This book examines how English Catholics understood and responded to the supernatural, and argues that Catholic attitudes toward the ‘weird’ and ‘invisible’ were influenced by their English cultural contexts rather than the Counter-Reformation (p. 2). While Young understands ‘supernatural’ to mean all spiritual power and prefers the term to the theological term ‘preternatural’ (pp. 4–5), the subject in this study is restricted to ghosts, witchcraft and demonic possession. The first two chapters trace the attitudes of English Catholics toward supernatural phenomena in its broadest terms, first in the early modern period, and then between the Enlightenment and emancipation, illustrating that over time there was an increasing scepticism within intellectual circles toward the supernatural. The remaining four chapters address the different aspects of the ‘supernatural’ that encompass this study: ghost stories, witchcraft (in two chapters) and exorcism. The last chapter also serves in part as a conclusion. The strength of this book lies in its overall intention to understand English Catholics' relationship with the supernatural primarily from a Catholic perspective. Young achieves this by using a variety of well-known collections as well as controversial works, although Protestant works are discussed where Catholic sources are silent. This study illustrates that English Catholics' reactions to the supernatural were distinct from those of their counterparts on the continent. For example, Young argues that ghost stories by English Catholics were largely specific to the community. While the continent endorsed explicit connections between ghosts and purgatory, there appears to have been reluctance in the English Catholic tradition to pursue this connection (pp. 90–7). Also, there was little demarcation between Catholic and Protestant beliefs in witchcraft. The relatively small number of missionaries in England and their clandestine mission meant that English Catholics' beliefs were largely influenced by ‘popular religion’ (p. 156). The emphasis that Young places on the importance of recognising the cultural contexts of English Catholics’ beliefs is best illustrated in his examination of exorcisms. Exorcism was an important political act before declining in the eighteenth century, and was carried out by Jesuits in particular to demonstrate their divine power (p. 192). Although Young offers interesting insights into English Catholics' response to the supernatural, there are a few limitations to his study. A far greater emphasis is given in the book to the pre-Enlightenment period, which is probably influenced by the availability of printed literature. Linked to this are tensions within Young's analysis. While on the one hand he argues that the vast majority of Catholics did not lose their belief in the supernatural from the eighteenth century onwards, the fact that there was a growing scepticism toward the supernatural within intellectual circles makes it difficult for Young wholeheartedly to argue for this. Young is also at times forced to use few examples to make broad conclusions regarding English Catholic belief. On a more stylistic note, there is not always a clear connection from subsection to subsection within the chapters, making it difficult to follow the progression of his arguments. Also, a synthesis at the end of the book could have made the overall argument clearer. These shortcomings aside, Young's study deepens our understanding of the complexity and uniqueness of English Catholics' views on superstition.