human condition, including all our fleshy senses and squishy emotions.

Wow. Loved this! It was so unashamedly gross in the best way possible. The characters journey through hell was terrifyingly stressful and uncomfortable and hooked me right from the very start. The feeling of dread and helplessness that the author created was relentless, I just needed to know what happened!

This book had a fascinating concept, and I liked the world it took place in. I don’t think the world should have been called Hell, because a lot of people will expect certain things to be true when they aren’t. I know I had some expectations that, in the end, didn’t turn out to be correct. For example, I expected that not everyone goes to Hell, but that’s not the case here, unlike the Hell we’ve all heard about.
The biggest problem I had was with the world-building. Although, as I said, I did think it was a unique setting and I liked the apocalyptic feel of the whole book, many things were never explained. It’s tough to build a world this big in about 280 pages and still explain everything. There were explanations for certain things in the book, but I felt that whenever something was explained, it only led to more questions that the book just didn’t have time to answer.
My main questions were: Where is all the stuff coming from? (scalpels, musical boxes, etc.) How does the healing work? We are told you can’t heal, but does that mean you feel the pain from the moment you were stabbed for eternity, or does it eventually stop hurting? How does learning work? If young kids cannot learn anything new because they didn’t develop those skills while alive, does that mean adults who never learned a language can never learn it in Hell? And if so, does that mean nobody can perceive what Hell is because they never heard about it while alive?
These are just some of the things I thought about while reading the book, and they made me feel less connected to the world.
Another issue I had was with our main character. I just didn’t feel connected to him—he didn’t have a very interesting personality, and at times I found him insufferable. I didn’t understand his connection with Daughter Number 1, or why he was so obsessed with her to the point of endangering the life of someone who had been there from the start and helped him through everything.
The ending of the book was a bit lacking for me. I didn’t really understand what was going on (which could very easily be my fault), and I also didn’t understand how Dean Theodor knew what was growing in Oscar—was it some kind of magic?
I did enjoy the descriptions of the places and the world they were traveling through. I also liked the body horror—it wasn’t too gory, but it also wasn’t too PG. I think this author has a lot of potential, and I’m interested in other books they will release. This is quite a good start.

I will be uploading a review on my YouTube channel at the end of August.

3.5 stars- I really wanted to love this story! This was deceptively long ((slow)) book for how short it was. I think it may be because the language is so plain? I’d love to see/feel more prose and I’m quite confident the author could do so. First half was very very slow, I put it down several times and had to stop myself from nitpicking because I really did want to enjoy it. The last half had me feeling like I wanted to finish it and get on with it, to see if something would sink in and stay with me! It didn’t have me feeling overly philosophical, and I may actually revisit and reread at a different time. A different mood. :)
The concept is fascinating to me, to wake up in Hell, not remember anything, and “fight for your life” and whatever that may entail, a rather broad and horrific experience - being dead and all with no one to trust and forever to go... But it just didn’t hit all the right spots. It was a miss for me, but it may be a bullseye for someone else!

wow 😭

This started off extremely quickly, page one had our main character literally crawling out of his grave lol. The pacing was pretty consistent and I didn't once find myself bored, the novel being full of unique plot points and twists that kept me interested throughout

I found the writing in this to have the perfect amount of depth, existentialism and lyricism, whilst also being engaging and easy to get through/understand. There were some passages and quotes, particularly the ones about life and death, that kinda had me spiralling lol

In the authors note at the end, it was mentioned that this book took 10 years to write. honestly I can see that with how well written and thought out it seems to be, but it concerns me as I don't know how long I'll have to wait for the author to release something else 😭

This book isnt your typical horror novel, to me it was much more than that. I have no doubt this will stick with me for a long time to come. Definitely for fans of a short stay in hell and the black farm, I'd implore anyone who enjoys either of those books (or just existential body horror in general) to give this a read once it's published !!

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC.

An excellent first novel from a new and new-to-me author.

Like so many horror/sci-fi/fantasy subjects, hell is dangerous. Hell is a subject that seems to have only 2 extremes: either your ideas are great and monumental, or they fall extremely flat and are tropey. I am pleased to say that the author’s ideas were great and had some very new concepts for me.

The main character is written well and is easy to connect with. The minor characters are written well, also. You connect with the minor characters through the main character and not necessarily as standalones.

The pacing works well, however: there was a point 3/4 of the way in where nothing new was happening, and I wasn’t certain where we would end up, but it finished well. I do have some confusion over how to take the ending, and I assume it is up for interpretation. My only feedback is that some of the rules in this version of hell didn’t follow some of the scientific rules laid out in the story itself, and/or what actual science may look like in this new world. I also feel like I need to know more about what happened in the last 10% of the book. Hopefully, there will be more to this story, and that will be explained.

Can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. Excellent 3 stars, very close to 4.

Thank you very much for this e-ARC of Hell Pulp by Matias Ylikangas.
I enjoy horror books very much so I was excited to see this available to me on NetGalley. I found Oscar was a challenging narrator at times for me but enjoyed the themes around the afterlife, and thought the writing was detailed, emotive, and overall enjoyable.

A really interesting horror adventure thats weird, nur in a good way. It felt like a mixture between "the Road", "Mad Max" and "The Hills have Eyes" with a dash of "Divine Comedy".
Hell Pulp is a gripping story about death and survival. Ylikangas created a fascinating world and filled it with suspense and horror and just enough hope for the characters to keep going.

You know what? This delivered on all the scary, gory, wild ride adventure vibes I’ve been looking for all summer.

The first few chapters absolutely hooked me with its vivid and fantastically claustrophobic but unique depiction of Hell. We follow Oscar, recently buried, who finds himself thrust into the afterlife. Sadly, there ain’t no resting in peace.

Oscar finds himself on a relentless and treacherous journey through the multilayered hellscape, and is joined by a band of mysterious yet fierce characters along the way as they try to make sense of their situation and ultimately survive the horrors that await them in Hell.

Although incredibly descriptive and deeply engaging, this book is not without its faults. For me, I felt that some earlier parts moved too slowly, but the later portions moved too fast - which had me second guessing if and how it would all tie up. I also think that some of the world building references clashed, for example drawing from indigenous culture, then shifting to science fiction within the same breath. I was unsure where the author was really going with it.

I’ve rounded up from 3.5 stars as overall I really enjoyed this book and am excited to see how it looks in the flesh 🔥

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review ✨

What does the afterlife look like to you? Usually there’s a religious undertone - flames, tortured souls, the devil, or clouds, golden gates, and angels… not in Oscars afterlife. After digging himself out of his own grave, Oscar finds himself in a barren, desolate wasteland of a place, quickly taken hostage by a grave robber. When he’s rescued by a passerby, Nathaniel, Oscar is thrown into an adventure through some of the most horrific and brutal things fathomable on a quest to find Dean Theodore. Along the way, Oscar’s humanity is tested, the concept of eternity sinks its claws into your brain and picks away until there’s nothing left.

This was horrific, nauseating, and mind blowing. It was incredible for a *debut* novel. More than once I read with my jaw blown wide open, goosebumps covering my arms, and heebie jeebies crawling through my skin. The world building was phenomenal, the concept was unique and fresh, and the characters were excellent even if I thought Oscar was a bit of a b*tch baby at times (but really, I would be too wandering around a hellscape as the undead). My only dislike was the pacing - it took a bit to get into the action and horror. The first 40% was getting the lay of the land and throwing you into an existential crisis, but once the plot took shape it was difficult to put down, even when I wanted to from disgust.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are given freely and are my own!

Content warning: cannibalism, skin walls, dismemberment, and tonnes of death and gore.

Title: Hell Pulp
Author: Matias Ylikangas
Genre: Horror
FFO: Existential questionings, horror westerns (?)
Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 stars due to no half option)

Overall, an enjoyable story. There's some good body horror here and there which I always love! Things I really liked about the book was presenting Hell in a non-religious format and just a place that exists. Additionally, it legitimately had me thinking about eternity and what that really means. (Again, not from a religious standpoint, but if you had to endure something for all of eternity... all. of. eternity...) There were some parts where the writing did a bit more telling than showing than I preferred, but I don't think that detracts too much from the overall story. This does give a western vibe, not that it takes place in the west, has horses, etc., but in the fact that there's a mission/travel across a desolate landscape and the feeling of the setting is heavily relied upon for the story.

Ultimately, I will be recommending this to people as I did enjoy this.

Many thanks for being given the opportunity to read this book before it's publication day!
We start off with Oscar waking up in the afterlife, about to be abducted by nefarious grave robbers. In comes Nathaniel who saves Oscar from these violent robbers. We find out later why Nathaniel put himself in harm’s way for a new soul in Hell that he had no connection to.
But they aren’t in “Hell” as we know it through any type of religion, like in Abrahamic beliefs. It was just the afterlife and the afterlife turned into this place of rot and gore because even in a life after death … humans made the next life into hell… a reflection of who we were (as a species) on Earth.
Through Oscar’s eyes, Nathaniel seems to be the only soul that has a semblance of humanity in him. And as they journey together, they encounter all sorts of horrors and Oscar desperately tries to hold on to whatever is left of himself before he died.
I root for Nathaniel and Oscar to keep their friendship alive as they are faced with choices that chip away at who they are.
The story is visceral in some of its description and also beautiful. I didn’t know what type of ending this book would have had that would have satisfied the optimist in me, but I was heartbroken through out multiple points as I got to the resolution.
This is bleak! For any other reader, proceed with caution.

Hell Pulp holds no punches - it starts with a bang and never lets up. We immediately meet Oscar, a young man who digs himself out of his own grave only to find himself in a barren landscape of danger and unimaginable cruelty. After uniting with an older stranger named Nathaniel, Oscar traverses Hell to find Dean Theodore, someone who may give meaning to this otherwise meaningless existence. Along the way, Oscar and Nathaniel are faced with difficult moral choices and bloodthirsty monsters of the human variety.

The description of this novel immediately sucked me in - exploration of the afterlife unbound by religious tradition. I really appreciated the action in this novel, as well as the unique world building of Hell. This novel is the epitome of a page-turner. (I stayed up past my bedtime to finish it, which is rare for me!) Though it borrows elements of other literature, I genuinely feel like this version of Hell is one I've never seen before, and it's HORRIFYING. The pair's journey is high-octane, visceral, and devastating. I really appreciated the relationship between Oscar and Nathaniel, and loved that there was a bit of heart at the center of an otherwise bleak story. The action-packed vibe mixed with gory horror is reminiscent of other horror-fantasy works like Between Two Fires and Red Rabbit. In fact, around the 80% mark, I was reminded vividly of a portion of the video game Outlast II.

The description additionally promises philosophical reflection throughout the story, but I felt that these moments were a bit tonally incongruent. As a psychologist myself, mentions of Maslow's Hierarchy and the true essence of human nature intrigue me, but I didn't feel that these conversations between Oscar and Nathaniel felt real, nor did they mesh with the rest of the dialogue.

I could forgive this if these conversations were building to something, but the ending.... THE ENDING... I hated it. I'm sorry, but I was blindsided, and not in a good way. Personally, it felt too random and distinct from the rest of the book, which centered on human depravity and psychology/philosophy. I won't say any more in order to not spoil things. I still think this is certainly worth a read, but the ending made me shut my Kindle and sigh!

Hell Pulp by Matias Ylikangas kicks off with Oscar clawing his way out of the grave (literally, he loses a few fingernails too), only to immediately get into a tussle with some grave robbers—welcome back, buddy. Enter Nathaniel, a mysterious man with a mission and zero answers, who recruits Oscar for a cryptic journey to meet the elusive Dean Theodore. Oh, and did I mention they’re in HELL? Think Dante’s Inferno meets Mad Max, where the afterlife is basically one giant dusty Shantytown full of feral scavengers, cursed desert wanderers, and body horror galore.

Honestly, I really enjoyed this one. The hellscape Ylikangas creates is equal parts grotesque and fascinating—complete with skin walls, cannibal forest folks, human fat repurposed as oil, and fresh cut tongues flapping around like fish, Nathaniel (vague but determined), and Daria (the only one with actual survival skills) make for a solid and weirdly charming crew. My only complaint? The ending didn’t quite stick the landing. After all that gory goodness and eerie worldbuilding, I wanted something more final, more punchy—less shrug and more soul-crushing revelation. Still, a fantastic and worthwhile descent into a world where pain is eternal, purpose is optional, and hell is just… Tuesday.

Hell Pulp is a filthy, feral descent into a purgatory that feels stitched together from nightmares and scorched memories. The novel opens with Oscar, a young man who crawls out of the dirt, confused, alone, and immediately captured by men who intend to enslave him or worse. He’s rescued by the enigmatic Nathaniel, and together they set off on a brutal journey through a rotting, lawless landscape, that may just be changeable... if they survive long enough.

The world Ylikangas builds is horrifying: shanty towns teeter on the edge of collapse, cannibalistic tribes roam freely through the forests, and trust is a possible death sentence. I gasped out loud multiple times and cringed just as often at the gore. It’s grotesque in the most effective way, and not for the faint of heart, but the violence always serves the story.

The writing is jagged and visceral, pulpy in the most grotesque and addictive way. It’s bleak and disturbingly insightful, like if Mad Max and The Road had a baby and dropped it straight into hell. Ylikangas doesn’t just show you this world, he drags you through it.

This isn’t a comforting read, but it is an unforgettable. A raw, hallucinatory journey through the ugliest corners of the human condition, and I couldn't look away.

A razor sharp, impressive debut that ponders what it is to be human, under a veil of slow uncomfortable horror.
The book strikes hot right from the start and if frequently carried on the sheer strength of the writing. The author clearly has a passion for the genre and craft rich, unflinching depictions of life, death and assorted terrors. There’s a current of well executed dread that slowly gives the reader a sense of sinking as twists and reveals are played perfectly. The final few chapters left me unnerved and cold in the best possible way, creating a feeling that I crave from horror fiction, but so rarely is achieved. Overall a highly recommend read