Author
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
5 books here
Glorious Rivals
Young adult · age 12 · 780L · 2025
A smart competition book that doesn't settle for the easy underdog win — the real story is how ambition and love coexist, and Barnes nails the twin-dynamics specificity.
The Grandest Game
Young adult · ages 14–18 · 820L
A clever, high-stakes competition mystery that respects teen readers' intelligence—the puzzle-box plot and morally gray contestants elevate it past the typical YA tropes.
The Hawthorne Legacy
Young adult · ages 13–18 · 810L · 2021
Faster-paced sequel that leans harder into mystery-box appeal than the first book; if your kid loved The Inheritance Games, this delivers more puzzles and higher stakes without losing character chemistry.
The Naturals
Young adult · ages 14–18 · 780L
Procedural mystery anchored by genuine character work; Barnes makes reading faces and profiling logic tangible without sacrificing plot momentum or teen-realistic friendship friction.
The Inheritance Games
Young adult · age 12 · 750L · 2020
A sharp mystery-puzzle-box that rewards careful reading and appeals to the _Escape Room_ crowd; the social dynamics among the four players prevent it from being pure mechanics.