The Inheritance Games is the first thrilling instalment in a new series from a storyteller who knows exactly how to write gripping young adult thrillers. When ordinary teen Avery Grambs is invited out of the blue to the will reading of late billionaire Tobias Hawthorne, an individual she has neither met nor heard of, she is flabbergasted to discover she has been left almost all of his estate, which includes most of his worldly possessions. The reading takes place at the Hawthorne House Estate, a stunning mansion stood in vast surroundings, and in attendance are Tobias's close family, including his two daughters and grandsons, none of which have any idea who the strange young girl is and why on earth she is involved in the sharing of his material possessions. They are equally, if not more, shocked and confused with a wave of anger bubbling inside of them. But in order to have access to what is now her fortune she must reside at Hawthorne House for a year living alongside his family. Some of them take the news well but a few of them who believe Tobias’s billions belong, at least, in part to them decide there and then that they'll do just about anything to retrieve the fortune.

This is an exciting, compelling and difficult YA thriller to put down from the very beginning as there is so much happening that it has you hook, line and sinker. The plot is completely original and unique in terms of the concept plus it was executed so well and the cast is relatable and superbly developed to where you feel you really care about them. It made a refreshing change to be reading a totally fresh idea and the writing was straightforward with little to no padding added. Protagonist Avery is a great role model as she navigates a tricky situation with such grace and aplomb making her the perfect central character for a young adult novel. There is so much mystery and intrigue between these pages as Avery investigates exactly why she was left Tobias’s businesses, property, charitable foundations and a huge amount of cash. She's an intelligent girl who appears to be a lot wiser than her years. It turns out that discovering Tobias’s motives is no easy feat and she must solve a number of puzzles and riddles in order to find out the answers to her burning questions. Many thanks to Penguin for an ARC.

I cannot remember the last time I devoured a book like this. I read the whole thing cover to cover, in a single afternoon and the moments in-between reading it were consumed with thoughts about it.
From the first chapter, I was sucked into this tumultuous world of riches and secrets and ultimately games. The characters had me rooting for them from the beginning and were each so distinctly different and well developed. It really did exceed all my expectations and I am so glad we will be getting a second installment because this was simply not enough.
It is richly dark without being scary, and has all of the elements of a classic mystery but with a fresh modern twist. Ultimately a must-read, and one I will no doubt be recommending profusely.
An absolute gem of a book, that is written so wonderfully and deserves all the attention.

This tale of teenager Avery standing to inherit from an eccentric billionaire has the makings of a fabulous computer game about it. In order to work out why Avery has been named as benefactor rather than his four grandsons (or any of the other remaining family members) there are lots of clues and puzzles to be solved. Emotions and relationships are put under scrutiny and untangled as the puzzles go along.
Hopefully this is just the first of a series as I want to know more about these characters.

Brilliantly written, Complex relations between an outsider and an interloper. Who would get the money? What a twisted ending. Enjoyed.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as it looked very exciting. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case, it was an ok read but, I found the characters spoilt, and irritating. I thought that it was a little bit boring and found my attention wandering at times. It’s a shame as it could have been a better read hence, only giving it 3 stars.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

As you may know, I love a good mystery and as soon as I heard about The Inheritance Games I knew I had to read it. It sounded like the perfect read for me and as soon as my copy arrived I dove straight in and well the rest is history. I was immersed in this incredible world of intrigue and riddles.

The Inheritance Games follows Avery, a teenager who is just trying to keep her head down and work towards a better future for herself. That all changes when one day she finds out an eccentric billionaire has died and she has inherited his fortune, and no one, not even Avery knows why. She moves into the mansion that is now hers and she soon finds out that it’s filled with secrets and the man’s surviving relatives who are set on finding out why Avery got what should be theirs. Avery is soon caught up in a life-threatening game that the whole family is playing, and must save herself.

This was honestly one of the best-plotted mysteries I have read in a long while, and as soon as I picked it up I was engrossed and found it hard to put down. You are instantly sucked into this world of wealth, luxury and selfishness and its addicting to say the least. The whole narrative of the story is written in a way that leaves you guessing, and I for one couldn’t think of a single theory whilst reading, as the twists and turns were so close together. Usually, with a mystery I find myself at least guessing something, and being right, but with The Inheritance Games I just couldn’t do that, and it was a little bit frustrating but I was glad in a way as it left me shocked come to the end.

Plot-wise I thoroughly enjoyed going along with Avery as she tried to uncover the mystery of why she had inherited this fortune and like I’ve previously mentioned I couldn’t think up a single theory as to why. The way the mystery is planned through riddles and clues brought something unique to the story and I did find myself trying to solve some of them myself. Also, the way that Avery tries to solve it with the help of the Hawthorne brothers, despite them resenting her, is admirable. I found it to be quite uplifting how they wanted to help despite her having what should have been theirs.

Avery as a character was one that I connected with straight away, and I found that you really do get into her innermost thoughts. Going from a normal hard-working teenager to an heiress overnight would be overwhelming for anyone, and this was the case with Avery. She didn’t let it go to her head and she was still the same girl as she was before inheriting the fortune. Her relationships with Jameson and Grayson Hawthorne were ones that I found rather intriguing, and there is a slight enemies to lovers trope there, but I didn’t mind that and it didn’t overshadow the overall plot. I have a feeling that as the series progresses we’re going to see a love triangle form.

The Inheritance Games was a gripping, electrifying mystery that had me entranced. The way the story ends is frustrating and leaves you wanting more and I will now be impatiently waiting for book two next year.

Fantastic novel. Had me hooked throughout. Need the demons instalment right now so I can see how the plot continues.

I enjoyed this novel - I was very quickly absorbed by the concept and enjoyed the interplay between the main characters. Avery - a feisty lass - is left an inheritance and has no idea why. She is thrown into the Hawthorne household and has to learn how to behave as the Heiress and find out why she has been put into this position.

I enjoyed the ‘game’ and the reason behind it was not as I expected.

This is definitely a book which I will purchase for the school library and I will look out for the follow up.

This is probably one of the most surprising reads I’ve had this month. I was looking for a light YA mystery but ended up with such an enthralling read that made me think about the story for a long time.
The story evolves around Avery, a high schooler who suddenly finds out that she has been named heiress to a billionaire’s fortune — even though she does not even know him. Soon, she is thrown into the world of the Hawthorne family who might or might not resent her for taking their fortune away. There are soon some major mysteries that take up the most space of this book — who was Tobias Hawthorne (the generous deceased benefactor) really? What is on the four Hawthorne boys’ agenda? And why has Avery been named heiress at all? Throughout the book I couldn’t decide if the author is a wicked genius or just a crazy maniac who is talking through their books.

Something that I was pleasantly surprised with was the setting of the book which turned out to be haunting and enthralling at the same time. Although I was initially hesitant — Hawthorne Manor’s facilities sounded a little bit too ‘rich’ to be true — I quickly fell for the chilling and ‘escape room-like’ atmosphere that it added to the twisted story. Another thing to know about this book is that it doesn’t live from its mysteries only (they weren’t too hard to solve in fact and I pretty much figured them out halfway through the book) but from its characters. Perhaps it is Avery’s calm voice and clear approaches to riddles that makes her such a unique and likable main character, but I quickly found myself rooting for her, alone among the ‘wilderness’ that she finds herself in. 
While I was initially very confused about the many characters that are introduced in the book too, I was glad to see that every single character plays a role that is crucial to the overall story. Every side character added a new puzzle piece to the whole book, and seeing them having to interact with each other to solve the big mystery was very refreshing.

The biggest surprise of this book is not the mysteries that Avery is sent to solve, but the ‘past romance part’ that is very unlike what you would expect. It’s not canonical romance, it’s a story of obsession and failure. While I also wasn’t necessarily a fan of any budding romance the first half of the story, it is the way this part of the book is weaved into that story that it covered some of the best and worst sides of so many characters.

Overall this book is not the greatest mystery book that has ever been written; however the author makes use of the readers’ prejudices and expectations of a typical mystery read and turns and twists it into her own story. I was enraptured by the gripping story, the unexpected depth of the plot and the sharp and brilliant ending. This book is the first in a series and I can’t wait to find out what will happen in Book 2!

The Inheritance Games is a fast paced Young Adult mystery. It is to the point and does not linger more than necessary on the events. When Avery, a nobody, is named as the heiress in a rich man's will, a number of questions are asked. Who is she? Why has no one heard of her before? What is her connection with the family? Why did no one else form the family get much?

The plot highlights the philanthropic aspects of Avery's nature. The four boys of the Hawthorne family are her competitors and helpers at the same time. As Avery tries to integrate into the family and understand her place, she is confronted with questions about her own past and how she is connected to Tobias Hawthorne who left her an heiress. Tossed into the elite society, Avery must learn the ways of the rich while as the same time holding on her identity. Knives Out is an appropriate movie comparison and like that film, the plot has many twists and turns, with desperate step-sister, a needy boyfriend, a mystery girl who died before Avery arrived and puzzles that the Hawthorne love challenging each other with.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you are looking for a page-turner read.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, part of the WriteReads tour. Full review and reading experience coming September 3.

One of the most exciting books I've read this year. On top of the mystery to be solved, there are riddles upon riddles and traps upon traps - just as Avery is warned. It's a well constructed, thoroughly planned novel that has characters you want to invest in just from them being present.

The multiple dynamics to explore let your mind think in every direction, wondering just who might be held accountable for what, and exactly what Tobias Hawthorne was thinking when he picked Avery.

It's hard to write about this book without just shouting "READ IT" because that's how I feel. A true hit of 2020.

Someone needs to make this book into a TV series! It’s perfect for it. It’s SO enjoyable, whether that’s because it’s YA fiction or just because the plot is fantastic and FRESH. I haven’t read anything like it for so long and it sucked me into the world of Hawthorne manor and the four brothers living there.

Miss Avery Grambs is informed she’s the sole heiress in the billionaire philanthropist Mr Hawthornes’ will - whilst his own family are left wondering who she is and what they had done to be left with such a small portion of his estate. Who is Avery?

The manor is full of hidden tunnels, puzzles and challenges leading them to their answers about who Avery is and what happened to their friend Emily a year earlier... a mystery within a mystery. It’s a cracking book and I’m gutted there’s only 1 of them - I really hope the author turns this into a trilogy because I’m dying to know what happens next to the family.

I knew nothing about this book before reading and that truly paid off as it was such a brilliant surprise. Combine the fish-out-of-water rags-to-riches of The Princess Diaries with the rich infighting of Knives out and Succession and you get this addictive thriller of a read. The story, teen Avery comes from nothing and is then left with the entire inheritance of an eccentric billionaire, was an instantly compelling tale. Come each end of a chapter I *had* to read on, such was my desperation to know what was going to happen next. Avery is a great character, emphatic and breath of fresh air in terms of her intellect and maturity. Hawthorne House, where the majority of the action plays out, feels instantly iconic with labyrinthine design. Then there's the four Hawthorne boys, each so intriguing and alluring in their own ways.
The fact I found myself picturing it all in my mind is the highest compliment I can give it, the writing is so visual and immersive. This needs to be adapted into a TV programme STAT!

Confession, I am not the target audience for this book but that didn't stop me really enjoying it. Pretty Little Liars meets Knives Out with the gloss of an impossibly rich world and the twists and turns of a good puzzle. Avery is feisty and determined, loyal to the family she has and with a quick independent mind. The boys are not drawn in as much detail, but there are 4 of them and this is only book one, so plenty of time to get to know them. I did not guess the ending and would definitely like to read more and would recommend to YA readers who wanted something escapist, not based on school politics and cliques, not dystopian just good fun. I can definitely see this on Netflix. Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for providing this ARC in return for an honest review.

I wasnt really sure what to expect with this book but it caught me instantly. The chapters are shrt which makes t really readable and Avery is a likelable character. The Grayson boys in my head were a mixture of Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl and the De Vicnent brohers from a JLA book. Even now I'd struggle to descibe them. That doesnt matter though becase there is so much else going on.
Avery hasnt had an easy life but shes a good person. When she gets invited to the reading of a will for a billionaire she could never imagine how much it would change her life. But even with the changes in circumstance I liked that she didnt change, and the charity she has towards others doesnt fade.
I cant wait for the next book.

Characters
Let's be honest, who doesn't love four super-rich, super twisted brothers? The relationship dynamics in this book alone made my head spin. Anyhow, I'll try to be coherent. Avery is our main character, and I found her to be very likeable. She's a smart cookie, although the plot does happen to her a lot in this book. But that is the point. She's supposed to be seen as just a pawn in the game, not a player. I really hope we get to see more of her smarts in the second book.

This book also had quite a large cast of characters, but it wasn't hard at all to keep track of them. The Hawthorne brothers were very interesting indeed. Especially Grayson and Jameson. Their relationship with Avery is a strange one and I love how all of the brothers interact with her. I'm not a fan of love triangles and the drama that accompanies them, but the love triangle isn't a major plot point (yet) in this, so it was bearable.

I'm really interested to see where these characters and their stories are going.

Characters = 8

Atmosphere
The general mystery vibe was very present. The setting of Hawthorne House and Avery's lack of knowledge about her surroundings made it very interesting. It was like playing one of those escape rooms and I immensely enjoyed it. There was enough action and here and there I thought I had something figured out, only to be proven wrong. It was just a fun book to read and I didn't have to think too hard about it.

Atmosphere = 8

Writing
I really liked the writing. The chapters were short and easy to take in and the writing flowed really well. I love it when books are to the point and don't beat around the bush. This was just a lot of fun and I loved it.

Writing = 8

Plot
Was this the world's most complicated mystery? No. Was it very enjoyable? YES. I won't say this book was predictable, even if I did figure out the mystery at around the 20% mark, but that makes it a good mystery for me. All of the things that were needed to set up the end of the book were present in the beginning, so the set-up was amazing.

I'm really glad that this book has a sequel coming out because there's still so much mystery to get to and so much more character development to get to. I'm actually actively excited about the second book. I just love a good mystery.

Plot = 7

Intrigue
As I said, the big mystery wasn't that hard to figure out. I called it at 23% to be precise. What I did enjoy was all of the puzzles and the teamwork required to solve them. Plus who doesn't want to be a billionaire teenager? Sounds like the dream to me. Besides, I really need the story of how Nan murdered her first husband.

Intrigue = 8

Logic
I couldn't spot any plot holes in this. I certainly have a few questions that I hope the sequel will answer, but I'm more than happy with this book. The decisions made by characters made complete sense and all of the puzzles make complete sense.

If I had a billion dollars, I would definitely build a mystery house. It's obviously the best way to spend all that money.

Logic = 8

Enjoyment
Yes, I really enjoyed this. And I highly recommend it! If you're looking for a fun YA mystery, this is the one.

Enjoyment = 9

CAWPILE = 8/10

Stars = 4

The inheritance games follows the story of Avery Grambs and the Hawthorne family. Avery inherits a multi billion dollar fortune from a man she has never met before instead of his family on the condition that she lives in his manor for one year. The Hawthorne family love to play games and puzzles therefore the inheritance and Avery must be another puzzle. Avery and the Hawthorne boys work to figure out why she inherited the fortune. This book has lots of twists and turns along the way to keep you gripped.

I enjoys the short chapters and fast pace of this book. It keeps me turning the pages wanting to find out what happens next. The introductions to the characters were quick which helped towards the fast pace of this book. By the end you are left wanting to find out more, particularly due to the cliff hanger. The characters are also well written as it makes you route for Avery but also have a soft spot for the Hawthorne boys.

This is a great YA mystery boom with the video of on of us is lying. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys that genre.

This is a great read. Both my 12 year old and I loved it.
Avery is dragged out of her lesson. She’s a troubled teenager who’s mother died the year before. Following an argument with her sisters boyfriend she’s living in her car. Then suddenly she’s on a plane to Texas to a reading of a will.
Suddenly she’s the heiress to a billion dollar fortune. However she’s never met the man, so why would she get his money. The only catch is she has to live with his scheming family for a year.
Will she survive the year? And will she find out why the money was left to her?
A very easy read which will have you turning the pages.

I fell in love with this book as soon as I picked it up. At first it wasn’t at all what I expected. A mix of One of us is lying and Knives out the story follows Avery, a girl just trying to get by until out of the blue she is thrust into the lives of the Hawthornes.
Mystery, intrigue and four very delectable Hawthorne brothers.
I can’t wait for the next book.

16 year old Avery Grambs is coming to terms with her mother's death, and living with her half sister, Libby, studying hard and working part time to pay the bills. All of her university plans are thrown in the air when she is told she has inherited a fortune from someone she has never met!
That's the attention grabbing hook of this YA mystery set in the high stakes world of billion dollar fortunes and entitlement - and it totally works.
We follow Avery as she faces the challenges of the world she has been dropped into and the people she has to share her life with.
What didn't work so well for me was the puzzle game her benefactor had set up for Avery and his four grandsons. Not so much thriller as a maze where she faces every kind of challenge, both mental, physical and romantic.
Interesting hook but too convoluted for young teens.