.jpg)
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Recommended Age: YA (13+ years and above)
Lexile: unknown
Content Warning(s): mild language, references to suicide & abduction
Book Summary:
"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."
My Thoughts:
It's been almost a year since The Brothers Hawthorne came out, and since then, I've been waiting eagerly for this new series. Because of the pretty lengthy gap between the two books, I'd suggest re-reading it before starting on The Grandest Game, just so your memory's fresh (I had forgotten a few details because I didn't re-read it going in as I was too eager to start).
The Grandest Game features a new cast of characters—it is the first book in the Inheritance Games world where Avery or any of the four Hawthorne brothers are not the main characters (they are in the book, though). I think that one of the reasons I didn't like The Brothers Hawthorne as much as I did the previous books was because the characters were the same. The book revolved around Jameson and Grayson, and while I loved reading about their unusual family dynamics, it felt drawn-out and stale. The Grandest Game, however, introduces seven participants competing for the 26-million-dollar prize, with a triple-pov structure from Lyra, Rohan, and Gigi.
By far the most entertaining chapters were Gigi's—if I didn't know that she was Grayson's half-sister, I would think that she'd be related to Xander instead because they're so alike! Even though reading Gigi's inner thoughts was pure entertainment, I found myself drawn to Lyra's chapters. There's an air of mystery around her whole situation that she keeps alluding to but never reveals completely, not to mention her witty remarks.
The main plot is "The Grandest Game," so the timeline is pretty speedy: the book is set over only a few days (except the prologue!). Being set over only a few days also means that each scene is stretched out, so it goes pretty slowly until the very end, where it feels slightly rushed. But I guess that gets you excited to find out what happens next. Unfortunately, it ends on an unfinished note, so you'll have to wait until July of next year to find out what happens in the game, but the good news is that JLB is releasing a collection of short stories this November!
Next up!
Coming November 12th, 2024: Games Untold (The Inheritance Games, # 4.5)
Coming July 29th, 2025: Glorious Rivals (The Grandest Game, # 2)
Comments