Review: Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Title: Ten 

Author: Gretchen McNeil
Publisher:  Balzer + Bray
Publishing Date: September 18th 2012

Pages: 294
Genre:  YA Mystery Suspense/Thriller

Series: Stand Alone
Source: Hardover

  

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

When I first saw this book I knew I wanted to read it. I loved “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie.. my favorite book by her actually. I was excited to see a modern retelling and couldn’t wait. I was not disappointed at all in this book. I knew it wouldn’t be on the same level as Agatha Christie’s book.. she was amazing, but this was good. I was never bored… I had my suspicions throughout the book, and I was never for sure who it was until the very end. It was not as creepy but it definitely had the feel I was hoping for.

Ten teenagers get invited to a party on a secluded island. Some popular, some enemies, and some with feelings... the first night.. they watch a video and then  one by one they are killed and their death is tallied on the wall. Each death has tells a tale from a diary of a dead girl.   Everyone is a suspect and everyone is a potential victim. No one can be trusted and their is no way out, no one to save them. 

Wonderful retelling. First I want to mention he tone. I am a 90’s child and this book reminded me bunches of the horror teen books I read in the 90’s… kind of horror flick kind of tone. I have missed this tone in my horror books and glad to see it back for this book. I also loved how it was a retelling but had a different feel and scenery then Agatha Christie’s book. Of course more modern, more YA geared but it did have the same red herring effect that I love so much. The writing style was good, just right for the teen scene and it was a fast paced, quick and easy read.The only complaint I do have with the book and this is what kept me from giving it 5 hearts… the book was so fast paced that I didn’t get as connected as I like to be with the characters. Usually I rate books lower than 4 if I don’t have a real feel for the characters, but the story was just enough up my alley, giving me what I wanted out of this book, that the character building just didn’t seem as important as other books. I wanted a horror flick read and that is what I received.

I still have something to say about the characters. I did like Meg, she was pretty cool for having such a self absorbed friend. She felt a need to take care of Minnie, even it was out of obligation more than friendship, she tried her best to understand Minnie and watch out for her. I really didn’t like Minnie, she was a whiner and very self centered… even though she has her reasons, she still grated my last nerve. I very much liked T.J., this is the one character I really wanted more of. I didn’t understand the obsession that Meg had for T.J. and I feel that if there was more T.J., maybe the understanding would have been there. The love connection between the two didn’t seem instant, I got that there were sparks before this island vacation, but I didn’t get to experience the history either… so there it is, my one complaint that gave the book a 4 not a 5.

Great read if you are looking for a fast paced, horror based, nothing to complex story. It was a great ride but nothing that would keep me up at night pondering.