The Inheritance Game (first volume)

 The inheritance games

French edition : Pocket Jeunesse

American edition : Hachette Book Group

Number of pages : 450

Genre : Coming of age story

Publication year : 2021 (USA), 2022 (France)

Author : Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Summary

    Avery Grambs is an ordinary girl with a tough life. Her mom died, that’s why she is living with her step-sister. Both are trying to do their best to live with the few money they have at their disposal. However, one day, a mysterious boy comes to announce Avery she has just inherited from Tobias Hawthorne. The problem is that she doesn’t know who he is and if she wants to keep this legacy, she has to live one year in this house. But who is this man ? Why did he choose her ? Why does she have to live in this house with his four grandsons ? What is the secret she has to discover ?

Criticism

    Firstly, let’s talk about the story which is incredibly mind-blowing. We cannot be bored while we are reading this book, it’s just impossible. There is always something that is happening, so we can’t stop reflect about the events, about our expectations for the future and so on. In the story, we are always astonished by the new event that we have just discovered. It’s impossible to guess what will be the next stage of the process. Everything is mysterious and appears significant for the rest of the book. While we are reading, we pay attention to every little detail. We analyze every single thing that we possess. The suspense in this book is just crazy, I think I have never read a book with this much suspense through all the story. That is the reason why it is so captivating. In addition, we have the possibility to give ourselves a role of investigator, which is really pleasant. The author gave us a place in her story so we can be involved in it. There are 2 levels of inquiry : the little and brief one that leads us to the resolution of this enormous mystery and the huge one which needs a lot of time to be solved. Furthermore, a point that I particularly like is that there is a lot of references to the American culture : Winchester for the weapons but also for the house (cf Other information), Hawthorne maybe like for the Hawthorne effect (the fact of having a different attitude because you are the center of a peculiar attention)… All those references are included in the book but in a discreet way that is the reason why as a foreigner reader you cannot always notice all of it. Let me know in comments if there are some more that I didn’t notice !

    Secondly, let’s talk about the characters of this suspenseful book ! The first word that comes to my mind when I think about them is unsettling. They are all very mysterious. We don’t know whether it’s possible to trust them or not. Even if our yearning to grow attached to them is advanced, it’s hard to grasp their entire personality and way of acting. But, eventually, we become attached to them because we want to discover them and their way to reason about the enigma. Except Avery and her sister, the characters barely show their feelings and emotions. That’s why when the emotional time shows up we are really into it and scrutinizing any little detail in order to get a better understanding of them. Moreover, Mr Hawthorne in himself is totally unsettling. It’s impressive to remark how this “non-present” character is the most important one because he is the one who created the riddle, the one who is giving clues, the one that we are trying to decode, the one we need to know more about but we don’t know nothing about, the one who seems to be alive when Nash, Xander, Grayson and Jameson are talking about him…

    Then, the author’s work is remarkable !! Our only role is to admire the scenario she created. Everything, every minuscule detail is thought and has its own importance. Beforehand, the author has thought about everything to lead us exactly where she wanted. We are manipulated by her without realizing it, and this is simply breathtaking !! I wonder how many time did Jennifer Lynn Barnes spend to think about the construction of the story and of the enigmas.

Final conclusion

    My summary of the book in one word would be excitement. We can never guess what is going to happen next, suspense is always present.

So are you going to read it ?

Other information

    As I said previously, I find a lot of references in this book. I don’t know if it’s done intentionally but I think there’s a close link between Hawthorne’s house and Sarah Winchester’s House. She was the wife of a rifle’s producer and she thought that if she didn’t add one room a year to her house, the house would be haunted. That’s why this house is a true maze, like the Hawthorne’s house in the story. Besides, her family name is Winchester, like the second name of Jameson.

What do you think of this hypothesis ? Let me know in comments !!

The song

Gossip,Måneskin and Tom Morello, I think the lyrics represent well the new situation Avery has to deal with, with the popularity she encountered suddenly. Furthermore, the fast beat reminds us how her life has changed so quickly.

My note : 12 /10

Characters : 1/2                       My taste : 3/2

Story : 5/4                             Originality : 3/2