The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
May 3, 2023 - May 8, 2023
2.5-3/5
Audiobook
YA, Mystery/Thriller, Contemporary
Update: 5%
I’m about half an hour into the audiobook. It’s definitely too early for me to be so judgmental (Avery has barely touched down in Texas for the will reading) but I’m not super impressed by the writing so far. (It has also been a long tiring day) I don’t have high expectations, but I hope to be proven wrong
Update: 78%
The mystery is vaguely interesting.
I’m not super invested in any of the characters, but I do enjoy Max & Xander. Grayson has become more intriguing than I initially thought. I really don’t care for the Avery & Jameson developments.
I am also incredibly annoyed on Avery’s behalf for the amount of references and dropped hints made at past scandals without an ounce of explanation.
Review
I’m not sure where exactly to place this book in my ratings. I usually save 1 or 2 stars for books I really didn’t like. Aside from one rather large and annoying plot point, it was okay.
As I said in some of my updates throughout the novel, I don’t care too much about any of the characters. Max was entertaining for her few sporadic appearances at the beginning of the book. Xander is definitely my favorite of the Hawthorne boys (so I'm very excited to see him get some more love in the next book). Nash was rarely involved and both Grayson and Jameson had moments where they weren’t great to Avery but nothing they did really set me against them. I’m just not super interested. I did really like Grayson’s decision regarding Avery at the end. It was very refreshing (which has me worried for the second book because the description implies he goes back on that decision).
My main gripe with this book was a specific character and plot line that dominated the entire story. None of this really has to do with Avery, but an off-screen character that keeps showing up everywhere! If you'd like to know more, check the spoiler tag.
Spoilers
I can not stand the Emily plot line. So much of the tension and suspense revolves around the “mystery” of her death. But it’s only a mystery to Avery. Everyone else knows what happens and just doesn’t feel like talking. Are there some circumstances that are only known to a few people? Yes. Does that change what ultimately happened to her? No. It just ends up with a drawn-out chapter where three different characters all needlessly blame themselves for her death, which was due to natural causes exacerbated by her own actions. From what little we know, she’s not even a likable character! Yet almost the entire mystery and the will hinges upon what happened to her and how half the boys feel about it.
The only saving grace comes from the clues at the end telling us that Tobias Hawthorne was much more involved in Avery’s life than previously thought and the explanation for the will is more complex than a birthdate & anagram name. That, plus the Xander involvement is the only reason I plan to continue this series because that sounds much more interesting a mystery than what I got here.
Edit:
It’s been about a month and after letting this book stew, reading some book two reviews, and ranting for an hour to a friend, I’ve come to two conclusions: my anger at the Emily plot line overshadows any of the good or okay parts and I will not be reading the sequel. I have no interest in love triangles, especially involving siblings or hypocrites. (I’m looking at you Grayson. “My family is the most important thing to me and I won’t let another girl come between us.” Yeah right.) Not to mention none of the 15 or so reviews I read mentioned Xander, so he’s clearly not a big part of the second bok. (And why is that? Xander was by far my favorite character!) Plus most of the clues were rather simple (filling in the idioms), had no answer (the random book in the library), or required being physically present and thus no real brain power (the number code and sundial puzzle). Not to mention the Emily of it all.
Content Warnings
Mentions or depictions of:
death, domestic abuse, toxic relationship, gun violence