This book hooked me from the beginning. It gets off to an excellent start but it loses steam along the way. I think because it is YA and has the usual love triangle trope. Must there always be a love triangle? Ugh. Despite this, there were many things to like within this tale. Hawthorne House is a wonderfully interesting place! I loved everything we discovered there and I want to continue exploring the secret passages and all the rooms and mysteries contained therein. The four grandsons, though somewhat melodramatic, are unique and fun characters with backgrounds that piqued my imagination. Wow! What must it have been like to experience their grandfather's birthday gifts and challenges? Our protagonist Avery, is someone to root for after such a difficult struggle through her young life. However, I believe she needed to ask more questions, dig a little deeper and explore Hawthorne House more thoroughly, for goodness' sake! The clues found as they attempt to "win" the game were interesting but ultimately a bit of a letdown. I did enjoy the journey and it definitely kept me turning pages. I was thrilled with the turn of events at the end so I will read the next to find those answers.

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I didn't plan to read The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, but I'm glad I did.

I originally intended to read The Family Game by Catherine Steadman after being reminded of it by Currently Reading podcast. But I misremembered and requested the wrong novel from the library. I realized this before I started reading, but the premise sounded intriguing so I dove in and never looked back.

I'm late to this so many readers are likely familiar with the plot: Avery, a teen girl with almost no family or monetary support, has a plan to achieve stability and success in adulthood. Her world is completely changed upon learning that a billionaire she doesn't know left most of his vast wealth to her. She (and her benefactor's four grandsons) must solve a series of puzzles to understand why.

This is classified as YA, which I typically don't enjoy, and most of the characters are in their teens or earlier 20s, but it was fairly easy to forget their ages because these characters are smart and (mostly) mature. Not everything about Avery's windfall is positive, and she must learn how to navigate instant fame and who she can trust.

The plot is relatively fast-paced, moving from step to step to unravel the puzzle left for them. I could see the action like a movie in my mind - I'd hoped this had been adapted for the screen, but I couldn't find anything on IMDb.

The Inheritance Games begins a four-book series. I'm undecided if I'll read more because I don't want to spoil my enjoyment of book 1 if the others aren't as good.

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