Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Released: September 1, 2020
Pages: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Overall: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Setting & World-building: 3/5
Emotional Investment: 5/5
"Everything's a game, Avery Grambs. The only thing we get to decide in this life is if we play to win."
Holy shit. Like omg, I don't think I can actually move on from this book. I need the second book asap or otherwise, I might just combust.
Quick Summary: Avery Grambs is a planner. She has the perfect plan to pass school with the scholarships necessary enough to set her up for a life out of poverty. So when she suddenly becomes the sole heiress to 46.2 billion dollars from the newly deceased billionaire Tobias Hawthorne, it causes quite an unrest. Not only is she the sole heiress, but now she has to deal with four gorgeously mysterious Hawthorne brothers who are the grandsons to Tobias and didn't get any part of the will. As the stoic, heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced Avery is a con-woman trying to ruin the family's reputation. Jameson Hawthorne believes this is his grandfather's last final game and he needs Avery's help. As Avery gets closer to the brothers she soon learns to play the game, because the alternative is death.
So this book was supposed to be my light read, but it actually turned into the reason I pulled all-nighters. So, first of all, this is probably the first like thriller type of book, that I genuinely liked the protagonist. Avery was strong, and a genuine genius. The way her mind works was actually so interesting to read. Now did she do some dumb things, yes. But none of it was dumb enough for me to physically cringe. She had so much unwavering loyalty to her sister, Libby despite Libby staying around with an abusive boyfriend. Like Libby might mess up now and then, but Avery was such a good sister.
The actual games and the patterns present in this book were soo amazing. Like the importance of the numbers 10 and 18. YIKES. Also, Tobias Hawthorne is either a mastermind or a genuine psycho. Like, imagine being so filthy rich that you add a room to your house every year and somehow continuously build a pattern and riddle into the house to keep his grandsons entertained. This was marketed as Knives Out and it didn't disappoint especially in this compartment. I really liked the riddles and games because they created such good plot development. There wasn't a moment where I thought the story was boring or slow, and I get distracted easily so that's amazing.
Now I think the true star of this series were the characters. They all had such distinct personalities it was a joy to read them all. We got older, wiser Nash Hawthorne, the oldest grandson, who doesn't care about any of the money and kind of keeps the brothers together. Then there's Grayson who comes of as arrogant and all-knowing when in real life she just cares so much. Jameson is a wreck. He is lowkey drinking himself to death but he lives for the game, so he is so completely convinced that Avery got the money for an ulterior motive. And finally the youngest, Xander, the enigmatic tech wizard who knows more than he should and loves scones. They all played such important roles, well except maybe Nash, who was kind of boring. Everyone else added so much to the plot development and made the story enjoyable.
Now there is a love triangle between Avery, Jameson, and Grayson. As a person who absolutely abhors love triangles, I didn't hate this one. I think that's because I genuinely can't decide which one I want Avery to end up with more. Jameson is the sensation-seeking wild one. While Grayson is more robotic but with a heart of gold. Our girl Avery I think likes them both, but I feel in the deep embers of her heart that she has a favorite. Now stuff happens in the book that pit Grayson and Jameson apart and I feel like I should probably go Jameson. But I think I want her to go Grayson. Now if she doesn't I will not be mad at all, but I'm praying because I think they have enough differences to keep them interesting. That is if Grayson can stop being selfless.
I know this review was all over the place, but basically what you have to get from it is that this book was amazing. Recommend it to everyone, especially after that plot twist at the end. So I need everyone to read it, so hopefully, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will move up the release of the next book.
Quotes
"A guy who thinks he knows everything," I muttered. "That's new,"
"A girl with a razor-sharp tongue."
"Sometimes things that appear very different on the surface are actually exactly the same at their core."
"The question is: How many of us want something you're willing to give?"
"Is it still a lie, if you're masking what matters, but what you're saying is technically true?"
"We aren't normal. This place isn't normal, and you're not a player, kid. You're the glass ballerina -- or the knife."
"Traps upon traps. And riddles upon riddles."