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A review by nataliealane
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
4.0
“Everything’s a game, Avery Grambs. The only thing we get to decide in this life is if we play to win.”
4.5 stars for THE INHERITANCE GAMES by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
This book/series has been a bookstagram darling for a while now, and I finally gave it a go after finding it at my library! It was really fun and compelling. It reminds me of the movie Knives Out and the mystery book The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, which I loved as a kid. In general, it had a slick feel and a cool factor to it; it’s the perfect fodder for an adaptation. There’s plenty of family and romantic angst/drama, there’s a high-stakes game, there’s a makeover and ball scene (every teen movie/book has to have one of those, apparently), and you get the hire ALLLL the good-looking actors. Perfect summer movie!
However, I do think The Inheritance Games is a “right book at the right time” read for me, much like my experience with Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kauffman There’s definitely elements I picked up on that I wouldn’t normally like. For example, I could care less about “rich white people problems” books, but I really enjoyed this one! Im definitely curious to see how I feel about the rest of the series. 4 stars as a baseline of what I liked/disliked + 0.5 star for the fun factor!
What I liked:
Avery is a clever, resourceful, independent person. I love that the book explores her sister relationship with Libby.
ALL THE FAMILY DRAMA. Y’all, the Hawthornes are soooo messy.
I enjoyed the mystery game for the most part.
What I didn’t like:
I disliked every Hawthorne except for Xander (cinnamon roll/puppy dog), but there’s NO WAY he’s 17 based on how he acts. He’s more like one of my freshmen boys.
Didn’t care for the love triangle, but when have I ever really liked one? There’s no substance to it, just pure physical attraction with a splash of angst/forbidden relationship. Oh, AND THERE’S MORE THAN ONE TRIANGLE.
I have mixed feelings on the Emily plot.
As much as I liked Avery’s character, I wanted to know Avery more as a person. She was so intriguing.
The Hawthorne boys do go through some confusing and heavy stuff, so I don’t want to dismiss that, but someone also needs to seriously give them a reality check about their privilege!
I need a map of the house!
4.5 stars for THE INHERITANCE GAMES by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
This book/series has been a bookstagram darling for a while now, and I finally gave it a go after finding it at my library! It was really fun and compelling. It reminds me of the movie Knives Out and the mystery book The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, which I loved as a kid. In general, it had a slick feel and a cool factor to it; it’s the perfect fodder for an adaptation. There’s plenty of family and romantic angst/drama, there’s a high-stakes game, there’s a makeover and ball scene (every teen movie/book has to have one of those, apparently), and you get the hire ALLLL the good-looking actors. Perfect summer movie!
However, I do think The Inheritance Games is a “right book at the right time” read for me, much like my experience with Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kauffman There’s definitely elements I picked up on that I wouldn’t normally like. For example, I could care less about “rich white people problems” books, but I really enjoyed this one! Im definitely curious to see how I feel about the rest of the series. 4 stars as a baseline of what I liked/disliked + 0.5 star for the fun factor!
What I liked:
Avery is a clever, resourceful, independent person. I love that the book explores her sister relationship with Libby.
ALL THE FAMILY DRAMA. Y’all, the Hawthornes are soooo messy.
I enjoyed the mystery game for the most part.
What I didn’t like:
I disliked every Hawthorne except for Xander (cinnamon roll/puppy dog), but there’s NO WAY he’s 17 based on how he acts. He’s more like one of my freshmen boys.
Didn’t care for the love triangle, but when have I ever really liked one? There’s no substance to it, just pure physical attraction with a splash of angst/forbidden relationship. Oh, AND THERE’S MORE THAN ONE TRIANGLE.
I have mixed feelings on the Emily plot.
As much as I liked Avery’s character, I wanted to know Avery more as a person. She was so intriguing.
The Hawthorne boys do go through some confusing and heavy stuff, so I don’t want to dismiss that, but someone also needs to seriously give them a reality check about their privilege!
I need a map of the house!