With different circumstances, any of us could have ended up in anyone else's position...
A mysterious will and a house full of puzzles... The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes was on my TBR since I first read the synopsis!
Avery Grambs is waiting for the moment to leave her life behind. Intellectually gifted and financially restricted, that moment comes when Grayson Hawthorne summons her presence at the reading of his grandfather Tobias's will. With no foreseeable connection, Avery doesn't know what to expect at the billionaire's reading. What she comes out with is an opportunity to a whole new lifestyle, if she can survive the Hawthorne House, and family, for a year. With hidden riddles around every corner and shocking secrets between all, Avery tries to navigate the games with the four enigmatic brothers of the family.
As excited as I was the begin this one, I wasn't sure about it at first. Both Avery and Greyson felt a little unrealistic to me like they were trying too hard to fit into a certain archetype. Grayson in particular felt like he was walking on air, though perhaps this is because that is how our first-person narrator thinks he views himself. This got conflicted in a handful of moments of sincerity, and I felt frustrated where their relationship was left off at the end of the book. As for Avery, I like the idea of a female protagonist being a bit grouchy but something about it felt forced. I liked her more, and felt she was more real and relatable, when she was this high analytical thinker, one who sees a challenge in front of her and makes it her personal goal to see it through. She was able to undergo some character growth throughout the story, due to finally having the freedom to focus on what she wants, not what she is limited to, Because if you don't tell the story, someone else will tell it for you.
Somewhat extending on that, I would have appreciated some more distinction for the family members. There was a good number of them (enough to make the cast living in the house exciting, not too many to keep track of) and they were each set up with quirks and idiosyncrasies but most of them were only explored on the surface level. I think I could read a book that was just about Nan, her scenes were amazing! I wish we had seen more of her. Even just a dinner with them all at the table, where their personalities and agendas were shown a bit more, I feel would have added a lot to the story.
Like any good mystery, I love how Avery questions everyone in her life. Can anyone be trusted when everyone has something to hide? On top of the mystery, Avery is also experiencing what it is like to become an heiress overnight, in stark contrast to her loner ways of before. Perhaps I have just played too many Nancy Drew PC games but I would have liked to see a little more puzzling in the house. If Tobias loved riddles and games that much, surely someone exploring the estate would stumble upon some more secrets built into the walls. Those secret tunnels were not fully utilized!
I also feel like Avery should have had some connection or recognition of the family before being called to Hawthorne House. With the grandfather being as influential as he was, the grandsons being as accomplished as they were at their age, surely Avery would have at least heard of the family before. Especially being as intellective as she is. But maybe this was an intentional detail, to paint how single-minded Avery was to accomplish her goals on her own track.
So as to not spoil the ending, I will just say I found it to be clever. The character twist was well played and I love some good foreshadowing. Despite the ways I feel this book could be even greater, it was definitely a fun read and I am looking forward to where the series will go next!
What fun is it playing by other people's rules?
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