Gretchen McNeil

What if removing demons made you horny + bad mental illness rep?

Wasn't thrilled by the bad DID and schizophrenia representation and how harmful it was. Gee, a schizophrenic character in a murder mystery, can't imagine who the killer is.

I'm so tired of schizophrenia and DID being connected to serial killers. It's a terrible stigma.

Extremely campy but at moments it had interesting ideas like merging the dead dad and cat into one being.
I think that honestly if they had played into the idea of show more the pet and the dad merged together and how she sees both her pet and then notices it has the eyes of her dad and the dad is part of it, this would be a great horror. It's something that stuck in my mind when I read it it would be so creepy if the dad was just talking in the cat's body and she had to handle both of the losses and the returning of both of them but only the dad and he's not even in his body.

Most people who have had their parents die or even grandparents can affirm that having a parent return can be both the most terrifying thing and the most upsetting thing, it awakens all of the grief and all of the loss anew. It's a sudden gut punch. It makes you feel devastated and also reminds you of just how much time has gone by. If they had focused on that I would have really enjoyed this scene and really indulged in reading the book more than just reading it casually instead of enjoying it.

I am very upset this wasn't a bigger thing.

A cat appearing with human eyes could have been one of the greatest scenes and carried this book but instead it just really doesn't go anywhere and I want to repeatedly say, this scene could have been the entire book plot and the book focus and I would have loved it. Just coming to terms with that sharp stab of renewed grief.

The plot is a bit too... Confusing. Confusing isn't the right word, the plot is very horny. Exorcisms feel very pleasurable. I don't know what to do with that information. I feel like I wanted to point out the incest with the autistic-coded brother but it felt too weird to bring up earlier. But if exorcisms are pleasurable for her and she exorcises her brother, uhhh.

Um.

How about no.

And then I took the ending as she's coming to terms with masturbating is okay. After the stuff with her brother? Nope.

I'm being smart. I'm tapping out.

I'd honestly put this at a 1.5 star rating.
It's not really worth committing to but it's also not the worst thing. It's just unoriginal with random flecks of ideas I wish were in a better book. show less

Review originally posted on my blog http://hobbitsies.net/2012/09/ten-by-gretchen-mcneil/

Oh my goodness, I don’t even know how to review Ten by Gretchen McNeil. I loved her first book, Possess, because yay ghosties and exoricists and what not, but Ten just basically knocked my socks off. I haven’t read the original Agatha Christie work, but I didn’t feel like I needed to have read it to really get into the story.

Gretchen McNeil knows how to bring the thriller. I had to pull up my show more covers and turn all the lights on while reading Ten because I could practically hear the loud rain and see the lightening from the terrible storm that was occurring throughout Ten. She is fantastic at setting up the atmosphere and turning the creep meter to a billion.

I loved the protagonist, Meg. She was sharp and observant and would always think about her words before talking and kind of like the perfect detective, which is exactly what Ten needed. Meg freaked out and was scared just like everyone else, but I loved how she was able to keep a mostly cool head – which helped me to keep a cool head because trust me, even though I was just reading Ten, I was shaking in my figurative boots.

Oh, and how I loved TJ. He wasn’t the most swoon-worthy love interest I’ve ever read, but Ten wasn’t really all about the romance, so he didn’t need to be. He was just real, strong and supportive and attractive. I loved the easy, natural way Gretchen McNeil built up the romance for us in Ten – clearly Ten is a horror story and the last thing I want to read about in a horror story is an epic make out session (hah! I think the moment always calls for an epic make out session, actually) but Gretchen McNeil added in the romance so it all mixed well together.

The whole story in Ten was just done perfectly. The pacing is timed epically. There’s the perfect amount of build up, the perfect amount of time in between each horrifying death, and then twist after twist after twist that had me holding my breath until the very end.

Guys, if Possess didn’t convince me that Gretchen McNeil knows how to write, Ten definitely did. Gretchen McNeil delivers a creepy and brilliant book with Ten, and I can’t wait until an appropriate amount of time passes until I’ve forgotten everything so I can reread Ten. It is a perfect creepy thriller for this time of year and I highly recommend it! show less

In Possess, debut author Gretchen McNeil blends ancient legend with unearthly horror to create a striking demonic mythology -- a fresh look at the other side of the angel coin. Bridget's adventures in exorcism are spine-tingling, and every chilling encounter will leave readers trembling -- especially the particularly hair-raising scene in a doll shop (shudder). Her strange new powers and a string of unnerving warnings from demonic messengers give the novel a streak of mystery, and readers show more will eagerly piece together the puzzle -- trying to stay one step ahead of Bridget as she learns the truth about the legions of Hell.

Bridget is an admirably independent heroine, determined to fight her own battles and carry her own crosses. Though she's more than a little damaged by the loss of her father and the discovery of her alarming new abilities, her flaws give her an honest, raw edge that will resonate with readers. Many of her relationships are rough around the edges, but the mutual adoration between Bridget and her little brother Sammy jumps off the page. Bridget is like a mother to Sammy, and her never-ending patience with his 8-year-old antics is endearing -- showing a softer side to balance her usual tough-as-nails veneer. Bridget tends to be one of the guys, and I would have loved to see more attention given to her best friend Hector, who is the perfect storm of sass and snark and insecurity.

This paranormal horror story is part murder mystery, part romance -- but unfortunately, the romance falls a little flat. Matt is a nice enough guy, if a little cliche -- the All-American, popular jock who falls for the school outsider. Yet, his constant "caretaker" attitude is cringe-inducing, especially since Bridget can clearly hold her own (probably better than Matt can). The fact that Bridget finds his overbearing behavior appealing is rather disappointing after her robust determination to remain a lone wolf. If ever there was a heroine who didn't need a hero, it's Bridget Liu. There is something not quite right about Matt -- but only time will tell if this is intentional foreshadowing by the author, or just a lackluster love interest.

Possess is a dark and edgy paranormal thriller, and McNeil doesn't shy away from creepy blood rituals or crazed demonic victims. There are clearly unknown depths to explore in this eerie new world, and readers will be eager for more of its infernal history and lore.

http://thebookishtype.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-possess-by-gretchen-mcneil.htm... show less

When Meg and her BFF Minnie are invited to a weekend party at a popular girl's vacation house, they jump at the chance. Or at least Minnie does and Meg is drug along for the ride. Looking forward to hot guys, partying, and style, the girls take a ferry over to an exclusive island. Right away things get weird. First off, the girl that is supposed to be hosting is a no-show. Then a major storm whips up, leaving all the guests stuck until it blows over. Meg is not looking forward to spending show more the weekend with her off-limits crush (because he's Minnie's crush too) and Minnie's ex and new girlfriend. It's just awkward.

Then people start dying. At first it seems innocent... but then how many coincidences can you have before it starts to look intentional? Meg knows it has something to do with a creepy diary that she's found, but doesn't know if revealing it will make her look guilty. As she struggles to figure out who the killer is and how to get the heck off the island, things get more and more deadly. Will she figure it out before it's too late?

My Thoughts:
I read this book at the end of October in honor of Halloween. It seemed like the perfect book for this time of year due to the subject and just look at that cover!! Definitely creepy. I was looking for something fast-paced and easy to read... and I definitely got that.

This book was totally reminding me of my R.L. Stine/Christopher Pike reading days. You have 10 people stuck on an island and someone is killing them off one by one. Definitely a Fear Street-type book if I ever saw one. I really enjoyed reading something that reminded me of that time period because it seems pretty rare in YA anymore. Things in YA have gotten DEEP and developed... which is a good thing!! But sometimes I just want to read a classic mystery which doesn't have a ton of hidden meanings and back-stories and emotions and all that stuff. If you are looking for something to just entertain you, this is your book.

So now the book. The main character is Meg who is in a co-dependent relationship with her best friend Minnie. Minnie has mental issues and depends on Meg far too much. On top of that, their friendship is tense due to Minnie finding out that Meg has decided to leave her go to college in California. When they show up to the island they discover T.J. is there. Basically Minnie wants T.J., but he wants Meg... and Meg wants him back, but she doesn't want to hurt Minnie. So yeah, it's awkward and tense there. There are 7 other people at the house which leads to a lot of suspects once the killing starts. It also made it hard for me to keep track of everybody and what their roles were.

I will say that for a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, I didn't care for ANY of the characters. There wasn't a single likable one in the bunch. The ones that I wanted to like (Meg and T.J.) could never actually get it together for me to consistently root for them. Minnie was the worst of the group. Super annoying clingy airhead bitch. Needed slapped at least TEN times throughout the book.

It's definitely a book looking into if you are looking to read a pure mystery without much depth. Something you can read without hurting your head over. Something that just entertains and scares you a little.

Overall: A book that totally had me channeling my R.L. Stine reading days. It's a book about a bunch of teens stuck on an island with a killer. It's thrilling and addicting, but it's not deep. Definitely something to read to get in the Halloween mood... or just for entertainment.

My Blog:
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