bought my own copy; opinions are all my own
Official Summary: Best friends Meg and Minnie are looking forward to two days of boys, booze, and
fun-filled luxury. But what starts out as fun turns twisted after the discovery
of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine. And things only get worse
from there. With a storm raging outside, the teens are cut off from the outside
world . . . so when a mysterious killer begins picking them off one by one,
there’s no escape. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on one
another, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer
to her than she could ever imagine?
Review: Since it’s October and the month of all things spooky, I’ve been trying to read a variety of books that I felt fit the season. One of those is Ten by Gretchen McNeil, which I bought at a local bookstore a couple months back. I’ve been a fan of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie since I was in the seventh grade, so I was excited to read a modern adaptation of that famous story.
Ten focuses on Meg, who is always trying to take care of her best friend, Minnie, who suffers from anxiety and extreme jealousy. Meg even gave up her chance to be with a guy she likes because Minnie loves him too and she cannot fathom hurting her friend. It’s not the healthiest relationship, and it’s often very one-sided, but I could understand Meg’s desire to help her friend…even if it wasn’t always something you wanted her to worry about.
While on the island, everything seems to be going fairly well, even if the guy both girls like is there and focusing his attention on Meg. It isn’t long before the spookiness starts to come in though. First, there is a creepy video that promises revenge…and the very first death.
I love when you read a book like this and nobody seems safe. It’s told in third-person, so you aren’t even sure if Meg will be displaced as the point of view since it’s not really her story. The killer is writing the narration and carrying it out, always one step ahead of everyone. But is this mysterious killer one of them, or someone else hiding on the island? People begin to turn on each other as the bodies pile up, the deaths more gruesome and even more personal.
I haven’t read And Then There Were None in awhile, so I can’t compare too much about the book…but I will say there are some aspects similar between the two, so if you’ve read Christie, you might not be as surprised as someone who has not. Regardless, I did not guess the killer, which I’m glad about because it meant it wasn’t completely obvious throughout.
Finally, I want to note that I liked the inclusion of bullying and its various consequences. McNeil did a great job weaving that theme throughout the book, touching on every single character’s experience with it.
I’m a scaredy-cat for the most part, I’ll admit it, but I did find this a creepy book to read at night, especially when people keep dying. It was a great read for Halloween!
I have heard great things about this book and I really want to read it but somehow I still haven't. I'm a scary-cat mostly too but it seems to me I'll enjoy this one. Great review 🙂
I really need to read this one sometime soon, it sounds great and I guess this time is the right time to get reading!
Lovely review, Lauren! <33
I have been wanting to read this since it was first released last year – it sounds phenom!!
xx
I didn't know this was retelling.:/ It seems that this is perfect book to read if you want something scary.:) Great review.
Glass @ Way Too Hot Books
That was my first Christie, and still my favorite. I've been meaning to read this one . . . eventually.
3rd person does not often work for me but this one sounds like the perfect type of story for an outside perspective. Creepy premise and even important themes liek bullying. This sounds like a really good read and definitely right up my alley! Great review!
I loved this retelling! I remembered And Then There Were None pretty clearly, and even though I guessed the killer, I was still engrossed by the drama and I couldn't wait to get to the reveal. I love Gretchen's writing in general – she writes suspense so well! Great review!
The third person would def make you question if anyone is safe
Oh this does sound interesting. I love that you didn't figure out who did it. Hm… 3rd person can lend itself to creepy easier… I don't know why. This does sound creepy and will have to read it with the lights on! lol
This book doesn't sound like one I would enjoy. I decided this long ago. But I did enjoy her debut book (Possess, I think it was called) and she did creepy really well!
I'm so glad to hear you liked this one too! I also hadn't read And Then There Were None recently before reading this, so I couldn't compare the two, but I thought this was fantastic on its own, and I liked showing the consequences of bullying too. Lovely review!
Agreed! Ten is a good Halloween reads:)