Title: THE INHERITANCE GAMES (The Inheritance Games #1)
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Pub. Date: September 1, 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 384
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N Exclusive Edition, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
A Cinderella story with deadly stakes and thrilling twists, perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out.
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.
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I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! Jennifer Lynn Barnes has really outdone herself with The Inheritance Games, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around its contents! There were riddles, puzzles, hidden compartments, secret passageways, clues AND SO MUCH MORE. I was constantly surprised by the story as it developed, and instantly fell in love with the characters. I devoured this book in a single day, so be sure to clear your calendars! The Inheritance Games is going to consume your every waking thought (and possibly some unconscious ones) and be impossible to put down.
My one teeny tiny quibble: the romance. There's a love triangle, which I'm firmly against in all genres unless there are EXTREME and EXTENUATING circumstances. Neither of those applied to this book, so that aspect was disappointing. Avery also developed feelings for two of the Hawthorne brothers relatively quickly, and it wasn't entirely believable. Her world was just flipped upside down, someone might be trying to kill her, and she's swoony for one person's shirtless body and another's piercing eyes. I can see how she might potentially fall into a relationship with one of them, but the insinuation that she has feelings for both really soured my mood regarding the romance. Regardless, I know which Hawthorne I would pick. ;)
Enough of that! The rest of the book was marvelous! Granddaddy Hawthorne passed away and left one last game in his wake. He made sure all of his grandsons would be there to participate, and he threw Avery into the mix to make things interesting. I loved learning about Hawthorne House and its inhabitants, and I cannot wait to revisit its secrets and hidden mysteries. Unlike Avery, the Hawthorne brothers are used to playing their grandfather's games, but she's smart and a quick learner. Avery starts finding clues on her own and sharing the information when it benefits her, but she also depends on the brothers to be generous with their knowledge as well.
There is so much going on in this book, and I have no idea how the author turned all of the threads into one coherent story. I can't imagine thinking up and creating all of the riddles, hidden latches and buttons, and everything else this book contained. Wonderfully written and incredibly imaginative - - I would give Barnes a standing ovation if I could.
If you like books that make you think, The Inheritance Games will challenge even the most accomplished readers. I had absolutely no idea how this story would play out, and I loved it! I should be a ballerina for how often the author kept me on my toes. ๐ฉฐ Seriously, put this one on your TBRs! Oh, and don't trust anyone! ;) (★★★★⋆)
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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 additional 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.
Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE INHERITANCE GAMES, US Only.
This sounds awesome! I love how intricate the story elements appear to be!
ReplyDeleteIt was really well-written! I loved all of the riddles and hidden messages the characters had to solve. Super fun read! :)
DeleteThis was such a fun read! My only real issue was with the romance as well. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt was! Yeah, the romance was bleh. Like, I can see how feelings would have been possible, but both boys were hung up on someone else. Additionally, her sudden desire to be close to them felt off. I wish it had focused solely on the game, or the triangle had been left out. There was no need for her to develop feelings for two of them.
DeleteI am reading this one now and I am enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteLoved all of the secret passageways and hidden rooms! I would love to live in a house like that. ;)
DeleteThis sounds interesting and delightfully twisty... I have to be in a particular mood for this type of read but I could definitely get on board!
ReplyDelete(After adding to amazon wishlist) Your cover is amazing but the UK one is hideous! Why????!!!! I mean, I'll probably buy the kindle version so it doesnt matter so much but the UK cover repels me as "not my kind of book" and the US cover screams "buy me!" :(
Very twisty! I kept trying to solve the clues before the characters, but it was impossible. There were too many variables and unknowns for me to make accurate guesses. I'm not thrilled with the US cover, but I have no idea what the UK one looks like. I'll have to Google it! Okay, what? Why are their question marks all over their faces?? And are they real people or illustrations, because it looks like both... Haha!
DeleteOoooh this book sounds really, really good! A shame about the whole love-triangle thing that seemed a bit unnecessary, but well, the rest of it all sounds SO thrilling. I can't wait to read it!! :D
ReplyDeleteI definitely think this book would've been better without a romance! Maybe one could have developed in the second book, but everything was happening too quickly in this one, and it just didn't fit. Everything else was amazing! :)
DeleteSo excited for this one! Jen's my fave author so I'm sure this will be impressive!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I loved that the author was able to keep me on my toes. :)
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