Book Review: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Short Description

Avery Grambs has lived a harsh life, but she has plans. She will try her best in school, get a scholarship, go to university, get a degree, and make something of her life. Nothing will deter her from using her intellect to achieve these goals. That is until a billionaire dies and leaves his entire fortune to a girl he has never met over his own family, and that lucky (or not) girl is none other than Avery herself. Now, the enemy of the powerful Hawthorne family, Avery must survive a year in the labyrinthine Hawthorne House, where not only its inhabitants but its very walls house innumerable secrets that may or may not threaten her very life. Forced to live alongside the intimidating yet enchanting Hawthorne brothers, can Avery uncover the unfathomable reason why she was the one chosen to inherit everything?

(Read the official synopsis on Amazon or Goodreads)

Review

So, I will try something different, and go for a more structured review this time to see which would be more efficient.

First Thoughts

I really liked this book! It was so different from anything I had read before, granted I read more fantasy than any other genre. I didn't know what to expect going in and I still don't exactly know much about the story itself, but I find that impressive on the part of the author. 

Plot

What can I say about the plot except "What in the world am I reading?" 

Ok, in all seriousness, the actual plot itself about someone randomly leaving a stranger all their wealth isn't that unheard of, I'm pretty sure I remember a movie or episode in Scooby Doo where Scooby got left a haunted mansion or something, but I digress.

The Way Jennifer Barnes has executed her plot, however, is masterful. With twists and turns at literally every corner, even the most avid Sherlock Impersonator would be confused and impressed. We follow Avery who's been dealt an awful hand in life, she's just trying to make something of her broken life. While she is struggling, in the blink of an eye her life is flipped upside down as one of the richest men in the country dies and bequeaths his entire fortune to her. If the cryptic bestowal wasn't enough the old man has left riddle after riddle for Avery and his grandsons, the Hawthorne brothers. As someone hopeless at solving riddles, Avery and the Hawthornes seem ingenious at times, but then again that might be subjective. The plot revolves heavily around the enigmatic billionaire and is shaped by his whims, tricks, and traps. As the first book in a series, The Inheritance Games has set the stage for future books wonderfully.

Characters

I'll start with the woman of the hour, our heiress, Avery. I like Avery a lot, she is sweet and empathetic but also very clever. That's what I loved the most about her, her skill to solve riddles with ease. She is a very compelling and deep character and in most cases, I could understand exactly why she reacted in certain ways, which is an accomplishment on the part of the author. I started liking her from the moment she was introduced, playing chess with a homeless man and standing up for herself before authority. Avery lived a harsh life, that shaped her into a more cautious, mistrustful, and stubborn person, and honestly, that made me root for her as she unraveled secret after secret in her search for the truth.

The Hawthorne brothers captivate everyone who meets them, I was skeptical of this sentence every time I heard it, which was honestly more than I was expecting, but by the end of this book, I agreed with it to an extent. Nash, Grayson, Jameson, and Xander are well-written characters, with flaws, deep wounds, and slightly other-worldly capabilities. It was fun reading about Avery's interactions with each of them as they were so different. It was also interesting getting a deeper look into the relationship each brother had with their late grandfather, with some being privy to more personal secrets than others.

Tobias Hawthorne himself was a character I really enjoyed reading about. He weaved puzzles with ease and his every move seems cryptic yet purposeful. I have no idea what he hoped to achieve, but I'm excited to find out.

The rest of the Hawthorne family, however, were less pleasant to read about and honestly, I hated most of them. The two sisters were outright nasty and evil, and Nan was peculiar. However, when a stranger lays claim to everything you've believed would be yours one day, pleasantries are hardly expected.

Of the other, minor (you could say) characters, Oren was my favorite followed by Libby.

Hawthorne House

The house itself needs to be talked about. With a bowling alley, theatre, four libraries, a solarium, a racing track, and underground tunnels it sounds like Wayne Manor or Wonderland. I didn't mind the slight impossibility which is out of character for me, but if I had that much money maybe I would fill my house up in strange ways too.  

Things I Didn't Like

Firstly, the school and the students. I was skeptical about how a school setting would play out in a story like this where the family and the house are the main focus, and as I feared it was underwhelming and sometimes quite unnecessary. Nearly all the students were unimportant which is surprising since the school was filled with children from rich, elite families too. It seems that the only purpose behind the school enrollment was to introduce Emily, Thea, and Rebecca.

Secondly, though I agree with the statement that the Hawthornes are captivating, I mean that as a reader it is the family that catches my attention. So I find it difficult to believe that Avery could be so drawn to the Hawthornes that she finds herself wanting to get closer to both Jameson and Grayson despite the obvious danger. From the very beginning at that, it seems unnatural.

Thirdly, since Avery is probably the person most at risk of kidnapping or murder, I would have expected greater security, it's generally just Oren (who I like) and Avery's life is still at risk. A larger security detail would have made more sense, but that is just my opinion.

In Summation

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and am eager to read the next one. The chapters are short so if you dislike long chapters you'll like this book. It's also pretty easy to read and if you are in a book slump it might break you out of it. If you, like me, love detective work and investigations (a bit like the old Enid Blyton books) you should definitely read The Inheritance Games. I can't wait to see what Avery uncovers next.

Rating: 4/5 🌟

Emoji Depiction: 📮🧩💰

See you next time for my review of We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal.

P.S. If you like my review, follow my blog😊. If you haven't read my previous review for Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch, check it out in my previous post.