Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Ten by Gretchen McNeil (review)

Genre:
Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Publication Date:  September 18th 2012
Pages:293
Published By:  Balzer + Bray
WebsiteGretchen McNeil 

Ten on Goodreads
My review copy:Bought a paperback copy
Where to get:




SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.

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?
(Goodreads)

Minnie's face was deathly pale. She stared straight ahead, eyes fixed on the back of the stained cloth seat, and bit her bottom lip so hard that Meg was afraid she would draw blood.
Meg shook her head. Just what she needed. Drunk Minnie was a hot mess. She tended to get a little...mean, and the booze inevitably lead to laughter, falling down, making out, screaming jags, fistfights, and tears, usually--but not always--in that order.
This is how horror movies start.
The rope had been flung up over the top rafters of the tower, with one end tied securely to the banister at the bottom of the garret stairs. It was a knot worthy of a sailor, and Meg was surprised Lori had been able to both secure the knot and loop the rope over the rafters in what must have been a distraught state of mind.
Not only was their chance at contacting civilization gone but she'd managed to piss off the love of her life. Again. Awesome, Meg. Well done.
I care about you. That makes it my business.


      Words cannot describe how much I am in love with this book. This was my first experience with Gretchen McNeil's work and I can definitely say it will not be the last. Ten is a gripping novel from the beginning to the end. I love the fact that it was inspired by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None yet it has a mixture of a gossip girl-esque within the pages as well. I loved this mash-up so much! The writing was flawless and the storytelling was so well done that I felt that I was a fly on one of the walls within White Rock House.

        I really liked Meg as the main character. I know some people didn't really care for her too much, but I did. She reminded me of me. That's exactly who I was back in high school. I always carried a notebook with me for writing (I still do!) and Meg does the same only it's her journal and her laptop. She was shy and sometimes afraid to speak her mind but I loved it so much when she did speak her mind because what came out of her mouth was exactly what I would say, or something along those lines. I really, really loved Meg as a character and as the novel went on, the more I liked her. I did not, however, have the same feelings for Minnie. To me, Minnie was a selfish, "it's all about me and only me," rude, and obnoxious character. She drove me up the wall. I did like the parts where Meg talked about how she used to be, because then she sounded like a decent human being. I just did not care for Minnie one bit. She was a major turn-off for me.

       Now, let's get to the good part. The mysterious, suspenseful, and spine-tingling story. McNeil did a fantastic job at giving me goosebumps and giving me the chills. There were parts that were a little predictable, but for the most part I sat on the edge of my seat and enjoyed the thrilling ride. White Rock House and Henry Island are creepy in itself. Add in a vengeful killer and a lot of stormy weather and you're bound to have all the hair on your body rise. There were times that I just wanted to scream and be like, "No! Don't do that!" Or, "Why did you think that it was a good idea to do that?" Or, "No shit it's like being in a horror film! You're watching a home-made movie that clearly states DON'T WATCH ME!" But, that's how I am with scary movies, too. I'm a riot when it comes to scary movies and books.

       I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was a perfect read for the month of October, when all I want to do is curl up in comfy pants, drinking my apple cider (hopefully spiked), and get a good scare. And that's exactly what I got from Ten. It's a definite must-read for any mystery lover out there!

Blog Twitter Facebook Image Map


No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...