The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes have been some of my favorite books this year. Wow, it’s crazy to think I have read all of those this year… this is unheard of from me.. Anyways, its just proof that her books are amazing! When I found out the first book in her break off series “The Grandest Game” was being released I was so stoked! I went and picked it up the week it came out. It may have taken me a few weeks to actually pick it up and read but I read this in two sittings leaving me to finish the book at 1 AM on a work night! Yet another unheard of thing for me, as I love my sleep!
Ok, lets save some of my feelings for my actual review haha.
“Trying to write trick questions backfires if the person taking the test knows how to look for tricks.”
Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Grandest Game
About The Book
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Published Date: July 30th, 2024
Page Count: 384 Pages
Main Genres: Mystery, YA
GoodReads Rating: 4.04
Format: Physical Book
“Some people can make mistakes, make amends, and move on. And some of us live with each and every mistake we make carved into us, into hollow places we don’t know how to fill.”
Jennifer Lynn Barnes , The Grandest Game
Synopsis
Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.
Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.
Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.
Synopsis From GoodReads
“Sometimes, in the games that matter most, the only way to really play is to live.”
Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Grandest Game
Rating
Review
I don’t want to cause any spoilers so before I move on just know that I recommend reading “The Inheritance Games” Series in full before starting this break off series. As many of these characters are returning characters with a few newbies sprinkled in. I will do my best not to spoil anything in my review but this is you warning to only go on in this review if you are ok with very mild spoilers.
Ok now that the formalities are over, lets begin this review!
I loved nearly every part of this book! I am used to the Inheritance games swapping POV’s so I expected that of this book going into it. However, I was not ready for three POV’s one of which being a new character we briefly even knew existed. Because we weren’t following Avery or one of the Hawthorne boys this book started off a bit slow for me. It took time for me to get used to these newer characters and their stories so the begging of the book did drag a bit for me. But once we actually got into the book and The Grandest Game actually started I was hooked!
Each characters POV brought something new and exciting to the story. They each had their own reasons to win the games and even grew to understand one another’s reasons, starting out as enemies but ending, in some cases as friends. I say ending as if the story is over… Little did I know this book would end in a cliffhanger! This was only part one of the games…
With every twist and turn this book presented our characters were faced with new challenges that just kept the book moving! The chapters were short but always ended in a place that left you wanting to know more. This is a huge reason why I was able to read this book so fast! I had to know how all the puzzles were solved and where the drama would take us next.
I found myself trying to figure out the riddles before they could answer them which gave me like 6-10 (Short) chapters to find the answer. Did I ever solve one? No, I did not, not even close haha. But when they solved the riddles I was like “Oh wow, that makes so much sense!” Jennifer Lynn Barnes really knows how to write a mystery book, she has really taken her place as one of my all time favorite authors!
I hope you guys will give her books a try as they are totally worth it! This is coming from someone who doesn’t read YA much anymore because I feel like it reads too young. But her writing is so well done that sometimes I even forget it’s YA! Let me know if you have already read these books as I would love to chat with someone about these.
“I have spent my entire life being fine when I wasn’t. I know the price. I know what it’s like to bear that prince with every cell in your body. It isn’t worth it.”
Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Grandest Game
QOTD: What is your favorite YA?
World of Bai 
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