Most Haunted Castles

I grew up on a diet of Most Haunted, rushing to the schoolyard to talk about the latest episode with my friends and waiting eagerly for every new episode. It was pure excitement, the right level of spooky entertainment and when I saw this book, written by Yvette Fielding and amazingly illustrated by Hannah Shaw, it was too good to miss!

We visit a handful of castles and learn their stories, revealing legends of ghosts and paranormal activity. Whether you believe in it or not, it’s a great read and I really enjoyed learning about the castles spooky pasts. I loved the format of this book and it made for very easy and entertaining reading! Accidentally read it in one sitting!

There’s succinct little summaries on each of the sighted ghosts as well as a retelling of the times Yvette & Most Haunted gang visited and did their investigations. It was great and so nostalgic to read, I want to go back and rewatch the TV show! It’d be a great read for younger audiences, as long as they had their parents permission of course for the retelling of scary ghost stories!!

Most Haunted Castles is just one in this greatly thought up series and I’ve definitely been left wanting more! Most Haunted Houses and Most Haunted Theatres also in this series have now been highly boosted to my ‘must read’ lists.

Most Haunted Castles is written by notable paranormal television presenter Yvette Fielding, for a middle grade audience (surprisingly, it doesn't skip the really spooky parts!) that would interest any curious young person, be it those intrigued by the paranormal or just simply history. Yvette Fielding is clear and concise, and she writes as though all these stories and haunting experiences aren't at all explainable which makes it for a fun read. You really dive into the dimension of disbelief, where scepticism is not even a consideration.

It's laid out really pleasingly and coherently. It follows a basic structure, with a synopsis of the History of the Castle, followed by the Hauntings associated with that land, before ending with her own experiences with the site called "The Investigation". Interspersed within the text are little Did You Know? titbits that revive some of the lengthier pieces of text. Obviously with the subject matter at hand, things could've gotten a little too eerie, but the added cartoony illustrations by Hannah Shaw really compliment the age range and tie it all up into a really solid experience. Props to Hannah Shaw for creating a fun and dynamic experience with the designs--they are fairly numerous and not a couple of pages go by without a quirky fringy Fielding or some sort of spooky ghost being on a page.