Gretchen McNeil
294 pages
Released: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: library
★★★★☆
You can read the Goodreads summary here.
An epic party is going to be thrown on Henry Island, and Meg and Minnie are invited. However, when they get there, their hostess hasn't arrived and the motley group of teens is left to their own devices. But things start getting creepy as a storm rages outside and the group discovers a DVD that proclaims, "Vengeance is mine." Soon they start dying, one by one, and it's up to Meg to find the killer before more people die.
So this is what I looked like while reading this book...
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| Why does Photo Booth take backwards pics? |
I was seriously freaked out while reading this. I understood the premise before going it and that it was a retelling of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, so I knew what was coming, but somehow Gretchen McNeil managed to make this book an edge-of-your-seat creep-fest. In just the first thirty or forty pages I was hit with several revelations including, This book should be a movie that I would ultimately be too chicken to see, and, Why am I hearing ominous music in the back of my head?
Because I knew what was going to happen... people were going to die. I was not expecting the deaths to be so varied in their execution (pun intended) or so gruesome. And here's the mark of a really great mystery that McNeil got right - I had no idea who the killer was. I thought I knew, and then something would happen and I would think it was someone else. This happened all the way up until the end until I was so positive I knew who it was I would bet money or my first-born or something and naturally I was wrong. (Note: no babies were bet during the reading of this novel.)
Four and a half stars! You'd be the perfect reader for this book if (a) you're a fan of classic mysteries (b) you're a fan of those classic teenage horror films or (c) you like a creepy YA novel every now and again. Seriously, odds are you're one of those people, so go pick up a copy of Ten and freak yourself out.*
*Please, do not read this book while watching a Ghost Hunters marathon in the dark like I did. You'll ruin your eyes and scare yourself silly.
My advice is to read during the daytime! I also loved this book, and also had no idea who the killer was either! I thought I knew, but I was wrong! I love it when an author can pull that off!
ReplyDeleteoh wow, you are giving me a scare! I HATE watching horror movies and when I end up watching them I would have countless sleepless nights and freak out moments at night! However the mystery premise is what is intriguing for me so I WILL keep this on my TBR, especially since every person who read it, including yourself, has loved it! Fantastic review :)
ReplyDelete- Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf
I met Gretchen at a book festival last year and she is so sweet!
ReplyDeleteI picked up a copy of 10 then... but still have not read it!?
I wish I had more time, I will def move this one up on my list though
:D
Great review!
This sounds like a great read! I am a huge horror fan and I love mysteries so this sounds like a book I would really enjoy. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds so good! I wouldn't necessarily call myself a fan of classic mysteries, but I do love teen horror films and creepy books! Adding it to the TBR pile.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up I didn't know the book is scary! lol!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review. Now, I want this book! :)
ReplyDeleteLove this review and completely agree with you..It should be made into a movie (I too would be too freaked to go watch it) AND I am so happy to hear someone else heard scary music in their head while reading this! Glad you didn't have to sell a baby :) This book gave me the goosebumps and silly me read it at night so sleeping was a bit hard to do!
ReplyDeleteHaha... Sandra.. I was totally feeling like I was back in High school freshman year at the lunch table and could hear you describing how freaky this book was!! I was laughing through reading your review. Yeah... I want be reading this anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI don't like scary reads...
mestith@gmail.com
Aw this makes me smile!
DeleteI'm a big horror fan but wasn't sure about this book. At first it sounded like the premise of a bad slasher film, but your review made me curious! I got to read it now so thanks for the review :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I have not read a horror in a long time, though I used to love them. I actually had an author that I love recommend this book. I will be adding it to my TBR! I think I will definitely be reading it during the day. ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
This sounds like a seriously creepy book! I always hate it when I read mysteries because I almost always figure out who the killer is before the end. It sounds like this one might keep me guessing. Thanks for the great review.
ReplyDelete