Ten

I feel I should apologize for this review: it is written for teenagers and I wasn't aware of that fact. I waded through about 3 chapters before I had to give up on this story. It is DEFINITELY geared toward teens, if you like this type book it's for you!

Full disclosure: I'm not a teen but a high school teacher who loves good teen fiction and loves recommending good teen fiction to my students. I've also been a huge Agatha Christie fan since before I was a teen myself! AND THEN THERE WERE NONE was the first Christie novel I ever read, and it is certainly one of her best. To fall for McNeil's hook - ten teens trapped on an island with a killer - on the off chance that her mystery might at least have been inspired by the classic plotting and tone of Christie's work makes me feel doubly cheated. Finally, I just finished John Green's THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, which I loved, so maybe comparing a finely-written YA novel to this one made TEN seem far worse than mediocre.

In honor of this novel, let me count off ten reasons why you shouldn't waste your time or money:

1) PLOT: Without giving much away, there is nothing unusual or striking about the plotting of the mystery. References to Christie aside, this is just another example of those teen clique revenge stories so popular with R.L. Stine fans. It's not even a very good example of that! And as a mystery, it just doesn't work, since the murderer's "careful" planning and thirst for vengeance turns out to be pretty much a mess. At one point the killer brags about how long and carefully they planned their crimes. Then, when confronted by the fact that they made an essential mistake about who should be killed, the murderer essentially says, "Whoops! Oh well...."

2) CHARACTER: Aside from the two main female characters, (who are best friends for reasons that totally escape me since they actually seem to hate each other), there is virtually NO characterization going on. Most of the people in the book are either caricatures or barely sketched out. You don't get to know any of them long enough or well enough to care about whether they live or die. I urge everyone to read Christie's original to see how it SHOULD be done!

3) ATMOSPHERE: You'd think that being trapped on a storm-wracked island with a homicidal maniac, watching the people around you die, might generate a few scares, a sense of loss or worry, something! But most of the time, the teens on this island seem barely phased by all the murders around them. They're more concerned about who went to the Homecoming dance with whom and whether or not the cute guy in the study will hook up with them. (You think I'm kidding?)

4) LANGUAGE: I really wanted to give this book the benefit of the doubt. I figured that author thought she needed to write in a more childish, simplistic style to appeal to a wider audience. I disagree with this, since authors like John Green, David Levitan, Phillip Pullman, and many others never seem to write down to their audience. But if the author was aiming for a younger reader - like middle school - what's with all the foul language and sexual situations? Four letter words abounded, people hooked up constantly, and everyone behaved so stupidly .... well, they had to in order for this killer to succeed, I guess. Frankly, I'm shocked that organizations like ALA Booklist gave this a good review.

5 - 10) Nah, I think I'm done. I'm not going to give book this any more of my time or energy. I know it's easy to play pocket critic on the store, and I apologize to Ms. McNeil or any of her fans who liked this book for my harshness. But I do love a good mystery and a well-written novel, and this book is neither. The mystery genre is very hard to bring off, especially in the YA market, where the amount of violence and the potential motives is more limited by the suggested age range of the readers. I'm open to suggestions for good teen mysteries; meanwhile, I'll stick with the adults and suggest that mystery lovers avoid TEN.

When Meg got an invite to go to an exclusive house party on Henry Island, she didn’t want to go, it’s not her idea of fun, but her best friend, Minnie persuaded her. When they arrive, they find only 8 other people have been invited, which is odd, but what was odder still was the fact that the host of the party was delayed and wasn’t going to arrive till the next morning. So all 10 decide to relax, drink some beers and watch some movies. The only movie they find seems to be a home movie but seeing as it’s all they could find they put it on. What plays out on the screen is a creepy homemade movie that tells them Vengeance is mine. From that moment on things start happening and the 10 people are in a fight for their lives.

Plot-wise, I loved it!! It was fast-paced and filled with twists and suspense. Even when Meg and Minnie are on the way to the island, you can feel the anticipation because the authors descriptive writing brings the atmosphere to life. She captured my attention right from the first page. As things start unfolding, you have no clue as to who is doing the killings and start to suspect each person in turn. As more and more deaths happen, it’s even harder to see who it could be! Personally, I had no clue till the person was revealed!!

Meg is the main protagonist and I loved her! Though I did feel like she wasn’t as strong a character as I would have liked. There were times when she let people walk all over her and sacrificed things she wanted because a certain person told her to (Minnie)… but saying that though, I do think it made her easier to like because I’m like her in that way! She was also curious, aware and not afraid to questions things. She was the only one willing to do what was needed to get to the bottom of things too.

Minnie…. gosh I loathed her!! She is Megs best friend but she was loud, obnoxious and an all-around horrible person. I know she had mental health issues but I honestly don’t know how Meg put up with her selfish behaviour! The rest of the characters all have their own personalities and were well written and developed too. McNeill wrote them in such a way where you will either love them or loathe them!

In all, this was a relentless and exciting thriller that I couldn’t read fast enough. While the whole book is fast-paced, the last third of the book made me not want to take out my headphones because it was non stop. The deaths come quicker and the suspense kept building and building. I can’t wait to check out more from this author!!

Tavia Gilbert read this well. She was clear and easy to follow and had plenty of different tones and voices for the characters. She was also able to bring the tense atmosphere to life and put emotion behind her voice. There were no issues with the quality of the production.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.
Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.
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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.

This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland

Not scary which is good for me. I love a suspenseful book one that keeps me on the edge of my seat guessing the whole time.

Meg and Minnie are best friends that decided to get away for a weekend at a house party at White Rock House one of their classmates houses on a island, but as they arrive Meg's love of her life a boy name TJ is there but also Minnie has a crush on him too.

The arrival of other teens that either Meg know of from school or each other know of from around the way.

As time goes past they start to be hunted one by one. Dying some horrible deaths that leads to some clues to whey they are all dying as Meg find a diary of a girl name Clarie that killed herself and blaming kids for her horrible life in school. These kids so happened to have lead to her misery.

Meg and TJ started to find ways to keep everyone at ease as they work to try to find the killer with the reminding kids that are alive.

Very suspenseful. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and as I thought one person was the killer I then guess another person was the killer then another. My mind was all over the place trying to find out who was the killer.
Very shocking ending. Love it.

I have seen this book around for a while and have always wanted to try it. I heard it was like a teen version of Agatha Christie’s Then There Was One. Though I haven’t read that I was real curious about this one.

Ten teens are summoned for a party on Henry Island. None of them know why they were chosen for the party as not all of them know each other, but there was a purpose. After watching a home movie on DVD they are all weirded out a bit and think that someone is trying to play a prank on them and then during the night Meg finds someone dangling from the ceiling.

One by one they start to die but who is doing it and is it one of them or has someone else in the house. Meg finds a diary and she thinks it explains what has been happening but can it really be that person?

In this creepy story they can’t trust anyone and they are stuck on the island till the ferry comes back because there is no phones and no Internet connections as a big storm has come through, or was it all sabotaged?

This was a pretty good story but the main character really kind of drove me crazy. I liked her but at the same time I really wanted to slap her and tell her to get real. She likes T. J. so why should she bow out just cause her manic bestie wants him too. It’s not like it was a I saw him first and laid claims on him or anything and T. J. likes Meg so what is she doing! I will admit that some of the characters are really made to where you want them to die, you are like…oh you are a nasty B*&#@ or man he was a jerk…lol.

I will say that I had my hunches on who it might have been but in the end I didn’t guess right and that makes for a good mystery. So even though some of the characters drove me crazy I still enjoyed it. I felt like I was reading a teen slasher movie. :)

If you like YA horror then give it a try. I didn’t find it scary but it was suspenseful and creepy in parts.

This book isn't great but it isn't terrible. It's based on the well-worn horror trope of group-of-kids-gets-stuck-without-access-to-technology-and-start-to-die-off. It's got some surprises, but they're not really surprising, since surprises are expected in this trope/genre. The characters seemed flat to me; I just couldn't--couldn't--bring myself to care about the main character's big struggle, which was whether or not she would break free from her overbearing best friend to hook up with her crush. Then again, every time I read YA, I find myself wondering why I'm reading YA.

(NOTE: There's nothing wrong with people who read YA. It's just not my bag, baby.)

Overall, I would say that if you're into slightly-better-than-B-movie horror, it's a good book to huddle under the blankets during a midnight storm and read.

Dear Readers,

This book has sat on my TBR list since 2012, and I’ve finally just read it. I honestly don’t know why it takes me so dang long to read popular books, but I regret waiting so long to pick up a copy of this one. The first impression I got from Ten was that it would be a fast-paced read that I would probably enjoy, but I doubted that it would have much to it, kind of like Lois Duncan’s I Know What You Did Last Summer. I was only half right – it is fast paced, but there is much more to it than meets the eye. It figures that a book with such a simplified name would be so complicated.

Ten is a surprisingly complex horror that kept me up long after my bed time. By the time I finished it I found new favorite characters in TJ and Meg, and a new appreciation for four-legged cuddle buddies. This is another read I couldn’t – and wouldn’t – put down for all the tea in china. To say I was blown away by Ten would be an understatement. So much so I’m extremely slightly concerned about McNeil’s ability to create such a methodical psychopath. All of the characters were well-rounded, main characters and secondary characters alike. I was actually sad to see (read?) some of them meet a bloody end. Even the ones that annoyed me when they were living!

Best friends Meg and Minnie have been inseparable since seventh grade. Meg, the introvert of the two, would rather spend the weekend holed up in her room writing than attend a party thrown by people she doesn’t like. Minnie, whom is Meg’s complete opposite in every way that matters, is happiest when she’s the center of attention and a boy hanging off her every word. I love how opposite the two friends are from one another. The only thing they seem to have in common is who they are crushing on: T.J. Every difference in the two was highlighted by how polar opposite they are in personality and morals. It gave the story added dimension and made things even more fascinating.

Another reason I was so stunned by Ten was how seamlessly every piece of the puzzle connected in the end. No minute detail was unimportant to the plot – and somehow tied together brilliantly. Every chapter read gave me more questions, and by the last paragraph of the book none of my questions were left unanswered. There is something to be said for an author who doesn’t have to write two or three or ten books to satisfy a reader and leave no stone unturned. It’s nice to fall in love with a new set of characters without investing years to them. If I could give book “ten” stars, I wouldn’t hesitate to do so!

Terrified silly and loving it,
❁One Curvy Blogger
more reviews and bookish posts @ onecurvyblogger.com

I really enjoyed reading TEN It was the perfect amount of creepy, just a bit of ghost story, and I definitely felt like I needed to read it in the daylight and not the dark. I know it's a retelling of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians/And Then There Were None, but since I hadn't read it, I didn't really know what I was in for.

TEN played out pretty much like an old 90s slasher film for me -- and I loved it. So Meg and her friends are on the an island. It's the worst storm of the century. The power's been cut. They find a creepy DVD (the Ring?? Ahhh! There was another reference to that later on too). Oh, and there's a killer among them, picking off their friends one by one and marking it with red slashes of paint on the wall each time one of them is killed. Pretty freakin' creepy.

Despite the fact that I'm not a horror fan (seriously -- I had to stop a ghost story earlier in the week because ghosts flat out terrify me), I really enjoyed reading this. It was the perfect amount of freaking me out because I could put the book down and not feel like I was going to get attacked or anything. I contemplated putting the book in the freezer (10 points if you get the reference) but I kept on reading and was quite surprised with the ending! In true slasher film form, it was a nice twist the way everything played out. I felt like there was a twist coming, but I couldn't figure it out until the reveal.

3.5/5

Ten teens are invited to White Rock House on Henry Island for a three day weekend full of what they hope will be fun, booze, and hooking up. When best friends Meg and Minnie show up, they’re both excited to spend time with T.J., the hottest guy at school. Soon their fun weekend turns into a nightmare though, when the storm starts and the ten watch a mysterious DVD ending with the words, “vengeance is mine.” Soon, they all start getting killed off one by one, and they realize they are stranded on the island for the next few days, wondering if the killer is one of them, or if there’s someone else on the island…

When I first heard the premise of this book, I knew I had to read it, and I’ve been dying to do just that since it first came out. Well, I finally got around to reading it, and I have to say, I did enjoy it. It was completely suspenseful and mysterious, and I was quite shocked at the end, which is always a good thing with a mystery novel. It had a real sense of creepiness about it, and a very dark, vivid setting. I felt like I was smack dab in the middle of a horror movie – always a good thing for this horror fan!

This book was incredibly fast paced and exciting. There were new mysteries and questions on every page, which kept me riveted. One problem about this fast pacing though was that sometimes I felt like the killings were coming too fast, literally just one after the other with not a lot of story, dialogue, or development in between. This wasn’t always the case, but sometimes it seemed that way, so this was just a minor setback. I also thought that the romance could be ridiculous at times and unrealistic in the sense that sometimes Meg and Minnie seemed a bit too involved and interested in romance while there were murders happening all around them. Yes, they were concerned about the killings obviously, but sometimes they cared more about their love lives it seemed. I felt that was a bit crazy, and that the story could have done without that “love story” aspect at all. I’m also not sure how I feel about this being based off the Agatha Christie novel. I’ll have to read the original to see if it’s too much of a copy cat story.

While there were a few things that kept me from loving this novel, all in all I enjoyed it quite a bit. I really liked the suspense, mystery, and eerie setting. I would recommend this to YA fans that are looking for a creepy read!

Meg and her bestie Minnie are heading to the home of one of their schoolmates to spend their winter break partying. The remote house shares a small island with 1 other house, separated by an isthmus. The hostess of the party is not able to make the last ferry of the night to the island, so the 10 kids already there decide to start the party on their own. While looking for some entertainment, they come across a DVD with an ominous message. Not sure what to think of it, they head to bed for the night but it isn't long before they start dying, one at a time.

The characters were not a big selling point for me. I don't think I liked one of them. The two main characters, Minnie and Meg, were both annoying. Minnie was whiny, grumpy, selfish and territorial (all of which Meg contributed to her bipolar disorder) and Meg was a two-faced martyr. All she did was think (or talk about) how much Minnie relied on her, how important she was to Minnie and how much Minnie needed her protection. While to herself, or in her journal, all she did was bitch about her. T.J., the love interest of both Meg and Minnie, was blah. He couldn't man up and confess his feelings for one, both or neither of them, and was all "kicked puppy" about Meg canceling their date months ago. The others, whom we didn't get to know as well, were boring, inconsiderate or just plain mean. I suppose we didn't have much time to get to know them, but the bottom line was, I didn't care that they were dying.

The dialogue was standard teen, with an ocassional bad word, but nothing too offensive. The deaths, on the other hand, were pretty gross. Not bloody or gory, but descriptive. Once the dying started, I had to chuckle at their combined stupidity; what's the one thing you should not do when people start dying? Split up. What do they do? Yep, you guessed it. The action was suspenseful and I stayed up until midnight one weeknight, just so I could find out whodunit. I guessed the whole way through the book, but I was still surprised by who the killer turned out to be.

I didn't read the book(s) that Ten was based on, so I don't know if it follows their plot exactly, but it reminded me of the Scream movies. Nobody is safe and it isn't long before they start turning on each other.

I love the cover, it's very moody. It sets the tone of the story, with the desolate house and dark colors.

I read Ten last Halloween and I must say it's perfect for the season. It's a creepy and chilling novel and will keep you on the edge of your seats.

I really liked the pacing and flow of the story. It's fast and consistent. The characters were also well-characterized. I liked the distinction between each character. They're all unique and have distinct personalities. It was a riot to have the ten of them in one house. I was just confused at first with all their names and who was who, since the story was told from a third person limited POV, but it's fairly easy to keep track of them once you get to know them. Meg, as the main character, is a strong heroine. It wasn't hard to like a character who prioritizes friendship over boys, even when things got too much. But beyond that martyrdom, Meg knows how to stand up for herself and for others when the situation calls for it.

As for the scare factor, Ten isn't really that scary. But it's really creepy and the deaths freaked me out. The atmosphere is ominous and the back story eerie. Add to that the fact that the killer is one of them, but you just can't figure out who. There were clues but in a thriller story, you never know if they were really clues or if they were there to throw you off the real killer's trail. I was guessing the whole time! The suspense was incredible. It'll really keep you on your toes.

The twist was really good and unexpected. I didn't see that one coming. I actually came up with the same conclusion as Meg. The amount of work and effort that the killer put into planning and executing all these was astounding. The author masterfully created a thrilling story that is perfect for fans of the mystery/thriller genre. This book is highly recommended.

I'm uncomfortable with the fact that Ms. McNeil took the basic premise of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, updated it and replaced the adults with teenagers, but couldn't be bothered to acknowledge Mrs. Christie. Maybe it was better that way though, because frankly, this book isn't in the same league as the original. Many of the circumstances under which the characters died were extremely contrived. I just don't understand how this book works for anyone, even if they haven't read ATTWN. All the girls were overly emotional or just completely unlikable, where all the boys, save one, were gallant and level headed. I'm giving the book 2 stars because I finished it.

In this thrilling story, ten kids are invited to a weekend long party on Henry Island. The only way to get there is by boat or ferry, and it's pretty much deserted, with only one other house on the island. No parents and an island practically all to themselves--it's supposed to be fun, right? Wrong! The day after they all arrive, they start dying one by one. Could one of them be the killer? Or is someone else in the house with them, picking them off? *cue suspenseful music*

Ten was awesome! It had a great mystery, lots of suspense and action--I loved it! This may sound more than a bit morbid, but once you sort of find out what's going on, the deaths the killer orchestrated were smart. The way they all started dying was awesome--everything just fit together! I loved it!

But not all was good, I'll admit. The beginning was slow. 50 pages in and... nothing. Too much intro not enough action. Call me anxious, but I just wanted to get to the good stuff! I found it extremely easy to put down the book, and that is never a good thing. I set aside this book for about... I want to say maybe 2 months? Yeah, not good. But once the action good started, oh my gods! I could not put it down! The entire time, the book kept me guessing who killer was. From the beginning, my mind was set on one person and I was absolutely sure it was them. But then things pointed to it being a ghost? Crazy, I know. And then, Towards the end, we are redirected to someone I was not expecting at all but it made complete sense! Though in the back of my mind I didn't accept it and still thought my person was the killer.

And then the huge plot twist came! Whoa! I never would've suspected this person to be behind everything in a million years! I was very surprised. And then we find out their motive for all this... Holy smokes! If I was surprised before, I was shocked speechless by this point. It was just so crazy and so good! I cannot get over how well written the mystery and story were! I just love it when I don't guess correctly--about the killer in this case :)

There was another thing I wasn't too fond of: the introduction of so many characters seemingly all at once. I knew there was going to be ten kids, but good grief! I just couldn't keep them all straight! Especially at the beginning, especially the 2 'M' names. M&M... yeah, cute. We get it -_-

The characters were okay... Meg was kinda slow to piece together what I had like 6 chapters ago. Seriously. All the signs were there, girl, come on! I don't think I really loved any of the characters. They were just kind of... meh *shrugs* I was more into the story--the mystery itself.

The mystery was smartly written, the story so suspenseful it will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing till the very end. It started off slow, but boy, you will definitely want to read this!

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Murder mystery meets young adult in this tale, good for a quick, scary read.

Opening Sentence: Minnie's face was deathly pale.

The Review:

I don't normally read stories that are themed with horror and murder. I tend to dwell on the images and it causes nightmares. But I couldn't resist reading Gretchen McNeill's Ten. The cover is gorgeous despite the dark and terrifying theme. The simplicity of the font, the somewhat haze of the island. It brilliantly sets the tone for the book.

Ten high school teens travel to Henry Island, off the coast into a vacation island. Meg, along with others have been invited to spend the weekend of partying and other fun shenanigans at White Rock House. What they don't expect is the horrible weather, the isolation from the rest of society, and murder. In a young adult version of a murder mystery, teens are dying, one by one. The storm worsens conditions and there is no way to seek help. And the only clue they have is a video left by someone unknown, and it's message: Vengeance is mine.

Meg is the frontrunner in Ten, if you will. Formerly one of the popular girls, she fell out when she befriended Minnie. I liked Meg. She had this appeal to her that I can't fully describe. Meg was easy to relate to. Meg was courageous and brave; obviously the only one with enough gumption to see it through the end. She wasn't a character that exactly stood out. She was the level-headed one of the group, obviously, but there wasn't anything quirky or excitable, at least for me.

I felt that I didn't know the characters enough. Except for those who were alive near the end, I didn't fully connect with the characters killed in the beginning. But for a stand-alone book, it must be hard to make that connection. There was a good array of personalities though. From the spoiled to the brainiac, it was easy to belong. Even if I didn't completely immerse myself in the group, McNeil allowed me to be a part of what was going on.

My senses were alert, my brain processing images both haunting and creepy. Ten played like a horror movie, for the younger crowd. But despite the targeted age group, there were a lot of things that made my skin crawl. I applaud you McNeil. The focus of Ten was more towards the murders than actual set up or world building. I was really intrigued about the island, but didn't really see much aside from the ferry ride. It made for a great start, but I wanted more.

Ten reminds me of Harper's Island, a show on TV that I adored. Similar premise and very similar outcome. From the first death, I felt that the rest of the deaths were already laid out for the reader. But what I didn't expect was the pacing. With each murder, a truth was revealed. Puzzle pieces slowly put together that went together with a song.

Ten was twisted, feeding to those who love a murder mystery. Murders filled the pages, and one by one I saw McNeil's creepy imagination. Good, quick read. But please, make sure you have a night light on.

FTC Advisory: Balzer + Bray/Harper Collins provided me with a copy of Ten. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review.

In a reimagining of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, McNeil puts a modern teenaged twist on a murder mystery classic. Told from the point of view of Meg, an aspiring writer about to graduate high school - she and her best friend Minnie do what any rational teenagers would do when they get invited to an exclusive party hosted by the most popular girl in school - they ditch their parents and brave a storm to party it up! When they get there they discover just how exclusive the party has become and things get ominous as these 10 teenagers are trapped and targeted in an end all revenge scheme.

I love how simple but eerie the cover is. The lone island in an overcast sky nearing dark is the perfect setting for this book. Even the red font of the title "Ten" has a role to play in this story.

The characters of Meg and Minnie are all at once closely entwined and yet so far apart from each other. They've been best friends since they were kids. Meg was never the popular party kind of person, but she's always been the best friend that she could be to Minnie - sacrificing everything to make sure her friend is happy. Meg is also a great problem solver, and observer - which comes in handy when you're trapped on an island, but it takes her awhile to put two and two together and even then she's not the best at deducing the very obvious clues in front of her.

Minnie on the other hand is a blazing loose cannon who will defend you like a mother bear defending her cub, or she'll tear you apart herself if you've wronged her - she varies between the two in an instant. I really didn't like her. She was irritating, clingy and pretty much unable to function without someone as her crutch.

Then there's the best friend drama with the boy toy that they both want and gosh was there a history behind T.J. and these two girls. But he seemed like an all around good guy, and kind of becomes the de-facto leader. There wasn't much depth to his character, or his problem solving abilities so I was more or less indifferent to his survival or his success in hooking up with a girl.

The other characters were equally frustrating. They were so shallow and frivolous that I actually cheered the death of some of them. I felt like I didn't really get to know some of the more vague male characters, I actually had a hard time telling them apart because they were all so similar in their cavalier attitudes. Although I think McNeil might have intentionally created such irksome characters just so you'd feel relieved when they met their gruesome death.

I have a problem with murder mystery type stories. I both hate them and love them. I hate them because I have seen/read far too many police/forensic/law procedural type shows, and the twists start becoming repetitive and within the first few pages I know who the murderer is, and when the main point is revealed immediately I know the motive - I'm a terrible person to watch tv with because I vocalize all of this and end up ruining the show. But I love these types of stories when someone comes up with a truly unique situation that I can squirrel away in my box of random knowledge. Unfortunately, McNeil plays Ten out in quite a predictable manner, I had this whole thing down pat.

The who and why follow a pretty common formula of revenge (especially for teenagers you can guess what that is). The horror aspect of it has something very akin to The Ring (it even makes references to this too), especially with the movie warning they first watch. But I will admit McNeil does an awesome job building the suspense in the deaths and crafts extremely poetic and creative ways to kill - in a really morbid way this was my favorite part of the book! The back story itself was pretty creepy. It had lots of subtle nuances that were presented in the beginning of the story and seemed completely irrelevant but then it all links and weaves the characters together at the end into one big reveal.

Overall:
I didn't really care for the characters, and I was quite glad when they died. McNeil does do an incredible job weaving the imagery for the deaths. Overall I did enjoy it, and it's a very quick read at only 294 pages. For someone who loves to deduce and guess like crazy, the plot might seem a bit predictable. But for people who just want to sit back and watch a suspense filled murder spree you'll definitely love it!

Originally reviewed at: [...]

3.5/5 Stars

So when I first read the synopsis of Ten I was STOKED. All I could think of was teen slasher films, YES! I have loved them since my babysitter snuck me into the drive-in theater with her friends to watch Friday the 13th part something (I think it was 3 or 4.) And yes, I did just date myself, TREMENDOUSLY. There were drive in theater's still around when I was a kid. Ah, memories... Anyhow, I've always been a fan. Love the old ones: Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. and love the 90's versions like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream.So I knew that I was IN when I heard about Ten. Did the book live up to my expectations? Kind of and kind of not.

Ten is a retelling of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (ATTWN) I love Agatha Christie books (Death on the Nile is my personal fave) but I am guessing I had not read ATTWN because the plot of Ten was unfamiliar to me. In a nutshell, the story opens with friends Meg and Minnie setting out for Henry Island just off Seattle in Puget Sound. Meg is not too thrilled about attending the exclusive party of their high school's head cheerleader but lets her friend Minnie talk her into it. Meg lets Minnie talk her into EVERYTHING it seems (more on that later.) Meg doesn't exactly hang with the in-crowd in school and to make matters worse the guy she has been crushing on for-evah, T.J., is going to be there. Why is this a bad thing? Three days on a remote island with your dream guy and no supervising adults should be awesome, right? Well there is a hitch (isn't there always??) Minnie also has a crush on T.J. Uh oh. But Meg, being the bestest friend that she is, has decided to sacrifice her feelings for T.J. and attend the party with Minnie.

Immediately we sense ominous and foreboding things lie ahead. There is a big storm coming. There is only one way off the island: by boat. There is no cell phone service. It's the off season and most of the island's other inhabitants are gone. And of course, all the teens have lied to their parents so NO ONE knows they are there. Perfect pickings for a deranged serial killer with a grudge.

Ten is told in 3rd person perspective which I often have a hard time reading. Unless the characters are really fleshed out and three dimensional, I seem to feel a disconnect when reading this POV. That was the case with Ten. Unfortunately I was not very wowed by our cast of ten teens. And this feeling started with the narrator, Meg. Meg has likable qualities: she's smart, has a good sense of humor, likes to write, and truly is the most loyal friend. Loyal to the point of irritating. Loyal to the point of foolishness. I understand that she must be this way in order for this story to work but gosh, I just had a really hard time feeling much for her when she let's Minnie manipulate her so often. Now there did come a point in the story where Meg begins to stand her ground but to me it was too little too late. You can be a good friend to someone without enabling their manipulative tendencies.

As for the other characters, we are only allowed spare glimpses into their lives and this is because part of the suspense of the story is not knowing who to trust. Not knowing who is telling the truth and who is the murderer. But I think if a just a little more time had been spent on fleshing out these characters it would have helped. I had a hard time distinguishing who was who, little about their personalities made them stand out individually. I guess in the end it doesn't really matter because they all end up dying as the book progresses (well, almost all of them.)

And I have to say that the creative ways in which the murderer picked them off was one of my favorite aspects of the book. I am really enjoying the horror/ suspense trend in YA lit these days. I have always loved mystery/ suspense, but books like Anna Dressed in Blood and The Diviners have really amped up the gruesome factor and I LOVE it:)

As far a plot goes it was a bit predictable. Having not read (or remember reading) ATTWN, I didn't know the ending, but I had suspicions from the beginning. For the record I guessed the murderer early on, then changed my mind only to discover it was that person in the end. So I was mildly surprised. And there is a villainous monologue at the end which always elicits an eye roll or two from me. In addition, there were some twists to the plot that didn't make a lot of sense or seemed a bit too convenient, but overall I enjoyed the story and found it to be suspenseful and creepy.

There is a romance angle but unfortunately it was lackluster in my opinion. I didn't get any butterflies or quickened pulse while reading those parts and really didn't think it enhanced the story much in the end.

But where McNeil excels in Ten is in atmosphere and setting. I love that the book takes place in the stormy Pacific Northwest on a remote island. Having been to that area of the country I can tell you it is a perfect setting to have a group of teenagers trapped and at the mercy of a psychotic killer. I loved the descriptions of the rising tides which trapped the kids in the house during certain parts of the day rendering escape attempts useless. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the house and grounds. It had a Gothic feel to it which a favorite genre of mine.

In summation, Ten did a great job setting a foreboding mood and tense atmosphere . Having not read the Agatha Christie novel on which it is based, the plot and mystery worked for me. But the underdeveloped characters and lackluster romance keeps me from scoring this book higher. I do love this horror trend that is developing and I think this would be a great book to pick up near Halloween. It's not I Know What You Did Last Summer or Scream, but it has it's moments. I'm kind of nit picky too so don't just take my word for it. Go check this one out for yourself and see if Ten will be a bigger hit for you:)

I have mixed feelings about this book. I was looking forward to reading Ten as it has a phenomenal cover and intriguing premise. I love mysteries and thrillers, but I'm sad to say that this was a disappointing read for me. Apparently it's based on one of Agatha Christie's novels, but I haven't read any of her books yet, so I can't compare the two.

There were a lot of things that bothered me about the plot, but my biggest complaint is the silly and unnecessary romance in this story. It would've functioned well without two of the characters trying to rekindle their lost love. Meg's constant inner-thoughts about T.J., her fantasizing about him kissing her, and all the what-ifs she was constantly contemplating, had me glossing over some of the pages. I don't really mind romance in books. Honestly, I don't. But I do expect authors who work romance into their stories to give me something new. Something so different it makes me fall in love with their character(s), or at the very least something that would take my breath away (like in Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry). In this story, Meg is a bland, irritatingly sappy character. I mean, she discovers a body, goes into a panic for about two paragraphs about there being a murderer on the loose, but then, for the next ten pages, switches to daydreaming about T.J. Can you blame me for thinking "what the heck?" The romance was obviously used as story filler since it added nothing to the plot.

Don't even get me started on T.J. Heaven knows I've never come across a more naïve, oblivious character than him. The rest of the characters aren't even worth mentioning. The author didn't even bother to establish that connection between the reader and the rest of the characters, as they get murdered faster than the speed of light. The plot itself is pretty standard. Nothing new is added to the story that I haven't seen in a typical murder mystery movie before. The ending? Meh. I can assure you it's nothing you haven't already seen in countless low-budget thriller movies. Oh, and the journal found by Meg which is supposedly from a seventeen-year-old suicide victim, reads like an adolescent's diary. No wonder she was shunned by the other high school kids.

So those were some of the things I didn't enjoy about the book. There were also a few things I did enjoy and which motivated me to finish the book. Like I said, the ending wasn't anything spectacular, but the suspense and build-up to the "who-dunnit" was quite nerve-wracking. Halfway into the story I've suspected just about every character who was still alive at that point. I know of many readers who didn't like Minnie's character because of her erratic behavior, but I think the author did great to throw such a character into the mix. Despite my complaints about the things I didn't enjoy, I think that Ten is a good read, just not a great read. Apart from the drawn out syrupy romance, the plot itself moved quite fast. The gore is kept to a minimum which makes this a suitable read for younger readers and sensitive readers alike. I'll definitely read more of this author's books.

It was supposed to be the party of their lifetime , out on a deserted island in a big flash house with only the exclusive invited. However, life had a whole different plan for these Ten party animals. Years ago, I read a Point Horror novel where a teen had a party and then they had to run for their lives as a psycho killer was after them and the whole party had been a set-up and the killer was exacting their revenge on them all. I forgot the title of the book but never the premise as at the time it was scary and awesome and one of the first horror novels that I picked up. When I saw the blurb for Ten come through last year, I was like OMG that sounds awesome, so I managed to score an ARC of the book and here I am and readers, I loved it. It starts off like your usual party and then they all sit down to watch a video which reminded me of the film "The Ring" - you know the one that says if you watch this movie you will die in seven days" and then you do. Soon one by one the members of the party start dying and one of the more major characters Meg finds a diary that belonged to Claire Hicks - a girl who recently died by commiting suicide. In the diary Claire discusses in depth how people have hurt her and soon it becomes clear that those people she talks about are the ones dying in this house. Is it the ghost of Claire come back for vengeance or did Claire have someone on her side who is exacting revenge ?
Find out all this and more as First there were Ten and then slowly one by one , someone dies.
I loved this book and if you are a horror fan then you will enjoy it too as surprisingly for a Teen fiction novel, Ten definitely held the reader's attention and was filled with intense spots.

#This was an ARC

It sucks that I've read this book late. It was like watching a horror movie, where you vividly think that the killer is just right behind you. It's my cup tea, action-packed and a plot that will leave you curious. It was believable and downright scary. I wish I've read this last Halloween.

The story is seen in Meg's eyes. She was invited to a party in Henry Island, a secluded place, where transportation is through a boat or ferry. There, she met 9 other people who where invited to the party too. Booze. Boys. Crushes. It was fun at first but then, things started to get vicious. A threatening tape, huge storm, lost diary and bodies started to pile up. Who is responsible for the killings? Is it someone or is it an "it"? You have to read this book to find out more.

The world-building is exceptional. Yep, it was realistic. It's like a watching a movie. I find myself in an odd situation. Where, it's day time and every light in my room is on. It was bloodcurdling! The scenes were intensely described which is cool. I'm not a sadist, but books like this don't come around often. There were some but it doesn't have an "it factor" or an enormous fright impact.

The book only has 294 pages, it's a short book. So I already consider it a fast read. Well, the pacing is speedy but that didn't bother me at all. There were no dull moments. Every turn of page will make you more curious. I wanted the book to end, just to know who the killer was. I was even tempted to peek at the last few chapters!

As for the characters, there are many of them. They were introduced one by one in the book but not really giving them the lime light. The story is written through Meg's eyes, so readers will only see what Meg can see or think. It's like you're blind folded, not knowing where the piñata is, unless you hit the target.

What gave the story some spice is the assortment of personalities. We have jocks, nerds and popular people. It actually made the story much interesting; at the same time it blinds the reader who is really the culprit behind the killings.

Lastly, despite the pandemonium, there's romance. Yep, just a hint of it! Not so much for those who are looking for steamy scenes.

Overall, Ten is a great book. If you love "This is Not a Test" by Courtney Summers or "And Then They Were None" by Agatha Christie, then this book is for you.

I give this 5 Killer Whales.

What to say. What to say. I actually really liked this book. It follows so many cliches that are present in teen type horror movies. I thought it was great. Just what I was looking for.

For the entire book you follow Meg's point of view as she is dragged along by her best friend Minnie (M and M) to a teen party on an island for the weekend. It is a must go to party as they were invited by Jessica, one of thee most popular girls and school and Minnie's former best friend.

The book starts off with a stormy ferry ride to the island. An ideal start for a horror type of book. Only when they get to the island, they are greeted by no other than T.J. A boy that Meg really likes, but hasn't talked to since Homecoming when she cancelled their date, because her best friend Minnie really liked T.J. On the treacherous walk to the party house, the girls are told that Jessica was held up and will be coming tomorrow with more girls.

The party is off to a good start, but is broken up for the night after a near brush with death and watching a DVD that the label says, "DON'T WATCH ME." Everyone heads off to bed. Meg, after having a beer wakes up needing to go pee in the middle of the night, only to discover the power is out and it's freezing cold in the house. Shortly thereafter, people start dying one by one. Who is the killer? And will they survive through the night until the ferry can come?

I was definitely amused. A VERY quick read.

SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.

In "Ten" we follow Meg as she arrives on Henry Island for a party thrown by one of the "popular" girls - dragged along by her best friend she expects nothing more than a few days of fun. Instead she ends up on the trail of a killer whilst all around her the body count mounts..

Great fun this one - especially for lovers (as I am) of those classic teen slasher movies such as Friday 13th and Halloween, I spent an entertaining few hours picking my survivors, guessing the identity of the killer and anticipating which of the victims may end up getting the best "death"....come on, we all do it with this sort of story do we not? Fans of scary stories told around the campfire will know exactly where I am coming from...

Told in a snappy engaging style, Meg is an interesting and intelligent character to tag along with as she discovers clues, follows her instincts and tries to hold things together, all the while fighting her ingrained attraction to teen heartthrob TJ who she has rejected on the basis that best friend Minnie is also crazy about him. Friends first, that typical teen girl rule (which often gets thrown out of the window of course) of dating.

Throw in an eclectic mix of typical teens, the usual horror movie rules, some clever little nods to vintage tales of its type (Christie's "And Then There Were None" springs to mind, as does one of my favourite death scenes from the original version of Friday 13th) and you have the perfect recipe for a tasty little treat of a book that has an appeal for young at heart readers everywhere.

There is not anything new here particularly - it felt more like a homage to horror, an age old tale given a modern setting and told for todays audience - but its a whole load of fun and if you are looking for an easy but captivating read to while away a few hours this one may hit the mark.

Note for the author: If the intent was to make Minne THE most annoying female teen character in fiction, who you thoroughly wish the Killer would despatch sooner rather than later lest you have to dive into the pages and strangle her yourself, then job well done! I loved (hated) her. Brilliant.

Happy Reading Folks!

**Paperback purchased via the store UK***

Ten is about a group of ten teenagers that find themselves on a remote island with a killer in their midst. After watching a creepy video on the night of their arrival, teen after teen starts to get killed off in brutal and specific ways. After our protagonist, Meg, finds a journal of a dead girl, she realizes that the murders follow a pattern. After discovering the pattern, it's a race against time to rat out the murderer...before they're all dead and gone with no witnesses to find the killer.

This book was very suspensful. I read it on the way to my volleyball tournament, and it was definitely a way to get me on my toes...and to freak me out. The deaths aren't exactly graphics, but they're described enough to make my stomach churn. It sort of creeped me out how these teenagers (mostly Meg and T.J.) weren't really affected by all the death going on. It seemed as though their philosophy was, "Keep Calm and Carry On." I can't decide if I didn't like this about the book or if it was just something that I noticed.

As far as plot goes, this plot was amazing. I couldn't guess the killer. I really couldn't. Up until the very end, I thought I knew who it was, but I always changed the suspect. The fact that it was so hard for me to determine who the killer was shows that either (a) this was a good book or (b) I'm just stupid when it comes to this stuff. But regardless, there were so many twists and turns that I never suspected who it was by the end of the book. This is honestly the first mystery book that I've read that isn't paranormal that I haven't guessed the ending. Congrats, Ten.

Meg, at first, is super annoying, but as the book goes along I grow to like her more, and I want her to survive. Honestly, everyone else can go die. I was alright with Ben, and T.J. wasn't too terribly annoying, but I didn't like Minnie, and I didn't really have time to get to know the other characters in order to form an attachment to them. Hilariously, at first I thought Nathan was some super nerd, but turned out he was really popular? Goes to show how sucky I am at remembering character discriptions. I've just read so many of them. Anyway, Meg was really just a big pushover. The fact that Minnie basically ruled her life turned me off at first, but Meg grew on me. Minnie didn't.

I have to admit that the romance was a bit dry between Meg and T.J. T.J. was awesome and all and he seemed like a pretty solid dude, but I wasn't shipping them at the end. Honestly, I don't even know what makes a good romance, but I just know when I don't like a particular relationship. One good thing between the two of them though was the fact that T.J. came across as a real dude. Most guys in stories will be like "oh my god I've loved you forever I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you but I've realized the err of my ways now." Like yeah not buying that. I mean, T.J. was a bit sensitive, but it was reasonable. (Except the end when...you know. Yeah. I'm just saying I would've saved my own butt before a guy that rejected me.)

Ten really reminded me of Shark Night 3D except the book was actually scary. (Sorry, but the movie was just laughable. Utterly and positively laughable. I'm sorry if you loved it. The premise was just...kind of hilarious?) The basic plot of both the book and movie: teenagers go to island; teenagers have fun; teenagers die; two teenagers left; teenagers escape but now are in love. (I think they fall in love by the end of the movie. It's been three years.) But yeah. Pretty similar, right? I already heard that Ten was eerily similar to And Then There Were None. Considering I've never read this book (I plan on it), I didn't have a problem with Ten being so similar. I'm sure I'll have qualms once I read And Then There Were None though.

Reading this book has definitely encouraged me to read more thriller/horror books this year. I kind of like being scared, which is hilarious because I hate horror movies. I absolutely cannot stand them.

In conclusion, this was an interesting read. I'll definitely be checking out Gretchen McNeil's other books, because I liked this one a lot. I wouldn't go to say that I loved it because there were still faults, but I liked it enough to give it four stars! I think that this was a good book to read to break me into the YA horror/thriller genre. I'm really glad that I picked this up and decided to read it!

Oh yes and I love the cover. It's so simplistic and dark and just wow I love it.

I looooove a good spooky story. Action-packed, semi-predictable-yet-still-surprising thrillers? TOTALLY my thing. I would positively LOVE to see more books just like this filling up the YA genre, and Ten was an excellent addition to that!

This is one book I've recommended to a NUMBER of friends (there's actually a LINE UP of people waiting to borrow my copy). Pick this one up if you're looking for spine-tingling chills and a plot that will keep you guessing.

Reasons to Read:

1. Solid writing for creepy scenes:

Gretchen McNeil's writing totally sets up the creepy atmosphere for the whole book; it's solid and the feeling it gives off is just perfect for the reader. Like, all I want to do with this book is curl up with it and a blanket and tea on a dark and stormy night = PERFECTION. Scary books rely so much on strong writing, and I was so pleased that Gretchen absolutely nailed this part.

2. Predictable - yet still thrilling:

Here's the thing: Ten is a retelling of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. So anyone familiar with that story won't be completely surprised by Ten's plot. And it isn't the most surprising, mysterious book I've ever read - but that doesn't take away from its enjoyment and it still isn't entirely predictable or formulaic either. It seemed like every time I felt I had finally figured it out, I was wrong about something.

3. Character dynamics:

One of the best aspects of And Then There Were None is how it highlights the relationships between different characters, and Ten does a fantastic job including this in the story. It's a driving factor between the plot, trying to figure out how this group of (mostly) strangers are all connected to one another - and then watching how they interact with each other. It's a great look into the dynamics of relationships and how people interact with others.

Yet there were a couple of relationships that felt a tad too weak for me - Meg and Minnie were interesting and their story wrapped up well for the most part, but I had a harder time buying into it at first.

But mostly, I wasn't impressed with how emotionless Meg felt at times. Especially at the end, when she figures out exactly what has been going on this whole time, she feels somewhat cold and callous towards all the deaths which have taken place. I know that it isn't particularly crucial to a book like this one, but it still felt a little too distant for me, personally. Honestly, except for this one thing I think this book would have been 5 stars. It just rubbed me the wrong way when I finished reading it.

Overall, Ten was en extraordinary new YA read - it was perfect for the mood I was in when I wanted a scary read, and this one definitely kept me on my toes and glancing over my shoulder!

ARC won in Pitch Dark Books giveaway.

When I first saw this book I knew I wanted to read it. I loved "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie.. my favorite book by her actually. I was excited to see a modern retelling and couldn't wait. I was not disappointed at all in this book. I knew it wouldn't be on the same level as Agatha Christie's book.. she was amazing, but this was good. I was never bored... I had my suspicions throughout the book, and I was never for sure who it was until the very end. It was not as creepy but it definitely had the feel I was hoping for.

Ten teenagers get invited to a party on a secluded island. Some popular, some enemies, and some with feelings... the first night.. they watch a video and then one by one they are killed and their death is tallied on the wall. Each death has tells a tale from a diary of a dead girl. Everyone is a suspect and everyone is a potential victim. No one can be trusted and their is no way out, no one to save them.

Wonderful retelling. First I want to mention he tone. I am a 90's child and this book reminded me bunches of the horror teen books I read in the 90's... kind of horror flick kind of tone. I have missed this tone in my horror books and glad to see it back for this book. I also loved how it was a retelling but had a different feel and scenery then Agatha Christie's book. Of course more modern, more YA geared but it did have the same red herring effect that I love so much. The writing style was good, just right for the teen scene and it was a fast paced, quick and easy read.
The only complaint I do have with the book and this is what kept me from giving it 5 hearts... the book was so fast paced that I didn't get as connected as I like to be with the characters. Usually I rate books lower than 4 if I don't have a real feel for the characters, but the story was just enough up my alley, giving me what I wanted out of this book, that the character building just didn't seem as important as other books. I wanted a horror flick read and that is what I received.

I still have something to say about the characters. I did like Meg, she was pretty cool for having such a self absorbed friend. She felt a need to take care of Minnie, even it was out of obligation more than friendship, she tried her best to understand Minnie and watch out for her. I really didn't like Minnie, she was a whiner and very self centered... even though she has her reasons, she still grated my last nerve. I very much liked T.J., this is the one character I really wanted more of. I didn't understand the obsession that Meg had for T.J. and I feel that if there was more T.J., maybe the understanding would have been there. The love connection between the two didn't seem instant, I got that there were sparks before this island vacation, but I didn't get to experience the history either... so there it is, my one complaint that gave the book a 4 not a 5.

Great read if you are looking for a fast paced, horror based, nothing to complex story. It was a great ride but nothing that would keep me up at night pondering.

Gretchen McNeil's debut novel, Possess, is one of my favorite YA horror stories. As soon as I heard about Ten I knew I had to read it. I'm happy to say that I loved Ten even more than I loved Possess.

Ten is pretty much a horror movie in book form. It's fast-paced, terrifying, and will have you on the edge of your seat. There were times when I wanted to yell at the characters because they definitely did some stupid stuff but I expected that. It didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

The best thing about Ten is how quick a read it is. The chapters are short which made it seem even shorter. It's an impossible book to put down and it will only take an hour or so to read. Sure I love a good 500 page book but on a rainy day, Ten is the book to go for.

The plot is a little predictable but I was never 100 percent certain as to who the killer was. I kept second guessing myself and I definitely guessed the wrong person a few times. The story was full of twists and turns that I never saw coming and I loved that about it.

Meg was a strong main character. She was one of the first people to realize what was going on. She was one of the only people who kept a clear head throughout the murders and she always had good ideas as to how to help save them. She was just really likable, smart, witty, and kind. She was one of the things I liked most about the book.

Overall, Ten is a must-read for horror fans. And even if you aren't a horror fan, I'd recommend this one. It's not too scary but it will definitely leave you checking around corners and leaving lights on.

Can I just say up front how much I disliked Minnie? Yeah, yeah, I know she has bipolar disorder in the book and all and come to find out, she's been off her meds for a while. But that doesn't make her any easier to like. I cringed away from her the entire time. Something about my personality rebels against super-emotionally needy people, bipolar disorder or not. I run for the hills. Meg actually makes a comment about how exhausting the weekend is going to be with Vivian (I think it was Vivian, but it might have been Lori) around, but I wanted so bad to scream at her that the exhausting one is her friend Minnie. Guys seriously, you don't understand how much I struggle with this in real life. *sigh* Moving on...

I don't read thriller/killer/mystery stuff very often, but I was pleasantly surprised with Ten. Knowing ahead of time that there's doom and gloom ahead of these teens from the get-go, the beginning felt very ominous. Even from the ferry ride over to the island, Gretchen McNeil does a great job placing some foreshadowing references that gets you psyched from the very beginning.

Despite trying to stay ahead of the game and figure out who the killer is, I was just as confused as Meg was and somehow fell into all the traps of "who-done-it" that she did. Especially when we find out who the real killer is.

Overall, I enjoyed Ten and read most of in one sitting. It did, however, serve to only reinforce my deep fear of emotionally unstable people--as well as emotionally delusional people. (Run away people! Seriously!) Ten gets 3.5 Stars and served up at least one night of frightful dreams where I was on the run from a serial killer.

Have you read Ten? What did you think? Let me know!

I'm sorry, but if the most popular girl in school invites you to a super exclusive party at her vacation home on a private island, you don't say no. This is the position in which Meg and her BFF, Minnie, find themselves. Meg's mega-crush, TJ, and his hot friend, Ben, are even amongst the guests! A raging party and a potentially steamy weekend without parents--what's a girl to do? Though their hostess' arrival is delayed, the party is off to a great start. Minnie and Ben hit it off, leaving Meg to grapple with her hidden feelings for TJ. That is, until the weekend takes a turn for the sinister and a girl mysteriously winds up dead. It appears somebody is on a quest for revenge and all of the guests are targets. Meg makes it her mission to find out if anyone else is lurking on the island or if the killer is one of their own. Can she solve the mystery in time or will she herself become a victim in this deadly game?

I initially picked up Ten because of all its rave reviews. When people compared it to 90's slasher films and the works of R.L. Stine, c'mon! I can't resist that! It's got Nikki-bait written all over it! Because let's be honest, murder and mayhem make me tingly all over. But excited as I was, I still had some reservations going in. Ten is loosely based off of the classic mystery novel, And Then There Were None, and I absolutely adored both the book and its movie incarnate. See, the problem is that it's really hard to live up to the high standards set by the queen of mystery and intrigue, Ms. Agatha Christie. Virtually impossible, if you ask me. I guess I just wanted to like the book more than I actually did. Now that's not to say Ten wasn't entertaining but it wasn't as bold or scary as I initially hoped either.

Perhaps I just suffer from the curse of unmet expectations or maybe it's because the book skewed a little too young for me, I'm not really sure, but by the end I was kind of done with it. For starters, I had issues with mixing up the two main gals, Meg and Minnie. I often had to flip back several pages just to figure out who was who. As for the other teens, they were thinly veiled characterizations of your typical high school cliques--your popular kids, do-gooders, stoners, jocks and techie types. Honestly, I didn't really connect with any of them so when they were killed off one by one, it didn't faze me. Ten kind of reminded me of those really bad slasher flicks where you want to scream at the person on screen because they're doing that REALLY STUPID thing that'll obviously get them killed. I really do think I yelled "DON'T GO IN THERE, YOU IDIOT!" and "WHY ARE YOU SPLITTING UP!? DON'T YOU HAVE ANY SELF PRESERVATION AT ALL?!" Yeah, come to think of it, I definitely yelled that one pretty frequently.

But though I had my issues with Ten, the story was short and fast-paced enough to keep me engaged. And yeah, the characters were generalized but it made me sort of feel like I was back in high school again. It was easy to get lost in the trivial drama that plagues our teen years, and honestly, I kind of dug that about this book. McNeil also did a decent job at masking the killer's identity, though I was able to figure it out a few chapters before the intended reveal. Ten did also have its creepier, on-edge moments that made me want to flick on the light and cuddle up to my dog for safety purposes, but overall, for this horror-junkie, it wasn't enough. I do think Ten will be more effective with a less-horror-enthused, younger audience so I will totally be recommending it to my younger siblings and their hormone-driven friends.

Food for Thought: All in all, Ten wasn't quite as good as I hoped it would be. Fast-paced and entertaining, it certainly had that creep-factor that makes it a good choice for a younger crowd and those who are looking for an easy shudder. Though it's a good book to get you into the Halloween spirit, if you're looking for something that packs more of a punch, I recommend reading or watching the original, And Then There Were None.

Thank you to Balzer + Bray for providing me with an ARC!

What a book! I'm so glad that I read this horror/thriller because it was awesome. Ten is a fast paced thriller that I read in a couple of hours. There is never a dull moment in Ten and you're eyes will be glued to the page. I know that when I was reading I ignored everything else around me because I was so immersed in Ten.

Ten is the story of ten teens who are invited to an island for a party. The story is from the POV Meg who is more like a mom than a friend to her best friend Minnie. The guests include TJ (who is Meg and Minnie's lover), and other guests from 3 different High Schools.

All of the teens watch a DVD and the DVD warns that vengeance is mine. Slowly the teens start to die off but is it just a coincidence or is someone after them all? If there is a killer is it one of the guests?

Honestly Gretchen McNeil wrote this book with the perfect amount of romance, drama, horror and suspense. Ten is a book that you won't want to put down because how well written it is. It's kind of scary how well written this book. I am so impressed with Miss McNeil and I expect to be wowed with her debut novel called Possess.

I recommend this book if you're in the mood for a high octane thriller but be warned don't read this book if you're all alone and it's midnight. You will be scared out of your wits!!!
5/5 Stars
"Must Read"

As soon as I heard the idea of this book, I knew I was dying to read it. For those who may not know this book is a re-telling of Agatha Christie's. " And then there were none", While I did enjoy Christie's story, and could easily see why it's a classic, I have to say that this book kept me on the edge of my seat even more. I flew through this story, devouring every page. I couldn't put it down, and that to me is what makes a book fantastic, that I can get so invested in the character's that I can't put the book down until I find out what happens to them.

I loved the main character of Meg, and felt like she was a great "teller" of the story, and I also liked how all the characters collectively brought something to the story. This was my first Gretchen McNeil read, and she did not dissapoint! Her writing flowed in a way that made it addictive, and suspenseful, and I didn't see the ending coming at all!! I loved that the twists and turns kept me guessing, and that's exactly what I was looking for in a creepy, october read. I held on to this book for too long, but wanted to wait til around halloween and this was the perfect book to kick off the season.

I can't yell at you if you haven't read any Gretchen McNeil yet, because as of a few days ago, I had yet to read anything by her either, but I regret not picking up her books sooner, and feel like the hype that surrounds her books is well-deserved!! I cannot wait to read the other two books of hers that are currently out. I can't say enough good things about this book other then if your looking for a great, creepy read this is definitely a great one.

This was one of the most highly anticipated reads of the year, and it definitely didn't disappoint. I love a creepy thriller as much as any other Agatha Christie fan, and i'm happy to say that this isn't one of those bad retellings of And Then There Were None. Ten kept me guessing until the very end, which is quite a feat considering the amount of mysteries I've digested in my lifetime. Take a group of diverse teenagers, place them on a setting as creepy as creepy can get, and add a mindboggling mystery that will mess with your heart and your soul; and you get the epitome of modern teen horror literature that is Ten.

The number of characters in Ten was overwhelming! Each had their own secrets, their own shady past and background. They weren't very likeable characters; they were all cliched stereotypes and all of them annoyed me in a way, but that adds to the book's charm. The story is told from Meg's point of view so we get to know her pretty well. She was an interesting character with a lot of problems and emotions bubbling up inside her. However, despite being brave and smart, she was actually pretty weak. She was too concerned about the welfare of others and never lets her own needs come before the needs of others, namely her best friend's. See what I told you about stereotypes? I liked her enough, but I couldn't really connect with her in an emotional sense.

I couldn't guess who the murder was! I had all of these suspicions, but it was difficult to direct them all to one person. People were dropping dead one-by-one as fast as you can say "Ten", and I soon found myself left with dead suspects. It came to the point where all the people I suspected were dead and I began to doubt everyone- including Meg. This book really messed with my mind and left me hanging on a thread at each turn of the page. It got very exciting and was definitely a page-turner towards the end. There was an obvious psychological change in each character; the killings clearly got to their head and they were slowly succumbing to insanity and it was creepy beyond words. If you're the daring type, read this book at night! It will definitely send shivers down your spine. I have always been a fan of mystery and suspense, and I have to say that this is one of the best Young Adult thrillers out in the market. McNeil weaved this story in a clear and concise way, but leaves the reader guessing all throughout. I loved the element of surprise that she masterfully presented.

Ten will blow your mind. Excessively vivid and haunting, the readers will think that they're on the island, desperately trying to avoid an unknown killer- one who might possibly be the person you trust the most. Masterfully written in a way that makes readers instinctively bury their heads under the covers whilst turning the page, Ten will turn you into a curious kitty cat; trying to go deeper into the mind of each character. Ten is gleeful terror masked in pure perfection.

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Ten is a grab you by the throat and hold you there read, meaning it will not let you breathe until it is finished. It had its hooks in me from the very first moments on Henry Island. I really relished the teen slasher feel to Ten, because I will admit I enjoy a good slasher movie occasionally. I grew up on movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. What I liked about the main character is she is strong and capable despite her very co-dependent relationship with her best friend, Minnie. Minnie on the other hand is narcotic and controlling.

When Meg and Minnie arrive at the Island, there is a new group of characters to meet. All the characters are from different schools than Meg and Minnie, except T.J. and Gunner. Gunner is Minnie's ex-boyfriend and T.J. is the boy that both Meg and Minnie want. The problem is T.J. has eyes for Meg, while Minnie has staked claims even though he does not want her. This is going to lead to major conflicts between the girls. At this party, almost everyone is a stranger except a few small groups. This is not a good sign for our characters.

As people start dying, Meg tries to figure out who is behind the vicious murders. If she wants to survive, she cannot trust anyone. All Meg wants to do is save herself and her friends, but with a storm cutting off all contact with anyone, that may not be a possibility. I loved the small details as they come together to create such a well-crafted story.

I loved that I could not see the end coming. With every reveal or clue, the person of interest shifted and turned, leading down a twisted road of who done it, without revealing the mastermind behind the revenge filled weekend until the very end. Meg keeps a level head throughout the book, because she knows that it is up to her to figure out who is behind it and why they are after the group in the first place. I could not have been more wrapped up in the story, trying to solve who the murderer is alongside Meg. I really enjoyed Ten and could imagine it as a slasher movie in my head perfectly. It really is a slasher movie in the form of a book, and maybe one day I will get to see it played out on the big screen.

**Unabridged Bookshelf purchased this book**

Meg is nervous to be attending a weekend party on Henry Island. She is lying to her parents to head to this remote island, and on top of that she is to spend the weekend with a group of teenagers with no adult supervision. Meg, is a bit shy and reclusive as a budding writer, she would be content holed up writing, but Minnie, her best friend, will have none of that! Minnie insists that they are going to have a good time. At the dock, they are greeted by T.J. and Ben. Meg's heart clutches! T.J. is the boy she is secretly in love with, but can't date because Minnie also has a crush on him, and she refuses to sacrifice her friendship. As the ferry pushes away leaving her stranded on the island for three days, she begins to wonder if this was the best idea. Soon the situation turns dangerous as kids begin to die. Is someone deliberately murdering the guests, and if so why? Will Meg survive the weekend?
What I Liked:
*The thing that immediately grabbed my attention with this book was the way Ms. McNeil builds up a suspenseful atmosphere. The reader is put on edge right away by the dark and stormy night, is there any better way to start out a murder mystery than with a dark and story night? We get the perfect atmospheric setting, blending with a sense of unease as the ferry leaves stranding the group alone on the island for three days. Then add in no cell phone service and a power outage, the tension is ripe and it is a perfect time to add in a bit of murder. I loved the way the terror and suspense notched up in this one.
*I liked that this followed the old tried and true formula of a group of people stranded alone and then a killer starts picking them off. Yes, this is a familiar story line, but McNeil manages to make it work, and I found myself sucked into the plot right away, anxious to see if I could solve the crime.
*One unique aspect to this book that I enjoyed was the diary. The entries gave insight to the motives behind the murders. I also liked the way Meg connected to the diary and sympathized with the writer since she kept her own journal.
*I enjoyed Meg, the main character, she is plucky, shy, resourceful and very like-able. I kept wondering why someone would want to harm her. She is someone you can get behind and cheer for.
*I liked the romance in this one, too. It is a friendship that turned romantic and then was cut short by certain circumstances, but in the dire conditions it has a chance to bloom. The romance is a nice reprieve from the terror.
*I loved the heart pounding finale with its twists and turns and shockers. I admit, I was completely wrong in picking the murder, but that made it even more fun. Yes, the book followed a predictable pattern but it managed to catch me by surprise!

And The Not So Much:
*One problem I had was that none of the characters aside from Meg and T.J. were like-able. In fact, the reader is just barely getting through the introductions when the murders start, so the first victims are the obligatory unknown throwaway characters. *The remainder of the victims, for the most part, I just didn't care when they got bumped off because they were depicted as selfish, snotty, bossy, and most of them were rather despicable. It would have better if a few more of the characters had redeemable qualities so it would pack more of a punch when they died, but for the most part I had a good riddance, I didn't like you anyway response. Minnie, Meg's best friend, in particular was a horrible person and I did not like the way she treated Meg.
*I realize that this a murder mystery thriller, but in reality it is pretty implausible. The extent the killer goes to set up everything is a bit over the top and it is hard for me to believe that a group of ten teenagers manages to escape to this island with an impending storm brewing and no one knows where they are. Granted, this isn't a book meant to be believable, it is to entertain, and I admit it did entertain me. Just don't go into this one hoping to find something that could really happen.
*I thought the whole killer speech relating the why and how everything played out was a bit trite and unoriginal, but it filled in all the blanks so it served its purpose.
*I was a bit frustrated when people starting dying and no one was willing to believe that the deaths were not accidental. I didn't like the way Meg kept second guessing the deaths. I expected more terror and panic from the players.

Ten was a fun retelling of an Agatha Christy classic. It utilizes a tried and true formula set against a dark and stormy background. It is a great example of how atmospheric setting can notch up the tension. If you are a fan of murder mystery books give this one a try. It is guilty pleasure read that is exciting and fast!

Favorite Quotations:
“Meg desperately fought the urge to roll her eyes at the nacho-cheesiness of his line, but it was like crack for Minnie.”
“Their lives had grown in different directions, but deep down they were still two goofy twelve-year-olds who laughed at the same stupid jokes, protected each other, and were totally, utterly inseparable.”
"So on that level, she wanted to shove the old diary back into the drawer where it had sat for who knows how long gathering dust and hoarding its secrets. She wanted to leave it alone. She wanted to walk away.”

I purchased a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted @ <[...]>Rainy Day Ramblings</a>.

I swear I thought of every crazy (non-paranormal) idea on who could have been the killer and yet, I was so completely wrong in the end. Although, I did have a fleeting thought about the "why" that was right, I was so completely wrong about the who. McNeil is a crazy mastermind.

I've watched a few teen slasher movies, but they're not usually my cup of tea. If there's going to be blood then I want there to be a good story and sadly, that's just not usually the case. Ten, however, was completely awesome. Maybe it's because it was in book format instead of movie, but I never thought it to be cheesy. I did, however, squirm and cringe and want to hide under the covers. There was so much blood! Though, I must say that McNeil handles it in as much a tasteful way as can be possible.

The mystery itself was definitely the best part for me. I was right there with Meg frantically trying to fit the pieces together. Though, I did figure most of it out before her, she was never too far behind. Except, you know, in the end I was really rather wrong despite everything. For almost the entire book I had it narrowed down to two people and was totally convinced it was one of them. Yeah, not so much. If you can figure this one out before the reveal, I will totally give you a round of applause.

I know a romance element is pretty normal, but am I really the only one who finds it a little weird that people can build a relationship in the midst of a bloodbath?

The Nutshell: The characters aren't the best, but can you really ask for more from a slasher? I mean, some of the characters are around for no time at all so you can't really expect them to be well-rounded. The mystery, however, is stellar and makes up for any shortcomings. If you're looking for a good teen slasher that will have you paranoid by the end then Ten is definitely your read.

Hit

As a long-time Agatha Christie fan and a huge fan of retellings, this book inspired by her classic And Then There Were None was of immediate interest to me. It's a tricky story where I was unable to solve the mystery (although to be honest, I rarely figure out the murderer in a Christie) but I had hopes for doing so in this case. Alas they were misguided as I was caught completely off-guard by the actual murderer after thinking it was someone else. But let's go back to the beginning.

This book gathers ten teens together for a weekend with a raging party. Although not everyone knows each other, those who do have simmering tensions. Best friends Meg and Minnie both have a crush on popular boy TJ whose best friend Gunner used to date Minnie. Gunner's new girlfriend is also there as are a few more kids. But Meg is our main character although she does not narrate in first person, which kept throwing me. I am so used to YA main characters narrating that I often struggle to connect with third-person narration. This was the case here although I think the plot itself also helped with my disconnect. As the story turns dark, everyone is potentially a murderer and who wants to identify with a murderer?

So while I didn't connect with the characters, I did really appreciate the atmospheric setting. They're on a basically deserted island without power during a massive storm, which served to ratchet up the tension. I'm not usually one to notice the setting but it was very evocative here.

One last item to mention is something that also bothered me about the original book-I am just so uncomfortable with this vigilante justice. The murderer firmly believes in his/her cause, which would likely not be prosecuted had legal means been pursued but I hate the idea of a person deciding to claim their own justice through such means. It's the nature of the story but I really hate it.

Overall: Not at all character driven but full of suspense for fans of such.

This was one of my most highly anticipated reads this year. I was dying to get my hands on it and it didn't disappoint at all. I love a creepy mystery and this one was fantastic. (Even better, it was storming out the day that I read it! Perfect for reading a scary story.) It actually kept me guessing until the very end, which with how many mysteries I have read, is quite a feat. I don't know if anyone else watched that mini series on TV a few years ago called Harper's Island, but when I heard about this book it reminded me of that show. (Which totally rocked by the way.) This book had a great creepy atmosphere, and a really great plot. They way it all came together was awesome!

It's told from Meg's POV so we get to know her pretty well. She was an interesting character, but despite her being brave and trying to figure out who the murderer was, she really was a pretty weak character. She is too concerned with making others happy and doesn't really let herself come first. She is willing to give up her happiness for others and it's pretty sad. She really doesn't want to though, she's just not really brave enough to stand up for herself. Anyways, I liked her enough, but I wouldn't say that I really connected with her at all.

So there are ten of them at this house on an Island (5 boys 5 girls) and they will be there until the ferry comes to get them at the end of the weekend. When the power goes out and people start dying, it becomes quite a scary situation. All of them are suspects, or they think there could be someone else on the island. They couldn't be more different from each other. They pretty much partner off and end up only getting along with the others as much as they have to to survive. I didn't really find any of them to be very likable. Meg was too boring, Minnie was mean and crazy, Vivian was bossy and snotty, Kenny was too quiet, but a bit unnerving, Nathan is a man whore, Kumiko flies off the handle rather quickly, and Lori was really quiet. T.J. and Ben were the only nice ones really. Okay, I take that back, all of the guys with the exception of Nathan were nice. Nathan was just a creep who wanted to get in all the girls pants.

Now onto the actual plot. Dude!! I was totally second guessing myself every few pages. I will say that at one point I was actually correct about who the murderer was, but then changed my mind. I thought it was every single one of them (except like 2) and other people who aren't actually staying at the house. Do you know how excited that made me? I always figure stuff out super early and I just couldn't with this one. The way Gretchen weaved this whole story together and the way that it all ended was fantastic!! She deserves a gold star for that!

I love mystery books. I love scary books. I love Gretchen McNeil. (In a totally non creepy way, I swear) This book rocked! I love the element of surprise and she did it so well with this. The whole way everything happened and why was genius. This was suspenseful, and had my hear beating out of my chest. It didn't scare me. I'm sad to say that, but it takes a lot to really scare me. Not many books are actually capable of that, but this one did give me the chills at times. I love her style of writing and how she really makes you feel like you are in the story with them. That is always fun when you feel like you are in a horror story! If you like chilling mysteries this is a book for you!

I don't make a habit of reading many murder mysteries. They usually just don't manage to grab my attention all that much, as I like my books both fanciful and thrilling. When I found out that Gretchen McNeil had written Ten, however, I knew I had to give it a go. She successfully scared the crap out of me with Possess, so I was confident she would write a mean murder mystery. As it turns out, my assumptions were correct and I was treated to one heck of a thrill ride. Ten brought on the mystery plot with a whole lot of ominous tone. From the first page, I knew I was in for it.

When it comes to Meg and her best friend, Minnie, the description above does not do justice to the true nature of the relationship between these two. To say that Minnie is codependent and Meg is an enabler is an understatement. From the start, you know that what you're reading isn't a typical friendship. Instead, it's based on something more akin to baby-sitting and walking on egg shells. Meg starts out as such a push-over that you have to wonder just how the story is going to play out in regard to her. However, as she begins to realize more and more the consequences of her enabling behavior, she becomes a bit stronger and a more sympathetic character. I wanted someone to put a gag in Minnie's mouth half the time, but I can't deny that she added a lot of edge to the story's undercurrents.

I simply loved the setting for Ten. It doesn't get much spookier than a heavily forested, storm-ravaged island along the Pacific Northwest coast. It added so much more urgency to the teens' plight and made for a heck of an atmosphere. Between that and the enigma that is the identity of the killer, you'll be kept on the edge of your seat. I truly could not deduce the killer's identity until they revealed it themselves. Consider my mind blown. When a book comes along that takes me completely by surprise like that, I'm a happy reader, indeed.

It's safe to say that Ten left me very satisfied in the thrills and chills department. Though I would have liked to see some more depth to Minnie's character (I honestly couldn't define what Meg saw in her), the variety in the cast worked out very well. With a foreboding setting, character conflict, and a tight lid on the killer's identity, Ten makes for a pretty great mystery. If you're a fan of the genre or want to try it out for yourself, Ten would definitely be a good place to start.

This advance review copy was provided to me by the author as part of a contest. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

This review originally appeared on my blog, Starting the Next Chapter, on October 5, 2012.

Wow. Gretchen McNeil knows how to set a creepy scene! The creepiness begins at the very start with the characters arriving on the island. From the description of the island itself, to the layout of White Rock House, Gretchen sets the scene and gears you up for this thriller!

TEN is told in the third person, focusing around Meg. At some point I wished it was told in the first person from Meg's perspective, but looking back, overall, I don't think it would have worked as well. Gretchen weaved a fantastic story full of suspense about ten characters trapped on an island that are killed one by one. I tried all along to keep track of them all and figure out who the killer was, but all my guesses were wrong. I didn't know until the killer was revealed to the reader. The book is a re-telling of AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie but I haven't read the original so it was new and full of awesomesauce for me!

Let's just go through the creepy factor checklist, shall we? TEN has them all.
* Isolated location, the island - check
* Creepy laid out house - check
* Cut off from the outside world (no phone or internet) - check
* No power - check
* A character with mental illness - check
* Boat house - check

I have to share my story of reading TEN... I was creeped out, unable to put it down at 1:30 AM, when the power went off. It came back on after a couple of minutes, but I thought I was going to have a heart attack! I was traveling at the time, staying with family... so I was in a strange house with strange noises. Then the power went out again, and I was in pitch darkness trying to forget that the characters had just found another body, and the windows we'd discovered unlocked that afternoon. All kinds of scenarios were running through my mind. The power came back on, and I thought I was OK, what are the chances it'd go out again? I'll just finish this chapter and then I'll go to sleep (or try to anyway). Yeah, no, that's when the power went out for the third time! I'm not joking... but I kept on reading anyway (using my flashlight app when the power was out), I couldn't put it down!

This was the book I didn't even know I was waiting for! It's full of delicious suspense, a heart-pounding climax, and storyline with characters that keep you guessing. If you're a fan of creepy stories and thrillers, then you'll love TEN!

Well we all know how much I do love my covers, right? This is a creepy cover indeed. It makes me think of that mini-series called Harper's Island where it was a big wedding party that pretty much had a killer running around. Well this has a very similar approach except this is teenagers instead of adults.
Our main protagonist, Meg, is more or less forced to be there because her "best friend" wants to go. Meg is charismatic; everyone seems to like her right off and she gets along with most everyone there.
Everyone else you root for but aren't sure if they will make it-but some you are secretly hoping they get the ax; so to speak. One person I couldn't stand at all was Meg's bff, Minnie. UGH! This girl just ticked me off to no end! She has no concept of friendship because she basically looks at Meg as her slave more than anything else.
All of the other characters were decent. T.J. was a pretty cool dude. He wasn't portrayed as the typical football jock and I actually liked him even more for it.
The secondary characters felt just like that-secondary characters. We get a little background on them, but a few came after the fact. It was hard to get attached to anyone because you didn't know who would be taken out quickly or not.

You are pretty much thrust into the whole creepy factor right away. This I totally loved! The videotape was such a nice added "scare the hell outta you" feature. I did feel, though, people were too hesitant to believe what was happening. A lot of folks kept second guessing themselves until it was too late.
I liked all the small details that Ms. McNeil added to keep the scare factor in the story going. One scene involving the neighbor's house had me pretty freaked out.
There were times that I had figured out a few parts of the plot early on but I never guessed who the killer was until the very end. I wasn't even going in that direction at all!
And of course throughout all this chaotic killing frenzy and terrible storm, there is a small romantic factor playing within the other plot lines.
My biggest pet peeve with this book was Meg's unfailing way to second guess herself. I felt like she was very astute, sitting in the background studying everything and everyone else, and I just didn't like the way she didn't have enough confidence to believe in herself.

Other than that, I really liked Ten! Fans of movies like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Urban Legend will get much delight in this creepy entertaining thriller.

I read this quickly and enjoyed it for what it was - a kind of teen version of "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie. I'm a big fan of Dame Agatha and this story seemed okay for a teen version of it. I am not sure if the author purposely made the characters' reactions underplayed and the deaths glossed over in order to get past a teen rating system for the story- maybe if it were too realistic, she wouldn't be able to get the story published?

The thing that bugged me about the story was that the deaths didn't seem to overly upset the teens. They were almost blasé about the whole thing. If I'd seen even one dead body as a teen, I would've totally freaked out and these characters didn't seem at all upset except for the one girl who was bi-polar and didn't have her meds. I found that interesting since she was the only one with a normal reaction but it seemed the author wanted us to think she was over-reacting.

I did figure out the culprit before the ending but I think, depending on the target age group of the story that the author did a good job on the whodunit.

Wow. Just wow. This book was quite the page-turner! Ten follows a girl named Meg who reluctantly agrees to attend a party for the weekend at the house of a popular classmate. Of course this house happens to be on an island, an island you can only get to by ferry. And in a typical rebellious teenaged act, no one knows they are there. It quickly appears to Meg that only 10 people were going to make it to the party. The weather is raging outside and when the gang decides to pop in a movie, all the dvd cases come up empty with only one homemade dvd available. 'VENGEANCE IS MINE.' The message on the dvd creates a tailspin amongst the guests. Death occurs and no one knows who to trust. Is the killer one of them or is there someone else on the island?

I was ready to dig into this murder mystery and put my detective hat on from page one! The cast of 10 teens that are stuck at this party on the island was very diverse with different personalities, different backgrounds, and even some different schools. So why were they all invited to this exclusive party together? What did they all have in common? Well that is what was so fun trying to figure out! There is no wait for the action and once the deaths start to occur it was hard to put the book down! I needed to know what was going to happen next and wanted to know who the killer was! And of course along with the murders there is a story of Meg being secretly in love with TJ, who is also at the party, but remains quiet due to her best friend's crush on him as well. Her friendship with Minnie was very complex. She was fiercely loyal and protective of her, but Minnie is a ticking timebomb. The complex situation made a great addition to the murders. With each death I think I was further and further on the edge of my seat. I had lots of theories swimming around in my head that were constantly evolving with every little bit of information given to us and with each death. Once you get to the reveal though... wow. Seriously it amazes me how it all fit together. I never saw some of it coming and it totally blew me away! I can't wait to read this again and see all the little clues that were given along the way that I missed the first time!

What I also love about this book is that even though it is a little scary and creepy, it isn't overly so. i think anyone who isn't huge into thrillers would love this book as well!

~Sara @ Forever 17 Books

I almost didn't read this book for one reason: I don't read horror. I like some horror/mystery movies, but I'm extremely picky. And until now, I had never read a book in that genre.

At first, Ten was an intriguing book with an EXTREMELY annoying side character (Minnie). At the half-way point, I started freaking out. Things went from interesting to downright creepy. I had chills. ACTUAL CHILLS. Not metaphorical chills--real ones. I was suddenly completely on edge, paranoid, and felt like someone was watching me (despite being alone in my apartment).

Ten is so thrilling and suspenseful. I love how we can literally see things spiralling out of control! It's definitely very Lord of the Flies. People turn on each other, question their friends, and question their sanity.

I read this book in one sitting because I literally could not put it down. I had no idea that Ten would have such a strong effect on me! I had to shoot film scenes for uni today and I was whipping my book out in between takes because I just had to find out what happened next!

The best thing about Ten is that I couldn't predict the ending, though I desperately wanted to. The whole time I was reading, I was also speculating and trying to figure out the killer. At all times, I was bouncing around about 5 possibilities, but I couldn't narrow it down. The book kept me constantly guessing!

My one gripe with the book was Minnie. Minnie is supposed to be an annoying character, and it all gets explained at the end, but before that was clear to me, she was pissing me off. She was a horrible, disrespectful, unthoughtful friend to Meg and what annoyed me most was how Meg totally put up with it. At one point even T.J. says to Meg, "You deserve better," and he's totally right. But things change as the book goes on: Meg has less patience with Minnie and Minnie's near-insanity gets a good explanation. But in the beginning, I was rolling my eyes every time her name came up!

I am so glad I read Ten ! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It's absolutely terrifying, disturbing, psychologically freaky, and totally gripping. Even if you don't normally read this genre (like me), I still highly recommend it. AWESOME BOOK!

When will characters realize partying on an island just screams trouble? I have said it before and I will say it again. If And Then There Was None and Harper Island made a baby, Ten would be it. Ten is a short heart racing, creepy story. I am always happy to see YA horror and I think Ten was spot on for this genre. I like that this book is considered a retelling, but still kept a modern twist to it.

Meg seemed to be a pretty awesome main character. At first I thought she was going to be that person everyone walked over, but Meg definitely held her own. If I was her I don't think I would have taken Minnie's crap, but Meg is probably a better friend then me. She was surprisingly really brave in this book. I would have hid in my room with the door barricaded and she was off in full adventure mode.

With how short Ten was I would have liked to see a little more detail and more time with characters between killings. It felt like one killing would happen and before I could process what was thrown at me someone else showed up dead. I also think that more details on the characters wouldn't have made some as forgettable.

The gore was fantastic and creative, but not over done. It seemed to leave just enough tease for the mind without being over done. The killings in Ten were very unique and specific to each person, which gave an ominous creep factor. The person that did this you could tell was calculated and almost had this mad genius aspect. It kept me second guessing who the killer was through the whole story and I will regretfully admit I was wrong the whole time. Ten is not some predictable horror story that you will know what happens. Trust me when I say, you will be shocked with the spectacular ending.

Ten is a terrifying novel that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish!

Maybe I loved this so much because I haven't read the original... But honestly, it's probably because I'm a sucker for retellings. This novel is based off the Agatha Christie thriller, And Then There Were None. I don't know much about the original book, besides what I learned from a play I did based off of the story when I was in eighth grade... Eons ago! But I figure if it's as thrilling as Ten, I'd better pick it up soon!

The story begins with Meg and her best friend, Minnie, riding on a ferry to a "friend's" house. Friend is in quotations because she's definitely not a friend, but as said in the novel, "You don't say no to Jessica's parties." When they get to the island where the party is being held, only nine other people are there, including Minnie's ex-boyfriend and the guy that both Meg and Minnie are in love with. When people mysteriously start dying, the ones who are still alive are left to figure out who the murderer is, if they don't all die before they can. As I typed that last sentence, in my head I was going, "Oooooohoooohhh." Just FYI.

My only issue with this novel was the end. It seemed like copout and definitely lowered my opinion of the main character. Meg couldn't be thinking like a real teenage girl at the finish. It sincerely shocked me that the author chose that way to tie up the novel. Enter me repeatedly hitting my forehead with the palm of my hand.

Though it had it's off moments, this book is addictive. It was immediately obvious to me that I was going to enjoy it. There's just something about Ms. McNeil's writing style that drew me in. This was the first book I've read by her, but I'm extremely interested to see if her other novels are as good.

Ten definitely isn't for those who are faint of heart. This is one of the few books that I've read in my life that have seriously freaked me out. To be honest, I couldn't sleep at night for days after finishing it! I hope the author will write more horror novels because she has a real knack at it. I will be rereading it as soon as I can find the time!

Oh my goodness, I don't even know how to review Ten by Gretchen McNeil. I loved her first book, Possess, because yay ghosties and exoricists and what not, but Ten just basically knocked my socks off. I haven't read the original Agatha Christie work, but I didn't feel like I needed to have read it to really get into the story.

Gretchen McNeil knows how to bring the thriller. I had to pull up my covers and turn all the lights on while reading Ten because I could practically hear the loud rain and see the lightening from the terrible storm that was occurring throughout Ten. She is fantastic at setting up the atmosphere and turning the creep meter to a billion.

I loved the protagonist, Meg. She was sharp and observant and would always think about her words before talking and kind of like the perfect detective, which is exactly what Ten needed. Meg freaked out and was scared just like everyone else, but I loved how she was able to keep a mostly cool head - which helped me to keep a cool head because trust me, even though I was just reading Ten, I was shaking in my figurative boots.

Oh, and how I loved TJ. He wasn't the most swoon-worthy love interest I've ever read, but Ten wasn't really all about the romance, so he didn't need to be. He was just real, strong and supportive and attractive. I loved the easy, natural way Gretchen McNeil built up the romance for us in Ten - clearly Ten is a horror story and the last thing I want to read about in a horror story is an epic make out session (hah! I think the moment always calls for an epic make out session, actually) but Gretchen McNeil added in the romance so it all mixed well together.

The whole story in Ten was just done perfectly. The pacing is timed epically. There's the perfect amount of build up, the perfect amount of time in between each horrifying death, and then twist after twist after twist that had me holding my breath until the very end.

Guys, if Possess didn't convince me that Gretchen McNeil knows how to write, Ten definitely did. Gretchen McNeil delivers a creepy and brilliant book with Ten, and I can't wait until an appropriate amount of time passes until I've forgotten everything so I can reread Ten. It is a perfect creepy thriller for this time of year and I highly recommend it!

If you're old enough to remember the slasher films of the 70's/80's (Friday the 13th, Halloween) as well as the films of the 90's (Scream), then you already have a reason to appreciate a book such as TEN by Gretchen McNeil. In addition, if you are a fan of mystery thrillers, such as And Then There Were None by the legendary Agatha Christie - bonus point! Even more reason to love TEN.

All that aside, let's start with the basics: From the opening scenes within the book we actually know and initially learn very little about the characters. All we know is that they are young teens (some with very, very bad attitudes) who are spending a weekend on an island to party-hardy. Many of them even lied to their parents about where they are at. (Of course! Who out there hasn't done this at least once in their life?) Why should we even like these guys, right? Ah, but here's the brilliance of Gretchen's story. The character development is written within the fabric of the mystery. The 10 teenager's true personalities and backgrounds come out as the murders are committed, truths are revealed, and in the end you want to either root for some of them to live on! Either that or you grind your teeth, cursing them, right up to the moment of their impending doom. It's brilliant, what started as an empty shell of a story ended as a beautifully crafted and fleshed out mystery with fully realized characters.

Both Gretchen's writing style and the location of her story make for a dark and creepily fantastic mystery. I read this book in two sittings, one of which took me through the darkest hours of the night. Big mistake. If you were only a teenager (as I was) when the first Scream movie came out in 1996. Admit it, you cringed when Drew Barrymore was hunted after answering an unfortunate phone call while home alone. You covered your eyes at the death of the young lady caught in the garage door later in the film. Gretchen adds new twists to such horrific acts of murder that will have you cringing in similar ways. When it comes to killer scenes, this lady can WRITE.

I enjoyed TEN more than I had anticipated, and my expectations were admittedly high. Bring it on, Gretchen, I am SO ready for 3:59.

This rates at more of a 3.5 for me.

Hmm. I had a lot of mixed feelings about this one, so let me start with the bad (as per usual for me).
The beginning dragged. A lot. There was waaaay too much teen angst and relationship drama for my tastes (I KNOW, it's young adult. I know. But this was juvenile even for YA), which brought the story down quite a bit - for me, at least. It read too much like a typical and cliche horror movie.

I couldn't stand two of the main characters, which is another thing that ruined my enjoyment of the book. Minnie was the major one for me. It's rather sad when you read a book and actually hope for a character to die. She was a skank and a total bitch, not to mention an extremely horrendous friend. She was supposed to be bipolar, which I suppose would excuse her from some of it...but I didn't feel as if it was portrayed very well.
She complained adamantly about Meg going off to college and guilt tripped her for 'leaving her behind'....sorry but shouldn't you want your friend to be happy and do what she wants to do? And be successful in life? She claimed to be 'in love' with TJ, yet as soon as she got on the island and laid eyes on the first hottie in sight (that she doesn't even know), she disappeared with him to do unspeakable things. Then got jealous because Meg was spending time with TJ. WTF? She went all psycho when she thought the two were going to the Homecoming dance together...obviously she's not that great of a friend if she can't tell that Meg had feelings for TJ.

Which brings me to Meg. While Minnie was bitchy about Meg and TJ, some of the blame was on Meg as well. She was a spineless, vapid doormat of a character and I wanted to punch her in the face. She wouldn't speak up about ANYTHING, and I like a lead that can stand up for what she believes in. She let Minnie walk all over her, and instead of telling her 'best friend' that she had feelings for the same guy, she lied about it. Repeatedly. Not that she should have been going after her best friend's 'love' in the first place. She also lied to TJ over and over again. It was just plain ridiculous and cowardly and she just dug the hole deeper for herself. She had nasty thoughts going through her head, yet would smile in the person's face and kiss their ass. Talk about two-faced. Not to mention she was thinking about boys and kissing when someone DIED. It was all just a bit too high school for me.

"Meg felt dizzy. Had he just kissed her? Had T.J. Fletcher just kissed her?
Several thoughts filled her head simultaneously.
Number one - she was quite probably going to pass out from joy.
Number two - had he meant to kiss her? Had it been a mistake? No, that was silly. How could it possibly have been a mistake unless he was trying to lick something off her face?
Number three - was there any way Minnie might have seen them?"

Lick something off her face? Really? Hey, you ah, got a little leftover dinner on your face. It's okay, I got ya. I'll just LICK IT OFF. BECAUSE THAT'S TOTALLY NORMAL.
And how the hell do you 'accidentally' kiss someone? Oops, sorry. I accidentally tripped into your face and kissed you. That happens to me all the time.

Other than all that - I know it seems like a lot - I did rather enjoy the last half. Aside from the irritating and immature characters and drama, the book was actually pretty good. It was creepy and full of suspense, and the background for the killings was great. I liked how the journal entries were connected to the murders and the way they happened; it was quite brilliant. And I didn't figure out who the killer was, so kudos for that. Although I did figure out that the obvious suspect was a farce.

Without the horror movie fluff (read: drama and angst), this probably would have been a 4 or 4.5 for me. The suspense really hooked me!

This review is from my blog, Auntie Spinelli Reads. auntiespinellireads[dot]com

Wow. Ten is for sure on unforgettable book. It was creepy, exciting, romantic and chilling all wrapped in on book! I really enjoyed this read. Meg was a very thoughtful observant girl. Which made her the perfect MC for this mystery. She pretty relatable and had good sense for the most part. ;) Except for when she didn't. I liked her and found her easy to understand and connect to, even though she wasn't being narrated in first person. She filled the role well and the novel was a great read through her eyes.

The set-up of the mystery and the world building was very well done. It gets moving pretty quick and from there it's all go and go till you drop. It had a great flow to the book in relation to pacing and storytelling. Yay! And for a person not knowing the story it was surprising and full of twists and turns. I don't know how much it's like the original, but for a mystery this was fantastic. It's literally a perfect Halloween read. I was reading this while the sun was shining and I still got the creeps.

The novel was built well, the mystery was enough to creep me out in the middle of the day and it all wrapped up to a crazy ending that I didn't see coming. Whoa. That's all I can say about this book! Lol. It's a short review for once, but hopefully a good one.

This is a book was such a fun book to read, throughout the entire book you're trying to determine who the killer is and I really enjoyed it. The back story was so interesting. It really was a scary movie kind of book. If you need to read something just to take a break from a heaver book or maybe a long series I'd recommend this book. And while the characters didn't always make the smartest choices it wouldn't be a scary movie kind of book without those choices.

Ten was amazing. I loved it from beginning to end! I had skimmed the summary of the book, so when I started reading it I wasn't really sure what it was about. This made it even more enjoyable, since I didn't know what to expect. The book began right in the middle of the story, the reader isn't given a long introduction about the characters and who them were. Though the main character, Meg and her friend Minnie, were quickly described. I liked that the author didn't dwell on who the characters were and allowed the reader to discover more about them by providing information throughout the book.

This book was intense. Seriously. I kept trying to read it at night, but I kept getting scared and so I ended up reading most of it on the train. People kept getting killed and no one knew who was doing the killing. I tried to guess a few times, but I was proved wrong by the things that Meg kept finding out. I was glad that I didn't know, it kept me on my toes and I was so anxious to know who was terrorizing these teens.

The fact that they were on a secluded island in the middle of nowhere with no one around was the scariest thing ever. The author, Gretchen McNeil, did a great job with creating a suspenseful environment. She thought of everything and left nothing out. I was blow away by the amount of detail that was put into the methods of killing and even more importantly, the reasons why. When everything was explained at the end, I was flabbergasted. I would have never, ever figured it out. I am definitely impressed with this book. I loved everything about it. I've heard great things about McNeil's other book, Possess, so I'm thinking of reading that one too. I highly recommend Ten, it has been one of my favorite books of the year!

This book really took my breath away. Suspenseful, mysterious, and dark. Just the way I like it.

First things, first. I love the racial diversity. There are three Asians and a black romantic interest. Since I myself am Asian, I really appreciate it. I was a bit confused at first though when the author kept referring to each of them as the (insert an adjective) Asian. Every time that happened, I'd say "which Asian???". I think it's because the protagonist didn't know everyone's names yet. I'm glad she used names later though.

I stayed up all night to finish the book. That's how much I enjoyed it. The romance was sweet. The murders were chilling. The mystery was really intense and creepy. It really freaked me out. It was just... indescribable, especially due to the author's writing skills. Gretchen McNeil is really good with describing things. She helped me visualize the people, the items, and the scenes so well. I honestly feel like I could see them in my mind.

The ending and the twist was just amazing. It was crazy and just perfect.

I can clearly see how similar this book is to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, but this book is still incredibly original in my eyes.

If you have read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, this book might not hold as many surprises for you. And I only say that because the logistics of having ten people in an isolated spot and a hidden killer in their midst, presents certain complications that Agatha Christie had worked out, and Gretchen McNeil deals with it in a similar way. Only in these mechanics are the stories similar, but in the characters and the heart of the narrative there are many differences, which made Ten an absolutely compelling and page-turning mystery.

The variety of characters, and the amount of teen angst and drama make up that heart of the narrative that I found so interesting. There is a reason why someone is killing off the unfortunate party attendees, and unravelling the circumstances that led up to the events on the island was an intricately fitted puzzle. The clues were all in place to figure out the culprit, and I must admit, because I read And Then There Were None, I was able to guess the murderer pretty early and I enjoyed spotting all the evidence that supported my theory as I read the story. Even with certain suspicions, I was surprised by a few things and I could not put this book down until I had finished the last page. The resolution of the story was not at all as straightforward for me as guessing the murderer was, and I was breathless anticipating how it would all end. There is also a nicely built, tension-filled romance and Meg is a great snarky protagonist who drove the narrative perfectly. Absolutely an amazingly immersive mystery, I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys their mysteries fast-paced, insidious and compelling.

I had Ten on my to be read list for ages when I was finally in the mood for a good thriller/horror book and read it. This was a pretty good story. A group of kids are invited to a party which is on an island in a huge house and supposed to be hosted by a really popular girl that you don't say no to. Meg is the main character and she did not want to go to this party but went for her best friend Minnie.

Meg and Minnie's relationship seemed a bit one sided to me and I felt sorry for Meg for feeling like she always had to take care of Minnie because she is bipolar and has anxiety issues. So, ten kids are there in total and there is a bit of relationship with the kids of course but it is more focused on the mystery of people turning up dead!
Before they start turning up dead though they watch a DVD that is a bit creepy. It kind of reminded me of The Ring without the little girl of course. The video talks about revenge and soon they'll pay which creeps people out. The next morning, bam someone is dead but they think it's just a suicide. After more people start dropping like flies the accusations go all over the place and it gets really good.

The ending, I have read, that people were disappointed in it. I wasn't, I quite enjoyed it. I thought the ending was a good way for it to go and the the lead up to it was fabulously done. This was a really good mystery thriller and a good change from the usual books I read.

This was soooo good you guys! Much more than I expected. I read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None years ago in high school so I thought this one was going to be pretty predictable but it actually wasn't. I found that even though it was inspired by that book I was still taken by surprise by some of the twists in the novel.
I was thrilled to see that we get thrown into the mystery from the very beginning and the story didn't drag unnecessarily with things that weren't important which made the book a very fast read. I was at the edge of my seat through most of it and even though I was annoyed by some of the characters and I was eagerly waiting for them to die already (I know I sound like a horrible person but if you read it you'll know which one I'm talking about.) I did get a bit annoyed with Meg and how she puts up with her best friend's attitude, I was hoping she would stand up to her.

Even though Meg lets her friend treat her like crap through most of the novel I was happy to see that she was actually pretty brave and didn't let this crazed killer get to her and turn her into a sobbing mess like I would've been if I was in the same situation. Also, I kept trying to figure out who the killer was and I was so sure I had the right person just to be proven wrong by the end, I loved that I was fooled just like Meg. This was a great choice of book to read so close to Halloween. It reminded me of all those slasher movies I used to love growing up, one that will make you gasp and keep you guessing until the end.

I was really surprised when this book caught my attention. I normally don't step out of my paranormal/romance genres, but when I read the summary for the book, I knew that I had to read it.

Meg is one of my new favorite female literary characters. The whole plot is a snowball of emotions. She was one of the only people in the story to hold on to her sanity when everything hit the fan. It was because of her that the reader is able to make educated guesses about who was responsible for the madness, even if she was wrong. I admired that even when Minnie proves not to be a great friend, she still stands up for her. I wanted Minnie to realize how mean she was being. I understood she had mental problems, but I was really hoping she would not give into the hysteria.

The DVD that initially starts the whole plot rolling was creepy. The whole time they were talking about putting it in and watching it, I was having "The Ring" flashbacks. But no matter how much I begged the characters not to, they watched the creepy thing that would be the beginning of their end. Every time someone died, it was like pieces of a puzzle. All of the foreshadowing and overlaying of things came out perfectly. Gretchen McNeil is a genius and I was very impressed on how no clues were left out or didn't make sense. Everything in this story has a place, and even the most mundane conversations should be remembered and not taken lightly.

If there is no chance or a sequel doesn't make sense, the worst thing an author can do is leave parts hanging or leaving things between some characters incomplete. Thankfully, McNeil doesn't do any of that. By the end of this book, you will have no doubts on those who survive and what they mean to each other. THere are no doubts who the "killer" was, and nothing is left hanging. Almost like the book is wrapped in this neat little bow, without having a cheesy ending or being way to rushed.

In conclusion, Ten is basically literary perfection in the mystery genre. Best one I have ever read. If you haven't read it yet, you are missing out!

I wasn't expecting anything from TEN. It had potential, yes, but I got this nagging feeling in the back of my mind going, "Oh dear this is going to end in tears."
It was going to be silly, predictable, boring, over-dramatic, and have stupid teens in it. I'll throw this book in the bin and say, "Vengeance is mine!"

It turned out to be a very creepy read. Gretchen McNeil instantly sets everything in motion in a very fast pace, while keeping the scary tone. She also makes you care very deeply for the characters. The suspense was just too much for me. I was a nerves wreck, scared that my next favourite character was going to get... you know: *slices throat with figure*.

I was reading the book in bed - I know, bad move - and I swear to god, I nearly pooped myself. Especially in two separate occasions:
1.) They find the body of the first victim has just been found. Something goes `creeeeeek' in the book. At that exact moment, I heard a creeeeek in my room. Next to me. Scary? Yes. Yes it was.
2.) Something brushed my left leg. I jumped out of the bed, and screamed, to realize it was my other leg.

I had no idea who the killer was. Not a clue. I know, people who gave a 1 or 2 stars to TEN are thinking "Is she stupid? It's obvious." No. It isn't obvious, smart-bum. How did you predict THAT? I'm mean... SERIOUSLY?

It's been forever since I've picked up a scary story to read. Like a really long time. I believe the last time I picked up a scary story might have been in the 6th grade. I am now 23. THAT much of a long time. I was a huge fan of R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike. You wanted something scary, they were your guys.

I heard about Ten back before it came out, when Gretchen was having her Army of Ten (which she still is btw and you should go join) I vowed to read the book when it came out.

Starting the book it made me realize how much I missed being a kid and the huge attraction horror stories had once held for me. This story was such a quick read one second I was on page 51 the next I was on 73. It amazed me how fast the book was going. I was so curious to who the killer was. I wanted to know so badly.

Speaking of, I should probably give a mini summary. This book is about 10 kids who get invited to a party out in the middle of nowhere. They're somehow connected which they don't realize until the killings begin.

The flow of the story is amazing. I had such a hard time putting the boom down. There was a part where I was so engrossed in the book and literally had the world blocked and then my phone rang, I jumped out of my skin, I wasn't expecting that, especially since in the book the lines were all cut dead. Wow. Really an amazing book. Give it a try and let me know what you think!!

I give this story a 4.5/5 and a very, very high recommendation :)

Where to begin the list of what I love about Gretchen McNeil's new thriller? I think I have to start with the voice.

McNeil hits the voice of a teenage girl who doesn't know quite what to do about her troubled friend with such authenticity it's a little scary in and of itself.

Beyond that, her characters leap off the page, her dialogue is realistic and often witty, and the plot and pacing are masterful. Teenagers will respond to this novel because it's a thrilling ride full of fun characters. For us old(er) folks, TEN is the very best kind of nostalgia.

I was the self-proclaimed "world's biggest Christopher Pike fan" between 1987 and about 1999, and I read everything he wrote in that time period. I still have some of those books on my "keep forever" shelf. When I turned the last page of TEN, I was breathless from the fast pace of the story, but also left wanting more -- which is exactly how I remember feeling when I'd finished a Pike book.

I refuse to offer any form of recap, because the twists in this one are just too good to spoil, so if you want to know any more than you can find in the summary, you'll have to buy it. Plan to read it in one sitting, because it's just that good.

Gretchen McNeil has brought the intelligent YA thriller to a whole new generation with this novel, and I can't wait to see what she does next.

If you're like me and haven't read a single one of the infamous Agatha Christie's works- no, not even And Then There Were None, which inspired Gretchen McNeil's Ten- you will still be able to appreciate the creeptastic novel you'll find in Ten.

Ten by Gretchen McNeil is horror done right. By that, I mean that it's not a sensory overload of gory images. Instead, it's suspenseful and terrifying. As a reader, I felt that I couldn't trust any of the characters; not even the narrator. It made things even more tense. (And believe you me, there was one character I was desperate to trust. Sa-woon.)

It reads like a ticking clock. How many pages, I wondered as I read, until someone else dies? Because most of the things you want to scream at characters in horror books and movies don't apply here. These characters try to contact the the police and the outside world. But they have been forcibly stripped away from it in the midst of a dangerous storm, on an island. There's an almost tangible feeling of doom hanging over them.

The ending? Well, no spoilers, but I will say this: twists upon twists, and none of them contrived.

To sum up: Read this one with the lights on, folks.

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I'm not much for murder/mystery novels. They're truly not my cup of tea because I just feel that after reading hundreds of them in my youth, there's not much out there that could surprise me when it comes to murder. Sadly, this book wasn't any exception. I will state that I enjoyed it, I did. I had a fun time reading this book, primarily because it was a really quick read (about 2 1/2 hours) so I didn't feel like I was wasting a lot of time with it. Plus, it is a fun concept.

What let me down the most is that throughout reading Ten, I was hoping that perhaps at the end it would be something unexpected and original. Maybe the love interest would be the murderer? Maybe the best friend? Someone who was totally unexpected could have been the murdered. But...it wasn't. The author went with the same ol' same ol' and yeah, I just can't be enthusiastic about that.

That little bit being said, the murders themselves were pretty interesting, along with the killer's method of making each murder coincide with certain key things that had happened in the past, so that the characters (and the reader) could predict how each individual would die in advance (I know, I know, some readers wouldn't like that but personally, I enjoy a good prediction every now and then!) I also liked the author's methods of tying in the murders with the writing (once you read it, you'll understand what I mean.)

Otherwise, Ten was pretty much a cut and dry murder mystery. There's probably another 100 novels out there that are nearly identical in plot, and I'm pretty sure I read an Agatha Christie novel in high school that was pretty close in plot to this one. That being said, I like a new spin on old things, I just wish the spin had been something bigger and more entertaining.

3 Stars

Ten was creepy, mysterious, and unexpectedly, heavily (and overly so) romantic. I heard from people who'd read the book that Ten was a loose retelling of that it was a disappointment, but coming from a person who didn't know Ten was a retelling, I thought it a refreshing read - I found it entertaining and not a bad read at all. It just didn't have that extra something to make it amazing.

Ten is the story of a girl, Meg, who goes with her friend to a party on the island - a party that turns out horribly, terribly wrong. And so, stranded on a small island with ten friends, in the middle of a storm, they have to find the killer, and fast. They have to find the killer before it's too late. They have to find the killer before each and every one of them ends up dead.

I found Ten to be a quick, easy read. The main character, Meg, was easy to connect with. She's relatively quiet, cautious, a writer, and somewhat of a wallflower. She obviously cares a lot for her best friend, Minnie, but perhaps she cares a bit too much. I found myself frustrated a lot because ever since page one, I've found Minnie to be, well, a bitch. A self-centered, whiny, attention-seeking bitch. But Meg just keeps making up excuses for Minnie - right until the very end. Minnie never treats her like a friend. Not even the Minnie in Meg's memories seemed nice. Just self-centered and rude. Kind of like the stereotypical mean-girl cheerleader. T.J. was your stereotypical all-American football quarterback - hot, flirty, and with a parade of fourty ex girlfriends, and counting. I thought he was really sweet, and there's a handful of heartwarming, sigh-worthy T.J. and Meg scenes in Ten that'll really make you smile. Or want to grab their heads, push them together, and go all: "NOW KISS." :) Sometimes, though, I wish Meg would put her and T.J. aside and focus on some important stuff. You know, like the fact that there are people dropping dead while she's sorting out her friendship/relationship drama.

The other characters, though, I had a hard time getting to know. There's so many (okay, seven other characters. But still - that's a lot!), and there aren't a lot of scenes with Meg and just one of the other characters. They're usually all clumped together, and it took me a while to separate out names and personalities, and do the whole 'Who's Who' mix-and-match thing.

The killer was definitely surprised. To me, the killer wasn't a character who really blended into the background, but before we figure out who the killer is, he/she is portrayed in such a way that the 'big reveal' comes as a shock. I think the killer is probably one of the last people I would've ever guessed to be behind all the deaths. I loved how Gretchen wrote the killer into the story. And the clues, too - all the scenes and facts and journal entries - were really well thought out. I wouldn't say they were clever. There weren't any elaborate plans or tiny, un-noticable clues that made a huge difference in the end, but they were well thought out and made you go 'oh!' at the end, because everything made sense. It was crazy, a little psychotic (like the killer), but it made sense. And I loved it. The sheet music letter; the photograph; the journal; the last page; the 'other' house; the storm; I loved it.

And then the ending... it wrapped everything up, and left us with just as much as we needed. Perfect :)

To sum up...

PROS: The mystery; the killer; the ending.

CONS: The romance (at times); Meg and Minnie; the secondary characters.

OVERALL: So, really, it was completely read-able and entertaining. I just got really annoyed with Meg and how she defended Minnie all the time. Gosh, step back and take a look at what a complete bitch she's being, and what an idiot she's making out of you, please? And I think the author went a little overboard with the romance. I found it to be just a little too much for a story that was supposed to be mostly murder mystery, not murder-romance mystery. But the ending, the killer, the clues - I loved those scenes! If you're a fan of Gretchen McNeil, Ten is definitely a book you'd want to take a look at.

A house party on an isolated island. A raging storm. A mysterious DVD with an ominous message. A power outage. Ten teens trapped with no way to escape. And a dead body. It's the perfect set-up for a fun whodunit that would make Agatha Christie proud. In fact, it's pretty much a re-telling of her classic mystery And Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians), but for teens.

I was kind of a weird kid, I read pretty much anything I could get my hands on. I'll never forget reading a copy of Ms. Christie's book when I was no more than twelve years old. I was spending the weekend with my grandmother and I found a copy tucked away on a shelf in the basement. I curled up and read the book, hiding it from her whenever she would enter the room so she wouldn't fuss at me. Thus began my infatuation with murder mysteries and spurred my love/hate relationship with all things horror related.

When I first heard about this book, I was very excited. I loved Ms. McNeil's Possess, and I was excited to see what she would do with this. I wasn't disappointed. While I wasn't creeped out, or even surprised by the ending, it was still well-executed and well-written. I'm well above the targeted age range for this book, and I'm sure a lot of teens may not be familiar with the original, so they will probably find the twists and turns surprising.

The book is well plotted and follows the murder mystery format to a T: Introduce the characters/setting, a mysterious occurrence, a strange message, the first body is discovered, all hell breaks loose, fingers are pointed, red herrings abound and the killer is revealed with a twist. It's a tried and true formula that works well when executed properly and Ms. McNeil does a fine job.

While I did have a few problems with it (I thought the teens were a little too reluctant to face the fact that they were being hunted -- the clues were blatantly obvious to me), I realize that this may have had something to do with the fact that I've read a lot of mysteries over the years, so my version of "the obvious" may differ from others. I also didn't feel like I completely connected with any of the characters, but then again, that could just be me.

I would highly recommend this one to fans of mysteries/thrillers. Even if you don't like slasher movies, I would give this one a try. This book is light on the scares and blood. It's more about figuring out who the killer is and why. It's a quick read and an engaging mystery.

Oh my gosh! Ten is the first book that I've read by Gretchen McNeil and you better believe that I will be pulling Possess off of my shelf soon, to give it a read, too!

Reading Ten was kind of like reading a horror movie in book form, it actually kind of reminded me of that tv show from a few years ago, Harper's Island. Not that the story was the same thing, but the format was similar. A bunch of people, in this case teenagers, stranded on an island with a rising body count and an unknown killer. I really enjoyed the mystery running throughout the story and how the killings tied in with the creepy journal that Meg found.

There was such a great assortment of characters trapped on the island and that definitely made the interactions between all of them, especially when people started dying, a lot more entertaining. The kids were from a couple of different schools, so they didn't all know each other, which added to the trust issues and made accusations fly a lot faster. I was actually really surprised how much of the death we actually get to experience in the book. I kind of expected a lot of it to be a little glossed over, but Gretchen McNeil didn't shy away from death scenes and some of the murders were quite inventive.

I can honestly say that I didn't accurately guess the real murderer until just before our hero/heroine figures it out and that, to me, is the mark of an excellently told mystery. If you are a fan of horror or love a well done and satisfying myster, I definitely recommend Ten. It's a fantastic read, but you might want to keep your lights on :0)

I'll be honest - I was definitely not expecting to like Ten. The dark gothic cover looked like it tried a little bit too hard to be creepy and the excerpt on the back of the book just failed at catching my attention and giving me the chills. I was diving into Ten with low expectations, but in the end, I'm so glad I gave it a try.

I love reading horror books. I love the chills I get, the way the suspense in the book constantly puts me on edge, and the mystery of it all, but the only problem is, the author has to write really well to make me feel all those things. If the author misses a single element, then that book pretty much fails to catch my interest. In the end, Ten, in my opinion, is not really a horror novel, but more like a book that just has murder in it. Nothing in Ten was truly scary (according to my standards).

However, even with the lack of the horror Ten made me feel, the mystery and suspense in Ten was done really well and just drew me right in. Right from the beginning, I was drawing my own conclusions on who the killer might be, trying to gather and analyze the smallest hints of clues, and going through all the different possible scenarios in my head. Ten basically had me going crazy and second-guessing who the killer was. In the end, when the killer was revealed, all I could think was oh my goodness, how could I not have thought of that? How did something so simple pass by me without realizing it?

The one character I immediately disliked right from the beginning was Minnie, Meg's best friend. Ten is told from Meg's point-of-view and it's just amazing how much Meg could put up with. Meg gave up so much for Minnie, and in return, Minnie just lied, cheated, and kept so many things from her. Not to mention, Minnie didn't have any respect for Meg's privacy. I know Minnie is bipolar, but the way she treats Meg is still not right. When Minnie was acting like a psycho near the end (because she doesn't have her medication), all I could think of was Meg, how can you deal with her?!

I have to give major points to Ten for not being one of those books where you watch the main character make stupid decisions and realizing how everything falls into place long after you did. No, Meg is bright (I won't necessarily call her smart) and puts together the clues she found about the same time I did (although I can't really blame her for being a bit slow under her dire circumstances).

Want a creepy atmospheric novel that will keep you on edge and keep you guessing? Then try Ten! Looking specifically for something that will scare you, give you the chills and maybe some nightmares? Then Ten is probably not the book for you.

Best friends Meg and Minnie are invited to an exclusive weekend house party on an island off the coast of Seattle along with eight other teenagers. A creepy DVD warns the teens of their demise, and things turn sinister as they lose power and their contact with the outside world in the middle of a storm. One by one, the teens die gruesome deaths, and the evidence points to the idea that one of them may be the killer.

This is a plot-driven thriller that will engage teen fans of horror and mystery. Character development is weak and the romance is predictable, but Meg’s character is sympathetic and likeable, so it was easy to root for her as she tries to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. It was refreshing to have a black teen in the romantic interest role.

Why read: Received for review from publisher

What impressed me: This truly was an updated, young adult version of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, which is one of my favorite books. It dealt well with the modern mystery problems of cell phones and the internet and gave a plausible reason why the teens would go to the island as well as why no one would be looking for them,

What disappointed me: Major, major problem: The ingenious twist Christie utilized in the ending of And Then There Were None was copied exactly by McNeil in Ten making it less of a twist and more of a lazy, easy way out creatively. Also, the killer's motivations were stupid, at best. Unlike Christie's version, the "crimes" the victims committed could only be seen as worthy of death by the most self-absorbed person on the planet.

Recommended: Ehh, not really. It was okay, but Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None is a million times better.

Ten is a good mystery/horror. Right away it reminded me of the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer and the books I used to read by Christopher Pike (yes, the IKWYDLS movie was based on his book) so right away I could have told you a few of McNeil's plot choices and who would end up alive at the end. I had to keep myself from turning to the end to see if I was right. Even so, Ten was still a fun read to get through. And although I guessed the "bad guy," how McNeil played it all out was a good surprise.

If you look at my metaphorical shelf of favorite books, you'll find "And Then There Were None" front and center. So, naturally I was excited to get my hands on a copy of this teen retelling. Even though I didn't set the bar very high, I'm not sure McNeil managed to hit my low expectations.

"Ten" follows the plot of the original closely, but with shallower characters, gratuitous f-bombs, and trite cultural references. Ten teens are invited to a secluded island for a weekend party but slowly begin to realize something isn't quite kosher when death invites itself along and all communication is lost with the mainland. The killer's motivation ends up being one of the better aspects of the novel.

Strip it of the recycled plot and you're left with a mass of flat characters, most of whom I kept getting mixed up (Hint: If you're not going to have good characterization, don't name your two main protagonists something as similar as Meg and Minnie). The language felt more childish than teen and so much like the author was trying to be hip with the overuse of colloquialisms and references to movies, music, etc.

Also, I don't care about whatever amount of cussing you want to throw in, but don't throw it in for the sake of trying to be cool and grown up. The haphazard f-words felt forced and distracting, especially since they were surrounded by one or two other curse words the entire book. And they weren't used in a oh-we're-teens-and-we-only-say-the-f-word kind of way, but rather a oh-I-haven't-cussed-in-five-pages-better-do-so kind of way.

Maybe I just have too much admiration for the source material and am too old to appreciate this kind of novel, but I don't think so. I would recommend it mostly for reluctant readers, those looking for a light "summer" read, and readers who really devour mysteries. It's definitely YA, with almost every thought or conversation revolving around boys, with a dash of school thrown in. There is some kissing and conversations about whether people have slept together, but nothing detailed. The violence is fairly tame, with none of the murders described in detail.

I bought this book mainly because I love mystery thrillers, and I love Christopher Pike.

Finding his endorsement on the cover of the book pushed me to read it as I own almost 95% of his books and love them all. I love his style of writing, I love his ideas, his plots, his characters, everything! In fact, this book sounded a bit like Pike's Slumber Party, so I was excited to get back to that genre.

This, however, was a major disappointment. You could tell it was a predictable story line from the synopsis, but I was surprised at the bad writing, the weak character development, and the absolute ridiculousness of the whole situation. This book read more like a movie script, one that would probably flop in the box office.

The characters were not introduced properly, it was filled with stereotype, Meg and Minnie (who happen to be best friends for reasons beyond my comprehension) could not stop hating on each other (Minnie out loud, Meg in her mind), there was the boy everyone likes and is fighting over, a bullied student who wants revenge on everyone, 3 chapters into the book people were dying, and it honestly did not look like anyone was phased by all the murders!

I was a little confused by the two men who were on the ferry, I mean they seemed to know that something was going on in the island, and yet they dropped off the girls and left them? Also, since the murders only began that night, why were they apprehensive? They seemed to know something that we didn't at that point, and yet it was never brought up again. And what's worse is that after all the murders were over and there were only 2 survivors left, they seemed just about ready to get on with their lives as if they never witnessed their best friends being brutally murdered.

It was all very weakly developed and executed, and the language and writing were just as weak. I honestly wanted to give up reading it a few chapters in only because of the poor writing, but I soldiered on because I always try to finish whatever book I start.

I thought even less of the book when I read the reviews and was informed that it's a total rip-off of Agatha Christie's novel.

Disappointed. Mostly that Christopher Pike thought this book was worthy of his testimonial.

What can I say about this book.....well I literally couldn't put it down. I took it everywhere with me including the bathroom (o.O). The author writes with such precision and intrigue it was like a movie playing in my head. I visualised every character and every moment they were going through....I wasn't reading, I was immersed. The book came to life and created moments where I was soooo worried for the characters in here. I never doubted one in particular and I won't spoil it. I didn't see that ending coming....totally unexpected. Great and can't wait to read another by her. I definitely recommend everyone go check out this book. If you love a great thriller that doesn't give it away, this is the one.

Ten was a fast paced, suspenseful book that kept you on the edge of your seat all the way through. You think you know who the killer is, then you think it's someone else and just when you're convinced it's someone you now start to suspect someone else. You sit there playing the guessing game of who the killer is but also, whose next to die and how.

I don't read many murder mystery type books but when I heard about Ten before attending BEA, I knew it was one I wanted to check out. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to be in line for this signing, since they did run out of books! A few of my friends had read the book and I heard nothing but good things so I couldn't wait to start it. It took me less than 24 hours to read this (that included me working & sleeping...); I even had a dream about people being murdered after having stayed up until 4:30 am. It was pretty awesome. Not sure what that says about me, as a person, but it wasn't a bad dream.

Meg and Minnie are best friends, they're also nicknamed M & M, which is kind of cute. Even from the beginning I wasn't sure about their friendship. I certainly didn't like the way that Minnie treated Meg, especially for being her 'best friend' and all. Throughout the book, this only got worse. You can't help but sympathize with Meg. She did anything to make Minnie happy, including turning down the chance to go to Homecoming with the football start, T.J. Fletcher, whom she's been in love with since forever. Problem is, Minnie is in love with him, too.

There's supposed to be this huge party at Jessica Lawrence's house, who is a popular girl and if you get an invite, you don't say no to it. Problem is, her 'other' house is located on Henry Island, which is a ferry ride away from the Seattle area and Jessica misses the ferry. There's not another one until the morning. In the meantime there are 10 teenagers in this huge house. Half the teens are from one school and the other half from Meg's school but what they don't know is they all have something in common & it's what will kill them.

Ah, I really can't even form words for how awesome this book was. I seriously couldn't put it down. I was actually reading while I was supposed to be working (ssssh, don't tell my boss) and like I said, stayed up super late reading it. I highly recommend checking this out as soon as you can, you won't regret it. It's a book to die for ;)

Speaking as someone who grew up reading Agatha Christie, this book flipping rocks! TEN is a fantastic modern homage to AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. Gretchen McNeil is a master of suspense with a delightfully dark and creepy sense of humor. The pacing and the build-up were spot on. She managed to throw in a romance without it feeling too contrived. I couldn't wait to figure out who the murderer was and I have to say I was genuinely surprised. Absolutely brilliant! TEN is definitely one of those books I could read again and again. Read it.

I enjoyed Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, so Ten was recommended to me as a readalike. Ten was a quick, suspenseful, and action-packed read that kept me on the edge of my seat. It explored themes of revenge, friendship, and loyalty. I didn't really connect with the main character, but that's probably because this novel is more plot-driven than character-driven. Nowadays I tend to prefer character-driven stories, but back when I was a teen I'm sure I would have LOVED this book. I was really into Fear Street and Nightmare Hall books and watched a ton of horror movies with my friends (Scream was my favorite!). If you're a fan of mystery and horror, give this one a try.

I've been told that Gretchen McNeil's Ten is a retelling of sorts of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, and while I've never read that book in full, I am familiar with the basic storyline and I think Ten is a great modern, hip revisioning of this classic tale.

One isolated island. One huge house. One creepy DVD. One killer. And ten terrified teens. BFF's Meg and Minnie think they're in for the best weekend ever and they certainly end up at one killer party. Meg, Minnie and eight other seemingly unconnected teens gather for a weekend party on Henry Island and on the first night they watch a sinister DVD with a message: Vengeance is mine. Then one by one the teens start to die and with a raging storm outside and no phone or internet connection, the teens must wait for the ferry to come Monday morning. But the mysterious killer has no plans to let any of them leave the island alive.

I'm a big horror movie fan and I love my horror campy and over the top...is Ten campy and over the top? YES and YES, but in the best, most fun possible way ever! I started this book late at night and finished it even later at night because I couldn't put it down; I was so engrossed and had to know how it ended.

Gretchen McNeil is a fabulous and engaging storyteller and weaves a creepy fun and suspenseful story that had me furiously turning pages, checking over my shoulder for crazy killers the whole time. McNeil sets a wonderfully eerie and cinematic scene. I love how palpable the feeling of isolation and being trapped feels and how well it permeates through the whole book. Every moment of reading this story was filled with spine-tingly and heart-racing excitement.

The story McNeil lays out is captivating with its twists and turns, but not entirely unexpected. I wouldn't say the story is predictable, just smartly crafted and planned, from the way each person is ironically killed to the way the whole story comes together. For me, part of the fun of a good horror mystery is collecting the clues, analyzing the red herrings and figuring things out. And the red herrings dropped throughout the story are never too blantant or in your face; they're cleverly subtle. By about page 150 I had figured out the connection between the seemingly unconnected ten teens and by 3/4 of the way in I had a strong inkling of the killer's identity...and I was totally spot on! But again, I don't consider this predictability and it no way ruined the suspense for me. I mean, don't we want that "Aha moment" when the killer is revealed, the story comes together and we scream "Yes! I knew it! I totally knew it!"?!

The story is told in the third perspective, but I'd call Meg the MC. I really liked Meg and connected with her; she's smart, witty and adorkably awkward. The other nine characters each had a distinct personality, from the bossy bitch to the jocks to the douche canoe to the hot nice guy and more. Some were really likable, some not so much, but I think that was intentional. There were those characters that I dreaded getting killed and those that I couldn't wait to see get offed!

Meg and T.J. (the hot, nice guy) have a flirty romance thang going on and I could have done with less of this. Not that I didn't like the idea of the two of them together, I just felt like some of their flirtiness was out of place amongst all the horror and death. Then there's Meg and Minnie's odd-couple BFFness which was equal parts complexly layered and annoyingly frustrating.

The last quarter of the book is furiously paced and gripping! There's a thrilling climax between the finally revealed killer and the surviving characters and a fiery, explosive ending. I really like how the book ends with a wrapped up, but easily open-ended conclusion that leaves room for more.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Ten kept me thoroughly entertained and enthralled from beginning to end with its smartly crafted creeptastic and cinematic story. A scarily awesome MUST read!

Even though this book has less than stellar reviews (MASSIVE understatement), I still thought it might have potential. I really enjoy Agatha Christie and I LOVE the book And Then There Were None. I read it the first time in middle school, then again last year when I picked it up at a used bookstore. But this book being based on And Then There Were None is a gigantic insult to Agatha Christie. Huge. Enormous.

I had so many issues with this book that it's hard to know where to begin. I'll start with the pacing. Awful. For about the first 35% of this book I was a heartbeat away from giving up on it. And this makes me sound like a horrible person, but it didn't get much better after people started dying. There are books in which the author doesn't seem to know how to introduce characters gradually and instead they just info dump every single character appearing in the book, and their relationships with one another, and also add in characters from outside the book and how those people connect people within the book. Then you have people from three different schools, so those are all mentioned at the same time. It was just a lot of information to receive all at once and there definitely could have been a way of allowing that to happen more organically. So I was bored, then I had a whole bunch of information thrown at me that I couldn't give two craps about. But after the third death happened, I did want to know who the killer was and what their motive had been. That's when I started skimming.

Meg was a completely annoying main character. She allowed her "best friend" Minnie to treat her like absolute crap. It seemed to me she kept implying there was a larger reason that she allowed this to happen, so I kept waiting for that reason to turn up. It never did. I think Meg was just an insecure girl without a lot of friends, so she allowed herself to be treated like a doormat. I also thought the romantic development of this book was completely unrealistic and inappropriate. I don't care how unexperienced and hormonal these teenagers might be, there is no way any rational, sane person would be furthering their relationship with their crush while all of these people are being murdered one by one around them. Preposterous.

The only reason I didn't give this book just one star was because I could not figure out the identity of the murdered. Their identity and the entire backstory of that person's motivation really caught me off guard. I definitely appreciate unpredictability in a thriller-type book so that redeemed it a little in my eyes.

But there was no amount of redemption that could save this book from it's writing and pacing, so two stars it is.

Concept alone should be enough to make you pick up this book! Add that to the fact that Gretchen McNeil is just pretty much awesome, and this book should move to the top of your TBR stack!

And please head over to THE ENCHANTED INKPOT where I am interviewing Gretchen today!

TEN by Gretchen McNeil (Balzer & Bray, September 18, 2012)

FIVE THINGS ABOUT TEN:

1) There is nothing better than when a book keeps you up late, late, late into the night reading. Such is the case with TEN. Seriously, as I got closer to the end, I honestly could not stop reading. I had to know what was going to happen. I had to know who the killer was!

2) No, I didn't guess the killer ahead of time. At all. And do you realize how cool that is? Sure, looking back, the clues were dribbled in beautifully, but I completely fell for the red herring. Really well done, Gretchen!

3) Concept is boss! Ten Teens. Three Days. One Killer. Yes, I know, this book will sell on concept alone. But then the book completely delivers a bundle of awesomeness.

4) I love the fact that Gretchen was not afraid to take risks with her characters. These people have some serious hardships and flaws, and they play into the story beautifully.

5) In short, TEN is Agatha Cristie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE meets 13 REASONS WHY. It's perfect for boys and girls and a great fit for almost any genre of interest. It's mystery. It's realistic. It's drama. It's romance. TEN has something for everyone. Highly recommended!

Source of Book: From author by request

Just in time for Halloween, I picked up Ten hoping to be on the edge of my seat as I jumped into a murder-mystery thriller, where a killer lurked in the shadows! And while there was definitely a killer lurking, I felt very little suspense as Ten's plot seemed to follow a string of horror movie cliches that I quickly became exasperated with.

One thing I loved about Ten was the initial setup, the setting. An island, cut off from the rest of civilization. A house on a cliff, separated from the rest of the island by a rickety bridge. A group of teens who don't seem to know each other, but who are all connected by one person - Jessica - who is noticeably absent from her own party. A raging storm. Power outages. Cut phone lines. It was creepy and fantastic, if a little cliched.

Upon entering the house, I struggled to differentiate the cast of characters, as they're introduced in a flurry of activity. Luckily, Ten casted each character into a traditional horror-film role to make my ability to distinguish each person easier - there was the jerk (Nathan), the jock (Kenny), the prude (Vivian), the slut (Minnie), the slut's object of affection (Ben), the token black guy (TJ), the almost forgettable best friend (Gunner), the girl who dies before we get to type-cast her (Lori), and the voice of reason that no one listens to (Kumiko). And then there's the female lead, Meg, who stands out in no way, except you somehow know that she's going to survive because she doesn't have a stereotypical role to fill.

Once you get past Ten's characters, which I had hoped were cast in such traditional horror-film roles as some kind of obvious joke for my - the readers - benefit before throwing me for a complete loop by not using those roles to define the characters, you realize the plot is also following a string of horror movie cliches. As people are killed, each character reveals some flaw, or acts in some insufferable manner, just begging for them to be offed for their awful behaviour. At each turn, someone (usually Kumiko) points out the obvious solution (like sticking together) before the rest of the group decides that the obvious solution makes no sense, and does the action that every horror-film buff knows will lead to imminent disaster (like running upstairs when you realize there's a killer in your house). Of course, Meg and TJ are the two characters who you realize are going to be around for a while, as they seem to be the only ones determined to solve the mystery of the killer. The others are content to spoon on the couch, or disappear by themselves until the next murder brings them all back together.

All of this would have been fine, I would have even enjoyed for its irony, if the characters didn't acknowledge how easily they fit into these horror tropes, before falling into their cliched roles. The first murder is staged as a suicide, which shocks everyone but they are able to write it off as nothing more. The second murder is swept under the rug as a tragic accident, even after Meg finds signs of foul play. By the third murder, everyone is becoming suspect but no one outright admits that there is a murderer on the loose! It was like McNeil was following a checklist of horror tropes, in an effort to cram as much of them as possible into Ten. Suspicions are raised and everyone begins to mistrust everyone else, which they acknowledge is very Lord of the Flies-esque. Check. People continue to be murdered after the group splits up, so the group continues to split up. Check. Details about the killer are slowly revealed to the protagonist, who keeps the clues to herself for fear of scaring the others. Check. The protagonist begins to suspect her romantic interest. Check. The killer delays in killing his last victim so he can have a heart-to-heart tell-all to fill in any holes left in his grand plan. Check. And the entire time, Meg is focused on her feelings for TJ! I just had a hard time entertaining the idea of a budding romance while the bodies piled up around them.

All that being said, Ten wasn't necessarily an unenjoyable read. I read it in a couple hours, over the course of an evening, so it was obviously very readable. But when I sat down to write about Ten all I could focus on was how predictable the plot was, because it was so formulaic in following stereotypical horror tropes. Even when I had my suspicions about the killer, I knew I would be wrong and that there would be a big twist I couldn't see coming, because it followed the formula I had come to expect.

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.

Yes this gets 5 trees that should stand for Outfreaklingstanding! Its no surprise either that it would be that awesome. Gretchen captured my interest in her writing when I read Possess by her last year and she has just seal the deal and can count on me as a long time reader of her work now. Ten is Gretchen's MO, she writes horror/mystery/suspense/thriller like no one else does. Forget biting your nails while reading, you are checking your doors and locking all windows and hiding under covers when you have one of Gretchen's books in your hands. Gretchen can give horror films a run for their money.

First I'm going to give you TEN reason why this book is Badass:
The suspense level is out of this world
The scenery of where it takes place is perfect
The characters do DIE
Its Bloody
Believe it or not, it has some LOL moments
The story is VIVID
You wont be able to predict the ending
One swoon-worthy guy
Excellent cover
Gretchen McNeil wrote it!!!
Ten is the story of 10 teens headed off to a party on Henry Island for 3 days. Meg is the main protagonist we follow along, she has her best friend with her when they jump on the ferry to head to this island. At this party they know will be T.J., the swoon-worthy hottie from school. Meg has been crazy for him, but has kept it under wraps since Minnie her BFF likes him too. No one knows that these teens are going to spend 3 days all alone. So when they all finally get there and see everyone staying the weekend, its a really random group of people. Not everyone even goes to the same school. Well that doesn't stop the party from starting, which includes a DVD they find that says play me. Hmm not sure about you but I personally would not have touched that DVD. The tape gets played and the message is: "Vengeance IS MINE" and well if this doesn't scare the crap out of you then you might be crazy. The countdown has begun! One by one the teens start to die pretty horrifically. There is no way off the island and a really bad storm has knock power and communications off. Who will survive this weekend? Is the killer amongst them or someone lurking on the island?

When you pick up a copy of TEN, grab a really comfy blanket, a really bright light and your detective hat and immerse yourself in this thriller. I recommend it to everyone, even if horror isn't your thing. Enjoy!!! - Yara

If you like the horror genre, you'll like this book! It's as simple as that. :)

While it will probably never win a prize for original characters or exceptional writing style, TEN was still so much fun to read! It had all the elements of an ideal slasher/horror plot. This of course included varied characters (they may have been a bit shallow and stereotypical, but then, that's this genre for you!), a ton of suspense that never dragged out too long, lots of creepy description (that also never dragged out too long), plenty of gore and death, and fake trails leading the reader to suspect different possibilities as to the killer's identity. And of course the atmosphere was perfect throughout the story! I had a hard time putting it down and plowed through it very quickly! I'd definitely read another by this author.

Gretchen McNeil's thriller Ten was far better than I had expected it to be! Generally, I do read only paranormal themed books, but I do like the occasional mystery/thriller and this one definitely fits the bill!

At first, I was a little hesitant that I wouldn't totally get into this one. Firstly, this island on the cover? So not what it should be. Henry Island apparently has more of a small community of beach houses, so it's not like a deserted island, like I sort of thought initially. Then there's the whole no parents around or knowing about anything, that gets explained as this party in the house on the island, is secret. No parents allowed kind of thing! And then the final point that I thought would drive me crazy was why it was left to Meg to solve the murder mystery, well, it wasn't really left to her. She along with the others in a sense, all were trying to solve it. Meg questioned things more than the others. And also, it was in her third person point of view, so yeah, she would be the one wanting to know more about what's going on!

Now let's get onto the good stuff! This totally blew me away, much like Gretchen's 3:59! Just when you think you know what's going on, Gretchen totally throws you off course with the shocking revelations!

Meg and her best friend Minnie thought they would spend the long weekend at a house party of one of the most popular girls in school. They arrive before the hostess by ferry, since there is an upcoming storm and the hostess had cheerleading practice. But there are a few other friends there early as well, and they were told to just hangout at the house and wait. And as you might have guessed, there are ten teens waiting around! They are totally fine with it. There is another house party going on across the way, so everything is cool...you know, until it isn't.

It all starts with a DVD, when they go to watch a movie, they discover all the DVD cases empty, except for one, and it has quite the chilling note to it. Is it a joke? They aren't sure. But the next morning one of them turns up dead. And so the mystery begins.

Ten was seriously a shocking read! I pegged my murder suspect early on, but ended up discounting it due to later events. But this was seriously pretty creepy! The teens are totally cut off from society. The power is out. There's no cell towers. No internet, nothing! And there's a killer offing them all one by one!

I will say that Gretchen did spin a nice story background though. A seed gets planted and it grows. And a connection is soon revealed among everyone. It was seriously quite the shocker and I loved every minute of it!

If you're looking for a real thriller in the YA area, you should definitely check out Ten! Gretchen knows how to keep you on your toes, guessing until the very last minute. It was one of the most suspenseful reads of the year (so far!) for me! Definitely plan on checking out Gretchen's first book, Possess, soon and then even more likely her next release which appears to be a duology!

I think it's safe to say that Gretchen McNeil now has a new fan!!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

When Meg and Minnie are invited to a weekend getaway at a classmate's secluded beach house on Henry Island, they're expecting an illicit weekend of fun and no adult supervision. But things are weird from the start--their hostess never shows, and a freaky homemade DVD unsettles everyone on the first night. As a major storm rages outside, suddenly people in their party start ending up dead, and weird slash marks in the entryway indicate that this is no accident. Meg doesn't want to believe that the killer is Minnie, her slightly unhinged best friend, or her long-time crush TJ, but it's rapidly becoming apparent that the killer is one of them...

Gretchen McNeil's Ten is a creepy and intense thriller with plenty of twists and a heap of suspense. The story is told from the point of view of Meg, who is an admirable protagonist dealing with an unhealthy friendship with her best friend Minnie. Right away readers can tell that it is a sticky situation, and Meg is in the unenviable position of having to placate Minnie at the risk of her other relationships and her own happiness. McNeil does a good job at balancing out Meg's drama with Minnie and their past issues with their present at the beach house, the dynamics between the other eight guests, some of whom the girls know and some of whom are strangers, and the steadily building sense of dread caused by the creepy atmosphere. Once the murders begin, the book is constantly moving, hurdling to a surprising and dramatic ending. Ten has all of the classic elements--a killer bent on revenge, a tentative romance, secret identities, and hidden diaries--that make it a harrowing but deliciously dark read. A few of the plot elements do require a slight stretch of the imagination, but overall McNeil has written a creative and immersive read that will have you racing to the end.

Cover Comments: I love, love, love the creepiness of this cover! The red of the title really stands out against the dark blue of the island, ocean, and the sky. It's so lonely and foreboding. I adore it.

Ten is exactly the kind of book I loved reading when I was in high school. It reminded me a lot of the books that Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine put out. It was kinda creepy, totally high school and a fun mystery that I actually didn't have figured out. The story was interesting and intense at times, but then other times I got bored with the characters cause I just couldn't bring myself to care much. Normally I would have given this a three, but since I totally didn't call who the bad guy was, I had to give it a four. I love when mysteries like this stump me. It doesn't happen very often.

Wow! Just wow. I am a huge mystery/suspense/horror fan. I love all kinds of horror films and that's what this book reminded me of. A young adult horror movie. I have never read a young adult mystery, thriller like this one. I have always read books in those genres but mostly by James Patterson. This book reminded me of a young adult James Patterson suspense. The minute I picked up the book, I knew I wasn't going to put it down. I had dreams about this book. That's how good it is.

Ten gave me an adrenaline rush every time I read it. Why I read this book at night before bed is beyond me. My dreams were affected by this book. I kept replaying this story in my dreams. I guess my subconscious didn't fall asleep along with me because these characters stayed alive long after I closed the book. Ten kept you in suspense as to who was the murderer. One minute, you're thinking it's one character then the next you're thinking it's another one for sure.

I did have a problem with one of the characters in this book, which is the main character Meg. I found her a bit annoying. I felt like she was a bit of a know it all, as if she was smarter than everyone else. Maybe that's the character the author was trying to play out, I don't know. However, as much as I didn't like her, I did like her as well. Does that make sense? I definitely didn't want her to die because I did like her. But at times, I wished she tripped over something, for knowing it all. LOL. She's just one of those characters where you like her and dislike her at the same time. In conclusion, I enjoyed Ten a whole lot and I give it a 5 stars and a Good Choice for Reading.

[...]

Meg and her best friend Minnie have been invited to the party of the year at the isolated vacation home of the uber-popular Jessica Lawrence. Jessica's family owns a mansion on Henry Island off the coast of Washington, and only a select group received the invitation to stay at the parentless house for the weekend. Meg is used to being in Minnie's shadow, especially when it comes to handsome football-star T.J. Fletcher. Minnie has been trying to get with T.J. for years, but Meg has never told her that she is secretly in love with him as well. To Meg's surprise, T.J. was also invited to Jessica's party, along with his best friend, and Minnie's ex, Gunner, and nine other people. Although there's a storm raging outside and they're the only house around, everything seems set for a weekend of fun. Meg soon realizes, however, that the party is not what it seems. The guests begin to die in mysterious ways one-by-one, each death accompanied by a slash painted in dripping red on the wall. It soon becomes clear that everyone who was invited to the party is there for a reason, and that there is a murderer in the house who is seeking vengeance. But what is the link between the partygoers, and can they survive long enough to determine who the killer is?

In the vein of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None comes this story by veteran author Gretchen McNeil. Murder mysteries are not something you find too often in young adult literature, and the McNeil puts up a valiant effort in transforming this concept for a young adult audience. While there are some genuinely creepy moments in the novel and it is well-written, the mystery of the killer's identity and why the party guests were invited to the house on Henry Island is, unfortunately, very obvious from the beginning of the story. Since the primary objective of the book is to keep the reader guessing as to how the events will unfold, the fact that there isn't much mystery diminishes the good points of the novel. The relationship between Meg and her best friend Minnie is interesting, particularly since Minnie struggles with bipolar disorder and Meg is her self-imposed caretaker. Expanding on this aspect of the story would have added a lot more depth, but the author never really gets into it at more than a surface level. The romance between Meg and T.J. is also enjoyable, but never gets a chance to truly blossom either, with the author focusing more on the murders. For teens who have never read a mystery or who want something that goes by quickly, Ten is a good option that will, at least, keep them entertained. For readers who want something with a little more depth, however, there isn't enough meat on the bones of this novel to make it a worthwhile read.

When I read the book jacket for this novel I was super excited to pick it up. An Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery for teens isn't something you see every day. Unfortunately, while I found the book to be well-written and there were some creepy moments, I found the mystery to be far too predictable. I am by no means a mystery novel buff or an expert at figuring out who did what, but I had the plot figured out a few chapters in. I'm not sure if the mystery was intentionally not too complicated, but there really was no suspense. I do think that this book might be a good choice for a reluctant reader or for a teen who has never experienced a murder mystery novel, but other than that I would skip this one.

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Ten is a YA adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic And Then There Were None. In Gretchen McNeil's version, ten teens get invited to a party on Henry Island, where they get cut off from the outside world by a horrible storm. Then people start dying, and it seems like the killer won't stop until he gets to them all.

I'm afraid me and Ten got off on the wrong foot. It's written in third person perspective, following Meg. I absolutely hated Meg. She's been best friends with bipolar Minnie forever, and she has to care for Minnie and look out for her constantly. Apparently Minnie isn't just bipolar, she's also just a very awful en delusional person. That's a reason for Meg to constantly lie to Minnie about liking Minnie's long-time crush, while every person with eyes can see that Meg is head over heels over this boy. I get that Minnie treats Meg badly - she does, and there is no excuse for that (no, it's not because she's bipolar). But to constantly lie about something to the person you call your best friend? That's NOT how a friend should act. EVER.

It doesn't matter to me how Meg justified it for herself, it's just not something I can accept from a character. Overall I didn't get her character anyway, the way she is described doesn't comply with her actions. She is called a geeky writer, yet when the bodies start hitting the floor she doesn't write to get things off her chest. She doesn't write one word in the entire book. She's not even very observant, or something else that might explain the constant "oh my god I'm a writer so I am soooo awkward around people". She gets called shy and someone that doesn't like to talk in groups, but from the start of the novel she makes weird and inappropriate sarcastic comments. She's also extremely judgemental (there is a girl who's a bit of a control freak - Meg is denigrating her in her mind all the time, even though she just met her). Overall, let's just say me and Meg are never going to be friends.

Then there is Minnie, the bipolar needy friend. First things first. If you write about an illness, do your research. There is quite some talk of Minnie not taking her meds, her antidepressants. She shouldn't! Manic depressed people don't take antidepressants! Antidepressants can bring on a continuous state of manic episodes, which are dangerous for the patient and the people around him/her. Bipolar people take mood stabilisers, to stay in the sweet spot between manic and depressed episodes. I'm not sure what Minnie had, but she doesn't really seem to act bipolar to me. It's like she's a very, very flawed character with bipolar disorder on top, making her almost entirely unlikeable. I would have very much preferred her to be bipolar (and therefore quite often hard to live with) but overall a good person. She doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities.

There is also the love triangle between Meg, Minnie and the hunk TJ. I'm starting to think these guys deserve each other. TJ isn't a saint either. He is controlling and slightly weird. He also declares his love to a person in the book, saying "Oh, I have loved you for months!". Said person reacts "Yeah? Well, why did you date fifty people in between?". TJ goes on to state that he constantly thought of said person while he was dating them. Erm, yeah right. Why the hell did you date at all if you were in love with someone else? That doesn't seem fair to the people you're dating either. I call bull shit!

Now I'm done ranting about the characters, I will get on with the mystery part of Ten. I actually liked that one (hurray!). It was quite a spooky read in places, and a very quick read overall. Once the bodies start dropping, the pace picks up and the story gets interesting. I haven't read And Then There Were None, so I can't say anything about how Ten`s story relates to the original, but I liked the way it was presented. I wasn't that impressed with the resolution, it was a combination of something very predictable and something that felt like a deus ex machina. Yes, I'm being vague on purpose, since spoiling the ending of a mystery novel is awful.

Ten is an okay YA mystery novel. Even though I hated the characters, I enjoyed the plot itself. If you can get around the characters (which I know most people have and will), I'm sure you will enjoy this novel. If the story interests you, don't be afraid to give it a try!

The concept behind Gretchen McNeil's Ten is simple enough: Inspired by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, like the final act in a horror movie, Ten follows the lives of ten teenagers who have traveled to and become stranded on a secluded island home after receiving invitations to attend a weekend house party. Taking place over the course of three days, the novel follows the teens as they are slowly picked off one-by-one by an unknown assailant.

Now, in theory, this book sounds like it was tailor-made for me. Having spent my formative years compulsively reading about the adventures of famed, beloved detectives like Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew and Hercule Poirot and devouring '90′s teen slasher films like the Scream series (To say I'm a fan would be a gross understatement) and later Harper's Island, I think it's fair to say that I'm a fan of the mystery and horror genre. Almost nothing can beat a great murder mystery. When executed properly, there's nothing like the rush of adrenaline and excitement one can experience when racing to determine who the murderer is and what their motive is before the reveal at the end of the story or episode.

Unfortunately, Ten seems like a story I've read (or watched) at least a half a dozen times before.

My largest problem with the novel stems from the characters and their development (Or in this case, the lack thereof) Having a large cast is always problematic as the author is faced with the challenge of creating ten distinctive voices and identities that will allow the reader to easily distinguish one from another. Ideally you want the reader to be able to connect and sympathize with your characters, as that will make their loss all the more keenly felt.

Unfortunately, what McNeil provides us with instead is a trite set of formulaic characters, each one encompassing at least one recognizable high school cliché. For example, we have T.J. (The jock), Ben (The mysterious new guy), Gunner (The laid-back surfer), Nathan (The obnoxious, over-sexed douche-bag whose confidence far outweighs his actual appeal), Vivian (The pearl and J-crew wearing uptight Type-A personality) and Kumiko (The edgy, alternative girl with the requisite unusually dyed streak of hair). Despite what McNeil likely hopes are recognizable character types, the majority of the characters blend together to form a bland, single entity. I often found myself having to flip backward to remind myself which name went with which stereotype. I also found myself looking forward to the first murder, if only because it would help to thin the faceless herd a little.

While the majority of the characters are as innocuous as they are forgettable, one character stands out in the worst possible way. Minnie, the protagonist's best friend, has the distinction of being one of the most obnoxious, insufferable characters I've encountered in fiction in quite some time. She is the epitome of the question "with friends like her, who needs enemies?" Self-absorbed, entitled, volatile and spoiled, Minnie has the unique ability to make everything in Meg's life, from what prospective college she attends to who she goes to homecoming with, somehow about her. She brings nothing to the story from what I can tell, apart from inevitably casting everyone around her in more flattering light as a sheer result of her existence.

Rather than confront Minnie, our long-suffering heroine instead chooses to bite her lip and ignore Minnie's borderline-abusive behaviour. Meg resorts to counting down the days until she leaves for college like a prison inmate scratching out the remaining days until their release onto their cell wall. And really, who could blame her? Five minutes in Minnie's company might inspire me to become homicidal. It's a sad state of affairs when you begin sympathizing with the murderer. I found myself wondering if they had ever met Minnie. It would explain a lot.

Apart from the poor characterization, there's nothing inherently wrong with the novel itself. It's simply adequate. McNeil excels with the setting and pacing of the novel, penning a fast-paced, atmospheric thriller that you find yourself reading in a matter of hours. It's the perfect choice for a dark and stormy night spent alone while huddled beneath the covers. Ten doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's a fairly reliable, albeit simple, addition to the genre. It delivers exactly what one would expect from this sort of story but does not try to subvert expectations in any way. The murderer's identity is easy to discern if you've ever watched a single episode of Masterpiece Theatre. The plot is also fairly predictable, relying on the standard red herrings and ambiguous diary entries left by an unknown entity that have now become staples of the horror genre. The self-aware characters who are well-versed with the horror oeuvre suggest that McNeil has taken a page out of the Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson playbook, an approach which was revolutionary when Scream premiered in 1996 but has become rather commonplace in the ensuing sixteen years (Boy, do I suddenly feel old).

I have no doubt that Gretchen McNeil is, in fact, a talented writer and I will not hesitate to read her other novel, Possess, which sounds like it has a promising premise. The horror and mystery genre are woefully underrepresented in books aimed toward the young adult age group and while I admire McNeil's ambition in attempting to delve into these relatively unexplored waters, sadly Ten sinks rather than swims. I don't believe that this novel showcased McNeil's abilities to their furthest extent or added anything substantial to the fledgling horror and mystery genre for young adults and will most appeal to those who are relatively new and unfamiliar with the horror genre and have fewer expectations or less experience with it.

After reading POSSESS last year, I was more than excited to be asked to be part of the TEN blog tour. Honestly, I'm really not a fan of horror which is why a 5 star review from me is so impressive. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. The characters are complicated with lots of twists and turns. The story is vivid and easy to follow.

I thought this book read like a movie. It slightly reminded me of all the things I loved about Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer back in the last 90's. I know it's loosely based on Agatha Christie's, And Then There Were None, but I haven't read it, so I can't compare.

You will be scared in the very best possible way. Oh, and don't be worried that Gretchen limited the horror because it's YA. There is nothing about this story that's watered down. If you love thrillers, it's something you should read really late at night when no one else is home.

Fans of YA looking for something beyond paranormal and dystopian really SHOULD NOT MISS this book!

I was in a mood for a mystery when I picked this up. I also received this for free when I attended RT, and towards the end of the book, I didn't know what was going to happen. I had a dozen different ideas about who was doing what, and those ideas changed every couple of pages or so every time I got new information, but I never suspected who was actually behind it all. Bravo. I would recommend this to any teen lover who likes mysteries for sure :)

Gretchen McNeil's highly engaging and thrilling murder mystery, Ten, will have readers guessing throughout the entire book. It has that nostalgic feel of those popular teen horror flicks of the eighties, although there is nothing cheesy about it. When best friends Meg and Minnie and eight other teenagers went on a weekend retreat at an exclusive house party on Henry Island, they never thought it would turn out to be a three-day hellish getaway. The two best friends' weekend of fun without adult supervision and trying to win over the handsome T.J. Fletcher comes to a halt when a DVD discloses a very menacing message: Vengeance is mine. Soon people begin to die violently and cause the patrons of the party to turn on each other.

Ten quickly becomes a roller-coaster ride once the first death is exposed. The pace of the story moves smoothly as Gretchen manages to build and intensify the mystery into new unexplored levels. The writing is fantastic and brilliant. It is enriched with highly detailed descriptions and canny dialogue that readers will feel like the eleventh attendee of this fiasco-turned party.

There is no question that this book would not have that thrilling and suspenseful effect without Gretchen's unmatched writing style. She brilliantly delivers a story that has creepiness written all over it without having to go gory overboard. Gretchen has scored big time with Ten. It holds all of the elements that make thrillers what it is while she adds her own twists to make it her very own. Even after that last page is turned; it leaves a long-lasting effect on its readers.

Who doesn't love a good murder story? I mean seriously, we go out in big groups and pay close to fifteen bucks just to see a bunch of teens make bad choices and get killed by one person. As pathetic as it sounds, it's very exciting watching the gruesome ways they get killed and what the motive behind it all was. So when I heard about Ten by Gretchen McNeil I just knew I HAD to read it. Finally, HarperCollins Publishers sent me a copy and I couldn't wait to dive in.

I knew that I would enjoy the book that was centered around murders and I did enjoy it. There were just some things that were a bit off. I should break this into parts so that no one here gets confused. The story. I enjoyed the story, I immediately tried to predict who the murder would be and hoped that I was wrong. And it was fun seeing who was being killed one by one and knowing that my predictions were possibly coming true. I kind of wished that it didn't stick to the cliché of who makes it towards the end and who doesn't because it kind of killed the mood but whatever.

I enjoyed the different ways that the killings were portrayed, as odd and cruel as that sounds. But seeing it connected to the motive was actually pretty cool. There was specific ways each one died and it was because of something they had previously done. Kind of like Saw only less gruesome and less of a chance to survive. But the characters, that's where things started to get complicated.

I truly did like the characters to a certain extent. I felt like a novel of this type should've been a bit longer and possibly not YA because it just doesn't give me that same factor as movies or adult books. While some of them I cared for, others I couldn't even begin to worry about that someone was after them. One minute they were there and the next minute they were gone. I could try to explain this by comparing to another book about dying teens but it wouldn't help. It just didn't give me enough to care about them.

My main problem was with the main character. Again, I did like her character but there were certain parts where she really pissed me off and not in a good way. Not in a, "this character is so dumb omg!" but more in, "why did this author just do that, she ruined a good thing." You might not see a difference but there is. When you've just seen someone dead from being hanged, you don't think of certain things. So when the guy you like gives you a tap on your kiss, you would think about it for a few shocked seconds and then move on. At least, a normal person would. But Gretchen McNeil went out to give us some inner dialogue that Meg, our heroine, thought.

When the guy she likes T.J. gives her a tap kiss before doing something dangerous her immediate thoughts were, "He kissed me. What does this mean? I hope my best friend Minnie didn't see. What if she saw, what will I do or say?" Mind you they're in the forest, trying to find something and have barely escaped falling from their lives, and all she can think about is if Minnie saw the kiss from where she is. Which is inside of the house. She even looks to see if there's a view of it. Again I repeat, she almost fell to her death and they're in the middle of a storm outside. It completely ruined the mood and felt so forced and so crappy that I knew this book went away from five stars.

But aside from the forced romance scenes that were so spaced out it made no sense, the book was alright. It seemed a bit cliché at parts but the end truly surprised me. The writing was also good and flowed great and kept me reading non stop. Although, some parts just seemed a bit too convenient like certain deaths, I still managed to overlook that. My only problem is that I am now still on a quest to read a killer book about a killer. And I've learned my lesson to not check YA.

Need I say more? I suppose I have to. The two sort of main characters, Meg and Minnie, go to a party thrown by a popular girl on an island. There's eight teens already there, making the total number ten. Right off the bat I knew there was going to be a countdown where people started dying one by one, before. Had even cracked it open. Not only that, but quite coincidentally the host of the party can't arrive until the next day because of a horrible storm.
If this isn't bad enough, I could never remember who anyone was. If you introduce ten characters to me, odds are I'm going to be lost for quite some time.
These ditzy teenagers find a homemade movie titled 'Do not watch.' So what do they do? You can bet a million dollars that they watch it. What makes it so much worse is that one of the characters goes as far as to say "guys, this is how horror movies start".
No freaking way.
After they watch said video and go to bed, someone dies. The next day they try to find ways to contact police, but what do you know? Powers off, cables are snipped, radios have been stole, and the keys to the boat are hidden. Basically the same as any and every single other scary movie out there. From that point on people just started dying left and right, and to be honest I skimmed through the pages because it was starting to seriously bore me. On top of that the characters say 'Oh my God' too much.
Another thing I feel is that you don't get too upset when someone dies, and neither do they. I feel like they found the dead people and instead of breaking down in woeful tears they just kind of stared and said 'whoops, another accident'. Its like they werent upset at all, just weirded out. not to mention everybody is hooking up with one another.
How many freaking people have to die before you realize this isn't just a big coincidence? I had the whole book figured out by the second death, and I got pretty pissed that the seemingly smart main character Meg was so mind numbingly far behind. She could have saved quite a few lives if she stopped swooning over her crush T.J, who just so happens to be his best friend Minnie's crush as well. You can fill in the blanks. *Catfight*
Basically this book was void of emotion and had a plot too simple to even follow. It was like watching an episode of Blue's Clues and you get really angry at Blue because it's so simple that the answers are right in front of you. Don't read, it's far too boring. Even now if you feel you must because you don't know who the murderer is, just read the last chapter.

for anyone who is going to read the book you have to read Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" becuase it's the original and awesome! Being that Ten is like a retelling knockoff of it I still loved it. The only thing I couldn't get my mind off of was why the author doesn't mention Agatha's original in the bio, acknowledgments, or even the copy write page. If I never read Ten Little Indians I never would have read Ten even though I'm a horror enthusiast. I don't know that's just me, I still loved it and I'm now buying my own copy becuase the copy I read is the library's and will sit right next to Agatha's!

As a huge fan of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (it's one of my all-time favorites), I started this book thinking that there would be no comparison. But I got hooked - not to say that TEN compares to Christie's original, but I got caught up in the story and almost couldn't put the book down.

I was fully prepared to give this book a higher rating until about mid-way through when the author, pulling (I could say stealing) Christie's exact plot device, pretty much allowed me to easily guess who the killer could be. And if you've read Christie's book, it shouldn't be hard for you to do so also. I was SO disappointed that author McNeil didn't try at least a LITTLE harder to find a different way to "cover the killer's tracks" so to speak.

Perhaps McNeil was going for an audience who hadn't read or isn't even aware of Christie's novel. For those readers, TEN will be quite satisfying. But for this reader, who is quite the fan of Christie's classic, the last half of the book became just a matter of getting to the end.

Disappointed or not, however, TEN has all the makings for a terrific motion picture.

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.

I know kids will buy most anything nowadays if you fluff it up enough, most are tired of the supernatural Romance, Dystopian Romance, and all the other teenage angst and they are looking, searching for something new to read. Alas this book is not an alternative to that. In fact its such a blatant frankenbook made of many other books and movie plots that while reading it I had so much Deja Vu it gave me whiplash.

There is a movie in the 80's called April Fool's Day, and its about a rich college student who invites all her friends to her remote island house for a party, and from there everyone gets murdered one by one. In the end its not who you think, or even what you thought. TEN completely steals many aspects of the plot for its own devices.

There are also hundreds of Lifetime Movies and Miniseries that have to do with the switcharoony murder plot, the "I thought they were dead" move, the nerdy girl and popular guy falling in love, the jealous best friend, the jocks being idiots, and unrequited love.

I can overlook this regurgitation IF ...IF the writing was any good, if the characters were the least bit fleshy and interesting. THEY WERE NOT!!

Dont read this, dont waste your time, Dont give it TEN seconds even.

This thriller escalated excitement with each chapter including the frist. It was fast paced and was very intense at times. All the characters were well thought out and none of them were boring.
While most thrillers are bland and the "twist" at the end (if they have one at all) are unrealistic and stupid, the ending of Ten made complete sense. The killer had the motive and was not just pulled out of the blue.
Even though I had three people inmind of who I thought the killer was,
McNeil kept me guessing and doubting my self.
The deaths where scary and the characters all seemed to change just a bit after each one. In the way I'm sure people would change after having their friends killed off.
Instead of the character taking forever to realize they where being hunted, they snapped right into action.
Over all, this thriller got me hooked right away and I finshed it in two days. I give Ten by Gretchen McNeil 5 stars.

Pretty interesting story of a group of ten teenagers stuck on a remote island in a fancy resort, and one of them is a killer who is killing them off one by one. It is the story of the group trying to survive the three nights they are stuck there before they get killed by the murderer.

The story was creepy and cheesy. It was entertaining and it was a good one-time read. Fast-paced and action-packed with a little romance that will appeal to teens. I imagine it will scare people if this was turned into a movie.

I am always looking for good horror and/or mystery books to read, especially YA books. I also happen to love "And Then There Were None" by the great Agatha Christie. So when I learned of this book's existence I knew I had to give it a go. The more read I read, however, the less I enjoyed it. Let me tell you, few things have boiled my blood like this novel.

The setting is very run of the mill horror genre stuff; you've got an isolated area where mother nature isn't kind and there is no way to contact the outside world.

The plot is surprisingly actually about the romance between the main protagonist and her love interest, with lesser plots consisting of the pro tags crappy friendship with her 'bff'. Sprinkled on this is the old teens doing typical teen stuff ncluding splitting up making out and dying. Seriously, the author focuses the majority of the book's plot on creating situation s for these two characters to be alone and touch each other(no sexy times, but I couldn't count how often I read 'put his arms around her waist' or 'touched her shoulder with his hand') The dead teens seemed like a backdrop the the main character s angst and flirts. What it takes from ATTWN is handled without much love. The killer's reasons for murder are trite and flawed. I guessed the killer early on, though people with less experience with mysterys might not.

The pacing and atmosphere were pretty meh. Most of the murders and 'action' occur past the half way mark, with the first half establishing who is what stereotype. The book is generally not creepy. There are a few scattered exceptions, such as when the author manages to focus on something other than Meg and T.J. or Minnie. It is also mostly easy to read so kudos there.

Now to the part that really irks me; the characters and their relationships. There are about 12 characters who are mentioned more than a couple times and they all either suck or are nothing more than stereotypical shells. Save for the complete jerkwads in the bunch, all the characters flip flop their behavior and actions.

This isn't too surprising as I noticed that all the characters were written to revolve around the protagonist Meg, who happens to be quite the Mary Sue type. She is the quiet writer who is somehow a nerd. Those qualities alone aren't irritating. However, she is always the innocent, long-suffering victim. The actions of many characters seem strangely harsh towards Meg to make her sympathetic, all at the cost of actual personalities for anyone else. Meanwhile every mean or snarky comment she makes is supposedly hilarious and/or truth. This is especially bad with her somehow bff Minnie. The two are much more frenemies with the contempt and resentment between them. Meg is cast as an angel, Minnie is cast as the ungrateful horrible and crazy best friend. Then comes T.J., whose every thought and action revolves around their supposed love. T.J. and Meg's romance was horrible. They are in love because he asked her to a dance once and they flirt annoyingly as people die around them. Ah yes, soul mates insldeed. Adding to this, Meg is of course the only person who does anything useful. Not surprising since all the other characters exist purely to build up how 'wonderful and smart' Meg is.

All in all, I gave Ten a 1* rating due to an unlikable protagonist, horrible characters, crappy love story as the main plot, pacing and poor handling of what it takes from "And Then There Were None"(which is much of the setting & some plot).

It was Mrs. Peacock in the Living Room with the rope. No wait, it was Mr. Green in the Conservatory with the candle stick. Or was it the pipe?!

Ten is a quick read that turned out to be a masterful YA whodunit meets Clue. It kept me guessing until the end of the book. The guess I did make proved to be W R O N G **sounds loud, obnoxious FAIL buzzer** but a big kudos to Gretchen for stumping me!

Although I wasn't shaking in my boots scared I'm still hoping Ten will encourage more ya authors to join the growing trend that's bringing thriller plots to ya novels.

See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was an ARC I received in a swap with a friend.

I've been waiting to read Ten for over a year--I'm pretty sure I found out about it just after I finished the author's first book Possess--and now that I've actually read it, I'm disappointed. Other readers have had problems with this book because they were familiar with Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, which this book is a retelling of, and didn't feel Ten was a strong enough retelling. I have not read the original work, but I still have a lot of problems with this novel.

Ten has a grabbing plot and relentless pacing going for it. I read large portions and quick bursts, and putting the novel down to carry on with life didn't make me very happy. Fans of horror/suspense movies are doubtlessly going to enjoy this and all the campy thrills it offers. I wish I could say it has more going for it, but that's all I was able to enjoy.

Now then, as I said before, I've never read And Then There Were None, though I made myself familiar with it in preparation for reading this novel (and I did that by looking it up on Wikipedia, admittedly). One problem that struck me more than halfway through the novel is that ATTWN's Wikipedia summary gave me a better sense of characterization and depth in the novel than Ten was able to when read in its entirety. This novel's characters are very flat and when some of them start dying off, there's no reason to feel anything about it because we don't know anything about them. They're blank people being sent to the slaughterhouses for our entertainment, not actual characters.

Campy things are all fine with me, but I only like certain types and Ten wasn't that type of camp. It doesn't help horror movies aren't my thing either, and this is like the novelization of a horror movie. The violence is fairly tame and the writing's immature feel at times fails to build the right atmosphere. Moments where readers would be told something about a character and then shown the exact same thing threw me off too. Extraneous words, they are. I don't like extraneous words.

Fans of Christie's novel will want to tread carefully with Ten, since just being familiar with it without ever reading it helped me see quite a few things coming. I still want to read more from McNeil and hope to see the sequel for Possess be scheduled for release (meanwhile, McNeil's next novel 3:59 is pitched as a sci-fi/horror mix with a doppleganger twist; I'll read that), but her second novel was just a little worse than her first.

The beginning, and other parts through out the novel, is very typical teen horror flick. You feel like you know exactly how this will end and who the killer is. But once you get towards the middle of the book you start to question everything you once thought. I read this when I was 17 and I really enjoyed it. It's not a challenging read so if you're looking for a suspenseful thriller you want to breeze through this is it. It's a page turner. I recommend it.

I loved Ten. It reminds me of the teen horror movies I used to watch. 10 teenagers on an abandoned Island and they are getting killed of one by one!! Who will survive and more importantly who is the killer :) I suspected every single one of the teens and yet when I found out "who dunnit" I was still shocked!!!! Highly recommend.

If you are a Christopher Pike fan you will love this book! It's old school, classic horror and it's amazing! Gretchen McNeil definitely keeps you on your toes, there are quite of few twists and turns, most of which I didn't see coming. The deaths were creative and not always pleasant, which is just what you want in your scary books. Ten flows smoothly and the killer was not easy to pick out. I think Ten fits in with both those that love horror a lot and those that are a bit hesitant of it. If you can handle it, Ten is best read on a dark and stormy night.

I love a good mystery. And I love a great mystery even more. Spend a weekend on a dark island with Meg and Minnie? Count me in. But beware the boathouse! Always the boathouse. I've always wanted to be invited to an exclusive house party, and now I have. Thanks, Miss McNeil!

As a thriller lover, and with all the hype surrounding this book, I've been anticipating Gretchen McNeil's Ten since spring. Christopher Pike's blurb that claimed McNeil's setup to be flawless sold me. So I finally got my hands on it and finished it in about a day (it's 300 pages long, but with the generous line spacing, it felt more like 150.) And now I think Christopher Pike is a filthy liar.

Pacing Saved (and Killed) This Book:
The fast pacing made Ten readable. Dead people left and right. But the fast pace (and the piling dead people) desensitized me while also severely limiting character development. The characters all felt like paper dolls created to be killed off a few seconds later.

Spooning. Is it just me, or does that sound dirty?
What I thought when I first encountered "spooning": "Wait...they just witnessed a dead body five seconds ago, this isn't a good time for sexy times! What's wrong with these horny teens?"
I must've re-read both occurrences where "spooning" popped up, the image in my head wasn't pretty. But this might be just me with my dirty mind. *twiddles thumbs* Why must they spoon? Is cuddling too mainstream?

Isthmus must be Gretchen McNeil's favorite word.

Meh, It's Not Even Scary:
There's MILD gore. And MAYBE the girl with bad hair is scary. But this is all child's play (pun intended.) And this is from a girl who thought Suzanne Collin's Mockingjay was scary.

McNeil is Testing My Memory! And I Failed.:
With ten teens, all the names became a confusing jumble. Aside from the three main characters, I didn't know who was who throughout the novel. The one exception was the Asian chick, whose name was conveniently named Kumiko. If only the black guy was named Jerome and if there was a Mexican named Jose...(I know I am being stereotypical, but at least I won't forget the characters by the next page.) I don't know why the two main girls (Meg and Minnie) had to have names that started with the same letter, I was probably a third through before I got the hang of their names. And at that point, I gave up even trying with the others (why should I? I know most of them will end up dead anyway.)

Never Mind Apathy, I Dislike These People:
When you think about it, all these teenagers lied to their parents thinking they are badass to drink never and party for three days straight. I really don't think their idea of a party is playing Monopoly. Every time someone dies, a girl shrieks, they get scared for five seconds...and then they make out with each other. The worst offender is Meg who thinks she witty and smarter than everyone else (because apparently, she's a writer), but she's just mean (she also has the tendency to recklessly charge into suspicious rooms and reads people's secret diaries.) Worse yet, she "forgets" to grab the gun because she rather fiddle with the boat ignition when a murderer IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER. WHUT? This chick has some serious amnesia. Even the people around her aren't much better: her crush roots for her to voice her mean opinions and her best friend also treats her like trash and secretly hates her for taking away her popularity.

Romance, They are too horny for their own good:
These people have the worst timing ever. But the worst is the main couple: Meg and TJ. Meg swoons about TJ 24/7. Never mind people dying, never mind there's a murderer in the house, I WANT TO MAKE OUT! TJ on the other hand seems to take it for granted that everyone loves him: he kisses Meg out of nowhere then starts referring to her as "baby," like a douchebag trying to get some action. Then before you know it, the dreaded "love" card is drawn.

They Must've Never Watched a Horror Flick, Nor Do They Have Common Sense
Any reasonable person in their shows would either make sure nobody leaves each other's line of sight and wait for sunlight. But for some reason that's too mainstream for these teens and they prefer wandering off alone. If you are going to stay in your room, make sure you don't leave and guard your door like you're in a zombie apocalypse!

Foreshadowing Is Like Being Hit With Bricks
Too obvious much? The opening chapters are filled with OMG-PWWEEEAASEEE-LOOK-AT-ME!-I'M-FORESHADOWING hints that the party isn't really a party. STOP IT ALREADY, I GET IT. They're going to some island in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal--in the middle of a horrible storm. It's clearly not going to be a fun party...I GET IT, NOW LET'S MOVE ON.

DON'T QUESTION ANYTHING. FREE PLOT HOLES FOR EVERYONE!
There are so many plot holes I don't even...ugh. Although if it WAS a "realistic" story, everyone would turn back after finding out they had no 4G coverage. NO PHONE? NO TEXTING? NO FACEBOOK? NO TWITTER? OMG, NOOOOOOOOOO, I CAN'T SURVIVE. We'd only have Verizon users showing up. And the Asian girl who aced science probably wouldn't show up either. NO TIME FOR PARTY, MUST STUDY.

I was going to read McNeil's debut novel, Possess, right after finishing Ten, but after this mess, I need a break from her work. I know Ten is a re-telling of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, which I haven't read; I wonder how closely Ten sticks to the original. I found Ten a big disappointment that I would only recommend to people looking for a quick, brainless, horror thriller with mild gore.

The thing with TEN is I can't tell you too much about it, not with out giving anything away. So what I will tell you is important and I expect that you commit it to memory, damn it!!

#1 You will WHIP through this book! Slow reader, fast reader...don't care...you will speed read this baby because it a non-stop thrill ride and you will ALWAYS be needing to know what's around the next corner or who's the next to kick the bucket.

#2 You will not be disappointed! So, you know when you sit down to watch a movie or read a good book that's horror/thriller based and with in, oh 4 seconds you go " That's who did it"? - well that WILL happen here....only about 10 times....lol. You will think you know who did it, then they die and your all "Shit.....hmmm ok then" and you start all over again. Gretchen McNeil goes above and beyond in this and gives you twists you will never see coming.

#3 You will be scared. I promise. There will be moments where you will jump or get goose bumps up your arms at the very least. Don't read it in the dark, at home alone. Well don't read it in the dark because that would be stupid...who can see in the dark? You know what I mean!!

I loved TEN. I loved it because we don't have enough like it in YA and I most sincerely hope that McNeil keeps writing creepy, bloody horror novels in the future because she's fantastic at it.

TEN is available TOMORROW! So pre order, call you're local book shop to make sure they are planning to carry it and if they are not simply ask them to order you a copy. They will.

You don't want this book. You need it.

If I'd never read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, or as it used to be called, Ten Little Indians, this retelling of that classic mystery might've been a more agreeable surprise with its many twists and turns. Even though my recollection of the specific details of who did what in the original story are fairly fuzzy, it's clear that Ten relies very heavily upon that story's red herrings and plot structure, so the way this story is told is a big factor in whether or not this was an enjoyable reading experience.

Unfortunately, I wasn't keen on the writing style, and I found most of the characters to be pretty annoying. Even if they're supposed to be annoying and I'm supposed to want them offed, it seems as though you should still feel something when they all start dying one by one, no? The protagonist and love interest are just fine, but hardly remarkable in any way, and each of the characters seems like a chess piece that's moved around a board rather than real people that you actually care something about. It doesn't help that everyone talks in annoying teen-speak, or that the book veers between hum drum predictable scenes to campy, shrieky (though non-graphic) violence.

I did find the way some of the murders was updated to be kind of interesting (in the original story, the method of each killing paralleled an English nursery rhyme), as well as the overall motivation for the murders. And to be fair, while I thought the idea of a YA retelling of this story seemed intriguing, it is hard to introduce 10 characters and a mystery and to kill everybody off within 300 pages. The charmingly simplistic whodunit Christie structure might also perhaps feel outdated to a modern audience. But that's the thing about retellings when they're too faithful to their launching pad and they don't have enough of inspiration or ingenuity on their own: they just don't fly.

This book has very high ratings so far, and may very well end up being popular for readers who aren't familiar with the source material or who are a little more patient with unbrainy horror books or movies. But if you don't fall into one of those two categories, it might be best to give this one a miss.

**An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.

Set on the rainy Pacific Northwest coast, Gretchen McNeil's follow-up to debut novel, POSSESS, is a thriller-chiller for certain. But it is also a smart one that, beyond its razor-sharp pace and fantastically spooky setting are thoughtful explorations of friendship, enabling and what it means to survive high school on so many levels!

I've been dying to read this book (sorry bad choice of words) and it didn't disappoint! Ten was a fun thrill ride from beginning to end. I did not see the ending coming, which actually says a lot because I usually do. It was a quick read, and perfect for a couple of rainy days close to Halloween.

this is kind of an insult to agatha christie. and im a young teen! not like a literature professor or something! first, it is obviously very unoriginal. also the main character was very boring. minnie had personality, but meg? blah. boring. and the attempted "twist" at the end? that was the stupidest and most unrealistic thing ive ever heard. poorly written book. dont read it.

10 teens, a weekend party at a house on a remote island, and a fierce storm. Everything is just perfect, until the friends start dying, one by one. The story kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend it, especially if you like the horror movies where the friends go away for the weekend, then mysteriously start dying.

This book is almost a complete knock off of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." From the set up in the beginning, to the sequence of (spoilers) deaths, to the ending... Almost exactly the same and not as well written.