Barnes' Newest a Fun Knives Out-ish Romp for Teens

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

A junior in high school, Avery Grambs is living in her car when she gets astonishing news:  she's been named in the will of multi-billionaire Tobias Hawthorne.  Since she's never heard of the man, it's obviously a mistake.  Still, she's curious enough to travel to Texas for the reading of the will.  Not only is the summons not an error, but Avery learns she's about to inherit most of the man's huge fortune.  All she has to do is live in Tobias' luxurious home for a year—with his furious disinherited family members.  Avery's understandably confused, but she's also penniless.  She needs the money.

Avery meets Tobias' four grandsons—all handsome, entitled young men who believe the money should be theirs.  Having grown up playing their grandfather's beloved puzzles and games, they figure this is just another one of his grand amusements.  If they solve this one, they win.  Some no-account pauper like Avery is no match for them.  Or is she?  Avery intends to show the spoiled boys just what she's made of.  Not only can she outthink and out-solve them, but she's going to win their money fair and square.  She's in for the game of her life against some very keen (not to mention hot) competitors.  Can she keep her head and pull off the ultimate coup?  She has a year to prove herself while answering the most compelling question of all:  Why did Tobias choose her?

Have you seen Knives Out?  Did you love its intriguing premise and quirky execution as much as I did?  Then you've got to pick up The Inheritance Games, the newest YA novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.  It has a similar feel and is just as much fun.  I read the book in a day because it's clever, exciting, and just totally diverting.  Not all of the twists surprised me, but that's okay.  The story still kept me turning pages.  Avery is a likable narrator, although I can't say I loved Grayson or Jameson.  Love triangles bug anyway and this one is especially annoying since there's no chemistry between any of the players.  Those irritants aside, I thoroughly enjoyed The Inheritance Games.  It's an entertaining romp that made me smile.  Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the sequel.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Knives Out as well as the Truly Devious trilogy [Truly Devious; The Vanishing Stair; and The Hand on the Wall] by Maureen Johnson and the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series by Chris Grabenstein)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find