A review by ashleyvharris
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

adventurous mysterious tense 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? No

4.0

The Inheritance Games is a fun, twisty mystery with great atmosphere. 

My thoughts on this book have been a bit uncertain. On the surface, I appreciate Barnes’ story of puzzles and mystery and ultimately the importance of relationships in our lives. But the more I sit with the story, the more I am bothered by the nonchalance with which the emotional abuse of the Hawthorne grandsons is treated. 

Tobias Hawthorne pitted his grandsons against one another with his “games” and raised them to value winning over all else. No wonder
Emily
happened…  Their own mother was seemingly more concerned with the money and status they did not inherit rather than the mental and emotional state of her children.

At the very least, it would have been nice to see some acknowledgment that Avery was manipulated and used throughout the first book of this trilogy. Avery understands this reality herself, but the abusive qualities of her relationships with the Hawthornes is never truly addressed.

I thinks there’s so much potential for this story in books 2 and 3. I look forward to continuing this trilogy and hope to see a more overarching commentary about the ways in which money and influence can perpetuate abuse that goes unaddressed. These young characters need a lot of healing.
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