Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Have you entered my Reading Road Trip Giveaway yet? Tomorrow's the last day!

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Balzer & Bray, September 18, 2012

Read for 2012 Sophomore Challenge and 2012 Standalone Challenge

Summary from Goodreads:

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?

I just finished this book and I'm reminded of the fact that there just aren't enough murder-mysteries in YA fiction. I get why, really--the overly gruesome descriptions are usually a requirement for murder mysteries, and that can quickly put off many teen readers, or send them to the adult mystery section.

But Ten is a fun, fun read...well, as fun as a book about teenagers being tortured and murdered can be, at any rate! It's a perfect read for when you're looking for something scary and want some twists and turns. The cast of characters reads like any realistic scary movie--the linebacker, the computer nerd, the  overbearing girl, the "normal" girl and her unbalanced best friend--but like any realistic scary movie, you're anxious to see who's next to get offed, and how many people will have to die before the killer is revealed. Fun, like I said. :)

There are enough twists and turns to keep any reader guessing--I thought I had the killer figured out, but was wrong, and then wrong again--and the sense of hopelessness at being stranded in a gorgeous house, seemingly the only occupants on an entire island, with no method of communicating with anyone else and a serial killer methodically killing everyone? This is a great read, trust.

ARC won in contest. Ten will be released on September 18 and I urge you to pick it up!!
Enjoy your reading!
Christi