The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – A Book Review

Spoiler-Free Overview

Avery Grambs is focused on getting out of high school with minimal drama, getting a scholarship for college, and landing a job that provides financial security and freedom to travel – aren’t we all! But everything gets turned on its head when Grayson Hawthorn shows up, claiming she’s been included in his grandfather’s will. Avery has no idea who Grayson or his grandfather are or why she’s inherited anything from a stranger.

But, when a billionaire leaves you something in his will, you quickly go find out what it is. So, Avery and her sister, Libby, fly to Texas, entirely unaware of what awaits them. Come to find out, Tobias Hawthorn (dear old grandpa) left almost his entire fortune to Avery, including his sprawling mansion and all of its secrets, disinheriting his two daughters and his four grandsons. The catch? Avery has to live in the house for a year, with the Hawthorn family. Or else the entire fortune goes to charity.

Nothing in his will indicates why Tobias left everything to Avery, but he’s given each of his grandson’s a riddle to solve. They’ll all have to play along to find the secrets hidden on the estate and to figure out what Avery means in all of this. Let the games begin! 

Liz’s Thoughts and Feelings

As someone who primarily reads romance or fantasy, this book was such a fun break and journey into a new genre – mystery thrillers. The mystery in this is closer to Knives Out than anything dark and psychological, which is what made it fun. I thought the games and riddles were well thought out, without confusing the reader. I liked the subtle hints throughout to the different steps in the riddles, but I never felt like I missed anything or had to go back and read to understand something.

On to the characters! They all have issues. Everyone needs therapy – but to be fair, don’t we all. Avery and Libby are the only ones that don’t have access to it up until the inheritance, so they get a pass. And, honestly, they’re the most normal. Their problems are common, and even Libby’s complicated relationship with her boyfriend, Drake, is common. It’s bad, and she needs to get the hell out of it, but an abusive and controlling relationship is a complicated issue a lot of people face. The rest of these characters got rich-people problems. Sure, be upset that you lost everything because your dad / granddad gave it away. I’d be mad too, but ya’ll are toxic AF!

YA is always a tricky gamble for me to read. I don’t want to read about teenage love. I’m in my thirties. I’m over it. (Nothing against adults that like to read YA romance. You do you!) To be very clear, this book is not a romance. A romance novel has the relationship as the main plot. That is not this book. Instead, there are some enjoyable moments between characters (not to spoil anything), and it leads to a found family possibility as much as potential future romance.

All in all, I’m going to read the next in the series. This book ends in a mild cliffhanger, so I still need to know why Avery got all that money!