“As awful as it sounds, money is power, and power is magnetic.” But what if that isn’t all there is to it? In The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes– the protagonist, Avery Grambs, is inherited billions of dollars all at once. Suddenly, she’s no longer the girl going to a public high school and eating out of cafeteria lunch trays. Her life is a fantasy…until problems arise. The question isn’t how Avery will spend the money. It isn’t if her sister, Lynn, will be okay with everything. The real question is, who in the world gave Avery the money, and why?

When Avery meets Tobias Hawthorne, the billionaire genius, her life is flipped. Scratch that. More like tumbled, rolled, and cartwheeled itself into the most luxurious lifestyle she could have ever asked for. But then, -oh, and here comes the “but then”– Avery meets the Hawthorne family. Four grandsons, each and every one of them raised to be well-mannered, respectable young men. At first glance, they welcome Avery and her sister into Hawthorne House and give warm welcomes. As time passes, though, Avery starts sensing the hostility beneath their smiles and twinkling eyes. Hawthorne House, a place of secrets, magic, and puzzles, conceals a game so complex, one could hardly call it “a game.”

I think this book had such an amazing plot line, and the pacing was perfect. It’s a mystery book, so the author doesn’t give away too much, but just the right amount readers need to feel engaged to the book. I’ve realized this is something most mystery book authors can do though, so that wasn’t the most surprising part for me. What really got me with The Inheritance Games are the characters. Oh. My. God. The characters. I still can’t believe how well-rounded they are, each with their own realistic characteristics and personalities. They felt relatable and so real, too. I feel like most mystery books I’ve read focus on the plot, and the character is, more often than not, a detective who literally does not have their own life beyond the mystery. Jennifer Lynn Barnes does the most awesome job at making the characters people who can actually exist in real life.

I have zero complaints for this book. It was breath-catching, beautiful, and just everything a mystery book for teens should be. Also, can we take second to talk about THAT COVER. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, yeah we get that, but this one is absolutely stunning. I can’t wait to read the sequel, I totally recommend this book; 10/10.