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A review by plumpaperbacks
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
[ETA, December 2022: Rating lowered from 3.25 stars to 3. Don’t ask me why, because honestly, I don’t know. It just feels right.]
Why do bookstagram’s favorites keep disappointing me? :’)
I was hoping for an intense thriller, but instead I got a rather slow mystery. Now, to clarify, the mystery was clever and kept me interested; it’s clear Barnes knows how to write this genre.
My issue was with how mediocre everything else felt—the characters and character dynamics in particular. I didn’t like or dislike Avery; she was just kind of there. I didn’t like any of the Hawthorne brothers, and Grayson and Jameson in particular annoyed me more often than not. And don’t even get me started on what’s most likely going to be a love triangle, since somehow Avery is attracted to both boys, even though one is a pretentious prick and the other is all dramatic and melancholy. I’m too gay for this.
I’m planning to read the next one solely because the story’s ending intrigued me. Fingers crossed it’s better.
Representation
Why do bookstagram’s favorites keep disappointing me? :’)
I was hoping for an intense thriller, but instead I got a rather slow mystery. Now, to clarify, the mystery was clever and kept me interested; it’s clear Barnes knows how to write this genre.
My issue was with how mediocre everything else felt—the characters and character dynamics in particular. I didn’t like or dislike Avery; she was just kind of there. I didn’t like any of the Hawthorne brothers, and Grayson and Jameson in particular annoyed me more often than not. And don’t even get me started on what’s most likely going to be a love triangle, since somehow Avery is attracted to both boys, even though one is a pretentious prick and the other is all dramatic and melancholy. I’m too gay for this.
I’m planning to read the next one solely because the story’s ending intrigued me. Fingers crossed it’s better.
Representation
- side characters of color (includes Black and multiracial rep)
- bisexual side character
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship
Gun violence: characters are ambushed and shot at, but not hit. Injury description: a character is hit with debris in the aforementioned scene. Deaths: all prior to story but mentioned throughout; one of a parent, one of a grandparent, and one of a friend/girlfriend. Toxic relationship + domestic abuse: in regards to a side character; on and off throughout the story.