A review by pelodemaruchan
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

3.0

I actually really liked the book, and I'm definitely reading the next one. HOWEVER, the characters felt a little one dimensional, a bit too obvious in their roles for the book. And the development of the relationships was just a bit too unrealistic to me. Avery just met these boys and is immediately attracted to them and can't help how she reacts to their shenanigans. Like she's known them for 5 minutes hello? There was also one scene that made me really uncomfortable where Avery and one of the boys kiss (not clarifying who bc spoilers). I get it was a trauma response for both of them, but I still did not like that it happened. It didn't need to happen, like the kiss could have not happened and the situation could have been used to develop their relationship even more, so that later on it could be used as pro for which boy Avery would choose. Oh and the whole love triangle trope feels so overdone at this point, once the second male love interest entered the story I rolled my eyes so hard. I also just wish the mystery were a little more ...mysterious(?). I wish it were harder to solve. A lot of the clues that Avery and co. encountered were too simple and I was able to solve them way before the characters did, and maybe it's just me, but in a mystery novel that's not what I want. I don't want to see the ending coming and unfortunately that's exactly what I got. I was also hoping to get into more of Avery's mother's past rather than the Hawthorne's, although that seems naive now, considering she was helping to solve the grandfather's puzzle, but maybe we'll get more of Avery's story in the next installment. I want to know the secret of Avery's birthday!! The breadcrumbs we get for what the next installment will bring, along with the plot twist we get at the end, which, I will be honest I should have seen coming, made me really excited to read the next one. I was going to read the rest of the trilogy anyways, because I loved the characters so much, despite the mystery not really doing it for me and the development of the relationships not making sense, but the end just solidified for me the anticipation of getting my hands on the next book. Overall, solid read.