Something about the cover of Forget Me just instantly caught my eye. It just looks creepy and after reading the summary I knew it was going to be a good thriller. I was very lucky to get my hands on a advanced uncorrected copy of Forget Me and I read it in one sitting. It will be on the shelves later this week, August 7, and everyone should check it out.
Forget Me by K.A. Harrington
Expected Publication: August 7, 2014
How I Acquired This Book: ARC from Publisher
On the three-month anniversary of her boyfriend Flynn’s death, Morgan uploads her only photo of him to FriendShare to get some closure—but she’s shocked when the facial recognition software suggests she tag him as “Evan Murphy.” She’s never heard of Evan, but a quick search tells her that he lives in a nearby town and looks exactly like Flynn. Only this boy is very much alive.
Digging through layers of secrets and lies, Morgan is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her boyfriend, her town, and even her parents’ involvement in this massive web of lies.
(Summary from Goodreads)
From the first past of Forget Me, I was instantly drawn in. I loved the town River’s End and it seemed to just give off a lonely/creepy vibe. Forget Me was very fast paced and kept me guessing with each turning page. There wasn’t ever a time when I was bored or wanted to put the book down. Once I started it, I read it until the end. It was a definitely a great young adult thriller/mystery debut. I was constantly surprised and shocked at what was happening and at the end of the book, I’m pretty sure I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. I was expecting a lot from Forget Me because the summary made it seem like it had the potential to be a really good thriller and mystery novel, and it definitely met my expectations.
I really enjoyed the characters in Forget Me. They all played a huge part in the story line and I didn’t get annoyed with any of them. The only character I felt like the reader didn’t get to know was Flynn. I thought we would have had more time to get to know him and his and Morgan’s relationship, but it also didn’t take away anything from the story. Although like I said before, Forget Me is very fast paced, I felt like the author did an amazing job of allowing the reader to get to know the main characters and their relationships with each other.
I felt like Forget Me was a realistic thriller/mystery as well. If you have watched the ABC Family show Twisted, I would hands down recommend that you read this book when it comes out. It is similar in a few ways and I love both the TV show and this book. It also makes for a really good summer YA thriller/mystery read. It’s quick, enjoyable and addicting. Make sure you check out Forget Me by K.A. Harrington on August 7th when it hits the shelves! You won’t regret it.
I was so excited to read this book. The cover looks super creepy and the summary gives you the impression that it’s going to be a truly terrifying novel, but it definitely fell short of my expectations. I was expecting my heart to be racing while I was reading Welcome to the Dead House and instead I had to pull myself through it.
Welcome to the Dead House by Laurie Faria Stolarz
What’s your worst nightmare?
For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.
And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.
Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.
Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.
By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.
(Summary from Goodreads)
I am so thankful that I read this book through an ARC tour because I would have been disappointed if I had bought it. From the summary, I thought Welcome to the Dark House was going to be a scary, thrilling novel. It was still a thriller because you didn’t know what was going to happen next, but it certainly didn’t have my heart racing.
The story is told in six different perspectives, which from the summary it seems like it may only be told from two, Ivy and Parker, but no all six winners are narrating. It often was pretty confusing as to who was narrating and I would have to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to see, but the six different perspectives were also kind of necessary to the storyline. As for the six characters, I have mixed feelings for all of them. Some were jerks, others were so moody and depressing, and there was one I was really suspicious of. None of them really brought anything great to the story and there were two in particular who were constantly getting on my nerves by the middle of the book.
The storyline also went really quickly. I thought more time would have been spent in the amusement park since that is where all the big important events were happening, but I felt like the author spent way too much time going over their first night at the house. I did get pretty good visuals in my head while I was reading because the writer did a great job describing everything. She also leaves the end open to what could be a sequel (or perhaps it will be a trilogy). The epilogue confused me big time, but if there is no sequel I will be really disappointed. So many questions were left unanswered and if there will be a sequel, I might give Welcome to the Dark House a 4 star rating instead of 3 only because then this book would be more interesting as it is setting up events for a sequel (if that makes sense).
I feel like I am once again only complaining about this book, but there were some things I did enjoy. I thought the idea of the story was great. Instantly it reminded me of a horror movie I watched where a group of friends goes to a haunted house called, The House of Fears, and it focuses on people’s biggest fears (clowns, buried alive, drowning, ect.). I thought the movie was great and this in a way was very similar. It also reminded me a bit like the horror movie Prom Night. I can’t go into too much detail about the similarities between them though without giving away some spoilers. I also finished the book in only one day, although I was more or less getting through it hoping it would get better. If you enjoyed or watched those one or both of those movies, I’d recommend reading Welcome to the Dark House. It does have a pretty good rating on Goodreads as well, 3.80 stars. If you have read it, did you enjoy it or did it have you scared? If you haven’t read it, please don’t let my review turn you away from it. Give it a try because everyone has a different opinion.
I first saw The Sound on Pulseit, a site that uploads books that you can read for free for a limited time. Since The Sound was from a few weeks prior, I was only able to read an extended excerpt (which I didn’t even read after I learned my lesson with To All the Boy’s I’ve Loved Before). When I saw it on the new YA shelf at the library a couple days later, I immediately snatched it up and checked it out.
The Sound by Sarah Alderson
A British nanny looking for a low-key summer finds buried secrets, murderous attention, and unexpected romance when she visits the Nantucket Sound.
The Nantucket Sound is a beachfront playground for the privileged and elite, where the sunny days are filled with scenic bike rides, backyard picnics, and bonfire parties.
But all Ren Kingston, a visiting Brit still reeling from heartbreak really wants is a quiet summer as a nanny for one of Nantucket’s wealthy families. Getting acquainted with handsome Jeremy and his young group of trust fund, private school kids was not part of the plan. Neither was befriending the local bad boy whose reputation is more dangerous than charming.
After a dead body is found next to The Sound’s postcard-perfect view, Ren starts to wonder where the real threat lies. Because it’s becoming clear that her newfound friends are much more than they seem. They’re hiding secrets. Secrets that Ren wants no part of.
But once The Sound has you in its current, it won’t want to let you go.
(Summary from Goodreads)
Seems like YA psychological thrillers and mysteries are all I am reading these days. This has been the third in two weeks and I am now starting on number four. The Sound however, was not my favorite so far. I did however love the setting, Nantucket, and the season, summer.
I don’t believe the summary does the book justice at all. I do believe it also set the book up for a bit a failure. Thanks to the summary, you are automatically beginning to read this book not trusting any of the main characters except for Ren herself. You are constantly waiting for something to happen so you could go, “Well who didn’t see that coming?”, and yet that moment never happened once. With a different summary, I do think I would have enjoyed this book more because I wouldn’t have had false hopes.
The book itself started out kind of slow. There were times when I wanted to put it down and do something else, but thanks to the library’s return date, I kept reading. Things definitely began to pick up and get more interesting a few chapters in, but there was never a moment where I felt like I couldn’t put the book down or that I couldn’t wait to turn the page. I’m not saying that this wasn’t a good or enjoyable book, because overall I did enjoy it. Maybe I just had my hopes set too high for this YA thriller after I had read some pretty amazing ones in the past weeks?
I did love the main character Ren. She came over from Britain to be a nanny to two young children. Something I definitely could relate to. The family, the Tripps, were also very likable and acted like Ren was their own. The daughter Ren was taking care of definitely had me laughing quite a few times as well. As for Jeremy and Jesse, I don’t want to go into detail with either one. I will let you form your opinions on them if you read this book. If you don’t and for some reason would like to hear my opinion or what happens with either of them, leave a comment and I’ll tell you.
Okay onto the actual storyline. I thought it was pretty good but definitely could have been better. The character who was responsible for the killings definitely caught me off guard and came as a shock, as did some of the other events that took place. I couldn’t believe what had really happened when all of the truths came out and I do wish we had a little more information as to why the killer was killing these girls. He gave one sentence for his reasoning which didn’t quite make sense, but then again I guess most psychopaths don’t. So while I was shocked, I never was actually “scared” I guess I could say. Books like Liv, Forever and Don’t Look Back both gave me the chills and made me feel a little creeped/freaked out at points. I absolutely love when I can get that feeling from a book and was hoping The Sound would make me feel that way as well.
I do feel like I am mainly bashing and complaining about this book even though I enjoyed it. I apologize for that and I don’t want to discourage anyone who’s reading this post from reading The Sound. Like I said earlier, perhaps I just had my hopes/expectations set too high for this novel? It does have a good rating (in my opinion) on Goodreads and does make for a good beach YA psychological thriller and mystery book.
Let me know, have you read The Sound or are you planning on reading it? If you have read it, how did you feel about the book and out of 5 stars, what would you rate it?
Usually when I pick up an author’s debut novel, I read it with an open mind. I usually don’t expect anything fantastic or something that will be on my top ten list of favorite books, but I have to hand it to Amy Talkington. She wrote on hell of a debut young adult novel.
Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington
When Liv Bloom lands an art scholarship at Wickham Hall, it’s her ticket out of the foster system. Liv isn’t sure what to make of the school’s weird traditions and rituals, but she couldn’t be happier. For the first time ever, she has her own studio, her own supply of paints. Everything she could want.
Then she meets Malcolm Astor, a legacy student, a fellow artist, and the one person who’s ever been able to melt her defenses. Liv’s only friend at Wickham, fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols, warns her not to get involved, but life is finally going Liv’s way, and all she wants to do is enjoy the ride.
But Liv’s bliss is doomed. Weeks after arriving, she is viciously murdered and, in death, she discovers that she’s the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that has claimed many lives. Cursed with the ability to see the many ghosts on Wickham’s campus, Gabe is now Liv’s only link to the world of the living. To Malcolm.
Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the terrible truth that haunts the halls of Wickham. But Liv must fight alone to come to grips with the ultimate star-crossed love.
(Summary from Goodreads)
This is definitely going to be one of the harder reviews I’ve done. That probably doesn’t make much sense because I gave the book five stars and have said I loved it. I feel like no matter how good a review I write, I won’t be able to do the book justice. So, although I will be writing a review I’m just going to strongly urge you now to buy or rent Liv, Forever. You won’t regret it.
I had my eyes on Liv, Forever before it was published, but waited until my library got it to read it. Well I can assure you, I will be buying a copy of it ASAP. I sat down with Liv, Forever and would have to say it only took me about 5 hours total to read it. It was so addicting that I literally could not put it down.
Liv, Forever had everything and I mean EVERYTHING in it, boarding school, both budding romance and friendships, secret societies, ghosts, seriously everything! I honestly fell in love with Liv and my heart broke for her over and over again. I loved the other two main characters, Gabe, Liv’s friend who can see and hear her after she dies, and Malcolm, Liv’s love interest. They were both also amazing secondary characters and really added to the story. As for the ghosts, I really like all of them and how after so many chapters, each ghost got her own chapter to tell the reader what lead to her death.
I never really knew how twisted the ending was going to turn out to be and never really had an idea who killed Liv either. The book kept it a mystery and I loved that because in the end I was so shocked and surprised as well as disgusted. I was also ecstatic to see that the book ended where another one could easily pick up. I really, really, really hope Amy Talkington writes a sequel to Liv, Forever. I do believe I may have found my new favorite book. I seriously cannot get enough of it and am considering rereading it before I have to return it to the library next week. For a debut novel, it was beautifully written as well as incredibly different and original. I can’t wait to see what else Amy Talkington writes.
Have you read Liv, Forever and if so did you enjoy? If you haven’t do you plan on reading it? (Because I really recommend that you do!)
Looking for a new book to add to your summer TBR list? Look no further, The Prince of Venice Beach is a great summer book that you won’t be able to put down.
The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson
Robert “‘Cali” Callahan is a teen runaway, living on the streets of Venice Beach, California. He’s got a pretty sweet life: a treehouse to sleep in, a gang of surf bros, a regular basketball game…even a girl who’s maybe-sorta interested in him.
What he doesn’t have is a plan.
All that changes when a local cop recommends Cali to a private investigator who is looking for a missing teenager. After all, Cali knows everyone in Venice. But the streets are filled with people who don’t want to be found, and when he’s hired to find the beautiful Reese Abernathy, who would do anything to stay hidden, Cali must decide where his loyalties truly lie.
(Summary taken from Goodreads)
When I first began reading The Prince of Venice Beach, I really wanted to fall in love with it. Luckily (and judging by the amount of stars I gave it) I did! I was expecting it to be good, maybe even great. What I wasn’t expecting was to finish it the same day I began reading it.
While it was easy to get into from page 1, I will be honest and say the first few chapters flew by time wise. Cali helps local cops and detectives to find people, and in the first few chapters he is hired to find two or three people. A few weeks pass by between chapters and I feel like we don’t get to see Cali do what he does on a normal day.
I fell in love with Cali. He seemed to get along with everyone and when he came into money, he made sure to show his friends how much he appreciates them with gifts. Besides Cali, most of the other characters came and went with each chapter. There were a few that were mentioned more than a couple times that we were able to get to know and I had mixed feelings on some of them.
When it came down to Cali finding Reese Abernathy, I was a little confused, but in a good way. Although the book was a light read, it added some mystery into it. I wasn’t sure who to believe and who was telling the truth and who was lying. What happened in the last couple of chapters really blew my mind and it felt like something I would have seen on a TV show. I also felt like the book ended without a real ending. I would have loved to see what Cali did in the future and what decisions he had made.Perhaps there will be a sequel? I can only hope.
This is perfect to read on the beach or during the summer in general. It was only about 250 pages and you just fly through them because the book is so good and addicting. It’s also pretty original and I haven’t read another book like it before. I also had never heard of the author, Blake Nelson (sorry if you’re reading this!), but am going to look for more YA books of his to read in the future.
To choose what book I read next! I can’t decide and figured since you guys are the ones reading my reviews, I’d let you choose which review you’d like to see next. I’m going to include seven books, both published and ARCs in the mix as well as different genres, and I will include the summary given for each book. I’m going to attach a poll at the bottom of this post and all you have to do is choose the book you want and click submit. If no one votes (I only have about 35 or so followers 😦 ) I will just randomly choose one.
1.) 17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen
No matter how many boys Claire kisses, she can’t seem to find a decent boyfriend. Someone who wouldn’t rather date her gorgeous best friend, Megan. Someone who won’t freak out when he learns about the tragedy her family still hasn’t recovered from. Someone whose kisses can carry her away from her backwoods town for one fleeting moment. Until Claire meets Luke. Luke is adorable and he’s lived all over the world. But Megan is falling for Luke too, and if there’s one thing Claire knows for sure, it’s that Megan is pretty much irresistible. With true love and best friendships on the line, Claire suddenly has everything to lose. And what she learns-about her crush, her friends, and most of all herself-makes the choices even harder.
2.) The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry
“Take her out back and finish her off.” She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that two men are arguing over whether or not to kill her. And that she must run.
3.) The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
What if you were the target of a kidnapper, but the kidnapper got the wrong girl? Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also delivers pizzas part-time. One night, Kayla, another delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza, goes out with and order and never comes back. To Gabie’s horror, she learns that the man who called in the fake pizza order had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Was Kayla’s fate really meant for Gabie? Obsessed with finding Kayla, Gabie teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together they set out to prove Kayla isn’t dead and to find her before she is.
4.) The Dare by Hannah Jayne (ARC-Pub. July 1, 2014)
Brynna Chase was a normal fifteen year old; a little on the wild side, a little bit of a firecracker, and always with her best friend, Erica Shaw. They were shoulder-to-shoulder through everything – parties, boys, beer runs – and shoulder-to-shoulder the night of the end of summer bonfire at Harding Beach, where Brynna dared Erica to jump off the end of the pier. Erica and Brynna did that together too, but only Brynna made it back to the surface. Bryn tries to make a fresh start by burying her memories of that awful night. But when a Twitter post from “EricaNShaw” pops up on her feed and a chilling voice mail appears on her phone, she realizes that someone isn’t ready to let go of the past…
5.) Catch a Falling Star by Kim Culbertson
Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter’s town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance, everyone is starry-eyed for Adam. Carter seems to be the only girl not falling all over herself to get a glimpse of him. Which apparently makes her perfect for the secret offer of a lifetime: playing the role of Adam’s girlfriend while he’s in town, to improve his public image, in exchange for a hefty paycheck. Her family really needs the money and so Carters agrees. But it turns out Adam isn’t at all who she thought he was. As they grow closer, their relationship walks a blurry line between what’s real and what’s fake, and Carter must open her eyes to the scariest of unexplored worlds – her future. Can Carter figure out what she wants out of life AND get the guy? Or are there no Hollywood endings in real life?
6.) My Best Friend, Maybe by Caela Carter
Right before they started high school, Colette’s best friend, Sadie, dumped her. Three years later, Colette is still lonely. She tries to be perfect for everyone left in her life: her parents, her younger brothers, her church youth group, even her boyfriend, Mark. But Colette is restless. And she misses Sadie.Then Sadie tells Colette that she needs her old friend to join her on a family vacation to the Greek Islands, one that leaves in only a few days, and Colette is shocked to hear their old magic word: need. And she finds herself agreeing. Colette tries to relax and enjoy her Grecian surroundings but it’s not easy to go on vacation with the person who hurt you most in the world. When the reason for the trip finally surfaces, Colette finds out this is not just a fun vacation. Sadie has kept an enormous secret from Colette for years…forever. It’s a summer full of surprises, but that just might be what Colette needs.
7.) Dead Girls Don’t Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
Rachel died at two a.m…Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text.
Jaycee and Rachel were best friends. But that was before…before that terrible night at the old house. Before Rachel shut Jaycee out. Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel. Then Rachel is found dead. The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house. Rachel’s text is the first clue—starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth.
Okay so, you pick…which book should I read and review next? If you have any other suggestions, like a book you just read and loved and think I should get it and read it next, leave a comment! (Remember though, I am sticking mainly to teen/YA books because those are the readers I am aiming towards.)
I almost didn’t do a post for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday because at first I couldn’t really think of any idea to put on the list. After taking to day to think about it and seeing a few other lists, I have a couple that I am able to post. The Broke and the Bookish come up with the weekly topic for Top Ten Tuesday and this week is Ten Book Cover Trends I Like/Dislike. I will probably go back and forth between like and dislike, so I will bold which is it.
1.) I dislike when the cover of a book is the movie poster or a picture from the movie. The biggest one for me ever was Twilight. I didn’t like the actors/actresses chosen for the roles and thankfully I already had the black classic covers.
2.) I like when there are real people on the covers. A lot of you are probably like, “What?! I can’t stand that!”, and in a way I guess it’s hypocritical of me for liking people on the cover, but not a movie tie in cover. I’m not necessarily saying it has to be their face, but sometimes a picture from the shoulders down (like Laguna Cove and Flirting With Boys), from behind (The Moon and More and Rules of Summer), or if the characters are in a shadow so you can’t see any features (Five Summers and Keeping the Moon). It just to me makes the story seem more relatable because I’m seeing actual people on the cover. (If that makes sense…)
3.) I dislike when the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the actual book or anything that is happening in the book. Like what exactly was the point of a jar of butterflies or a girl lying in the jungle entangled in branches and leaves?
4.) I like the cover trend of using dolls instead of real people. Obviously Pretty Little Liars is the biggest one that this applies to, but another book I enjoyed that used a doll on the cover was Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood. Maybe it’s the child in me that enjoys seeing a Barbie like doll on the cover?
5.) I like when the title of the book takes up a majority of the cover. I feel like it then leaves little room to add pointless pictures on the cover. Ten is my best example. (Which Ten also applies to my number 6.)
6.) I like when there is a small sentence on the cover. Two examples, on the cover of How Zoey Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True is says, “Not your typical Cinderella story…”, and on the cover of Ten it says, ” Ten teens. Three Days. One killer.”. That one sentence can honestly draw me in to buying or reading the book without even having to read the back or inside cover. The main reason why I bought and read Ten was because of the cover and that one sentence.
7.) I like when the cover has a beach on it. Now this could just be because it’s summer so a lot of summer themed books are coming out, but I love going to the beach and if I see a cover with a beach on it, I will buy and read it.
8.) I dislike when the cover is illustrated. Not sure why but I rather just see real people, real objects, ect. I feel like it is easier to relate to the book or to picture what is going on or the characters in my head. (Not saying that the cover pictures always influence how I see a character while I am reading. Although The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy used real people on the cover, I never once pictured them like that while I was reading.)
I think that’s it. This was a tough topic for me because I don’t really feel like there are that many “trends” out there. I mean book covers don’t come and go like trends in clothing do. Covers have been illustrated for a long time, have used real people for a long time, and ect, so I felt like I was more or less listing what I like to see on book covers.
The week before Memorial Day weekend I went to Barnes and Noble to do a small book haul and I saw Dangerous Girls on the shelf. I passed by it several times while trying to find another book. Another girl was in the aisle with me and she had picked it up, read the back cover and then walked away with it. I thought to myself, “hm maybe I should see what it’s about…”. So I also grabbed a copy and read the back cover and was like yep, I’m getting this book.
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
Spring Break. Aruba. Swimming, sunshine, and drinks. Lots of drinks. It’s supposed to be the best time of Anna’s life. Perfect. But then Anna’s best friend is found brutally murdered. And the local police begin to investigate the gruesome crime, suspicion and evidence unfathomably point to one person – Anna. Now trapped in a country not her own, Anna must fight for her freedom and prove her innocence. But as she awaits the judge’s decision, it become clear to Anna that everyone around her thinks she is not only guilty, but dangerous. Very dangerous. And when the truth finally comes out, it’s more shocking than anyone could have every imagined….
(Summary taken from back cover)
Wow, so I knew this book was going to be intense but I didn’t realize how intense it would be with each turning page. I’m going to talk about the book in this paragraph and in the next, but in the next paragraph there will be spoilers for those of you who have already read it or those who have zero interest in reading it but would like to know what exactly happened. I do encourage you to read Dangerous Girls though because it sucks you in from the beginning and will have you reading it until you’re forced to put it down. Throughout the entire book you never really know who the murderer is and you constantly have a new idea or theory and in the end, it is so mind blowing. The way the author, Abigail Haas, has put together an amazing young adult thriller and wrote it very well. The chapters are titled by time periods such as Now, Before, Trial, Custody and some are scripts of text messages or poems Anna wrote for school, all “evidence” that she is dangerous. It was definitely different and thrilling.
Now onto SPOILERS!
So if you intend on reading this book stop now.
Because seriously, you won’t have the same reaction if you find out what really happened.
And it will change your opinion of the overall plot.
Andd if you know what happens before you read it, it won’t be as thrilling.
So seriously, just stop reading now.
Or continue if you want, but I warned you.
Soooo, at first I was like, “there is no way Anna murdered Elise (the best friend)”, and as the story went on I was like okay it was that creepy guy from the club. Oh wait never mind, it had to be Juan who gave Elise the bracelet. And even at the end I was almost convinced it was Melanie, one of the other friends from the trip. I thought she killed Elise after Anna told her Elise thought she was annoying and wished she’d get the hint and back off. Never though, never did I actually think Anna did it. And in the end I was strangely on Anna’s side even after finding out. I know murder is wrong, and trust me I will not be going after my best friend if I find her in bed with my boyfriend, but Elise seemed like such a bitch. The story was fictional and I feel the way it was written was to have the readers be on Anna’s side even after finding out she was the killer. The only thing I can’t understand is the way she killed Elise. I felt like she went overboard. So you walked in and found her and your boyfriend in bed. Doesn’t mean you have to kill the girl, let alone stab her X amount of times. I was shocked though to find out that Anna did it because she did seem innocent and there really was no evidence to prove she had done it.
Overall, I enjoyed it and was glad I picked it up and bought it even though it wasn’t on my list. I also was surprised to see she had written another book I loved. Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots was written by her as well under the name Abby McDonald. It’s a much lighter book as well (and a great beach read for the TTT post). I’m definitely looking forward to anymore young adult thrillers she writes as well as reading her other books.
I have viewed Ten a few times on Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes and Noble online, but I always overlooked it. When I went shopping last weekend, I saw there was only one copy left and figured I would check it out. I figured if I enjoyed watching horror movies, maybe I would enjoy a book similar to them and I definitely enjoyed Ten.
Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Meg and Minnie are best friends…best friends who have recieved an exclusive invitation to a weekend long house party on Henry Island. What starts off as a fun filled weekend with boys and booze turns sinister when the ten high schoolers find a dvd with the eerie message, vengence is mine, at the end of a very strange homemade video. Things only get worse when a raging storm comes through and they loose power and are now cut off to the world. Soon, one by one the teens are dying, with each death more gruesome than the last and it becomes clear these are no accidents. With no escape until the next morning and the teens turning on one another, will Meg be able to figure out who the killer is before someone else dies?
I fell in love with Ten after the first chapter. I could not put the book down. I literally sat in bed and read this book straight through. Ten is so original (and I know I say that quite often, but I don’t like typical, predictable books) and is unlike any book I have ever read and I will definitely be checking out more books like this in the future. Since I love horror and thriller movies, I figured that I should read some horror and thriller books. Ten was not originally on the list, and even though it is the first in those categories that I have read, I already know it is the best. I felt like I was reading a horror movie if that makes sense. There were so many details to set the scene and the characters were so thoroughly described I felt like it painted a picture in my head. Although some characters proved to be more annoying than others, I really liked all the characters in Ten. During the suspenseful parts, my heart was actually pounding and I caught myself holding my breath. I loved that it had that effect on myself. Ten also had a good amount of surprising plot twists and made you think a lot of who the killer really is. It was more enjoyable and more original than 98% of Hollywood horror movies and I definitely think a studio (who can hire a very good director) should get the rights to create this book into a movie.
Ten can definitely be described as a page turner. If you enjoy thriller and mystery books or you enjoy watching horror and thriller movies, Ten is a book you will thoroughly enjoy reading. It brings the scare factor to a novel, which I had never expected to truely be possible.
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