Book Review

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Inheritance Games
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Pages: 384
Genre:
Young Adult | Mystery |
Format:
Paperback
Publication Date:
September 1st 2020

Buy the Book (affiliate link): Amazon UK

Happy Thursday Everyone! I am a day behind and really thought it was Wednesday today. One day closer to the weekend though! I’m so excited to say I have finally read The Inheritance Games and LOVED IT! I love YA mysteries and this one absolutely did not disappoint. Here is my review for this amazing book!


Goodreads Synopsis

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why–or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch–and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.


My Review

What I Loved

“As awful as it sounds, money is power, and power is magnetic.”

It’s about time I read this book and what a book it is! It’s not every day I’m totally hooked from the very first page of a book. The Inheritance Games is full of surprising twists, fun puzzles and extremely entertaining characters. As soon as you start reading, it is incredibly difficult to stop. Another thing I love is the short chapters! Even though I read this in basically one sitting it was nice not to have the chapters drag on and it also made it very easy to follow the story.

The Story

“We aren’t normal. This place isn’t normal, and you’re not a player, kid. You’re the glass ballerina—or the knife.”

When Avery finds out she has inherited billions of dollars, it seems too good to be true. After her Mother’s death and her Father leaving, Avery and her sister, live and look after each other as best they can. So why did Tobias Hawthorn pick Avery? You and all the other characters will ask this question all the way through the story, it will definitely keep you guessing from start to finish.

I was so impatient to find out as to why Tobias left nearly all of his inheritance to Avery. However, I loved how it was all a big game and all of his grandsons knew exactly how to play. It’s very easy to get invested in all the intriguing secrets and puzzles and play along with them. There is also a lot of conflict tension in the house that Avery now owns and lives in so I was on alert and stayed suspicious of everyone!

Did I mention sexual tension as well? I am a sucker for romance and this doesn’t just have romance but a love triangle. There are a lot of people that probably aren’t a fan of this but I felt it wasn’t too overbearing, which I really liked. I just had to mention it because I love Grayson and Jameson. The main focus for me was definitely on the puzzles and mystery within the Hawthorn house. I was completely captivated by all the secrets kept by the Hawthorn family and I wanted to be in that house with Avery, exploring all the secret passages.

The Characters

“Everything’s a game, Avery Grambs. The only thing we get to decide in this life is if we play to win.”

Avery, our main character is extremely likeable and incredibly smart. She hasn’t had an easy life and I really felt for her throughout the book. You would think when a teenager inherits billions of dollars it would cloud their judgment or change them in ways. I was very pleasantly surprised to see how responsible and dedicated she was to solve all the puzzles that were thrown at her. I love how close she got with the Hawthorn grandsons and started to create friendships and relationships *wink wink*. Her character is never boring and I really wanted to find out more about her since she got shoved into this unusual situation very unexpectedly. It is a real mystery that you should read and find out for yourself!

I’m going to talk about the Hawthorn boys as a whole just because I ended up loving them all and I don’t want to give away too much about them. They all have such interesting personalities and bring something new and different to the table. I was constantly switching between which grandson of the four I liked most. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything suspicious about them and this is why I liked all their characters even more. They all had a lot of secrets and I was so impatient to find them all out. I just had to read it as quick as I could!

Overall Thoughts

“Sometimes things that appear very different on the surface are actually exactly the same at their core.”

Overall, The Inheritance Games is certainly near the top of the list for favourite books of the year. I knew I would enjoy it because I love YA Mystery, I didn’t think I would love it this much. The characters are so interesting and relatable and the story is just so captivating. It was so much fun to read and incredibly fast-paced. I am so eager for the next book in the series after the cliff hanger ending of this one! If you haven’t read this book yet you need to read it now! Can someone put me in their will to inherit billions of dollars next, please?

Rating: 5/5

Rating: 5 out of 5.

About the Author

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) is the author of more than a dozen critically acclaimed young adult novels. She has advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science, including graduate degrees from Cambridge University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar, and Yale University, where she received her PhD in 2012. Jen wrote her first published novel when she was nineteen years old and sold her first five books while still in college. In addition to writing YA novels, Jen has also written original pilot scripts for television networks like USA and MTV, and she is one of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of fandom and the cognitive science of fiction and the imagination more broadly. Jen is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she holds a dual appointment in Psychology and Professional Writing.

Amazon UK (affiliate link)

Like this review? Why not read my review for A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder

Author

clarkellie08@gmail.com
Manchester blogger with a passion for reading, writing and travelling. I always have a book or a cup of tea in my hand.

Comments

9 April 2021 at 4:39 pm

Sounds like a good read. I love mysteries, and short chapters are always nice for these type of reads.



11 April 2021 at 5:11 pm

I am really looking forward to reading this! Great review!



18 April 2021 at 6:29 pm

I loved this one so much, I really can’t wait for the sequel 🙂



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