The Inheritance Games (book) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Bibliographic Information
Title: The Inheritance Games
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Little, Brown
Copyright Date: September 1, 2020
ISBN: 9871368052405
Page Count: 384
Genre/Format
Mystery/Thriller/Romance
Awards or Honors
A New York Times Bestseller
A GoodReads Choice Awards Finalist
A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
An Amazon Top 100 Book
Reading Level/Interest Level
14-18 (Kirkus Reviews)
Plot Summary
Avery’s mother has died, her father isn’t in the picture, and she is under the custody of her older sister, but her older sister has an abusive boy-friend, and so Avery finds herself living in her car and doing the bare minimum at high shcool to get by and have time to make a little money on the side. She is incredibly smart, though, and when she is flown to Texas to hear the reading of a will for a man who she never knew, she is thrown into a new life.
She has inherited nearly the entire fortune of this stranger, but he had family, and they aren’t too pleased about her inheriting his wealth. The stranger was a man who was eccentric and loved puzzles, and so she is immediately drawn into the game of trying to figure out why she of all people has inherited his fortune. She must work with his four grandsons to piece the puzzle together, even if it’s possible they want her dead.
Author Background
Jennifer Barnes holds advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science, with graduate degrees from Cambridge University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar, and Yale University, where she earned her Ph.D. She has written more than 12 critically acclaimed young adult novels. She has also written pilot scripts for TV series. She is currently an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma (Barnes, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation
This book is fast-paced, and such an easy and fun read. The chapters are short and written to keep the reader engaged and turning pages. The setting draws in the reader’s imagination and the characters all have quirks and dialogue that helps them develop and further the mystery of the plot.
Creative Use for a Library Program
This book is based on puzzles, challenges, and mystery, and an escape room would be a lot of fun. Teen librarian Nicole Scherer has some detailed plans to run an escape room program here.
The reader is truly guessing at things until the end!
Speed-Round Talk
Avery goes from living in her car to becoming one of the richest women in the world after she inherits billions in the will of an unknown man. However, to keep the money, she must live in his house with his familiy who is upset that she inherited everything and they didn’t. Will she survive the year?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
This book does have some violence (there is an attempt on Avery’s life), however very mild compared to most TV shows. The book has won multiple awards.
Reason for Inclusion
Everyone loves a unputdownable book. It isn’t too dark, and has a little romance mixed in with the mystery. It was a selection for YALSA’s quick pick for reluctant young adult readers, and I can see why.
Bonus Information
This is the first book in a series.
References
Barnes, J. L. (2020). The inheritance games. Little, Brown and Company.
Barnes, J. L. (n.d.). Bio. https://www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com/bio.html
Barnes, J. L. (n.d.). Bio [photograph]. https://www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com/bio.html
CBS [@CBS]. (2023, April 15). Suspicious Brandon Scott Jones GIF by CBS. Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/cbs-ghosts-cbs-ghostscbs-OCJ2IsduCUAohNVBsX
Goodreads. (n.d.). The inheritance games series. https://www.goodreads.com/series/282828-the-inheritance-games
Kirkus Reviews. (2020, July 26). Part the westing game, part we were liars, completely entertaining. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jennifer-lynn-barnes/inheritance-games/
Scherer, N. (2016, February). Don’t panic! A manual for original library escape room events. librarylady nicole. https://libraryladynicole.com/programs/escape-room/
YALSA. (2021). 2021 quick picks for reluctant young adult readers. https://www.ala.org/yalsa/2021-quick-picks-reluctant-young-adult-readers
*Book Cover Image is property of publisher, Little, Brown and Company; taken from Amazon.