In Review: The Inheritance Games
Whether TikTok book recommendations are good or not, one thing is for sure: they are everywhere. I don’t have TikTok, and even I know what books are blowing up there. While this is nowhere a testament to the quality of TikTok books, I appreciate it whenever I discover new books. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of them. A mystery YA series full of puzzles, riddles and a treasure hunt feeling with an inheritance on the line.
Title: The Inheritance Games Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes Series: The Inheritance Games #1 Publication year: 2020 Length: 10 hours 45 minutes Genre: YA, Mystery, Puzzle, Drama, Romance Pace: Fast Story focus: Character & Plot
Avery is living with her half-sister when she suddenly loses her ground. Her sister’s abusive boyfriend is back home again, and he kicked her out. Now living in her car, dreaming of a better life, and hoping for a scholarship to go to college, she discovers she’s the heir to the fortune of the richest man in Texas. A man she doesn’t know. There’s a condition to receive the fortune: live in the Hawthorne family mansion for a whole year. But living with a family that sees her as nothing else than a gold digger can be deadly. Determined to understand why she was chosen to inherit everything, she pairs with a Hawthorne brother to unravel the clues the old man left behind. Apparently, he was always playing games and puzzles with his four grandchildren, and Avery might be his final puzzle.
One thing needs to be put out there. This book is not a solvable mystery. Unlike murder mysteries where we know how it ends, with a dead person, here we don’t know where the clues can take us. It’s a big puzzle the reader can’t put together. You follow along the journey but can’t invest in cracking the case because it relates to the house and the environment. Luckily, whenever there’s a new hint, Avery doesn’t take long to follow through with it. It’s a journey to share with the protagonist and to let yourself be surprised instead of being an active participant.
I’ve seen it often be compared with Knives Out, and while both are two different types of mystery, the overall feeling as you read it is the same as watching the movie. I can’t pinpoint what gives those vibes, but be sure that it isn’t a murder mystery. There’s a rich family, an outsider that inherits all, a dead old man, and family secrets on every corner. Although the stories are different. But if you enjoyed Knives Out, then it’s very likely you’ll enjoy this book series.
A big chunk of the book is getting to know Avery and the Hawthornes. Not only does Avery need to become acquainted with the family, but also she needs to learn how to live in their world since she comes from the opposite background. And in the middle of all this, there also has to be some romance. What is a story without some romance nowadays? Although to make matters worse, it’s a love triangle. While not all the vertices are set in stone by the end of the book, it’s a future mess that anyone can see a mile away. It will not be pretty, and I don’t know if I’m ready to go through the pain in the upcoming books.
However, something that I’m so ready to go through is the drama. Rich family drama is always the best. Get yourself a cup of tea and enjoy them spilling the beans. Although, I have to applaud the Hawthornes because rich families usually present themselves as perfect, and they don’t care about that. They are the most dysfunctional people ever. The only ones closest to being normal are the grandchildren, and even they have their own quirks. But all that is forgotten since they are gorgeous. Have I said yet that the four Hawthorne grandchildren are so attractive? *sarcasm mode activated* Because, like, they are so dreamy! Their appearance isn’t brought up as constantly as in an Ali Hazelwood book, but it’s reinforced once in a while so you never forget they are appealing to the eye.
While I had a great time reading this book, there’s one thing I wish was different: the age range. When I discovered this book series, I never learned much about it. I knew there was an inheritance at play, and even thought it was about a dangerous game with puzzles and riddles with the winner taking it all. I thought they were all adults, maybe in their twenties, since it was presented to be a deadly game of charades. Now I know I was very wrong. However, having this book as a YA novel comes with limitations, specifically because of two words: reverse harem. In the beginning, this was a constant thought I had. I wanted the characters to be older. I didn’t want Avery to date one Hawthorne. I wanted her to date the four of them all at once. And at first, this was the vibe the story was giving me. That eventually changed, and it’s a regular YA romance book with nothing that can be considered scandalous or outrageous. Although I still think this story would also be interesting as a reverse harem polyamorous novel. Why choose a love triangle when you can have it all?
Despite not being an active participant in the puzzles, mysteries and riddles that appear along the way, I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story. It was fun to follow along. Avery doesn’t leave the reader in the dark, so you always know what she knows. And having a jaw-dropping revelation is just the cherry on top of a series I was already interested in. I can see so many secrets on the way and probably even unravel more about mysteries already solved.
No Comments