TEN by Gretchen McNeil

TEN

by Gretchen McNeil

published by HarperTeen

                        

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?

                        

I've never been a fan of horror movies.

I'd much rather put in a DVD that will make my stomach hurt from laughing than keep me up late at night in fear. That being said, I do enjoy a good teen thriller.

And while Ten wasn't brainy or truly original, it was a fast-paced and atmospheric teen thriller that kept me flipping the pages. While I haven't read Agatha Christie's source material, I found a heck of a lot of fun in this 300-page novel. McNeil's plotting is tight, tense, and thrilling. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the island felt chillingly real. (And, of course, I stayed on an island in the Seattle area right after I read this. Of course.)

It doesn't offer much in the thinking variety, but it does its best to thrill your pants right off. With an explosive climax and lingering ending, Ten is a memorable offering from McNeil. I will be sure to check into more of her titles.

three owls