Review: Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Title: Ten

Author: Gretchen McNeil

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: 9.18.2012

Pages: 304

Genre: Horror, Contemporary, Mystery

Series: No

Source: ARC from a friend

 

Rating: A+

 

Summary (from Goodreads):

And their doom comes swiftly.
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?

 

Review:

Rarely have I wanted a book to be a movie as bad as I do Ten by Gretchen McNeil. Reading this book was like watching a fantastic horror flick. It has all the elements that I love—suspense, action, mystery, and a healthy dose of romantic angst.

 

Meg is, simply put, kick-ass. This is probably one of the most realistic teenage female characters I’ve read in a really long time. Not only is Meg strong, but she’s also not a total hero. When she’s supposed to be afraid, she is and admits it. One of my biggest pet peeves is taking a strong heroine and making her seemingly invincible. Meg is very human in her flaws, and I loved how easily I was able to connect with her.

 

McNeil does the novel a great service by truly setting up scenes. I felt like I was on the island with the characters. She does such a fantastic job laying out each scene; it was like watching a movie in my head. From the start when we arrived on the island in the midst of a storm, to walking around the island, I felt like I was an extra in the scenes because I was so clearly able to envision what was happening. McNeil walks that fine line between just enough information and too much info to enjoy a novel. While she would aptly illustrate a setting, it wasn’t overdone. It flowed effortlessly.

 

The plot kept me guessing to the end and the twist at the end was delicious. I highly recommend checking this book out, and if you can read it on a dark and stormy night at home alone, then definitely do it. It will totally get you in the mood.

 

 

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