Saturday, May 13, 2023

Book Review: The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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BOOK review
Started on: 27 March 2023
Finished on: 12 April 2023
 
 
Title: The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1)
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Pages: 374 pages / 385 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2020
Price: Rp 178,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 3/5
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"I don't think I'm turning anything into a riddle. I don't think I have to. You are a riddle, a puzzle, a game—my grandfather's last."
Avery Grambs plans to survive high school, win a scholarship, and set herself up for a better future. However, Avery's life changes instantly when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves her virtually his entire fortune. The problem is Avery has no idea why—or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into the Hawthorne House filled with secret passages and rooms full of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately, the Hawthorne House is occupied by the family members that Tobias Hawthorne dispossessed; including the four Hawthorne grandsons, brilliant boys who grew up with the very expectation that one day they would inherit billions. Grayson, the heir-apparent, is convinced that Avery is a con-woman and he's determined to take her down. While his younger brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's twisted riddle and a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself to survive.
"Nothing about my life was normal anymore."
"This family—we destroy everything we touch."
The Inheritance Games trilogy has been on my to-read list since the third book was published. I've been hesitant to start reading this series because there's so much hype surrounding it. I tend to get disappointed if it doesn't fulfill my expectations. I finally decided to try reading the first book to see what I think about it before continuing the rest of the series. Unfortunately, I didn't love this book as much as other people. When I first read the synopsis, I thought it was an intriguing premise that sparked my curiosity. However, I wasn't satisfied with how the plot progressed throughout the story. Regardless, I still managed to finish reading it and the ending made me eager to see what will happen in the next installment.
"If Emily taught me anything, it's that everything is a game. Even this. Especially this."
"Whatever this game is, it's about us. The four of us." 
The story begins by introducing our main character, Avery, who's coping with grief after she lost her mother. Avery is trying to get through high school and create a better future for herself when she receives news that billionaire Tobias Hawthorne has died and included her name in his will. To acquire the inheritance, Avery must move into the Hawthorne House and live there for one year. When she arrives at the enormous mansion, she meets the Hawthorne family members—including the four charming grandsons: Nash, Grayson, Jameson, and Alexander. Avery had to deal with the undeniable tension because the family members didn't expect to be disinherited by Tobias Hawthorne. She also kept questioning the reason behind Tobias Hawthorne's decision and made it a mission to find out why. Avery kept looking for clues that might help her unravel the mystery behind the inheritance that Tobias Hawthorne left for her.

First of all, I have to say that I'm not fond of Avery's character and how she narrates the story. I know she's still a teenager but there are times when her thoughts and actions irritated me 😅. Aside from that, I also find the Hawthorne brothers' characters lacking and I don't particularly care about any of them despite their intelligence and good looks. I think my disinterest in the characters is the reason why the possibility of romance between the characters didn't get me excited at all. It even became cringey at some point. The only thing that kept me reading was the mystery behind the inheritance that Tobias Hawthorne left for Avery. However, I feel like the story just bombarded me with questions and more questions with few answers given. At a certain point, I got tired of the riddles and wasn't invested in it anymore because it seems like the story is not progressing much. I can't say much else without spoiling the whole story but as I've said earlier, the final page was the only part that made me curious enough to continue reading the second book.
"The only person who ever really knew what Tobias Hawthorne was thinking was Mr. Hawthorne himself."
Overall, I enjoyed some parts of this book but sometimes I feel frustrated by certain aspects of the story. I also liked the short chapters that kept me wanting to flip to the next page. The writing style was just okay and I think I would've liked it better if I read it when I was at a younger age. I have decided to continue this series because I still have a bit of curiosity that needs to be satisfied 😆—but I may not read the second book right away. Hopefully the sequel will give me the answer that I need and encourage me to finish reading the trilogy. 🤞
"Twenty years ago, Tobias Hawthorne had disinherited his family. What is this? What the hell is going on here?"
by.stefaniesugia♥ .
 

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