Lure: Read Chat Fiction
Common Sense says
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Free to try
- Books
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Lure: Read Chat Fiction is a subscription-based collection of stories told in a text message format. The app's writing team creates horror, comedy, mystery, and romance stories, which appear on-screen as text conversations between the stories' characters. Before subscribers read the brief story installments, they can check out a synopsis of the plot and view how many people have read it, as well as how long it will take to read (typically no more than 10 minutes). Some stories contain graphic horror elements (such as a young man finding a woman's severed head in his roommate's mail), some swearing, and some moderate sexual content. Push notifications send spooky, suspenseful teasers ("I'm in trouble.") to bring readers back to the app for more. There's a three-day free trial and then there are $2.99/week, $7.99/month, and $39.99/year subscription options. Read the app's privacy policy to find out about the types of information collected and shared.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
I genuinely like the stories
What's it about?
To use LURE: READ CHAT FICTION, read the first text message on the screen and tap the bottom of the screen to continue reading. Once you've completed the first trial story, a prompt will appear asking if you want to purchase a subscription or a three-day free trial. Choose stories from four genres: comedy, horror, mystery, or romance. You can also search for story keywords via a search box. At the end of the story, tap Love it or Share it. The app records the number of stories you've read.
Is it any good?
There's nothing redeeming about this chat fiction story app, other than the free three-day trial. These very short stories with predictable plots, gruesome and salacious shock factors, and boring dialogue (not to mention misspellings and grammatical errors) make Lure: Read Chat Fiction a poor entry in this text message-based app genre.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about how Lure: Read Chat Fiction uses very short stories and suspense to keep readers coming back. Do the notifications make you want to read more? Why or why not?
While this app is not visual, there are some horror themes in the stories that could leave lasting negative visual impressions on teen readers' imaginations. Read Common Sense Media's At what age can my teen start watching horror movies?
Talk about quality content. What makes a good story to your teen? To you?
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Subjects: Language & Reading: reading
- Price: Free to try
- Pricing structure: Free to try ($7.99/month)
- Release date: October 12, 2017
- Category: Books
- Size: 31.30 MB
- Publisher: RepresentLY
- Version: 1.0.1
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later; Android 4.1 and up
- Last updated: February 15, 2020
Our editors recommend
For kids who love storytelling and reading
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.