Ten by Gretchen McNeil - Ashley's Pre-Reading

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Title: Ten
Author: Gretchen McNeill 
Year Published: 2012

Synopsis: SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.

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?

Why?: And Then There Were None was the first Agatha Christie novel that I ever read, and it's always been one of my favorites. I love how often it's mentioned in pop culture, and I just think it's an excellently written book with an intricate plot and characters that you love to hate. This sounds like an updated take on the original novel, and I'm really excited to see the direction that it takes. It also kind of reminds me of Clue:The Movie, which I also loved. I really just like murder mysteries, I guess.

Expectations: Although I've never read anything by McNeill, I kind of have high expectations for this book because of its apparent similarities to And Then There Were None. I also expect a very creepy book, with mystery and murder and teen angst. 

Judging a book by its cover: This cover is wonderfully creepy! I love the silhouette of the island against the dark sky, and how simple the title is. The red really stands out, and I love it! I would most likely stop and pick this book up based solely on the cover.


--Ashley