Where You Dare Not Go

While some supernatural series seek to explain the seemingly unexplainable, Where You Dare Not Go unapologetically dishes out the sensational stories of sites haunted by tragedy around the world. Each title holds a thematic collection of 18 tales that takes readers to locations where dreadful historical events have led to stories of ghosts, vampires, poltergeists, and more. Individual entries span two pages (designed to look like old, yellowed paper) that give a brief history of the site and key people (and ghosts, obvi) connected to it. The spreads typically include a photo of the location and an archival image, as well as a related piece of trivia. Alarming Afterlife lurks around cemeteries and other places associated with death, such as Paris’ catacombs. In addition to exposing ghosts, many entries in Horror Healing unveil the horrific treatment of patients—the mentally ill in particular—in the past. Petrifying Playtime visits a range of locales where fun took a turn for the worse, such as amusement parks, national parks, and Alabama’s Dead Children’s Playground. Angry spirits, party-loving phantoms, and harmless specters reside within the hotels featured in Startling Stay. The bulk of each title’s stories come from the U.S. and Great Britain, but all sites highlighted are plotted on a concluding world map. A high-interest series best read by flashlight.

Readers won’t hesitate to “dare” venture into this thrilling series. Eighteen brief, chilling tales per volume make for suspenseful reading, and the “true story” element makes them all the more compelling. Spooky-looking covers resemble leather-bound books, and sepia-toned images supplement the text and ramp up the fright factor. Text is set against a background resembling tattered antique parchment. Some pages bear insect images, upping the “ick” quotient. Sidebars resembling dark-gray “clouds” provide additional information. Back matter includes maps, a glossary, a bibliography, and a QR code that leads to further reading (including the publisher’s website), and an index. Some volumes include bloody details. Caution: Horror Healings might be especially disturbing for sensitive readers, with accounts of brutal and/or gruesome “treatments” for mental patients.

VERDICT: Students will find much to appreciate in this engrossing series recommended for schools and public collections.