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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was entertained, went a bought this book for some reason I thought it was more adult horror but it read for YA horror and was skeptical if it’ll be good. I enjoyed it. The ending was good and the twists were interesting (even tho they were slightly predictable sometimes)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Originally posted at Hooked on Books
As a big fan of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, I was a little sceptical when I finally picked up this book. The original was brilliant and creepy and just wonderful. How could this book compete? Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself not only enjoying Ten, but curled up on the couch, shouting at people to leave me alone so I could finish reading it the same night I started it. I sat down to read this book, and found that I could not go on with my life until I knew exactly what happened.
Ten is without a doubt a thrilling read. It had me on the edge of my seat and a couple times I was so startled by a turn of events I actually jumped in surprise/fear. Gretchen McNeil has amazing pacing. The mystery slowly unravels before you, page by page, but it's also filled to the brim with tension so that is never gets boring. You won't be able to help yourself, you will have to need to keep turning those pages.
There was also an interesting variety of characters. As you may have determined from the title there are ten characters that feature prominently in the novel. They were a little hard to keep track of in the beginning, but eventually you do get to know them all individually. The trouble with such a large cast is that some of them just aren't as developed as others. This isn't really a problem, since some of them are definitely going to die, but it does mean you won't being particularly heart broken when they do - just freaked out.
Speaking of the deaths... Ten was a lot more gruesome then I expected. I knew people were going to die. It says so right on the back cover, but I didn't expect so many varieties of deaths and so much detail. Major points for Gretchen McNeil here, because she didn't shy away from the more unpleasant parts of this story just because she was writing a YA novel. Teens don't live under a rock, and they are not oblivious to violence so I'm glad she didn't try to sugar coat the details for a younger audience.
And to top it all off Ten has an ending I hadn't predicted. I - like many people - am always trying to figure out what the big twist will be. I started guessing right from the first few pages. And even though I had a number of different predictions throughout my reading of the novel, not once did I guess correctly. I truly love being surprised, especially when I thought back and realized all the little clues she had dropped along the way!
Final recommendation: Highly recommended for mystery lovers and those looking for a good book around Halloween time.
As a big fan of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, I was a little sceptical when I finally picked up this book. The original was brilliant and creepy and just wonderful. How could this book compete? Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself not only enjoying Ten, but curled up on the couch, shouting at people to leave me alone so I could finish reading it the same night I started it. I sat down to read this book, and found that I could not go on with my life until I knew exactly what happened.
Ten is without a doubt a thrilling read. It had me on the edge of my seat and a couple times I was so startled by a turn of events I actually jumped in surprise/fear. Gretchen McNeil has amazing pacing. The mystery slowly unravels before you, page by page, but it's also filled to the brim with tension so that is never gets boring. You won't be able to help yourself, you will have to need to keep turning those pages.
There was also an interesting variety of characters. As you may have determined from the title there are ten characters that feature prominently in the novel. They were a little hard to keep track of in the beginning, but eventually you do get to know them all individually. The trouble with such a large cast is that some of them just aren't as developed as others. This isn't really a problem, since some of them are definitely going to die, but it does mean you won't being particularly heart broken when they do - just freaked out.
Speaking of the deaths... Ten was a lot more gruesome then I expected. I knew people were going to die. It says so right on the back cover, but I didn't expect so many varieties of deaths and so much detail. Major points for Gretchen McNeil here, because she didn't shy away from the more unpleasant parts of this story just because she was writing a YA novel. Teens don't live under a rock, and they are not oblivious to violence so I'm glad she didn't try to sugar coat the details for a younger audience.
And to top it all off Ten has an ending I hadn't predicted. I - like many people - am always trying to figure out what the big twist will be. I started guessing right from the first few pages. And even though I had a number of different predictions throughout my reading of the novel, not once did I guess correctly. I truly love being surprised, especially when I thought back and realized all the little clues she had dropped along the way!
Final recommendation: Highly recommended for mystery lovers and those looking for a good book around Halloween time.
One party, one island, ten guests. When dark secrets start being revealed and a fun weekend turns deadly, who can Meg trust? As her “friends” start being killed one by one, it’s up to Meg to find out who's behind it, and save who she can.
After reading Get Even and Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil, I was extremely excited to see what she would do with a more typical thriller setting, and what sort of twists would keep me on my toes this time. Unfortunately, Ten didn’t quite deliver, as while the plot itself was filled with surprises and dark turns, too many other elements were brought in that I wasn’t a fan of.
My main frustration with Ten dealt with the characters and the romance. Now, I don’t mind a bit of romance in my thriller/murder mystery, as it can raise the stakes, but the way it was used in this book worked against the plot, rather than with it. It’s more of a distraction rather than a motivation for the main character, and the thoughts about her love interest, the triangle she was involved in, felt too forced and intrusive, rather than logically fitting in with the story and thoughts in Meg’s heads. It also made some moments unrealistic, especially the ending and the reaction to it. Additionally, the characters themselves also felt a lot shallower in this book compared to the Get Even duology. While yes, the duology had more time to develop these characters as well as used multiple POVs, Ten still could’ve done a much better job with characterization. Everyone feels extremely shallow, and no one seems especially likable, making the deaths all meaningless. Even the main character, Meg, felt weak and underdeveloped, most likely due to the focus on her love interest and a lack of true background. It removes a layer of fear and worry from the story, as the reader doesn’t necessarily care about what happens to everyone. Lastly, the characters were also all kinda dumb and oblivious. It took 3 deaths for everyone to think that maybe there was possibly a murderer, and even then people had doubts!
My smaller frustration comes from the reveal of the murderer and the fact that it felt kind of like a cop out. While I liked how the “why” worked to connect previously unrelated characters, the “who” felt like an easy way out. (Spoilers now!)
I’m not gonna say I hated Ten, and it definitely isn’t going to keep me away from McNeil’s other novels, but I am going to go into her other novels with less optimism than I did this one.
After reading Get Even and Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil, I was extremely excited to see what she would do with a more typical thriller setting, and what sort of twists would keep me on my toes this time. Unfortunately, Ten didn’t quite deliver, as while the plot itself was filled with surprises and dark turns, too many other elements were brought in that I wasn’t a fan of.
My main frustration with Ten dealt with the characters and the romance. Now, I don’t mind a bit of romance in my thriller/murder mystery, as it can raise the stakes, but the way it was used in this book worked against the plot, rather than with it. It’s more of a distraction rather than a motivation for the main character, and the thoughts about her love interest, the triangle she was involved in, felt too forced and intrusive, rather than logically fitting in with the story and thoughts in Meg’s heads. It also made some moments unrealistic, especially the ending and the reaction to it. Additionally, the characters themselves also felt a lot shallower in this book compared to the Get Even duology. While yes, the duology had more time to develop these characters as well as used multiple POVs, Ten still could’ve done a much better job with characterization. Everyone feels extremely shallow, and no one seems especially likable, making the deaths all meaningless. Even the main character, Meg, felt weak and underdeveloped, most likely due to the focus on her love interest and a lack of true background. It removes a layer of fear and worry from the story, as the reader doesn’t necessarily care about what happens to everyone. Lastly, the characters were also all kinda dumb and oblivious. It took 3 deaths for everyone to think that maybe there was possibly a murderer, and even then people had doubts!
My smaller frustration comes from the reveal of the murderer and the fact that it felt kind of like a cop out. While I liked how the “why” worked to connect previously unrelated characters, the “who” felt like an easy way out. (Spoilers now!)
Spoiler
Having the killer be someone we didn’t even know existed, a sibling to Claire, meant that any assumptions and theories the main characters or reader made would always be wrong, since no one actually knew this Tom guy existed. Like, here I am questioning every person of the group + Jessica and other mentioned friends looking for motives, but it was this secret sibling all along. Just rather annoying, if you ask me.I’m not gonna say I hated Ten, and it definitely isn’t going to keep me away from McNeil’s other novels, but I am going to go into her other novels with less optimism than I did this one.
Ten is in a genre that I don’t usually read. I had put this book on hold through the library a few months ago, and by the time it came in I had forgotten the synopsis. I was a little surprised when I picked it up to find that this was a murder/mystery. This is not my normal genre at all, and so I began with some trepidation.
Wow, this book shocked me, it was very reminiscent of a typical horror movie. Except it was better, because you could be inside the head of the main character the entire time. Gretchen McNeill did a fantastic job of setting the mood of the book from the very first line. Going to an unsupervised party that you can’t tell anyone about on an island where there is a crazy storm screams that something bad is going to happen.
Meg was definitely a unique character, because while she was shy, she also had moments where she would just blurt anything out. It was a unique and a change of pace, especially since Meg was so concerned about Minnie all the time. Normally I would be very upset with Minnie’s behavior, but I can understand because she was bipolar. It’s not an excuse to be selfish, but it explains the panic and narcissism. I thought Meg was a great friend for handling Minnie like she did; I know it was very difficult for her, especially when she had to give up everything she wanted to make Minnie happy. I liked the fact that she was trying to take her life back though, because while I felt for Minnie it still wasn’t okay for Meg to be used like that.
The rest of the characters were very well crafted, especially TJ. I like that he tried so hard to win Meg over without ever realizing he had already done so. Poor TJ went through a lot in this book, between Meg, Minnie, and then the people turning up dead. Even though Claire Hicks never actually showed up in the book, I did feel incredibly bad for what she went through. High school really is that terrible, but thankfully it ends for everyone. The pacing in Ten was perfect; I never got bored or tired of any of the characters, none of the scenes dragged on too long.
There was so much manipulation going on that I was absolutely shock by the end of the book. There were little hidden clues everywhere that until it was pointed out I didn’t see. I get scared very easily, and Ten was incredibly frightening. It was a thriller from beginning to end, and I definitely didn’t peg who the killer was. I would’ve liked the book to be a bit longer, just so we could see the characters after it was all over. However, I really enjoyed it and I would give it 4 out 5 stars. I look forward to seeing what else is out by Gretchen McNeill.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf http://moonlightgleam.com/2013/09/ten-by-gretchen-mcneil.html*
Wow, this book shocked me, it was very reminiscent of a typical horror movie. Except it was better, because you could be inside the head of the main character the entire time. Gretchen McNeill did a fantastic job of setting the mood of the book from the very first line. Going to an unsupervised party that you can’t tell anyone about on an island where there is a crazy storm screams that something bad is going to happen.
Meg was definitely a unique character, because while she was shy, she also had moments where she would just blurt anything out. It was a unique and a change of pace, especially since Meg was so concerned about Minnie all the time. Normally I would be very upset with Minnie’s behavior, but I can understand because she was bipolar. It’s not an excuse to be selfish, but it explains the panic and narcissism. I thought Meg was a great friend for handling Minnie like she did; I know it was very difficult for her, especially when she had to give up everything she wanted to make Minnie happy. I liked the fact that she was trying to take her life back though, because while I felt for Minnie it still wasn’t okay for Meg to be used like that.
The rest of the characters were very well crafted, especially TJ. I like that he tried so hard to win Meg over without ever realizing he had already done so. Poor TJ went through a lot in this book, between Meg, Minnie, and then the people turning up dead. Even though Claire Hicks never actually showed up in the book, I did feel incredibly bad for what she went through. High school really is that terrible, but thankfully it ends for everyone. The pacing in Ten was perfect; I never got bored or tired of any of the characters, none of the scenes dragged on too long.
There was so much manipulation going on that I was absolutely shock by the end of the book. There were little hidden clues everywhere that until it was pointed out I didn’t see. I get scared very easily, and Ten was incredibly frightening. It was a thriller from beginning to end, and I definitely didn’t peg who the killer was. I would’ve liked the book to be a bit longer, just so we could see the characters after it was all over. However, I really enjoyed it and I would give it 4 out 5 stars. I look forward to seeing what else is out by Gretchen McNeill.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf http://moonlightgleam.com/2013/09/ten-by-gretchen-mcneil.html*
I really struggled to get into the beginning of this one but then I found myself sucked into it like you would a campy horror movie.
3.5/5 ★
Lo adictivo que es este libro debería ser ilegal me lo leí en nada y encima es muy fácil de leer y la trama engancha aunque en lo personal adiviné muchas cosas del final pero bueno aún así fue una lectura buena y adictiva, perfecto para bloqueo lector.
Y bueno es la versión adolescente de diez negritos de agatha christie y no está mal, no la superó pero no esta mal.
Lo adictivo que es este libro debería ser ilegal me lo leí en nada y encima es muy fácil de leer y la trama engancha aunque en lo personal adiviné muchas cosas del final pero bueno aún así fue una lectura buena y adictiva, perfecto para bloqueo lector.
Y bueno es la versión adolescente de diez negritos de agatha christie y no está mal, no la superó pero no esta mal.
If you like Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, then you will like this.
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
Ten was a meh read for me. I haven't read And Then There Were None, so I am not familiar with the source material people referenced in other reviews, so I just have this story to go on. And it was just okay. I didn't hate it, but it was nothing special either. Meh.
Meg and her bestie Minnie are going to a house party on a secluded island. For three days. And no one knows they are there. Meg is our main character, the person through whom we see the story unfold and she was just blah. She puts up with way too much abuse from Minnie because Minnie has mental health issues? It was not good. Minnie was horrible to Meg and Meg had to constantly deny herself things because poor poor Minnie. Ugh. I don't really know why she stuck by her friend so much. I know they have been friends forever, but there is only so much abuse I would put up with so...when you are counting down the days until you can leave your "friend" behind and start your life again maybe that should be a red flag.
Now Meg and Minnie both like this one boy TJ. And of course TJ likes Meg so she has to deny herself being with him because of Minnie. And Minnie sleeps around trying to get TJ to notice her. So it was...I don't know why Meg had to stay away. Minnie was a bit crazy and not a good friend at all. And who also ends up on the island? TJ! And a bunch of other people who I don't really know or learn that much about. Really 10 people was a lot to start with and I am terrible with names anyway, but it didn't really matter. The 10 people in the house for a party weekend start having fun, but then the bodies start piling up. Someone is killing everyone and they don't have a way to get off the island/contact anyone to get help. So they are going to have to figure this out for themselves before they all die.
Now the murder mystery part was okay, but not great. The characters didn't really react like I would have imagined. They didn't seem to be as upset/terrified as I would have imagined, but it was alright. A light summer murder mystery book with a bit of a forbidden romance thrown in. Really it felt like mostly Meg and TJ trying to work things out and then a bit of people dying and trying to find help/a way off the island. As I said the story was alright, but the end? A bit lame. I...I won't ruin it but it was disappointing how it ends. Overall it was a forgettable book. Not terrible, but not something I will reread or think about again.
Ten was a meh read for me. I haven't read And Then There Were None, so I am not familiar with the source material people referenced in other reviews, so I just have this story to go on. And it was just okay. I didn't hate it, but it was nothing special either. Meh.
Meg and her bestie Minnie are going to a house party on a secluded island. For three days. And no one knows they are there. Meg is our main character, the person through whom we see the story unfold and she was just blah. She puts up with way too much abuse from Minnie because Minnie has mental health issues? It was not good. Minnie was horrible to Meg and Meg had to constantly deny herself things because poor poor Minnie. Ugh. I don't really know why she stuck by her friend so much. I know they have been friends forever, but there is only so much abuse I would put up with so...when you are counting down the days until you can leave your "friend" behind and start your life again maybe that should be a red flag.
Now Meg and Minnie both like this one boy TJ. And of course TJ likes Meg so she has to deny herself being with him because of Minnie. And Minnie sleeps around trying to get TJ to notice her. So it was...I don't know why Meg had to stay away. Minnie was a bit crazy and not a good friend at all. And who also ends up on the island? TJ! And a bunch of other people who I don't really know or learn that much about. Really 10 people was a lot to start with and I am terrible with names anyway, but it didn't really matter. The 10 people in the house for a party weekend start having fun, but then the bodies start piling up. Someone is killing everyone and they don't have a way to get off the island/contact anyone to get help. So they are going to have to figure this out for themselves before they all die.
Now the murder mystery part was okay, but not great. The characters didn't really react like I would have imagined. They didn't seem to be as upset/terrified as I would have imagined, but it was alright. A light summer murder mystery book with a bit of a forbidden romance thrown in. Really it felt like mostly Meg and TJ trying to work things out and then a bit of people dying and trying to find help/a way off the island. As I said the story was alright, but the end? A bit lame. I...I won't ruin it but it was disappointing how it ends. Overall it was a forgettable book. Not terrible, but not something I will reread or think about again.
Meh.
I went into this book with absolutely no expectations and finished the book feeling good about it, but not amazing.
First off (this has been driving me crazy), the island on the cover of the book is way way way too small to be the Henry Island, the book's main setting.
All I can call this is a murder mystery book, I wouldn't go as far to say that this is a thriller, though it is suspenseful as the characters fear which of them will dies next. I generally scare really easily, but I didn't feel the least bit scared reading it, I felt more like a detective trying to solve the case before the main characters.
Now the characters of the book are pretty basic, following the characters tropes of the popular girl, the quiet friend, the beach bum, the jock, the control freak, the punk, the creepy ladies man, the big teddy bear, the solo singer and the boy toy. Despite the cliche quality to the characters, it was fun to watch their descent into madness or terror as they discover their life-threatening situation.
The main "forbidden" romance struck me as a little petty and drawn out, but I still found myself rooting for them and loving them as a potential couple.
The main mystery of the story revolves around discovering who the murderer is before everyone is killed. I found myself getting frustrated at the main character, Meg, who seemed much too oblivious to some clues that were right in front of her, which I saw as being very obvious evidence. Throughout the entire story, I thought that I had the murderer figured out (which bummed me out since I thought I easily know how it would end), but it turned out that I didn't see the ending coming which was such a relief!
This is an easy and quick read - it took me about six hours to read. It was thrilling enough to capture and hold my attention for the entire duration of the story making it a perfect book to read as a buffer between reading larger books.
I'd recommend this for anyone looking for something puzzling and easy to read. However if you're looking for a thriller or horror story, you won't necessarily find that here.
I went into this book with absolutely no expectations and finished the book feeling good about it, but not amazing.
First off (this has been driving me crazy), the island on the cover of the book is way way way too small to be the Henry Island, the book's main setting.
All I can call this is a murder mystery book, I wouldn't go as far to say that this is a thriller, though it is suspenseful as the characters fear which of them will dies next. I generally scare really easily, but I didn't feel the least bit scared reading it, I felt more like a detective trying to solve the case before the main characters.
Now the characters of the book are pretty basic, following the characters tropes of the popular girl, the quiet friend, the beach bum, the jock, the control freak, the punk, the creepy ladies man, the big teddy bear, the solo singer and the boy toy. Despite the cliche quality to the characters, it was fun to watch their descent into madness or terror as they discover their life-threatening situation.
The main "forbidden" romance struck me as a little petty and drawn out, but I still found myself rooting for them and loving them as a potential couple.
The main mystery of the story revolves around discovering who the murderer is before everyone is killed. I found myself getting frustrated at the main character, Meg, who seemed much too oblivious to some clues that were right in front of her, which I saw as being very obvious evidence. Throughout the entire story, I thought that I had the murderer figured out (which bummed me out since I thought I easily know how it would end), but it turned out that I didn't see the ending coming which was such a relief!
This is an easy and quick read - it took me about six hours to read. It was thrilling enough to capture and hold my attention for the entire duration of the story making it a perfect book to read as a buffer between reading larger books.
I'd recommend this for anyone looking for something puzzling and easy to read. However if you're looking for a thriller or horror story, you won't necessarily find that here.
A very middle-of-the-road read for me. If [b:And Then There Were None|16299|And Then There Were None|Agatha Christie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391120695s/16299.jpg|3038872] weren't one of my favorite books, and a masterpiece, I probably would have liked this better. But if you haven't read the ultimate locked-room mystery (bc I was mostly right about who the murderer was, no spoilers), and you want a page-turner-y book that's a mash-up of I Know What You Did Last Summer+Scream+And Then There Were None then go for it.
Read for the Teen Book Group at my bookstore (which meets tonight!)
Read for the Teen Book Group at my bookstore (which meets tonight!)