By: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
❝He left you the fortune, Avery, and all he left us is you.❞
“The Inheritance Games” revolves around Avery Kylie Grambs, a determined orphan with a clear goal to pursue education, break free from her challenging circumstances, and build a successful future. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when the billionaire Tobias Hawthorne leaves his fortune (i.e. approximately $43.2 Billion) to Avery in his will, despite her lack of prior acquaintance with him or any apparent connection to his life. And he left his own family basically nothing. By that I mean he gave somewhere between a hundred thousand to five million to each person. That barely made a dent in the amount Avery got.
Even stranger, the will sets out a series of odd requirements. One being that Avery must spend at least one year in Hawthorne house, the family mansion, and that she must allow Tobias’s disinherited family to live there with her. Talk about awkward. And maybe even dangerous.
Hawthorne House is a magnificent mansion with intriguing passageways and captivating mysteries. The longer Avery stays there, the more she is certain that the will, the accompanying letter, and the house hold the key to something greater; that Tobias Hawthorne is playing a game from beyond the grave.
Add to this Tobias’s angry daughters, the media that won’t leave her alone, and the four Hawthorne grandsons (Nash, who wants to take care of everyone, Grayson, the charming businessman, Jameson, the adventurous spirit, and playful Alexander) and it’s evident Avery is facing an exciting challenge. Unfortunate for her; quite thrilling for me, truth be told.
I love puzzles and riddles, now. They are so…tempting. Irresistible. If you’ve read this book, you know what I’m talking about.
There are spoilers after this. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK!!!!
Avery Kylie Grambs
This girl is literally Cinderella. You know, the poor girl to the rich princess? Yeah that pretty much sums up the part of the story where Avery got inherited. She is the luckiest woman on the planet Earth. One, she became a billionaire. Four handsome, smart, and very emotionally intelligent guys. Moving past that, I love how Avery doesn’t need anyone else and that she can take care of herself because…hello? This is the 21st century. Us ladies don’t need anyone for anything. I hope Avery stays that way.
Jameson Hawthorne
Yes. Yes, yes, yes. He is a yes all the way. There’s nothing an admire more than a guy who can solve puzzles like this “snaps fingers.” He was fascinated with Avery since the beginning. How he gave her that riddle when they first met “If yes is no and once is never, then how many sides does a triangle have?” How he challenged her with the keys. He was a fun character to read about. Plus, he’s an adrenaline junkie.
Grayson Hawthorne
So in the beginning when he went to get Avery from her school, I hated him. He was acting like a typical guy who thinks he knows everything. But then we start learning more about him and when Avery starts growing on him, he’s actually really nice and sweet.
Side Characters
I hated the boys’ mother. Skye is a nightmare dressed like a daydream. Yes, I just used a lyrics from Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space.” But I’m serious. Skye at first seemed so friendly and nice. but when she found out that Avery got all of the money, Skye was mad. She didn’t show it though. Didn’t get violent. But I see why Libby (Avery’s sister) and Avery were worried about the family going all Lizzie Borden on her. I loved Libby, Nash, and Xander. Max was ehh… I have nothing against her swearing. But why can’t she talk like a normal human being. Like “Bull-ship”, really? It’s a little cringy. I also Love Nan. She is the oldest person in this house, older than Tobias Hawthorne himself. But she has so much sass. This woman is now my idol.
Fave Scene:
“I will always protect you,” He told me, his jaw tight, his eyes shadowed. “You deserve to feel safe in your own home. And I’ll help you with the foundation. I’ll teach you what you need to know to take to this life like you were born in it. But this…us…” He swallowed. “It can’t happen, Avery. I’ve seen the way Jameson looks at you.”
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Grayson was saying this. Do you guys see why I can’t choose between Jameson and Grayson??? Also, how are these Hawthorne boys so smart? How is Avery this smart? How is anyone this smart? Avery decoded her name in, like, five seconds. Impossible. But amazing.
Fave Quotes:
“Where are you going? Hell, eventually.”
“He left you the fortune, Avery. And all he left us is you.”
“Traps upon traps. And riddles upon riddles.”
“Why kill two birds with a stone, when you can kill twelve.”
“What fun is it playing by other people’s rules?”
And omg, that ending, drove me insane. What a cliffhanger! Harry=Tobias Hawthorne the Second? The poor, homeless dude=the son of a billionaire? The person Avery used to play chess with=a ‘dead’ guy? NO. WAY.
So, as you can maybe see, I like this book. Sure, there are a few weird characters (see: Max) and some interesting characters (see: Avery, Jameson, Grayson) so this book has a mix of everything. And I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book of this series. After reading this book, I have been quite interested in puzzles. I’m trying my hand at riddles and stuff. It’s going…fine. Now, unfortunately, I have to end this review because it’s getting a tad bit too long. So I’ll be back soon with the second book of “The Inheritance Games.” I hope you guys read it! If they go searching for Toby, it will be a very risky gamble.
XOXO,
Aaradhyaa
#SeeWhatIDid
#puzzles
#CinderellaRetelling
Aaradhyaa.blog 