Ten by Gretchen McNeil: Book Review

Ten by Gretchen McNeilTEN by Gretchen McNeil Book Review
Publication Date: September 18th 2012 by Balzer + Bray
Rating: – Acceptable |

Book Summary: 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?

Ten by Gretchen McNeil Book Review Overview:

  • Creepy – you can’t read this one alone
  • Read it in one sitting; I just had to know who was behind it all
  • Would have liked an epilogue of some sort to know what happened after

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 McNeilis a creepy read that will have you flipping pages until the culprit has been uncovered. McNeil will have you guessing until the very end.

Other Book Reviews:
365 Days of Reading
The Compulsive Reader
Step Into Fiction

About the Author

Gretchen McNeilGretchen is a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4’s Code Monkeys and she currently sings with the LA-based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk. She is a founding member of vlog group the YARebels where she can be seen as “Monday,” and she is an active member of both The Enchanted Inkpot, a group blog of YA and middle grade fantasy writers, and The Apocalypsies, a group blog of 2012 children’s debut authors.

Find the Author

Website | Twitter | GoodReads

5 Comments

  1. I really want to read Ten, even when I’m a real chicken. I always read them and I end up being scared and paranoid, haha. This one sounds like such a book. Lovely :D
    What a shame that the ending was a bit disappointing, but I think that the rest of this book will make up for it – judging from the rest of your great review.

  2. I usually don’t watch teen slasher movies or horror. I hide my eyes at anything super creepy. I have trouble watching Ghost Adventures! LOL But this sounds good. I had a hard time getting into POSSESS so I’m somewhat hesitant to read this. However, I’m willing to give it a shot!

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