Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - The Final Gambit

This is a good finish to a really fun YA series! The mystery aspect was just as compelling as the first two books and the ending is really satisfying. Barnes’s writing style isn’t my personal favorite (I don’t love the angst of the main character’s inner dialogue or the cheesiness of the jokes between side characters), but I also recognize that I’m not the target age range for her books. I would definitely recommend this for any YA readers who love a good mystery with lots of fun plot twists!

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purplepenning's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Well… Xander continues to be awesome. I continue to hate love triangles. There's a puppy, but he doesn't get nearly enough page time. And I'm not at all satisfied with the situation

Harry was left in

. Really, the only non-Xander, non-puppy part I liked was at the end where

the immoral hoards of wealth were redistributed

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zeynepbinbasioglu's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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elspethmigliore's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

It was a little hard to follow at times because the family tree is so confusing, but other than that, it was really good! I wish we could've seen more Grayson, or I wish his character had better development, but I'm happy with the ending.

I was team Jameson the whole time, even though I do love Grayson. I feel bad for him and I hope he has a better ending after the story ends. Also, I wish avery didn't just give the money away immediately.

Also, I loved the references to chess and the Queen's Gambit and I like that it connects to the title. I loved how we got to see more Xander and how the mystery seemed to build to a final point over the course of three books. I really like that Avery started solving things by herself and embracing her Hawthorne. Overall, it was very very good.

definitely reread material ✅

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kimveach's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A satisfying ending to the Inheritance Games trilogy. Or is it? The end resolved the first three books but left the door open for other books to follow possibly.

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eri_off_the_shelf's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book including the rest of the series was absolutely amazing! A perfect series for the mystery genre. It was definitely complicated but it wasn't so out there that you couldn't play along. I could make predictions and it was actually possible to be right. The romances were perfectly complicated, and sometimes silent smile or squeal worthy. This book was an experience. Through Avery you could understand other and her own expressions and tones implication's. Amazingly written, a roller coaster, a thrill, an adventure. A gambit.

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3vannelsonrose's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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theespressoedition's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A little head's up that the entirety of this review will most likely contain spoilers since it is the final book in the trilogy.

Now that is what I call a satisfying end to a series! I can't tell you how many times I've read a series and been wildly frustrated after finishing the final book, either because everything wrapped up too perfectly, or because there were so many plot holes or questions left unanswered. However, The Final Gambit gave me everything I wanted--and more.

Let's talk about the chess analogy. What a brilliant addition to the puzzles that Tobias Hawthorne left behind. While I'm not someone who plays chess, I was completely enthralled by what was happening. It made the book more interesting, using a game that's not always the most exciting.

While Avery was never necessarily a weak character, she was never particularly strong either... until The Final Gambit. Her character development in this book alone really wowed me. From the way she handled her relationships with both Grayson and Jameson to the steps she took to ensure the safety of those that she loved. It was such a joy to watch as she really blossomed into this powerful energy that even someone like Oren began to respect with few questions (and that's saying quite a lot). The ending, in particular, showed what kind of person she was and it made me appreciate her even more. Even though I was pretty sure I knew what she would do with her fortune, there were a few moments in her final interview that pleasantly surprised me.

In regards to that final interview: though the author has now let her audience know that more books are coming in the form of stories told from the Hawthorne brothers' perspectives, I do hope that she eventually touches on Avery's final "move" so-to-speak. That was such an interesting touch and it reminded me a little bit of Ready Player One. I'd love to see how it turns out.

You didn't think I'd write my review and not include a bit on the Hawthorne brothers themselves, did you? This might be a hot take, but I'm incredibly satisfied with who Avery chose to date long-term.

While Grayson was an initial favorite of mine, I grew increasingly frustrated with his moody, angsty vibe and really wound up appreciating Jameson's influence on Avery in The Hawthorne Legacy. Throughout the first half of this book, Avery repeatedly assured Jameson of her feelings for him, while battling inwardly over Grayson. I began to get a little irritated and worried that she would swap guys halfway through. However, I was thankful that in the end, she chose to stay with Jameson. I believe it was the right decision and that she would've done herself and the reader a disservice if she'd reneged on her original assurances to be with someone else.

I've actually never had an issue with love triangles and I think this one was done especially well. But of course, I might just be biased because for once the protagonist actually ended up with the love interest I hoped for!

Of course, there were a few topics left slightly open-ended, such as Toby's fate, Eve's decisions, and even Xander's relationship with his father. My hope is that they're mentioned in the coming books. If not though, I can't say I'll be ridiculously disappointed. I think this story was tied up really well, with some realistic "open endings" for the reader to ponder.

If I had to give the entire trilogy a rating, I think that I'd have to give it *gasp* a full five stars! This is a rare occurrence for me with a series. Usually, a sequel or third book leaves me feeling let down in some way, but this full trilogy blew me away! It's a must-read.

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