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Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater
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.
These book club discussion questions are provided courtesy of Bethany House.
Book club questions for Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
In this story, a distinct division exists between lower- and upper-class citizens in the town. What are current parallels to this division?
Kit’s struggles with the fear of abandonment stem from a background of adoption and the belief that eventually people run out of grace and will take their leave. What other life experiences could cause an individual to struggle with that fear? How could such a concern affect one’s behavior toward others?
Greta’s deep sense of loyalty to her family propels her into situations she wouldn’t otherwise have found herself in. Do you express loyalty by rushing into a circumstance regardless of the consequences? Or do you tend to be cautious in your approach when defending a loved one? What are the pitfalls of both responses?
While poorhouses were employed to shelter impoverished individuals through much of English history, few people are aware that this construct was also a part of America. How are poorhouses from the past similar to the ways in which society now responds to issues of homelessness and underprivileged families?
Barlowe Theater was loosely based on an actual theater built in Wisconsin by Al Ringling of the Ringling Bros. Circus. In what ways did the theater’s design, structure, and state of maintenance lend themselves to the spooky elements of the story?
Which scene or scenes in the story added unexpected twists for you and kept you guessing?
Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater Book Club Questions PDF
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"Intoxicating menace, eerie elegance, and satisfying suspense."--Booklist starred review
"A twisting, fast-moving plot loaded with secrets."--Publishers Weekly
"A delightfully creepy tale where nothing is quite as it seems."--Library Journal