Skip to main content

The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes


 Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch - and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

When I read the synopsis for this book I was so excited to be part of The Write Reads blog tour for it. It's a Cinderella story, poor unfortunate girl gets rich, but with twists and puzzles galore and I absolutely devoured it. 

Avery Grambs is the average teenager trying to survive, but when she's told that she has inherited a huge fortune from billionaire Tobias Hawthorne, her life is thrown into disarray: she's never heard of Tobias Hawthorne for a start; he has four very entitled grandsons who are now left with pennies and she has no desire to be the public figure that she has become overnight. Left with no choice but to take up residence in Hawthorne House to comply with the stipulations of the will, Avery has to face the rest of the Hawthorne family daily, all whilst trying to solve the riddle of why SHE has been chosen to inherit such a life-changing amount. 

The Inheritance Games is gripping from the very start, and the first question I had will be the same as everyone else reading BUT WHY HER?!! Is it an outrageous gesture of goodwill to a stranger? An ulterior motive? From the moment we find out Avery stands to inherit the Hawthorne estate the puzzle begins - and it never really ends. Just like Hawthorne House itself, the novel is littered with secrets, twists and turns and as a reader I found myself constantly accusing one character only on the next page to change my mind and look elsewhere for a new clue. The perfect amount of mystery and intrigue to keep you reading!  

The characterisation of the Hawthorne brothers is perfect throughout. They are the perfect blend of evil, rich and loathing juxtaposed with their charming good looks, helpful hints to Avery and genuine memories of their grandfather. You are never sure who to trust, who is telling the truth, who has an ulterior motive. As a reader you never know more than Avery and so as she discovers the answers to the riddles, the betrayals and the truths so do we. 

An honourable mention must also go to Barnes' description of the sprawling Hawthorne estate. If you asked a small child what would their ideal mansion be I'm positive you would get an answer close to Hawthorne House. A bowling alley, ballroom, spa, swimming pool plus the addition of secret passages which open at the touch of a hidden switch. Avery is placed in the dream house, the dream scenario but with the real nightmare that no-one believes she should have inherited what she has. 

The Inheritance Games is a brilliant read if you like mystery and intrigue but coupled with realism. Yes Avery stands to inherit a small fortune, yes there are secrets and passages galore in the book but despite all this at no point in the book does it feel fantastical, Jennifer Lynn Barnes always grounds us with reality and I think this is what makes it such a superb read. 

A secret-filled battle of inheritance that almost feels unstoppable. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog Tour | Mirrorland - Carole Johnstone

  Cat lives in Los Angeles,  about as far away as she can get from her estranged twin sister El and No. 36 Westeryk Road, the imposing gothic house in Edinburgh where they grew up. As girls, they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches, and clowns. These days Cat rarely thinks about their childhood home, or the fact that El now lives there with her husband Ross. But when El mysteriously disappears after going out on her sailboat, Cat is forced to return to the grand old house, which has scarcely changed in twenty years. No. 36 Westeryk Road is still full of shadowy, hidden corners, and at every turn Cat finds herself stumbling on long-held secrets and terrifying ghosts from the past. Because someone—El?—has left Cat clues all over the house: a treasure hunt that leads right back to Mirrorland, where she knows the truth lies crouched and waiting…   Mirrorland  is a thriller on paper, but very different to any I...
2 comments
Read more

Things To Do Before the End of the World - Emily Barr

1. Live your best life. 2. Uncover family secrets. 3. Trust no one What would you do when you hear the news that humans have done such damage to the earth that there might only be a limited amount of safe air left - a year's worth at most? You'd work through your bucket list, heal rifts, do everything you've never been brave enough to do before? Olivia is struggling to do any of this. What it is she truly wants to do? Who do she wants to be? Then out of the blue comes contact from a long-lost cousin Olivia didn't even know existed. Natasha is everything Olivia wants to be and more. And as the girls meet up for a long, hot last summer, Olivia finds Natasha's ease and self-confidence having an effect on her. But Natasha definitely isn't everything she first appears to be. Emily Barr is no stranger to YA literature having penned many a well-received title including The One Memory of Flora Banks and The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods. Her latest offering, Things To ...
2 comments
Read more

Blog Tour | Kate In Waiting - Becky Albertalli

  [PRINCIPAL CAST LIST] Kate Garfield Anderson Walker Best friends, and contrary to popular belief, not co-dependent. Examples: Carpooling to and from theatre rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient. Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgement. Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway. But when Kate and Andy's latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off-script.  Enter Stage Left: Matt Olsson He is talented and sweet, and Kate likes him. She really likes him. The only problem? So does Anderson. Turns out, communal crushes aren't so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson's friendship... Becky Albertalli's latest YA offering is just what you would expect from the blurb - full of theatre, drama, and high school relationships, which are always the most complicated. Kate and Anderson are best friends, inseparable and r...
1 comment
Read more