The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a mystery book about a teenage girl named Avery who inherits billionaire Tobias Hawthorne’s fortune. Avery is not sure why she has inherited this fortune, especially since she did not know Tobias. Avery along with Tobias’ family tries to piece together why she inherited the fortune through the puzzles, riddles, clues, and codes he left behind.
I read this book without prior knowledge of what it would be about. It came up as a recommended book based on another book that I had read. Shortly after I started reading The Inheritance Games, I was swept into the story and immediately wanted to know what happens. While reading the book I found that part of the reason why I was enjoying it so much was that it reminded me of my favorite movie, Knives Out. Knives Out is a mystery/comedy movie about a girl named Marta who works for Harlan Thrombey. After Harlan passes away, Marta inherits the fortune without knowing why. The movie follows a detective looking into the death of Harlan and why the fortune was left to Marta.
There are similarities between The Inheritance Games and Knives Out. Both the film and the book follow a character who inherits a large fortune when it is expected to go to the family. Also, the families in the book and the movie are upset at the girl who gets the inheritance.
One of the main differences between the two is that in Knives Out the primary mystery being solved is how Harlan died and in discovering this they can uncover why the fortune was left to Marta. In The Inheritance Games, the mystery being solved is why the fortune was left to Avery. Another difference between the two is that in the movie, comedy is worked in throughout the film while in the book there are very few funny parts.I enjoyed reading The Inheritance Games. I loved the resemblance to Knives Out, but that also had its differences. The book kept me guessing and intrigued. Overall, I gave the book five stars. The Inheritance Games is the first book in the series. Books two and three have been released, and book four will be released on August 29, 2023. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. If you are a Knives Out fan like me, then this book series should be your next read!