4.5 ⭐️

The reason I applied for this book was because the description instantly captivated me. The black farm is one of my favourite ever books, and this really reminded me of it and I loved it! The whole concept of the afterlife and what awaits us, makes this book feel even more scary. Oscar rises from the dead, only to find out he’s in hell.

The main character went through so many challenges. He did annoy me a little at times but I think if I was in his situation, I’d react the same way as he did at times!

I loved Nathaniel. He was definitely my favourite.

I do wish we got a bit more history on the characters. Different character perspectives would have been cool too. But this was the authors debut novel and I must say, it was fantastic and I highly recommend this one!!

Thank you for allowing me to arc read.

Stunning. Hell Pulp by Matias Ylikangas is a brutal, adrenaline-soaked ride that grabs you from page one and refuses to let go. This isn’t your typical horror—it’s pulp with teeth, raw and unfiltered, packed with violence and moral decay. The story feels like a dive into a twisted underworld where every choice spirals deeper into chaos. Ylikangas’s writing is sharp and relentless, blending gritty realism with flashes of surreal dread. It’s disturbing, gripping, and weirdly addictive, the kind of book that keeps you up long after you finish. If you can handle the darkness, this one will absolutely consume you.

This book was an unexpectedly emotional ride. Following Oscar on his journey as he makes sense of his surroundings, and his own drives, I was swept up into the world and felt like I was right there with him. The book built up at a good pace and there were several parts and then a chunk from 70-90% of the way through the book where my eyes were glued to the pages.

At first I felt a little disappointed by the ending, but thinking about it for longer it seemed perfectly in keeping with the rest of the book. I need to read this again, so I don't think I can give it less than the five stars, as I loved it.

What a world, what a story, what a book! I'm deeply invested in this Hell Matias Ylikangas created and completely loved his explanations of the various phenomenons happening in the afterlife. Oscar and Nathaniel were characters I didn't necessarily love, but still wanted to know more of. THeir journey felt very raw and human, Oscars fear and Nathaniels dedication being great counterparts to each other. It took me a bit to get into the story, but in the end this is a book that will haunt me (in the best way). Speaking of the end: I was slightly disappointed for Oscar to be "the solution" and the Wanderer not being explained more, seeing as the novel mostly worked towards the encounter with Dean Theodore. Thus I would have wished for more explanations like with the rest of the book. Still, masterful, grisly and devastating!

This story was so much more than I was expecting. So many emotions and anxious moments all through out the story.

A man's journey of rediscovering his past and the actual physical journey, only to arrive in a metaphorical place where he began his journey.

This is an eye opening story of self discovery and our ability to find isolation even when we are looking.

#NetGalley #HellPulp

You have heard of A Short Stay In Hell… well this is an extended stay, and wow this debut horror novel packs a wallop. The story opens on our hero Oscar quite literally digging himself out of his own grave. And if you can believe it, this is the best part of his day. He is joined on his journey by friends(ish) Nathaniel and Daria, as well as a motley crew of foes.

After we follow Oscar on his quest throughout the underworld, the climax of the story presents an unpredictable twist followed by a downright haunting denouement and conclusion. Throughout the story Ylikangas showcases impressive prose, creatively finessing language and metaphor to fully immerse the reader in the horrific underworld. Although this was an ARC, it was absent the usual typos and mistakes that we (understandably) expect in an advance copy. This, and the obvious care with prose and language, tells me that the author spent a lot of time and thought on this book. It is fun to be surprised and to see authors do new/creative storylines with the horror genre -- this is one of those truly unique reads.

This is not a criticism, but part of me wished that I hadn't known, going in to the story, that Oscar was in the underworld -- that would have made for a fantastical reveal (wow this guy just escaped the grave… but wait!). But I also understand that you need to tell readers *something* about the book before they commit to reading, so maybe there was no way around it.

There is so much to explore here for pure horror fans. Horror elements include body horror, psychological horror, supernatural, arguably zombie (?) horror. If you are fascinated about stories of the afterlife or reanimation, this will be a great read for you. I joked at the start about A Short Stay in Hell; while Hell Pulp is more graphic in nature, it is exploring similar themes. I was also reminded of It Lasts Forever and Then it's Over in that the story involves undead protagonists embarking upon a quest in a post-apocalyptic environment. If you are a fan of either of those books, you will want to read this one next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Matias Ylikangas for sending me an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review!

First off, I was not expecting this book to be so heartwarming and sad at the same time. We follow Oscar who is recently deceased throughout his journey in a new hellish landscape. Our characters insight to friendship and finding beauty in literal hell is really poetic. For the undead, the characters remain very human in a world full of cannibals, human trafficking and creepy crawlers.

This book was definitely a journey! It was giving the walking dead zombie pov. If you like apocalyptic/ wasteland ( TWD & Fallout had a baby), this is definitely the book for you! The descriptions of the surroundings were very well written, the rendering of the fat for fuel and the skin wallpaper had my skin crawling!

I do wish we would have seen more of the other tribes but I do understand the scare factor and centering around the cannibal tribe. They were absolutely terrifying and just kind of gross(ie sharpened teeth and mouths cut open that caused the skin to flap when they shrieked).

Overall the ending left me very sad, it left you with questions but also the reminder that hell is never ending and no one gets out unscathed. Oscar definitely pulled at my heartstrings throughout this book and I do love the idea of Nathaniel bringing a smile to his face once more. I honestly thought this would just be a gore centered story with little to no humanity present but the use of psychology really made this book stand out to me. In the end we are nothing without human connection but there is nothing more terrifying than the horrors they create.

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

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.

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.