Genre: YA mystery

Pages: 384

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Overall rating: 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review.

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

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. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

MY REVIEW (spoiler free):

This book was described as similar to “Knives out” which is very accurate. This novel was very plot-driven, and the riddles and puzzles around every corner made it captivating and thought-provoking, and I tried to figure out the mysteries with the characters (mostly failing, but I tried).

I adored the setting. The main character went from living in her car to staying at a massive mansion and going to school with millionaire’s children. I loved watching her making decisions and keeping her morals, even when her life was turned so completely upside down. She knew nobody except her sister and had to decide who she could trust.

Even though the characters were all very unique and well-written, I did occasionally feel like I did not connect with the main character as much as I would have liked to. She was however, a very strong and smart character, which was completely necessary for the plot. I loved most of the other characters (JAMESON!!), and especially the relationships they had with each other (There is a love triangle, fyi). This book also includes your typical brooding and mysterious love interest, for anyone wondering.

For the entire time that I was reading it, I could not put the book down. The plot was perfecting paced. I was VERY interested in knowing how it would end. Unfortunately, I did find the ending to be slightly anticlimactic, but it ended with a CLIFF-HANGER that made me want to immediately dive into the next book, so that definitely made up for it. I recommend this book if you enjoy mystery novels, or if you liked “One of us is Lying” or “We were liars”!!

If you read this, what were your thoughts??

Until next time

-Jenna