The Inheritance Games
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Did I finish this one and then immediately start the second? And then also the third once I was done with that? Yes. Yes I did. A little something for everyone, and absolute peak YA reading candy! Jennifer Lynn Barnes has outdone herself with this compulsive read for anyone who enjoys puzzles, riddles, and romantic sparks with mysterious love interests.
Sharp minded Avery Grambs has the perfect plan to keep herself just off anyone’s radar enough in order to earn a scholarship and make it out of high school into the actuarial science field, while making time for playing morning chess games regularly in a park with a worthy opponent for the right to buy breakfast for each other, and working hard to take care of herself and her (half)sister as best she can. Needless to say, it comes as a complete surprise to discover she has been selected as the sole inheritor of the late billionaire Tobias Hawthorne’s estate and money. To receive her inheritance though, she has to follow some quirky rules which involves living at Hawthorne House– still inhabited by Tobias’s grieving, and now penniless, family including his four grandsons. Billions of dollars are billions of motives, and while no one trusts her, especially the handsome Grayson Hawthorne, the mysterious Jameson Hawthorne knows it’s going to take all their combined knowledge to solve the last great puzzle Tobias left for his grandsons to solve. If she can live that long, that is.
I loved how true the phrase “puzzles on puzzles, and riddles upon riddles” was for this book, not to mention all of the characters — especially the inclusion of unlikeable ones, and others who confronted Avery about her bad friend habits and communication. While some of them were a little easier to guess the method of solving, it was still engaging to read the process of others solving things. Frequently when characters are trying to solve something in a book, I’ll find myself frustrated by their inability to come to the conclusions quickly. By establishing early both Avery’s intelligence and gift for strategy, her leaps of logic feel authentic to her as a character.
Grayson and Jameson, and all the Hawthorne boys, are written compellingly with brokenness and traumatic backstories that will appeal to adult readers as well as teens. In fact, the amount of times I found myself muttering about how this could read as an origin story for an adult male romance hero was more than a few. It’s quite possible I’m going to delve back into the world of fanfiction to see if anyone else was thinking similarly as well.
Not surprisingly there are romantic possibilities with Avery between two of the Hawthorne brothers, and I appreciated that the choice wasn’t left as a cliffhanger (though for sure a source of character growth for all parties involved). No spoilers here, but there is a sense of agency in Avery’s decision that I liked a lot and showcased a lot of her growth as a character as well. While not immature by any means, Avery’s floundering and naivety is understandable and preyed upon in the beginning by other characters.
Ultimately, if you start this one and are liking it — just go right ahead and get your hands on copies of the next two volumes. While there isn’t a high re-readability factor here for me personally, I will see how they fare as it’s looking likely to be a Battle of the Books pick for my system, and will update this review accordingly. Ideal for those in grades 8+, some younger readers might feel a little out of depth with the quick pacing, though there’s nothing inappropriate. Barnes is the queen of angsty hormone-riddled longing, and it’s here in spades. If you’re still not sure if you’d like this book, picture how you’d react to an escape room and read accordingly.
The Little Book Witch 