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Cover of The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn BarnesThe Inheritance Games
Modern · Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery

The Inheritance Games

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
2019 · 384 pages · Fiction
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 10 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Avery Grambs is a high school student with a plan for getting out of her hard life. Then billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves her almost his entire fortune, and she has no idea why, or even who he was. To claim it, she must move into his mansion full of puzzles, alongside the family he cut out.

Why it's worth reading

It has spent 68 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's a twisty, addictive young-adult mystery.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's the first of a series and ends on a hook.

By the numbers

69.3Must-Read Score
  • Readers39 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller72 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
68 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2020

Reads as

Gripping

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →

Quick answers

Is The Inheritance Games worth reading?

Yes. It has spent 68 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #1,381 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.3 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Inheritance Games about?

Avery Grambs is a high school student with a plan for getting out of her hard life. Then billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves her almost his entire fortune, and she has no idea why, or even who he was. To claim it, she must move into his mansion full of puzzles, alongside the family he cut out.

How long does it take to read The Inheritance Games?

About 10 hours (384 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Inheritance Games?

If you liked it, try The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes or A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson.