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A review by karlin0336
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
~1st Reread~
Well, I guess I was wrong. This book was SO MUCH BETTER upon rereading. It's a five-star book now. My heart wasn't set on things being a certain way. I knew what to expect. I saw all the little things I'd been missing before. As a result, I saw just how amazing and absolutely genius the finale of this trilogy really is. I'm so glad I decided to reread this series before the release of The Grandest Game.
~Original Review~
This book warrants a well-earned 4.25 Stars! For the first half of the book, I wasn't loving it nearly as much as the others in this series. It's kind of hard to pinpoint the all-encompassing reason why that was. The mystery itself was great. The story was intriguing. There were some really great moments in this book (some involving the romance). The only things I can really point to for sure were a couple of the characters. Grayson was a lot different from what he was like in the other two novels. The given explanation for this made sense to me (his past), but he started out as being very unlikable. I also did not like a certain newly introduced character at first. She came off as annoying and childish to me at first. She was like this for a little over half the book. Then the plot really kicked in. I can't say much without risking spoilers, but I was left very content with the ending this book gave, and with the characters of both Grayson and our new arrival. If you aren't loving the book at first, trust me--- it gets better.
A note on the romance in this novel. The beginning of this book changed my outlook on Grayson. Yes, he is still one of my favorite characters in the book. I'm just not sure I'll ever truly forgive Grayson for how... different... he was during the first half of this book. Jameson has slowly grown on me as a character as I've read this series similar to how Warner from Shatter Me is growing on me.
I applaude Ms. Barnes for how she concluded this novel--- not just in terms of the romance, but also in terms of the story and the character development. This is NOT a Fantasy series. I am NOT usually a fan of that which is not Sci-Fi or Fantasy. That changed with these novels. The Inheritance Games is a new favorite of mine. I will be rereading it in the future. I will think about it often. It has earned its place on my bookshelf. And, I am SO excited to preorder and eventually read The Brothers Hawthorne next August. This Tiktok-famous series deserves its praise. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone and everyone who loves YA and wants a fun read.
Well, I guess I was wrong. This book was SO MUCH BETTER upon rereading. It's a five-star book now. My heart wasn't set on things being a certain way. I knew what to expect. I saw all the little things I'd been missing before. As a result, I saw just how amazing and absolutely genius the finale of this trilogy really is. I'm so glad I decided to reread this series before the release of The Grandest Game.
~Original Review~
This book warrants a well-earned 4.25 Stars! For the first half of the book, I wasn't loving it nearly as much as the others in this series. It's kind of hard to pinpoint the all-encompassing reason why that was. The mystery itself was great. The story was intriguing. There were some really great moments in this book (some involving the romance). The only things I can really point to for sure were a couple of the characters. Grayson was a lot different from what he was like in the other two novels. The given explanation for this made sense to me (his past), but he started out as being very unlikable. I also did not like a certain newly introduced character at first. She came off as annoying and childish to me at first. She was like this for a little over half the book. Then the plot really kicked in. I can't say much without risking spoilers, but I was left very content with the ending this book gave, and with the characters of both Grayson and our new arrival. If you aren't loving the book at first, trust me--- it gets better.
A note on the romance in this novel. The beginning of this book changed my outlook on Grayson. Yes, he is still one of my favorite characters in the book. I'm just not sure I'll ever truly forgive Grayson for how... different... he was during the first half of this book. Jameson has slowly grown on me as a character as I've read this series similar to how Warner from Shatter Me is growing on me.
I applaude Ms. Barnes for how she concluded this novel--- not just in terms of the romance, but also in terms of the story and the character development. This is NOT a Fantasy series. I am NOT usually a fan of that which is not Sci-Fi or Fantasy. That changed with these novels. The Inheritance Games is a new favorite of mine. I will be rereading it in the future. I will think about it often. It has earned its place on my bookshelf. And, I am SO excited to preorder and eventually read The Brothers Hawthorne next August. This Tiktok-famous series deserves its praise. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone and everyone who loves YA and wants a fun read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Cursing, and Murder