20 Followers
23 Following
emfrombookjems

Reading, Writing and Being Generally Awesome

I have no idea what I'm doing.
Ten - Gretchen McNeil As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!4.5/5 StarsTen 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 originalā€¦ 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 gradeā€¦ 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. Okay lady, you were almost killed in what was basically a massacre, shot the guy you are in love with and watched your best friend die right in front of your eyes and all you have to say is, "At least this brought me and TJ together." 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!I received an advanced reader's copy through a giveaway.