Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Ten was one of the six books I was most excited for at BEA.  I was right near the front of the line for Gretchen McNeil's signing and that woman is seriously awesome.  I didn't read it right away, because I had to wait until I had a free rainy day.  It's the kind of book that needs to be read during a storm.

Book: Ten by Gretchen McNeil
To be published September 18, 2012 by Balzer + Bray.

Summary:  Meg accompanies her friend Minnie to a house party on a secluded island.  Trapped in a storm, the group of ten teens find a DVD that promises vengeance.  Then they start dying.  Completely cut off from help, Meg will have to solve the murder if she wants a chance at getting out alive.

Characters:  I wasn't attached to any character except for Meg.  Since it was a horror book and I knew most of the characters would die, it was a different kind of relationship for me as a reader.  I enjoyed rooting for some of them to die.

While I wanted Meg to live, I did have some issues with her.  My biggest problem is that she is ridiculously attached to her best friend, Minne, and that their relationship makes Rose and Lissa from Vampire Academy look like well-adjusted acquaintances.  I didn't feel that Minnie's mental illness or their co-dependant and abusive relationship was satisfactorily dealt with.  Highlight for Spoiler: It was resolved in classic horror story fashion, but I wish that had happened after they had sorted out their issues.  End spoiler.

It was resolved in classic horror story fashion, but I wish that had happened after they had sorted out their issues.

Plot/Pacing: I loved And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie when I was in middle school, so I was predisposed to love Ten.  And I did really enjoy it, but the beginning felt a little slow to me.  I would have liked a little more violence, a little faster.  However, for the most part, the book moves fast and doesn't shy away from violence and death.  If you are sick of books where there is supposed to be a killer, but nobody ever actually dies... well, that's not Ten.  I know for a fact that Kate is happy about that one.

A lot of the mystery is revealed in diary entries.  I really enjoyed reading these for the most part, but I didn't understand why it took Meg so long to read the whole thing when there were clearly answers there.

Moments I Loved:  Guys, my favorite moment sort of makes me feel like a terrible person.  BUT, it is right at the end and it is a TOTAL SPOILER.  I'm going to try to be VAGUE, but read at your own risk... (highlight) man, that moment with the gun and then learning the truth AFTER.  LOVE IT.

WTF Moments: Some of the deaths were very WTF, but in an awesome way.  Arrow to the heart?  Yes!  Disclaimer: death is only cool in horror books.

Minor spoiler: (Highlight ) At the end, Meg reflects on all the death she survived, but then she seems totally okay with it, because now she has a boyfriend. (End Highlight) I realize that this is normal for YA books in general and this genre specifically, but it is something that really bothers me.

Overall:  A fun horror novel where characters actually die, it is perfect for a stormy day.

Reading Challenges: This book counts toward the following challenges: 304 toward the 15,000 page challenge.  Track all my progress on my 2012 Challenges page, which I actually updated last week.

Ten gets a FakeSteph rating of...

**I received an ARC of Ten from the publisher at BEA.  I was in no way compensated for my review and all opinions expressed here are my own.  Feel free to check out my full FTC Disclaimer on my About This Blog page.**