How to be a billionaire: Step one, come from humble beginnings of after-school cupcakes and duels of chess. Step two, in the middle of class, be summoned to the principal’s office—prepared to be welcomed by silver eyes and a tapered suit. Step three, meet a family who possess $46.2 billion, bestow every cent and a legacy for you to shoulder.

On Sept. 1, 2020, “The Inheritance Games” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes hit the shelves, catching the attention of many people with its riveting plot and characters. Eventually, three million copies were sold, earning Barnes the title of New York Times bestselling author. But three million is an amount incomparable to the inheritance of Avery Kylie Grambs, who is the main character of “The Inheritance Games.”

An inheritance of $46.2 billion is like winning a lottery—and for Avery it was. Tobias Hawthorne, who appointed Avery the inheritance, was not a close relative nor a family friend of hers, but a stranger, or so the book suggests. To battle the gap of secrets and legacies left behind, Avery and the Hawthorne brothers decipher an array of riddles as Tobias’s final game.

Avery Kylie Grambs is an honest character. She is forced to cope with her mom’s passing, endure the presence of her sister’s abusive relationship and be undermined by all her life’s traumas. This composed Avery as a realistic character with authentic feelings, because although the majority does not inherit $46.2 billion, readers of this series can still empathize with her struggles.

And many, especially siblings, can also relate to the Hawthorne brothers. Nash, Grayson, Jameson and Xander Hawthorne are the four components to this ensemble of wealth and privilege. Like other sibling tropes, the brothers encounter numerous discords with each other, and at times have bad blood. Regardless, what plays into their admirable relationship is how the conflicts experienced together are a reminder of what is utmost importance for the Hawthornes: family. 

Despite “The Inheritance Games” being fiction and mystery, the characters and the exposure to certain themes still bound the genre to realism—a trait in books I appreciate. I’m anticipating this characteristic pursues in the second book of the series, “The Hawthorne Legacy,” as I am eager to resume the plot and see where it goes.