didn't actually finish this, but my checkout timed out and the library took it back. I had real trouble reading on my browser, and I would like to check this out in physical format.

The Lure depicts the life of teenagers in the outskirts of Washington, D. C. They live where living is not easy. There is never enough money for the essentials of daily living and life is dangerous because gangs rule the neighborhoods. So Blaise and her friends join a gang, Core 9, in order to survive. But they find out that life as gang members isn’t always trouble-free either, since there are always ongoing rivalries between opposing gangs. And it gets even more dangerous when Trek the leader of Core 9 asks Blaise to become the “lure” who will help beguile unsuspecting enemies from a rival gang in order for Core 9 to seek retaliation. And then danger escalates for Blaise and her friends as Trek, the leader of Core 9, shows his dangerously corrupted need for power and control. Blaise begins to see that being a part of Core 9 may not be in her best interests. But can she redeem herself without causing her own demise.

This YA novel explores gangs from the female member’s viewpoint. And even though gang members are respected and feared, life is still not uncomplicated. Since I am not familiar with gang activity I would unfortunately have to believe that this fictionalized account may be factually representative of the grim life of a teenage gang member.
( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: The Lure is a well-written story that failed to hook me in. It fell a little flat in my eyes, considering the potential of the plotline.

Opening Sentence: The night heat melted over me, the quiet unsettling since the laughter had stopped.

The Review:

The Lure tells us about Blaise, new member of one of the three nearby street gangs. She has been chosen to be the lure, to seduce members of rival gangs to hurt or kill. All Blaise wants is money to give her grandmother’s rest on her numbered days, so she doesn’t have to work when she can barely walk. But among this life of betrayal and violence, Blaise will have to fight for it.

To be honest, this was a very slow read for me. It was hard to get into the characters and oftentimes I didn’t understand what was happening. There were lots of characters and a plotline with almost a confusing amount of action. However, there were some pros.

Blaise is a good character. She has a dark side, but for the most part has a strong goal and the perfect balance of strength and weakness. However, Satch and Rico, I weren’t feeling any connection with them (they’re two members of the love triangle). I tried to be open-minded and enjoy their personalities, but neither struck me as my favorite characters. Melissa and Kaylee I liked. And the antagonist, Trek, he was a good villain, extremely creepy and cunning.

I never really got into this book. It took awhile for me to read because when I like a novel, I won’t stop reading, but after failed attempts to connect with it I stopped trying. It didn’t have the element that really hooks and “lures” me in (see what I did there?).

Sure, someone else may like it. Someone else may appreciate the things that irritated me. However, be it as it is, I don’t have a lot of positives. It was interesting and had a unique setting, and a few of the characters were pretty awesome, but other than that I’m coming up pretty blank.

The Lure is an okay novel with definite pros and cons. I wasn’t a fan, to be blunt, but I’m sure that some people will like it because it isn’t horribly written or anything. Try it out and see if you enjoy it, then we can compare how we felt about it!

Notable Scene:

Slowly, my strength returned. I balanced precariously on quaking legs and faced Tara, who used my blood to write Core 9 across my face, each letter stinging my raw skin.

When she finished, Tanya began to jump from one foot to the other, back and forth, faster and faster, pounding the ground in praise of me. The other girls joined in and stomped with her until the earth hollered with a stampede of feet. Joy raced through me. I had done it. My heart soared with pride.

FTC Advisory: Balzar+Bray/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of The Lure. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )