Book Review: The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult mystery
Length: 384 pages
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 1st, 2020
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BOOK SUMMARY:

A Cinderella story with deadly stakes and thrilling twists, perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out.

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why–or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch–and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION.

Well this held my attention from the get-go.

How trippy to find out you’re all of a sudden an heiress because someone decided to give you all of their money? WhOa.

What a wild mansion. I loved that there was so much to the entire house. The random tunnels, hidden spaces, the amount of rooms, all of it. Without such a obscene amount of rooms to create this land there wouldn’t have been a story. It added many adrenaline pumping moments and times where I was taken by surprise.

The riddles were brilliant and well put together. I love when I can’t solve things right away because it really adds to the mystery and suspense of the novel.

Throw in a group of four brothers with hidden pasts and their own issues and we’ve got a ourselves some side characters. I loved these Hawthorne brothers!! What didn’t I love? That dang love triangle. Boooooo. It wasn’t too much of a distraction, but the stronger feelings became the more I was hoping things would go one way or another.

After that bomb drop of an ending I’m invested. I want to know how this sequel works out because I have twice the amount of questions.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult mystery/thriller
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: guns, physical, someone passing away from a heart condition

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Book Review: The Extinction Trials (The Extinction Trials #1) by S.M. Wilson

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult Sci-Fi
Length: 384 pages
Author: S.M. Wilson
Publisher: Usborne Publishing
Release Date: January 1st, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Betrayal. Sacrifice. Survival.
Welcome to the Extinction Trials.

In Stormchaser and Lincoln’s ruined world, the only way to survive is to risk everything. To face a contest more dangerous than anyone can imagine. And they will do anything to win.

But in a land full of monsters – human and reptilian – they can’t afford to trust anyone. Perhaps not even each other..

OKAY, LOVED THIS.

I’m easily swayed by all things dinosaurs. This was no exception. I was clearly smitten from the beginning and I have definitely ordered book two.

When I see a tagline, I often ignore them because they really don’t live up to the comparison. The Hunger Games + Jurassic Park? I can actually say this book felt exactly that way. Our dear characters are put into a trial to see who’s going to the land of the dinosaurs. Once there, they start to realize that clearly those above them know more that’s going on then they’re willing to tell. Not to mention, all of the DINOSAURS. So yes, I was pleasantly surprised that I was not let down at all by this.

I love these characters. Stormchaser and Lincoln both have some flaws, and opinions they’re unwilling to compromise on. I like that along with their flaws, there’s many strengths. I love that their conflicts weren’t absurd and Stormchaser and Lincoln both found ways to lean on each other when needed. Future romance? I would not be opposed to that.

This story is really interesting! There’s opinions on both sides on whether or not the dinosaurs need to go or if they can cohabitate with humans. I feel there’s so much more to this world that I can’t wait to explore.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult dystopia
  • Language: none
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: dinosaur attacks (not overly brutal), physical altercations, murder

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Book Review: Tunnel of Bones (Cassidy Blake #2) by Victoria Schwab

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Middle Grade Paranormal Horror
Length: 304 pages
Author: Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: September 3rd, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.

She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass’s parents are filming their TV show about the world’s most haunted cities. Sure, it’s fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there’s true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.

When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter — and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.

And if Cass fails, the force she’s unleashed could haunt the city forever.

CREEPY AND QUICK.

These books are so fun! I love the light layer of spooky ghosts and that have definitely creepy moments, but also the friendships and growth in characters makes these even better.

I loved getting a deeper dive into Cassidy and Jacob’s friendship. I’ve had many a question about Jacob from the beginning and it was nice getting some of that information. They have some deep conflicts to encounter in future book(s) that my heart worries for, but also really can’t wait to read.

This setting was perfect for a paranormal read. I love that history is mixed into the plot. Learning about the Paris catacombs, getting a few ghosts stories, and much more. I was freaked out myself from even imagining being stuck in those tombs.

The ending left plenty open and has me wondering what the next book will hold in New Orleans. I love that these focus on friendship and solving mysteries. Cassidy and Jacob are such a pair.

Overall audience notes:

  • Middle grade paranormal contemporary mystery
  • Language: none
  • Violence: physical altercations, uncovering deathly pasts of ghosts

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: March 2020

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Another month in the year finished!

I had a streak of four, five star books in a row and absolutely loved it.

Favorite this month: The Heiress Gets a Duke, THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION (GO READ IT PLEASE), Legendborn, Better Than the Movies, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, Glimpsed, The Songbook of Benny Lament, The Mask Falling, and People We Meet on Vacation
(like I said, many many good ones!!)

Least favorites: Sovereign Sacrifice, Home is Where You Are

  • Manor for Sale, Baron Included by Esther Hatch – (☆☆☆☆)
  • The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan – (☆☆☆☆)
  • On Thin Icing (A Bakeshop Mystery #3) by Ellie Alexander – (☆☆☆)
  • Calamity (The Reckoners #3) by Brandon Sanderson – (☆☆☆☆)
  • 11 Paper Hearts by Kelsey Hartwell – (☆☆☆☆)
  • [ARC] The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba (The Cuba Saga #4) by Chanel Cleeton – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Red Tigress (Blood Heir Trilogy #2) by Amelie Wen Zhao – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • The Heiress Gets a Duke (The Gilded Age Heiresses #1) by Harper St.George – (☆☆☆☆)
  • [ARC] It’s Just Business (The Wedding Business #2) by Summer Dowell – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Chain of Iron (The Last Hours #2) by Cassandra Calre – (☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • A Hand Me Down Heart (Texas General Cases of Romance #1) by Becki Willis – (☆☆☆)
  • The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • Legendborn (Legendborn #1) by Tracy Deonn – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • [ARC] Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (Outlander #8) by Diana Gabaldon – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • Namesake (Fable #2) by Adrienne Young – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Sovereign Sacrifice (Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles #4) by Elise Kova – (☆☆☆)
  • Blood Sworn (Ashlords #2) by Scott Reingten – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Glimpsed by G.F. Miller – (☆☆☆☆)
  • The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • The Mask Falling (The Bone Season #4) by Samantha Shannon – (☆☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Dark of the West (Glass Alliance #1) by Joana Hathaway – (☆☆☆☆)
  • Home is Where You Are by Melissa Grace – (☆☆)
  • [ARC] People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry – (☆☆☆☆☆)
  • [Novella] How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air #3.5) by Holly Black – (☆☆☆☆)

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