Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - The Inheritance Games

Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

61 reviews

johannslauren15's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really liked how enticing this books was and all the relationship each character had with each other. There were lots of plot holes somewhat filled and plot twists (though I thought some of them were obvious). Though I think this book is good for and set as more for Middle Schoolers, the only thing I would acknowledge as the huge role romance takes place and affects the plot.

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bookishbailey's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Super fun and fast read! Some of the characters are interesting and I loved reading about them, others I didn’t like but still wanted to know more, and a couple just felt bland (but only like three). The plot was a great adventure and I loved following along with the puzzles in and around the Hawthorne family! I definitely can’t wait to read the next two books.

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hayleyw's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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michellemaas's review

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really liked this book. I was a little apprehensive about reading it since I'm more of a fantasy girl than a mystery girl, but after BookTok (don't judge) kept recommending it I had to try it and I was pleasantly surprised.

I'm going to start by saying that there are so many plots twists that you probably won't see them all coming (taking this from a girl who predicts the plot twists between 50%-75% of the time) which is always a good start in a mystery book. Furthermore, it is face-paced and the characters are very endearing. Like a said, this not being my usual genre can either mean that my standards are pretty high or ridiculously low, but those are the main things I look for in these types of book and not only were they there but I was also thoroughly entertained for the whole read.

There's not really much else to say without spoiling it (and a mystery book is one genre you really shouldn't spoil) other than that it's a good book and I think you'd enjoy it immensely if you gave it a try.

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grimviolins's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I picked up The Inheritance Games while browsing at Barnes and Noble. I found it on the “Book Tok” section and the back cover blurb drew me in immediately. I love books that involve puzzles and mansions with secret passageways. I was a little wary of the book because I generally dislike Y.A. novels, but I decided to give it a try because it sounded so interesting.

Plot:

Plot is a hugely important part of The Inheritance Games, which sets itself up as a thriller/mystery. The buildup is well executed, with tons of layers, clues, twists, and suspicious characters. I’ve never read a mystery where the ending matches the buildup, and unfortunately The Inheritance Games was no exception. I predicted the ending pretty early in the book, which is rare for me because usually I’m not great at predicting endings. I don’t hold it against the book too much. As I mentioned, I’ve never read a book that has lived up to its build up. Additionally, the ride towards the resolution was so entertaining that my enjoyment of the book did not hinge on its ending.

Characters:

Part of what made The Inheritance Games so entertaining was a large cast of fascinating characters. Of course, since it is a Y.A. novel, many of the characters are extremely attractive teenagers. I didn’t actually mind this as much as usual because every character was interesting and well-written.

Setting:

The setting was super fun because it takes place in a GIGANTIC mansion full of puzzles, secret passageways, etc. It’s pure escapism and I loved it. I wish that Barnes had devoted a bit more description for the mansion and the rooms inside, but it was still fun to read.

Themes:

As this is an escapist Y.A. novel, there are not a ton of heavy themes in The Inheritance Games. That being said, it does explore themes of family dynamics, relationships, and power. The book offers more questions than answers, but hopefully these themes will be explored further in the next book.

Writing Style:

Jennifer Barnes writes like a seasoned author. She knows what to keep in, what to omit, and how to write characters and emotions. Her skill really pulls this book together because it makes the characters, especially Avery, seem relatable.

Conclusion:

Even though the resolution of The Inheritance Games did not live up to my hopes (although I’m not sure how it could possibly have lived up to the buildup), I still enjoyed every page of it. I look forward to reading the sequel, The Hawthorne Legacy.

Other Points:

· I really liked reading Avery’s point of view. She reacted to everything believably, and I loved that she wasn’t the “special” girl who excelled at everything. In fact, she spent most of the book feeling totally out of place and lonely.

The cover is not to my taste. I think that style (very common among Y.A. books now a days) is eye-catching, but ultimately a bit tacky.

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verajansen02's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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delaneybarghols's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is the perfect book for readers who are former fans of the Mysterious Benedict Society Series as well as anyone who was a fan of Knives Out. When Avery Grambs goes from living in her car to inheriting billions of dollars from a mysterious benefactor, no one is more surprised than the man's family. But to solve the mystery of this inheritance, Avery must solve the old man's riddles. With the help of his four grandsons, she helps to find answers about this eclectic family as well as her own tragic past. Avery is the main character you can root for. She isn't overly confident, but she isn't a pushover. She's quick and bright, and I think any reader can root for her. There is brewing romance within the house, but it doesn't take over the plot of the book. Avery isn't a heroine who needs to be rescued. She is the hero. A great, intriguing read. Warning: it ends on a cliffhanger and I will be desperately waiting for September 2021 and the sequel.

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marthadude's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I wasn't a fan of the characters. They were either incredibly annoying or snobby and pretentious. I never really connected with any of them. The protagonist was bland, and so was the unnecessary love triangle (which was weird because it pitted brothers against each other). Also

I really hated Emily. Not only was she homophobic but she was all around a horrible person

. The mystery was also lame. There weren't really any fun puzzles, and the reason for Avery's inheritance was really underwhelming and not worth the trouble of reading. The only interesting bit was the sequel hook, but I'm not sure if I want to read the sequel. I will say that the pacing of the book was fast enough to keep me engaged, but the payoff was not worth sitting through.

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lilandraws's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A very fun read! It's not new or spectacular but boy was it fun. The main character, Avery, is brilliant and no nonsense. The Hawthorne brothers and family are a MESS, phew. They're all problematic and that's ok, we all are. Xander is my fave and I wish we saw more of his friendship with Avery.

I wish there was more female friendships and relationships. And I wish Avery was less ~~horny~~ (or allosexual, i guess) omg, we know his eyes are silver pools and we know he's got a scar across his firm torso and she's so aware of the proximity of their bodies like girl ! okay ! focus !!! I'm sure there are other issues but damn, that's what really bothered me because we cannot take a break from it. Also, the love triangle was blergh; I know it's there to keep things spicy but Grayson was so annoying, I wish he was just a side character rather than a potential love interest.

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