Haunted by Susan Cooper, Joseph Delaney, Berlie Doherty, Jamila Gavin, Matt Haig, Robin Jarvis, Derek Landy, Sam Llewellyn, Mal Peet, Philip Reeve and Eleanor Updale

Haunted by Susan Cooper, Joseph Delaney, Berlie Doherty, Jamila Gavin, Matt Haig, Robin Jarvis, Derek Landy, Sam Llewellyn, Mal Peet, Philip Reeve and Eleanor Updale
Buy Haunted by Susan Cooper, Joseph Delaney, Berlie Doherty, Jamila Gavin, Matt Haig, Robin Jarvis, Derek Landy, Sam Llewellyn, Mal Peet, Philip Reeve and Eleanor Updale at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Rachael Spencer
Summary: This is a chillingly fabulous collection of stories to devour around the campfire or under the covers. But be warned; a book that is not for the faint of heart! You'll be laughing and screaming in equal measure, and I'm fairly sure you'll also be left wanting more.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: not known	Date: September 2011
Publisher: Andersen
ISBN: 978-1849393218
Share on:

I've always enjoyed a good ghost story – whether at a sleepover when I was a teenager, or even now reading horror stories in bed in the middle of the night. As soon as I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it, and it did not disappoint; a group of excellent authors from all genres have come together and the result is a collection of brilliant stories not to be missed by any ghost hunters out there.

The varied writing styles on offer by each different author means there is surely something for everyone here, whether it's Derek Landy's witty dialogue or the creepy stillness of Joseph Delaney's 'Castle Ghosts'. Each story is so different from the last that every time I turned a page, I knew I was in for a treat.

What I particularly enjoyed was the way the old was juxtaposed with the new. For example, Mal Peet's Ghost in the Machine' is a completely new take on a ghost story and something I have never read before which made me think the whole time about how good it is to find new slants on genres. However 'The Ghost Walk' by Matt Haig is exactly the sort of story I would have found myself telling in the playground at school, a timeless creepy tale to spook your friends which I enjoyed today as much as I would have when I was eleven.

Be warned, though, that this really is a teenager's book. Whilst a few of the stories are suitable for ten year olds, I would say that really the majority is aimed at an older audience of twelve plus as some of the content is pretty unsettling and there is the odd graphic description dotted about the place.

Overall I think this was a very clever choice of both authors and stories, which will sit well on the shelf of anyone who enjoys a good scare. I've felt very lucky to be able to read this book early and have dreaded and looked forward to each and every story in equal measure! I really hope that another anthology of stories like these is written again before too long. Definitely one to invest in before the Halloween sleep overs begin, but I'm fairly sure you'll have to sleep with the lights on afterwards!

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If you like a good scare then here are a couple of other books you could try : The Summoning by E.E. Richardson or Ghost Chamber by Celia Rees are both sure to satisfy all your spooktacular needs!

Please share on: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

You can read more book reviews or buy Haunted by Susan Cooper, Joseph Delaney, Berlie Doherty, Jamila Gavin, Matt Haig, Robin Jarvis, Derek Landy, Sam Llewellyn, Mal Peet, Philip Reeve and Eleanor Updale at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
Template:Waterstonestext

Comments

Like to comment on this review?

Just send us an email and we'll put the best up on the site.