The Inheritance Games

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. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

These book club questions are from Books-a-Million Book Clubs.

Book club questions for The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

Many of the people Avery encounters at Hawthorne House and Heights Country Day are not who they first appear to be. Who surprised you the most?

Which of the four Hawthorne brothers is your favorite? Who do you think Avery has the best rapport with?

How does Heights Country Day compare to Avery’s previous school? What about your own school?

Throughout the book, Avery hears about and participates in several of Tobias Hawthorne’s renowned games. Were you able to solve any of the puzzles before Avery? What do the games reveal about Avery and the Hawthorne brothers?

Being named the Hawthorne heiress introduces Avery to a world of incredible wealth and privilege. Which characters do you think are most aware of their level of privilege? How do different characters use their privilege? What other kinds of privilege, other than wealth, play a role in the different characters’ lives?

The book says that Tobias Hawthorne added on to Hawthorne House every year. Which room was your favorite? Why? If you were adding on a room, what kind of room would you add?

How do each of the brothers interact with Avery? How does her relationship with each brother change over time?

Avery and Libby have a close sisterly relationship, but this relationship is also complicated. How do the sisters support each other? What factors make this more difficult for them?

Which twist most shocked you? Why do you think it took you by surprise?

What clues to the mystery are woven into the book’s front cover?

Much of what we learn about Avery’s current circumstances is influenced by information slowly revealed about both her past and that of the Hawthorne family. How does the past influence the present? Do our past mistakes define us?

Theory time! What do you think will happen in the sequel?

The Inheritance Games Book Club Questions PDF

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