Review: TEN by Gretchen McNeil

TEN
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Genre: YA Thriller/Suspense
Release Date: September 18, 2012

Description:

And their doom comes swiftly.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?  


Review:

TEN is a taut and riveting young adult thriller set on Henry Island - a private island off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Meg and her best friend Minnie are excited to be invited to one of the hottest parties of the year, thrown by the most popular girl in school. When they arrive at the island, they discover that there are only ten of them on the island, instead of the huge crowd and party they were expecting. A storm hits Henry Island and they are suddenly cut off from the rest of the world and with no way out. Soon, people are dying one by one, there are strange red marks on the wall, and they don't know who to trust. Will Meg be able to survive the weekend until she can get off the island for help? 

In my opinion, there are nearly enough young adult thrillers out there. With TEN, Gretchen McNeil has written a truly creepy page turner. The book is very well written and had me hooked from the very first sentence. I literally couldn't put it down until I finished it and found out who the killer was. The setting is a perfect place for the book - a secluded private island shut off from the rest of the world during a storm. The characters are original and have unique personalities and flaws - all which fit perfectly into the plot. 

The way the story is writing is phenomenal. It starts out at a good pace, and then things just start accelerating until you have to find out what's going on. There are some incredible twists and turns that you don't see coming - which only add to the completely engaging storyline. Every piece of the story is perfectly implemented and works together to make a serious masterpiece of a thriller. I honestly can't say enough to show how amazing this book is and how much I absolutely loved it. TEN is by far one of the best thrillers I've read, and definitely one of the best books I've read in a long time. You don't want to miss this one! Very highly recommended!!