Writing about the 'dark side'

Look out for zombies (naturally), hell hounds and the occasional talking pet in this fast-paced and wit-sharp story about teenagers who open the gates of hell.... We asked author Bryony Pearce to tell us more!

Raising Hell is about a girl called Ivy, whose best friend has died. A few years ago, she and two others who loved her, did a spell to raise the dead, thinking it would provide them closure. Instead, it worked, and with tragic consequences. Among those was the opening of a rift that allowed dark matter to enter the world in the form of magic. Now every teenager with access to the Internet can cast destructive spells and Ivy is battling to keep them safe.

Bryony Pearce says, "I've always been fascinated by the idea of 'man as monster' and what I particularly love about Raising Hell, and about all of the books I have written with a supernatural twist, is that it is the men who are most monstrous. The supernatural monsters are fun to write, but the people who are monstrous inside and those who battle their plans, are the most compelling."

Find out more in this video, in which Bryony Pearce tells us what draws her to writing about the 'dark side'!