Ten

 
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3.3 (5)
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Something to Read on a Stormy Night
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Ten is an " on the edge of your seat thriller". I was thrilled to hear talk of Ten being a modern day telling of And Then There Were None. Similar to the novel, ten teenagers are picked off one by one. The true mystery being- who is the murderer? Is someone targeting the teens? Is it one of them? Or is something supernatural going on? But there is where the similarities end. McNeil takes the concept and twists it in a new and fresh way. I was thrilled to see that it was beyond a remake.

McNeil's writing style is clear and straight to the point, while building a mysterious and creepy tone that keeps the suspense high. I am recommending the book to my students and my friends. My one bit of advice to everyone;buy the book, wait for a rainy day full of crying winds and thunder, curl up with your blankets, a flash light and read!  One of the Best books of Fall 2012. Readers will not be disappointed.
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A Page Turner!
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
What I Loved:

This is a fast-paced page-turner of a book! From the very first page, the reader is thrust into a tense, atmospheric ride that never lets up. I enjoyed the suspense, and I liked that the uncluttered style of writing doesn't get in the way of the pace.

I also was very interested in the mystery. I liked finding out clues and guessing what was coming next. Beneath the heart-stopping suspense is an examination of how bullying, cliches, and ignoring the pain of others can have drastic consequences, and I think that's a poignant message for teens.

What Left Me Wanting More:

There's not much to nitpick here because this book is exactly what it advertises itself to be: a quick thrill ride through the horror genre. If you go in expecting that and wanting that, you'll be more than satisfied. I tend to want deeper character development and a certain level of intimacy between myself and the narrator, and I didn't quite feel that on this one. However, I did find the narrator interesting, and I felt she was the best suited to tell us the story. I just didn't connect like I wanted to, but that could be a matter of personal preferences.

I've heard other reviewers comparing this book to Agatha Christie's famous TEN LITTLE INDIANS, and I'd caution against that. This isn't a re-telling. It's a story inspired by Christie's, and I think it does the idea justice in the YA genre.

Final Verdict:

This is a heart-in-your-throat thrill ride with non-stop suspense, and readers who love a good old-fashioned horror story are going to enjoy it.
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A Bit Disappointing
(Updated: February 28, 2013)
Overall rating
 
2.7
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
2.0
Writing Style
 
2.0
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N/A
This is a really good premise. It’s got the setting, the plot and the sub-plots all down pat. It’s intriguing, suspenseful and well done; you don’t get any of those awkward, “But what about…,” moments. TEN is a delightful mixture of horror and mystery all wrapped up in one.

I just wish it had the characters. They don’t stand up to the word at all and I didn’t particularly care about any of them. Let’s start off with Meg and Minnie, best friends for years. And Meg was okay, she really was, but with one major flaw – she lets Minnie walk all over her, not just walk on her but dance with stiletto heals. ‘Cause here's the thing: both girls are desperately in love with the same guy, T.J., only Meg doesn’t let on so as not to hurt her friend, even though it’s obvious that T.J. likes Meg. So throughout the whole book you get to hear her telling herself she has to get over him, though she’s not getting over anything and doesn’t even really try.

This get’s old.

Besides that, Minnie is extremely annoying. I hate to say it, but it’s true. She’s heartless, whiny, and I couldn’t see any reason why anyone would like her, let alone this nice, sensible girl who is practically giving up her shot at happiness for her. The other characters are fine, just a little flat and cliché.
This being said, I stayed up until two in the morning to finish it, and it took another half hour to convince myself that no one was going to pop out and murder me. A little pathetic on my part, but true. Because let’s face it, this book is really scary and really intense, and I’m actually just kind of sad that more thought wasn’t put into the people acting out this show.

So if you love horror, have a slightly morbid mind, and don’t mind staying up until hours when people stare at you like you’re insane, go for it. TEN isn’t going to trigger any great epiphanies or stick with you for years, but hey, frankly it’s fun, it’s exiting, and it kind of makes you appreciate your life a little more. And there’s nothing too wrong with that.

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