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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
This was a book where the premise sounded better than the delivery. And I couldn’t really put my finger on why I didn’t love this book. When it checked so many boxes in my “stuff molly likes”list.
Then j read another review that says it’s basically a retelling or “fan fiction” of another pretty popular book. And that made sense to me.
There was a lot in the boom that I liked and had great framework. But it felt poorly executed.
Then j read another review that says it’s basically a retelling or “fan fiction” of another pretty popular book. And that made sense to me.
There was a lot in the boom that I liked and had great framework. But it felt poorly executed.
Having read "And then there were none" I was quite intrigued by this book, and once I picked it up I could not put it down.
Gretchen had the tone down perfect, and I found I was getting goosebumps at times. Yes it was basically a revamped teenage version of ATTWN, but I still really enjoyed it.
That being said I would recommend reading "And then there were none" first - I feel like if you read "Ten" and then the original, it wouldn't have the same oomph.
Gretchen had the tone down perfect, and I found I was getting goosebumps at times. Yes it was basically a revamped teenage version of ATTWN, but I still really enjoyed it.
That being said I would recommend reading "And then there were none" first - I feel like if you read "Ten" and then the original, it wouldn't have the same oomph.
I will be recommending this one a lot at the library. Great atmosphere, very creepy, a little campy, and lots of fun. Also, tucked in the midst of all the murder and mayhem is a rather nice depiction of what it's like to have a friend who struggles with mental illness. It also reminded me a little bit of Thirteen Reasons Why, though of course the tone is very different - I might recommend it as a (slightly skewed) readalike to that book.
*4.5/5*
Truthfully, I did not have super high expectations for this book going into it. But wow. Really great plot. Did not expect the ending at all!! Really great, creepy read!
Truthfully, I did not have super high expectations for this book going into it. But wow. Really great plot. Did not expect the ending at all!! Really great, creepy read!
That was hard to get through. Because of the writing.
I mean…. Where are these kids parents?!?!?
I couldn’t suspend my belief enough for this story and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
And the “twist” was pretty predictable so I felt pretty let down as the tale went on.
I mean…. Where are these kids parents?!?!?
I couldn’t suspend my belief enough for this story and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
And the “twist” was pretty predictable so I felt pretty let down as the tale went on.
Ever wonder what [b:Ten Little Indians|19698740|Ten Little Indians|Agatha Christie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387705158s/19698740.jpg|27770818] would be like if all the characters were high schoolers? Me neither! And yet, here we are.
And more than the plot is recreated here: the spare characterizations are spot on, as is the puzzle-like nature of the plot and the simplistic but immersively created setting. What makes the two different, however, is that I wanted to kill every last one of the characters in Ten myself. They. Are. So. Tedious.
Even the narrator seems to have been Fed Ex-d to the plot from the Daphne du Maurier School for Wide-Eyed Blameless Victims. So you have to bear down and stick with the first sixty pages of obligatory sniping and unsupervised "partying". These high schoolers party like thirty-year-old hipsters. It's kind of tragic.
But when McNeil finally gets around to killing them off, it's very good fun indeed. In fact, at the discovery of the first victim, I was so creeped out I had to set the book aside and wait til morning to continue. That's a hallmark of good storytelling. So too is all the running around the heroine does in aid of solving the plot -- which she basically doesn't, a point I count in her favor.
There's no J'Accuse! moment at the end but there is the obligatory neat resolution of the type that Dame Agatha favored. And with it my desire to know What Happened Next, but that's another story, in more ways than one.
And more than the plot is recreated here: the spare characterizations are spot on, as is the puzzle-like nature of the plot and the simplistic but immersively created setting. What makes the two different, however, is that I wanted to kill every last one of the characters in Ten myself. They. Are. So. Tedious.
Even the narrator seems to have been Fed Ex-d to the plot from the Daphne du Maurier School for Wide-Eyed Blameless Victims. So you have to bear down and stick with the first sixty pages of obligatory sniping and unsupervised "partying". These high schoolers party like thirty-year-old hipsters. It's kind of tragic.
But when McNeil finally gets around to killing them off, it's very good fun indeed. In fact, at the discovery of the first victim, I was so creeped out I had to set the book aside and wait til morning to continue. That's a hallmark of good storytelling. So too is all the running around the heroine does in aid of solving the plot -- which she basically doesn't, a point I count in her favor.
There's no J'Accuse! moment at the end but there is the obligatory neat resolution of the type that Dame Agatha favored. And with it my desire to know What Happened Next, but that's another story, in more ways than one.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A