Review: The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright

It promises beauty but steals life instead. Will the ghosts of Barlowe Theater entomb them all?

Barlowe Theater stole the life of Greta Mercy's eldest brother during its construction. Now in 1915, the completed theater appears every bit as deadly. When Greta's younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta engages the assistance of a local police officer to help her unveil the already ghostly secrets of the theater. But when help comes from an unlikely source, Greta decides that to save her family she must uncover the evil that haunts the theater and put its threat to rest.

Decades later, Kit Boyd's best friend vanishes during a ghost walk at the Barlowe Theater, and old stories of mysterious disappearances and ghoulish happenings are revived. Then television ghost-hunting host and skeptic Evan Fisher joins Kit in the quest to identify the truth behind the theater's history. Kit reluctantly agrees to work with him in hopes of finding her missing friend. As the theater's curse unravels Kit's life, she is determined to put an end to the evil that has marked the theater and their hometown for the last century.

 

Once again, I find my perfect fall story in the world of Jaime Jo Wright. Every single one of her stories is pretty much guaranteed to delight. And what's more... this was the first of her books that I have been able to read at night! I was so excited about being able to read late that I accidentally read way past my bedtime and was a mess for school the next day. The characters and plot in this story were phenomenal. Both timelines were intriguing and I wasn't mad about switching back and forth. I felt that she did a great job handling the spiritual/spooky aspects of the story. That is something that I always appreciate about her spookiness. And, even after trying half a dozen times, I can never guess the villains/plot twists that are coming in any of her books. Not in either timeline. This was no exception. I mean, I didn't even see the romance coming in one of them. That's crazy. Usually, I'm so good at it. I love a good challenge, so that's another reason to love her books. 10/10 recommend for those fall vibes.