And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

I thought it would only be fair to review one of my favorite books next: And Then There Were None, by the brilliant Agatha Christie.  This one is short, I promise (JaJa).  If I write too much about it, I may give away the plot twists and ending, so I'll be brief.

I came across this book when I was searching for books with "great and unexpected plot twists".  This book appeared on all of the lists I came across, so I decided to give it a go.  It did not disappoint.  It had me guessing to the very end.

Making the description as brief as possible, it's the story of ten people that find themselves summoned to an island (called Indian Island) for different reasons by a millionaire host going by the name of U.N. Owen.  These people come from different parts and different worlds, but they share one thing: a wicked, dark secret, that they guard very carefully.  

But when the host never shows up, the group of people become restless.  Each of their secrets are laid bare for all to see, and the atmosphere becomes cold and tense.  What is the meaning of this?!  Then the first guest dies.  Panic ensues.  These people have no communication with the outside world whatsoever, and they can only leave by boat, which hasn't arrived yet.  At the peak of their panic, when they are trying to make sense of what happened, another falls.  Then another...

The remaining guests start pointing fingers (like we will do, as we read the book) only to come face to face with dead ends and brilliant twists.  Who is behind everything?


My Experience?

I enjoyed it immensely!  It was like a game to me.  My favorite board game is Clue, and I felt like I was not only playing but also inside it.  Not only did I have to discover who was behind all of it, but also what were the intentions behind each guest.  When the book starts, you get a glimpse of each character, one by one, why were they summoned and what they have in their minds.  It is here where the "game" is being set in front of you.  When they arrive on the island by boat, the game begins.

Sadly, I stumbled into the big "reveal" of the book before I even began the book.  I was furious.  I don't like being spoiled things before I see/read them.  I was even more furious that it was my fault.  I was just trying to know the information of each character, since I found myself lost at the beginning when all of them were being introduced.

Did that ruin my experience?  NO!  That's what I love about this book.  I already knew who was responsible and what was "really" going on, yet Agatha Christie still managed to make me doubt what I knew!  I actually stopped and wondered whether or not it was true what I've read.  In fact, it took me until the last chapter to confirm whether or not it was true what I dug up (I will not say here if I was correct or not.  I'll let you guys enjoy the book).

Even though it was around 300 pages, I finished it in a day (to date, it's the only book I've finished with that amount of pages in a single day).  The pages practically flew by.  I wanted to know what was going on, even though I already knew!  I was having too much fun accusing someone, then finding new clues that point to another and so on.

If you like mystery, this book is a MUST.

Do I recommend it?

Yes, yes YES!  To everybody!  As long as the reader is able to analyze and read, he or she SHOULD.  I believe this is a book studied at schools, and if not, I think it should be encouraged.  It is a great example of literature, written by the mother and queen of modern mystery (in my opinion), Agatha Christie.  It is great for analysis and even discussion.  And besides, who doesn't like a good mystery book with an unexpected twist at the end?

In my opinion, it's great for people of all ages, as long as they are able to read a book of almost 300 pages.  It's perfect for young adults and students of the secondary level.  It's easy to read, fun and easy to keep track of the characters.  There is nothing "inappropriate" in the book, besides the deaths of characters (they are not explicit, but the idea of what happened is clear), and there is no foul language.  This is a book everybody should read at least once.

***

Thanks for reading!  If you share the same opinion of this book or have a different one, don't hesitate in commenting!  I would like to hear your feedback!  Happy Reading!