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A review by flik
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The Inheritance Games is a whirlwind of puzzles, attraction, and drama. With an atmosphere somewhere between an escape room and a choose your own adventure romance, it’s a quick and enjoyable read.
The characters are certainly larger than life and teeter on the edge of stereotypes; the machiavellian grandfather, the spoiled daughter, attractive bad boy, childlike savant and caring cowboy topping the list. At first I found this a little annoying, but as I read on and compared it to the cast of a Christie mystery I found the characterizations playful.
Apart from Avery and her sister, no one sees a great deal of character development, and that was one of the elements that gave Inheritance Games a distinctly YA feel, the other being the hormone surge Avery seems to experience any time she bumps into either of the two love interests.
This book surprised me. I was expecting something much darker than what was actually between the pages, and I thought this would be a standalone. After turning the last page, I found that the sequel is due to arrive later this year, and in perhaps the greatest litmus test of the quality of this book, I have found myself adding it to my TBR. From the clues sprinkled in the closing pages, I predict the sequel will be even better than the first installment.
I rated The Inheritance Games four stars, and would recommend it to anyone over 13 who enjoys a classic mystery. You’ll get the most out of this book if you enjoy YA romance subplots and if your mystery expectations are not too high. Content warnings for domestic abuse, grief and suicide.
The characters are certainly larger than life and teeter on the edge of stereotypes; the machiavellian grandfather, the spoiled daughter, attractive bad boy, childlike savant and caring cowboy topping the list. At first I found this a little annoying, but as I read on and compared it to the cast of a Christie mystery I found the characterizations playful.
Apart from Avery and her sister, no one sees a great deal of character development, and that was one of the elements that gave Inheritance Games a distinctly YA feel, the other being the hormone surge Avery seems to experience any time she bumps into either of the two love interests.
This book surprised me. I was expecting something much darker than what was actually between the pages, and I thought this would be a standalone. After turning the last page, I found that the sequel is due to arrive later this year, and in perhaps the greatest litmus test of the quality of this book, I have found myself adding it to my TBR. From the clues sprinkled in the closing pages, I predict the sequel will be even better than the first installment.
I rated The Inheritance Games four stars, and would recommend it to anyone over 13 who enjoys a classic mystery. You’ll get the most out of this book if you enjoy YA romance subplots and if your mystery expectations are not too high. Content warnings for domestic abuse, grief and suicide.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Grief