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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
Not a bad story...just a bit predicable. The killer wasn't easy to guess and was a bit of a surprise but beyond that, it was a typical murder mystery. Only this time with teenagers.
The main character was a bit annoying in her protecting her mentally unbalanced friend and feeling attraction to a boy from school while the killings were going on. When people are being killed? make sure to think of how excited you are by your high school crush almost constantly. Totally not realistic since high school aged people would be freaking out.
Again, not a bad book. It passed the time and it was enjoyable despite it's issues.
The main character was a bit annoying in her protecting her mentally unbalanced friend and feeling attraction to a boy from school while the killings were going on. When people are being killed? make sure to think of how excited you are by your high school crush almost constantly. Totally not realistic since high school aged people would be freaking out.
Again, not a bad book. It passed the time and it was enjoyable despite it's issues.
And Then There Were None retelling that fell way way flat.
I love a good mystery and when I heard Ten was a thriller adapted from Agatha Christie’s novel And Then There Were None I immediately preordered it. McNeil delivered a suspenseful, gripping and entertaining thriller that kept me guessing till the end. I consumed this in a single day and loved it.
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
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
I could write a long, ranting review, but here's the skinny:
If you loved Gretchen McNiel's debut and love angsty teen stories, no matter how they take shape, or even if they take shape, then keep this one on your TBR and enjoy every melodramatic minute.
If you're a Gretchen newbie intrigued by Ten's premise and haven't read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None yet, push this one back on your must-have list and grab the original then decide.
If like me you're new to McNeil and wanted to try Ten because you love the story the author drew from then run, don't walk, and re-read the best mystery novel ever penned and leave Ten to the true teenyboppers and their angsty, antsy love of angsty, antsy books for angsty, antsy people.
If you loved Gretchen McNiel's debut and love angsty teen stories, no matter how they take shape, or even if they take shape, then keep this one on your TBR and enjoy every melodramatic minute.
If you're a Gretchen newbie intrigued by Ten's premise and haven't read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None yet, push this one back on your must-have list and grab the original then decide.
If like me you're new to McNeil and wanted to try Ten because you love the story the author drew from then run, don't walk, and re-read the best mystery novel ever penned and leave Ten to the true teenyboppers and their angsty, antsy love of angsty, antsy books for angsty, antsy people.
I normally wouldn't read this book. I'm the girl who (literally) jumps in the air when someone switches on a light unexpectedly, or randomly puts a hand on her shoulder. Halloween? I stay indoors. This book was MEGA CREEPY, but I enjoyed it!! It's not JUST scary- it's thrilling, dramatic, a mystery. Very well done.
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Stars: 2.5
McNeil's book "Ten" doesn't break any new ground or give any new twist to the thriller trope. Even though it does not acknowledge it in the author's notes, it is an adaptation of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" which WAS a book that broke new ground at the time of its publication.
Despite that it is a basic rebook with a YA angle of Christie's masterpiece, "Ten" is an enjoyable read for most of its length. McNeil builds tension and atmosphere as the story progresses. Ten teenagers isolated on an island during a storm that knocks out communication with a killer on the loose. She manages to make it modern even if some of the characters are very much stereotypes (the asshole and his dumb friend, the type A bitch, the lovable friend, the snarky girlfriend, etc.) but she does have a few distinctive characters like Meg (the protagonist) and her best friend Minnie. There could have been more diversity in both POC and LGBT representation.
I won't spoil the story and for those of you who are mystery aficionados, you'll probably figure it out about 50 percent into the plot. Even pretty much knowing who the killer is from a ways in, I thought the reasoning for it and some of the modern bits she set up were effective.
Where I wish McNeil had done a better job was in the relationship between Meg and Minnie. Theirs is a complicated, dependent relationship with bonds that went deeper than was really given time. Minnie is bipolar and prone to anxiety/panic attack and paranoia. Meg feels responsible for her but you understand that she does love her friend. Their past is fraught with a lot of things we don't really find out about.
The last 20 percent of the story goes in a sort of typical thriller/mystery direction and places the romantic relationship above that of the more interesting friendship between the two young women. I would have liked a different ending.
If you are looking for something new in YA thriller, probably not for you.
If you are looking for a good popcorn read to read for a good thrill and not have to think too hard, this is entirely for you and you'll definitely enjoy it.
Stars: 2.5
McNeil's book "Ten" doesn't break any new ground or give any new twist to the thriller trope. Even though it does not acknowledge it in the author's notes, it is an adaptation of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" which WAS a book that broke new ground at the time of its publication.
Despite that it is a basic rebook with a YA angle of Christie's masterpiece, "Ten" is an enjoyable read for most of its length. McNeil builds tension and atmosphere as the story progresses. Ten teenagers isolated on an island during a storm that knocks out communication with a killer on the loose. She manages to make it modern even if some of the characters are very much stereotypes (the asshole and his dumb friend, the type A bitch, the lovable friend, the snarky girlfriend, etc.) but she does have a few distinctive characters like Meg (the protagonist) and her best friend Minnie. There could have been more diversity in both POC and LGBT representation.
I won't spoil the story and for those of you who are mystery aficionados, you'll probably figure it out about 50 percent into the plot. Even pretty much knowing who the killer is from a ways in, I thought the reasoning for it and some of the modern bits she set up were effective.
Where I wish McNeil had done a better job was in the relationship between Meg and Minnie. Theirs is a complicated, dependent relationship with bonds that went deeper than was really given time. Minnie is bipolar and prone to anxiety/panic attack and paranoia. Meg feels responsible for her but you understand that she does love her friend. Their past is fraught with a lot of things we don't really find out about.
The last 20 percent of the story goes in a sort of typical thriller/mystery direction and places the romantic relationship above that of the more interesting friendship between the two young women. I would have liked a different ending.
If you are looking for something new in YA thriller, probably not for you.
If you are looking for a good popcorn read to read for a good thrill and not have to think too hard, this is entirely for you and you'll definitely enjoy it.
Stars: 2.5
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Si leyeron "diez negritos" de Agatha Christie ya leyeron este libro también porque el plot es exactamente el mismo pero una versión tirando más a drama adolescente que a cualquier otra cosa.
Estoy conflictuada, no se cuanto me gustó este libro y cuanto no...
Estoy conflictuada, no se cuanto me gustó este libro y cuanto no...
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A quick listen on audio with a narrator who conveyed the emotions of each character well! The story immediately had me hooked - two best friends on the way to an invite-only party in a mansion on an island? There were immediate allusions to events that were incredibly defining in Meg and Minnie’s friendship and had me itching to know WHAT HAPPENED DURING HOMECOMING??
We’re then introduced to the cast of ten characters that bring the story home. If you’re familiar with Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, you know how this goes.
The story had a lot of twists and turns, with each character being as complicated as they could be. This left me wondering exactly who was the sane one in this group so I could trust THEIR theory at the very least. I still got it wrong.
We’re then introduced to the cast of ten characters that bring the story home. If you’re familiar with Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, you know how this goes.
The story had a lot of twists and turns, with each character being as complicated as they could be. This left me wondering exactly who was the sane one in this group so I could trust THEIR theory at the very least. I still got it wrong.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol