The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Before I begin - apologies for not posting for so long, but hopefully I will be back with regular posts from now on :)
The Inheritance Games follows Avery Kylie Grambs, a teenage orphan who is not exactly financially well-off, who has a plan to work hard and survive high school, get into a good college on a scholarship - and get out and leave her life behind. But then something unbelievable happens that changes her future plans in an instant - billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune in his will, even though she has never met or seen him and, as far as she knows, has no link to him whatsoever. Even stranger, the one requirement for Avery to receive her inheritance is that she has to move in and spend a year in the sprawling Hawthorne House, filled with secret passages and dark secrets - and has to coexist with his recently dispossessed family. The more time Avery spends there, the more she becomes convinced that the will, the letter she received with it, and the puzzles around the house are all clues to something larger - that Tobias Hawthorne is playing a game in the bigger picture. Adding to this Tobias's angry and vengeful daughters, the four Hawthorne grandsons (Nash, the helpful, caring older brother, Grayson, the mysterious businessman, Jameson, the cryptic rebel, and playful, robot-obsessed Alexander) and it's clear that Avery has way to much on her plate.
Unlucky for her - pretty thrilling for me, honestly. 😂😊
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 Ph.D 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.
My thoughts:
I have been wanting to read this for ages, and I am very happy to say that it totally lived up to my expectations. Sure, there were a few things that annoyed me (and let's be honest there always are 😂) - but overall it was pretty good!
Things I liked (pros) -
- The setting of Hawthorne House was really cool. (The perfect atmospheric backdrop for this mystery)
- I liked how there wasn't an overload of intense action scenes and it was more of an interesting mind game following the entire journey/story arc of the characters.
- Finally - a book with well fleshed-out side characters (whom I did get attached to)! Who had their own storylines which weren't pushed to the side and played a part in the plot.
- Reading the story from Avery's perspective, even when I didn't really like her, was really interesting and I liked how relatable she was.
- I loved the relationships (romantic and friendship) in general and all the nicknames!
- The plot twist! I did guess part of it, but I was still surprised which was impressive.
- I know this is such an annoying and basic thing to say but - the short chapters! The book went so much quicker, and felt even more fast-paced. I also think that the combination of the writing and the the fact that you're kept on the edge of your seat wanting to know whats going to happen next makes it really easy to get through.
Things I didn't like (cons) -
- Avery had no personality. Like none.
- I wish we had gotten more of a background on Avery's relationship with her mother as it was mentioned multiple times but I didn't think we got enough context around it to sympathise with her.
- The whole idea of riddles trying to be solved was present throughout the book, but I wish that it didn't fade into the background as much as it did and that we got more information on it because I was genuinely interested in that bit.
- Not grown adults trying to kill a teenage girl for reasons that were beyond her control?!
- The entire plot line with Emma really annoyed me, and I hated her character in general and especially how that whole storyline was wrapped up. (I can't say anything more without spoilers but I wanted to include this in my review)
- With the love triangle, it was painfully obvious who the endgame love interest was from the get go, which is always annoying when it comes to that trope.
- Xander was the best brother and deserved far better than he got.
I think it says a lot that even though I had multiple things I didn't like about this book I still gave it 4 stars 😂! I would recommend this if you're looking for a fast-paced mystery, with characters you get attached to and a romantic sub-plot for added tension.
More info about the book:
Page count: 376 pages
Age Rating: 12+
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Download the ebook for free: https://book4you.org/book/5803004/96b535
My rating: 4 stars
Happy Reading! 📚💖
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