The Not-So-Scary Guide to Ghosts: How to Make the Paranormal Normal

by Rebekah Carmichael

TikTok favorite Rebekah the Ghost Guide makes the paranormal normal—and a little less spooky—for the growing number of folks who like their ghosts more friendly than frightening. With fun and easy-to-follow instructions for finding and communicating with spirits, along with real-life stories from Rebekah’s paranormal investigations, this friendly ghost guide is perfect if you want to find out what goes bump in the night!

Curious about ghosts but not into being scared? TikTok favorite Rebekah the Ghost Guide helps transform your interaction with spirits from frightening to friendly with The Not-So-Scary Guide to Ghosts.

Anyone can communicate with the other side—and this book will show you how. Easy-to-follow instructions and fun stories about Rebekah’s real-life paranormal adventures will help you learn how to prepare for, initiate, and explore spirit communication and ghostly encounters. Filled with adorably macabre illustrations and lots of spooky fun, this book balances goosebumps with giggles while helping you

-What ghosts are (and aren’t).
-How to ground and shield yourself.
-How to start ghostly conversations.
-What to do with the information from your otherworldly encounters.
-And more!

Whether you’re setting out on your first paranormal investigation or you’re just looking for fresh inspiration, this book will help you start connecting with the spirits around you—in a not-so-scary way!

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published July 28, 2026

Reviews

[Memo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun and interesting indeed. The audiobook felt like a podcast, very easy to follow.

[Heather Veals · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very new to my spiritual and paranormal journey. I have been called an empath as well as clair sentient and I found this helpful in the fact I am not going to crazy. I would love to be able to connect with Rebekah on TikTok just to help validate me but also she said trust yourself 😂 but if you want to reach out, I follow you @heatherm1224 ♥️

[Shree · Rating 2 out of 5]

One line review: Interesting and entertaining, but not particularly helpful.

Detailed review

I am a believer and seeker of the mystical, but this book, however, wasn't for me. I would have liked a more scientific and evidence based approach (like the works of Dr. Ian Stevenson and Michael Newton)

Why I couldn't get behind this work or find it particularly helpful

Chapter 1

1. A ghost is, in the author's own words, a piece of sentient memory, a part of a soul. But in the very same chapter where the author says this, she also describes two ghosts eating actual pies that she and her friend bought for them.

2. The author states that psychic mediums believe different things about the afterlife based on their own biases and experience. Understandable. However. If there is no consistent data available, how can there be a guide to help readers understand correctly? Isn't it simply a decision about who we choose to believe (because we like the person or because the beliefs of that specific medium is consistent with what I already believe, so it's more of a validation of my understanding rather than a learning experience)

I thank Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an opportunity to access an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Chapter 2

3. The author encourages a beginner to believe they know more than they think they know (not sure about such an assumption) and simply go with their gut. Going with the gut is sound advice, but again this only tells me that there isn't an actual guide. We just hold on tight to common sense, our own senses and choose to believe what feels right.

4. I have mixed feelings about some of the author's recommendations (the "if you think it's right, go with it... if something feels too unpleasant to consider, nevermind, you don't need it" approach). Yes, our peace of mind trumps everything else, but would this approach help us really understand?

5. The story about Gertie the ghost was entertaining, but it also raises a few questions that weren't addressed: Are buildings that are situated between burial grounds always likely to be haunted? How could the author hear or sense Gertie? Does that mean we need to be born with psychic powers for access to the spirit world? If so, is access to the paranormal world limited only to some?

I'm really not sure about this. A lot of it simply seems to involve imagination more than anything else

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is known for her TikTok channel, but I learned of her and her book through the podcast, The Activity Continues. The hosts reviewed this book and it sounded so interesting, I preordered the print and audio copies. So glad I did!

I've never thought - or been taught - that ghosts are scary, mean and harmful, and it was wonderful to hear this perspective in Rebekah's book. This is narrated by the author and is great to listen to, but I am glad I also have the print version so I could make notes and refer back. Through this book, she teaches us how to prepare for ghostly encounters, how to protect yourself, and that ghosts don't have to be scary. She includes ghost stories of her experiences, adds tips, and really explains everything from a kind, understanding point of view. For those who are scared of ghosts or encounters, this would make a wonderful listen - or read - to become comfortable with possible ghostly encounters.

Rebekah writes and speaks in a very calm, approachable way, not judgmental at all and very approachable.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This ended up being more about being a psychic medium and how to develop those skills in regards to ghost hunting than about paranormal investigation. I did like some of her ideas, especially that ghosts used to be human and they deserve respect and you shouldn't be automatically scared of paranormal activity. The only ghosts I allow myself to see are ghost cats and ancestors and I'm not really interested in developing more, but its still an interesting personal experience. And I did like how, while she referenced her business, it didn't come across fully as an ad. If you like psychic medium things, maybe you'd like this.

[Karol Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Not-So-Scary Guide to Ghosts is a complete guide to communicating with ghosts and exploring paranormal experiences. The language is simple and approachable, and the many anecdotes help illustrate the concepts clearly. The book never feels patronizing and acknowledges that people hold different beliefs about the paranormal, encouraging readers to explore what feels right to them as long as it causes no harm. I would definitely recommend this book as an accessible introduction to the paranormal.

[Jami Chari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Rebekah Carmichael, and the publisher for granting me access to this ARC.

I'm not sure if my Kindle was messing up the formatting, but my specific file of this ARC was unfortunately incredibly difficult to read. Everything was jumbled, making it hard to keep track of where any sentence I read ended. I am going to try to re-read this one when it is released.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could have read this years ago. The author makes it so simple and concise that you don’t feel like an idiot trying to grasp what is going on. Best of all are the ghost stories shared throughout the book. Both side of this book, stories and how to, delivered for me.

[Jenifer Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book had interesting author experiences sprinkled throughout. Some good information but a lot of generalized “every person is different” info. Cute little ghosts in the corners of the pages!

[Jenny Peeples · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories and first hand accounts of paranormal/spirit activity. If anything, this book helped me relax and pay more attention to the minor details around me.