The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is my pick for February because one of the main characters shares the same name as my son, Grayson. I was also intrigued by the mystery of this book. Think: updated Sherlock Holmes with riddles, secret passages, codes, and Easter egg clues strategically placed throughout the book.
Avery is a normal high school student, except for her mom died, she doesn't have much contact with her dad and lives with her half sister Libby. Since Libby's crazy boyfriend is now around, Avery would rather sleep her car than stay in the same place as him. The sisters struggle with paying bills while Avery tries to be a normal teenager and go to school. She keeps postcards of places she hopes to be able to visit and has dreams of traveling. One day Grayson Hawthorne shows up at Avery's school to tell her that she has inherited his grandfather's estate. Tobias Hawthrone was the richest person in the state of Texas, but the problem is that Avery has no idea who Tobias is. She has never met him before and is completely shocked by this news that she now was left 46.2 billion dollars in his will. Avery and Libby are flown to Texas as they try to piece together what this all means. The will states that she must live on the estate for 1 year along with the Hawthorne family.
There are 4 grandson of Tobias Hawthorne: Nash, Jameson, Grayson, and Xander. Tobias also had 2 daughters which he left a small sum of money for. Avery starts a new life of wealth, but it seems Tobias has left a series of complex puzzles, letters, and clues for each person. Jameson and Avery become close allies from the start. Jameson believes she is a piece of the final puzzle. Grayson thinks she has manipulated and conned her way into their fortune. A DNA test shows that she does not have Hawthorne blood. She is given a security guard and an advisor from the lawyers office to adjust to her new life. She starts a new school and is expected to attend fundraisers, social events, and meetings to learn more about the estate and businesses she now owns. Each brother has a different personality and you begin to enjoy each character as the story goes along. You discover that Tobias had such a love of games, that each grandson was taught at a very young age to unlock his mind bending riddles and explore the mansion full of secret passageways and tunnels.
This book is a young adult mystery. A little romance, a little danger, and many logic puzzles to keep you guessing and racking your brain to solve each new twist. This book has you day dreaming and trying to figure out along with Avery how and why she was chosen by Tobias to inherit his fortune. I enjoyed this book and I will definitely be reading the next 2 in the series. I loved imagining the mansion full of secret safes, winding tunnels, staircases behind fireplaces, and spy worthy codes to crack. I would recommend this book if you need something you can't put down and appreciate a main character who breaks the rules to find out the truth.
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