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Lure
Absolutely nothing is going right for Max his parents have just uprooted their family from Vancouver, everybody at his new high school is ignoring him, and he's in love with an older girl. When Max discovers a library rumoured to be haunted by ghosts, he's immediately drawn to it.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Kerbel
46 books216 followersDeborah Kerbel was born in London, England, but grew up in Toronto, Canada.
A finalist for the 2012 Governor General's Literary Award, the 2010 Canadian Library Association YA Book of the Year Award, 2019 Blue Spruce Award Honour Book, and winner of the 2020 IODE Jean Throop Book Award, Deborah is the author of ten books for young readers of all ages.
Currently, Deborah lives and writes in Thornhill, Ontario, with her husband, two book loving teens, and a schnoodle named Fred.
Visit her at www.deborahkerbel.ca
A finalist for the 2012 Governor General's Literary Award, the 2010 Canadian Library Association YA Book of the Year Award, 2019 Blue Spruce Award Honour Book, and winner of the 2020 IODE Jean Throop Book Award, Deborah is the author of ten books for young readers of all ages.
Currently, Deborah lives and writes in Thornhill, Ontario, with her husband, two book loving teens, and a schnoodle named Fred.
Visit her at www.deborahkerbel.ca
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 8, 2010
This was a quick, quaint ghost story. Although the cover suggests it's a scary tale it's not. The ghost sightings are just little things, like hearing a noise, or seeing something strange, but not threatening. It was more a ghost story of coming to terms, finding peace, and moving on.
I really liked how it changed perspective between the boy of the present, Max, trying to unravel the ghost story, and the boy of the past, John, who is telling us his story. Each boy was fun to read. John was a boy who yearned to learn and read, but had a father who wanted him to pick up the family trade and who found his sons interest in schooling to be feminine and useless. Max was struggling with a move and feeling invisible in this new town, and is entralled with the sweet girl who works at the library and actually sees him.
This is a great ghost tale all mixed in with a coming of age story. It was a short book, but the characters and storyline were well written and really drew me in. I really loved that the lure is based on a real "haunted house" in Ontario. It's a great read for Halloween time (or anytime).
I really liked how it changed perspective between the boy of the present, Max, trying to unravel the ghost story, and the boy of the past, John, who is telling us his story. Each boy was fun to read. John was a boy who yearned to learn and read, but had a father who wanted him to pick up the family trade and who found his sons interest in schooling to be feminine and useless. Max was struggling with a move and feeling invisible in this new town, and is entralled with the sweet girl who works at the library and actually sees him.
This is a great ghost tale all mixed in with a coming of age story. It was a short book, but the characters and storyline were well written and really drew me in. I really loved that the lure is based on a real "haunted house" in Ontario. It's a great read for Halloween time (or anytime).
January 17, 2022
The writing in this book felt very immature to me. I know I like YA but it felt directed to a very young audience. Honestly I was going to give it one or two stars until the very end, which turned out to have a fun little twist!
July 21, 2021
5/5 for the first paragraph
December 31, 2015
Okay so I think I wasn’t reading the synopsis correctly so I was totally expecting some kind of ghost story with a romance in it because I thought the ghost trapped in the house was actually a female. So I was so confused when I realized that the book was written in two alternating POVs, Max the human and John the ghost, and clearly John was not a girl. Not sure why I had assumed as such. Anyways, moving on with the rest of the review…
Can I just first say how the cover does not represent the book whatsoever? I feel like this is a theme for these “scary” books (i.e. Shutter by Courtney Alameda) where the cover depicts this creepy/terrifying image yet the story itself is not scary whatsoever. It’s such a false expectation so I was honestly a little let down. Who doesn’t enjoy a good scary book once in a while? Yet this story was more of a coming of age rather than horror.
That being said, I actually enjoyed reading about Max and John. I felt that John’s POV was a little more descriptive and actually had more of a character building as opposed to Max because for Max’s POV, it was mostly centered around John and the library rather than his own personal life. This meant that other than knowing that Max felt lonely at a new place with no friends, there wasn’t much information on his family or his past life before he moved. I wish the author went into his part of the story a little more.
John’s story was a lot more interesting – I really got to see what life was like during his time as well as how his family treated him. He definitely had more of an interesting background and story. He kept alluding to his imminent demise so I was expecting something shocking or grisly. Unfortunately his death was not so interesting, I suppose - at least not as interesting as I was hoping.
Caroline, the side character in this story, wasn’t so interesting to me until I found out her secret at the end of the book. That was quite shocking to me simply because it never occurred to me. Once I found out though, it somewhat made sense but at the same time, it could have easily gone another way and the romance would have been there. Sadly that wasn’t the case and Max will be lonely again.
Overall, Lure was a very quick read. I’m not sure if I would recommend it, per say, but it wasn’t a bad book. It had its interesting parts. If you’re interested in a quick, somewhat mystery then check this book out.
Can I just first say how the cover does not represent the book whatsoever? I feel like this is a theme for these “scary” books (i.e. Shutter by Courtney Alameda) where the cover depicts this creepy/terrifying image yet the story itself is not scary whatsoever. It’s such a false expectation so I was honestly a little let down. Who doesn’t enjoy a good scary book once in a while? Yet this story was more of a coming of age rather than horror.
That being said, I actually enjoyed reading about Max and John. I felt that John’s POV was a little more descriptive and actually had more of a character building as opposed to Max because for Max’s POV, it was mostly centered around John and the library rather than his own personal life. This meant that other than knowing that Max felt lonely at a new place with no friends, there wasn’t much information on his family or his past life before he moved. I wish the author went into his part of the story a little more.
John’s story was a lot more interesting – I really got to see what life was like during his time as well as how his family treated him. He definitely had more of an interesting background and story. He kept alluding to his imminent demise so I was expecting something shocking or grisly. Unfortunately his death was not so interesting, I suppose - at least not as interesting as I was hoping.
Caroline, the side character in this story, wasn’t so interesting to me until I found out her secret at the end of the book. That was quite shocking to me simply because it never occurred to me. Once I found out though, it somewhat made sense but at the same time, it could have easily gone another way and the romance would have been there. Sadly that wasn’t the case and Max will be lonely again.
Overall, Lure was a very quick read. I’m not sure if I would recommend it, per say, but it wasn’t a bad book. It had its interesting parts. If you’re interested in a quick, somewhat mystery then check this book out.
January 31, 2011
Lure is a bit creepier than I expected it to be. While I knew it would be another ghost story, I didn't think it would be quite so haunting. Let's just say this isn't a great book to read late at night after watching horror movies with your friends... I'm speaking from experience here.
The story is told from the alternating views of Max, a teenager in the 21st century, and John, a boy who lived hundreds of year ago. Max's chapters were usually less interesting. He didn't really have his own story. He mostly just discovered John's secret messages and the mystery of the old house. John lived a sad, short life full of abuse and unhappiness. I couldn't help feeling bad for him.
The book really felt like a short story more than a novel. Things started quickly and ended quickly. I was able to read the book in one night. The ending took me by surprise. It was a little reminiscent of The Sixth Sense. It was one of those "How did I not see it coming?" types. While I liked how John's tale ended, I would have enjoyed some more closure in Max's story.
Overall, I don't have tons to say about Lure. It's a quick, interesting read about a restless soul and the boy he reaches out to. I'd recommend it to anyone that likes an intriguing, creepy mystery.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
The story is told from the alternating views of Max, a teenager in the 21st century, and John, a boy who lived hundreds of year ago. Max's chapters were usually less interesting. He didn't really have his own story. He mostly just discovered John's secret messages and the mystery of the old house. John lived a sad, short life full of abuse and unhappiness. I couldn't help feeling bad for him.
The book really felt like a short story more than a novel. Things started quickly and ended quickly. I was able to read the book in one night. The ending took me by surprise. It was a little reminiscent of The Sixth Sense. It was one of those "How did I not see it coming?" types. While I liked how John's tale ended, I would have enjoyed some more closure in Max's story.
Overall, I don't have tons to say about Lure. It's a quick, interesting read about a restless soul and the boy he reaches out to. I'd recommend it to anyone that likes an intriguing, creepy mystery.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
November 14, 2010
Whenever I think of ghost stories I always picture them to be very scary, horror novels and something that I don’t read a lot of. The hand sticking out of the water on the cover is pretty creepy but the cover looks scarier than the story actually is. In terms of “scariness” LURE was pretty tame which was great for me.
The story alternates between two characters, Max and John. With Max, he’s just moved to the suburbs of Toronto from Vancouver. He’s in a new place with no friends and feels very alone. He’s drawn to the library and through a series of events is contacted by a spirit who needs his help. John is the ghost and with each chapter we learn more about his life, what happened to him, how his spirit came to be attached to the library and finally how Max can help him.
I liked both of the narrators but I was more drawn to John’s story. He’s telling his life story and eventually he would get to the part about how he died. He kept hinting about his imminent death that I was on one hand curious to know but on the other hand I was hesitant to find out.
The ending with Max and Caroline was surprising. After reading it and looking back there were some signs but I really didn’t suspect anything until she revealed it to Max.
Overall, if you’re looking for a ghost story (that’s not too scary) with a bit of substance you should check this one out.
The story alternates between two characters, Max and John. With Max, he’s just moved to the suburbs of Toronto from Vancouver. He’s in a new place with no friends and feels very alone. He’s drawn to the library and through a series of events is contacted by a spirit who needs his help. John is the ghost and with each chapter we learn more about his life, what happened to him, how his spirit came to be attached to the library and finally how Max can help him.
I liked both of the narrators but I was more drawn to John’s story. He’s telling his life story and eventually he would get to the part about how he died. He kept hinting about his imminent death that I was on one hand curious to know but on the other hand I was hesitant to find out.
The ending with Max and Caroline was surprising. After reading it and looking back there were some signs but I really didn’t suspect anything until she revealed it to Max.
Overall, if you’re looking for a ghost story (that’s not too scary) with a bit of substance you should check this one out.
October 25, 2010
Excerpt from review below. You can read my full review here: http://thebookpixie.blogspot.com/2010...
"Lure is a subtle, keenly crafted ghost story that is at once both haunting and poignant. After reading, and loving, Kerbel's two contemporary YA novels, I was very curious to see how well she could pull off something like Lure. Well, no surprise here, she definitely didn't disappoint and has me relishing her talent and ability as an author all the more.........
Lure is the perfect read for the Autumn time of the year, especially around Halloween. With an unobtrusive intensity, a chilling mystery, and lovely writing, this is one book you won't want to miss out on. While I enjoy a moderate amount of scariness in a story, I've never been one to like what you would call true horror. If you are the same way then this book is perfect for you and even those true horror fans might like it as well. Even though it's written for YA, I can also easily see Lure appealing to adults. Either way, I highly recommend this engrossing read and can't wait for more work from Kerbel."
"Lure is a subtle, keenly crafted ghost story that is at once both haunting and poignant. After reading, and loving, Kerbel's two contemporary YA novels, I was very curious to see how well she could pull off something like Lure. Well, no surprise here, she definitely didn't disappoint and has me relishing her talent and ability as an author all the more.........
Lure is the perfect read for the Autumn time of the year, especially around Halloween. With an unobtrusive intensity, a chilling mystery, and lovely writing, this is one book you won't want to miss out on. While I enjoy a moderate amount of scariness in a story, I've never been one to like what you would call true horror. If you are the same way then this book is perfect for you and even those true horror fans might like it as well. Even though it's written for YA, I can also easily see Lure appealing to adults. Either way, I highly recommend this engrossing read and can't wait for more work from Kerbel."
November 3, 2010
I liked this book. It's told from two points of view, Max and John. Max lives in present time and John lived during the 1800's. Both, John and Max have interesting stories to tell that seem to parallel each other. John is desperately trying to get Max's attention to help solve the mystery of his death. Most of the story takes place by or in the Thornhill Village Library, a very eerie place with lots of history. The story was very interesting and full of drama. Another really cool thing is that Thornhill Village Library is a actual place and people have reported ghost sightings. The cover of the book is more creepy than the story itself. However it does fit the story. I would recommend this book to anyone 9 years old and up. This book offers suspense without losing any sleep.
December 22, 2010
Lure is a fast paced, interesting story. The cover drew me in from the start, and despite the fact that I don't believe ghosts exist, so did the premise.
The story is told from alternating points of view, between Max and John. I preferred John's parts over Max's, because I felt like this was the only place we really got any story.
I really don't know what to say about it. It was interesting, I held on to the finish, and closed the book feeling relatively satisfied. The novel is about a 16 year old boy, but I still don't feel as though it was a young adult novel, and I think this is why I don't have much to say about it. I think it's more middle grade, probably for readers more 10-13. For that age group, I think it'd be a great read. For an adult you delves in young adult? It was okay.
The story is told from alternating points of view, between Max and John. I preferred John's parts over Max's, because I felt like this was the only place we really got any story.
I really don't know what to say about it. It was interesting, I held on to the finish, and closed the book feeling relatively satisfied. The novel is about a 16 year old boy, but I still don't feel as though it was a young adult novel, and I think this is why I don't have much to say about it. I think it's more middle grade, probably for readers more 10-13. For that age group, I think it'd be a great read. For an adult you delves in young adult? It was okay.
February 7, 2013
I really enjoyed this book, it was a slow start, everything happened at the end of the book but the suspense was pretty good. I can see why this was a MYRCA book, I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys suspense or ghosts
November 24, 2010
my 10 yr old sister read it and loved it so this is her guest review.
Full review here: http://looksielovitz.blogspot.com/201...
Full review here: http://looksielovitz.blogspot.com/201...
December 20, 2010
This book wasn't at all what I expected. It was better. The ending was totally different from what I thought it would be. Great story. I like that it stems from true events.
April 26, 2011
A ghost story told from the perspective of the actual ghost and the boy he is haunting. Great twist at the end. And it's set in the library that I work at!
November 13, 2011
This book was soooo great!!!!!!! The ending was a little confusing so I re-read it....
October 29, 2012
This is a pretty good book, I like how it is narrarated by two people and one of them is dead. The only thing I thought wasn't very good was the ending.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews