catiebug
Written on Oct 31, 2012
"Ten teens head to a house party at a remote island mansion off the Washington coast . . . only for them to picked off by a killer one by one"--Provided by publisher.
- ISBN10 0062118781
- ISBN13 9780062118783
- Publish Date 18 September 2012
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint HarperCollins Publishers
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 304
- Language English
Reviews
Kelsenator
Written on Oct 23, 2012
For more reviews make sure to visit my blog Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf!
Know those slasher movies where the people get picked off one by one and killed? This book is essentially like that, but oh so much better!! I don’t want to compare it, but one thing I will say is that those movies rely too heavily on the gruesome deaths and gore to try and scare you, whereas this book actually creeps you out with the mystery of what’s happening and why.
Meg is the main character that the story focuses on. She likes to write, she’s someone who watches other people and tends to stay quiet, so having her solve the mystery of it all is just perfect because she’s naturally observant. And there’s lots of little clues as you read the book too, which she puts together to make sense in case you missed it.
There’s a past behind all of these characters, how they’re connected and how it gets them killed, and the journey you take as you try to figure it out is just written so well. One moment I think I know who it is, then the next something happens to change my mind. When I did figure out what was happening it was crazy and the ending was I wasn’t expecting!
It wasn’t an extremely long book and luckily it’s not part of a series, but there was plenty of development for the mystery in there and lots of chills! I actually read part of this while home alone, which did not help because I was freaking out at the sounds the neighbours were making upstairs.
If you want a good spooky, thriller, mystery read definitely pick this one up!
Ashley
Written on Oct 23, 2012
I almost didn't read this book for one reason: I don't read horror. I like some horror/mystery movies, but I'm extremely picky. And until now, I had never read a book in that genre.
At first, Ten was an intriguing book with an EXTREMELY annoying side character (Minnie). At the half-way point, I started freaking out. Things went from interesting to downright creepy. I had chills. ACTUAL CHILLS. Not metaphorical chills—real ones. I was suddenly completely on edge, paranoid, and felt like someone was watching me (despite being alone in my apartment).
Ten is so thrilling and suspenseful. I love how we can literally see things spiralling out of control! It's definitely very Lord of the Flies. People turn on each other, question their friends, and question their sanity.
I read this book in one sitting because I literally could not put it down. I had no idea that Ten would have such a strong effect on me! I had to shoot film scenes for uni today and I was whipping my book out in between takes because I just had to find out what happened next!
The best thing about Ten is that I couldn't predict the ending, though I desperately wanted to. The whole time I was reading, I was also speculating and trying to figure out the killer. At all times, I was bouncing around about 5 possibilities, but I couldn't narrow it down. The book kept me constantly guessing!
My one gripe with the book was Minnie. Minnie is supposed to be an annoying character, and it all gets explained at the end, but before that was clear to me, she was pissing me off. She was a horrible, disrespectful, unthoughtful friend to Meg and what annoyed me most was how Meg totally put up with it. At one point even T.J. says to Meg, "You deserve better," and he's totally right. But things change as the book goes on: Meg has less patience with Minnie and Minnie's near-insanity gets a good explanation. But in the beginning, I was rolling my eyes every time her name came up!
I am so glad I read Ten! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It's absolutely terrifying, disturbing, psychologically freaky, and totally gripping. Even if you don't normally read this genre (like me), I still highly recommend it. AWESOME BOOK!
kimbacaffeinate
Written on Sep 18, 2012
Ten is a fantastic thriller that takes place on Henry Island located off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Meg and Minnie two high school seniors are heading by ferry to the island for the hottest, hippest party of the year. When they arrive on the island, they find only eight other people have been invited. Stranger still, they don’t all know each other and attend different schools. The host has been delayed and won’t arrive until morning. They make themselves at home, and kick back a few beers as storm rages outside. They gather round to watch a movie and pop in a DVD. It contains an eerie, sinister message that declares, “Vengeance is mine”. The tale that unfolds is suspenseful, creepy and kept me captivated to the last page.
I loved the “Breakfast Club” mix of personalities invited to the island. The protagonist Meg, is pretty grounded and plans to be a writer. She looks out for her friends and often puts their needs first. She tends to be an observer and a bit awkward, but I liked her. Minnie is loud, crass and has serious mental health issues. While I felt sorry for her, I also loathed her. TJ is a very handsome, a polite boy that Minnie has crushed on forever. The rest of the teens have all different personalities. From the jock to the know-it-all bitch. McNeil cleverly portrayed them so that some you liked and others you did not. The romance that develops was sweet and genuine. I loved watching it develop and it created a nice diversion from the killings!
While the tale is told in third person, Meg drives most of the tale. McNeil did a fantastic job of letting this tale unfold. There is a fine art to revealing clues to the reader, and hers were quite ingenious. Midway through the book, we knew the connection between the teens, but not the why or how. McNeil, kept me guessing as to who the killer was. I did solve it, but had to wait to find out the how and why. I loved every tantalizing moment of it. The entire book was well paced, as the suspense kept building. The last quarter of the book moved at a blindingly delicious speed that had my heart racing. The climatic ending was epic and had me gripping my nook as the scene unfolded. As the final details were revealed, all the puzzle pieces McNeil had subtlety provided fell into place. I love that moment; that feeling when you see the whole picture and believe. It was incredibly done, and I loved every spine-chilling moment.
Ten will delight fans of mystery and suspense. This thriller kept me completely entertained and is the perfect fall read. Gretchen McNeil weaves a fine tale and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
rakesandrogues
Written on Aug 19, 2012
I don’t read a lot of mysteries, but I’m glad to have picked up TEN by Gretchen McNeil. The plot sounds like your stereotypical teen slasher film. Best friends Meg and Minnie are excited to spend the weekend partying at the island home of one of the most popular girls at school. But everything starts to go downhill when one of the guests turns up dead. Stranded on a deserted island with no other means of communication, Meg, Minnie, and a small group of teens must find out what is going on before it’s too late.
TEN by Gretchen McNeil is not a book one should read alone. McNeil’s writing will make you paranoid. I was constantly checking my back to make sure that there was no one creeping up behind me, and the softest sounds startled me. I was also easily captivated by the plot of TEN by Gretchen McNeil. I read it one sitting – I just had to know who was behind it all.
The protagonist, Meg, was likeable enough that I didn’t want her to get killed. She wasn’t a simpering female who sat back and let the guys take action. She was pretty involved in the story, which I really liked. However, I wish that Meg had spoken up and voiced her thoughts a few times during TEN by Gretchen McNeil. Biting her tongue is a habit that she eventually learns to overcome in the novel. I admire her loyalty towards her best friend, Minnie, even if she wasn’t exactly the nicest friend in return.
Like any teen slasher film, there has to be a little bit of romance in TEN and Gretchen McNeil does not disappoint. Romance should probably be the last thing on the minds of these teens, but McNeil actually pulls off a decent romantic subplot. There was the perfect balance of mystery, horror, and romance in TEN by Gretchen McNeil.
Though the ending came as a shock, I was a little disappointed by the resolution of TEN by Gretchen McNeil. I would have liked to see an epilogue of some sort that showed how the characters dealt with the aftermath. As a reader, I’m left with a myriad of questions: Will the police actually believe what happened? How will the characters cope with living through such an event? But this is more nit-picking on my part than anything else.
TEN by Gretchen McNeil is a creepy read that will have you flipping pages until the culprit has been uncovered. McNeil will have you guessing until the very end.