This book gives you the pros and cons of being in a medieval dungeon. Fiona Macdonald and David Antram team up to write the You Wouldn’t Want To Be… Series, and this time, they’re taking us to the end of the fifteenth century where your local castle is looking for a jailer. You, as the jailer, must deal with criminals, the innocent, and people with mental illnesses. For every two pages, there are Handy Hints for you to follow to get out of whatever situation you’re in. The book also tells you about the jailer’s wages, how they handle prisoners, diseases, torture devices, and more! Yes-I did just put an exclamation mark at the end of that sentence. Some other You Wouldn’t Want To Be Books are You Wouldn’t Want To Be An Egyptian Mummy, You Wouldn’t Want to be Married to Henry VIII, You Wouldn’t Want To Be On The Titanic, and You Wouldn’t Want To Be An American Colonist. There are about 50 titles in the series.

I am a total history geek, so I love this book. I think it is so awful how they can torture people like that, and it makes me sick to understand that some of what Fiona MacDonald described in the book is still going on today. I love this series because it gives you the real scoop, and with funny but subtle jokes, children will want to read them. I personally think that they are interesting. On the other hand, parents don’t. There is this one page titled Rats, Lice, and Fleas that makes my father feel ill. You Wouldn’t Want To Be in A Medieval Dungeon receives three and a half stars.