Fantastic!

Inheritance Games is a teen novel that has been all the rage at my public library, to the point where we had to buy more copies to control the number of holds. Its popularity and the fact that it includes some of my favorite fiction tropes meant this was a must-read, and I’m so glad I finally got around to it.

If you’re looking for an excellent, fast-paced summer read, you’ve found it in The Inheritance Games. The book introduces the reader to Avery, a determined, stubborn, and wickedly intelligent 17-year-old who lives an impoverished and lonely life. She lives with her older half-sister Libby, and her only real friend is a homeless man she helps out now and again, and her real best friend, Max, whom she can only speak to sporadically thanks to the latter’s overbearing parents.

Avery and Libby are whisked away to a sprawling Texas mansion upon hearing that Avery is set to inherit over 40 million dollars from an eccentric she’s never met. When they arrive at the home of Tobias Hawthorne, Avery’s benefactor, we find out no one knows who she is or why the money was left to her. As a condition of the will, Avery must spend a year living in the Hawthorne manor with the Hawthorn family, including the four very handsome grandsons of Tobias.

Love triangles ensue as Avery and the family race to find clues around the property to determine why this poor nobody has been left such a fortune. The four boys are different and compelling characters, especially Grayson and Xander. To me, they had intriguing backstories I wanted more of. Nash, the eldest, has a thing for trying to save others and quickly makes friends with Libby, who is reeling after leaving her abusive ex-boyfriend. We also meet Jameson, the grandson who is the object of Avery’s desires, and although he does like her back, he is all about the chase and the need to solve the mystery surrounding Avery.

This book is an absolutely perfect beach read. The characters are fun and have understandable motivations. Avery is a fantastic protagonist and the puzzles and mysteries within the book range in difficulty level. The minute I finished this book, I put the sequel on hold, so I see why it’s all the rage. A super fun read that sprinted by and kept my attention throughout.

Title: The Inheritance Games
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 376
ISBN: 9781368052405

Three Descriptors: Suspenseful, Many Characters, Well-Plotted

Read Alikes:
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers
I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick
All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban