Inherit Midnight

February 23, 2015
In an adventure/drama rife with family dysfunction, 17-year-old Avery VanDemere is the child of an affair that scandalized the whole family and left her an outsider. With her mother dead and her father an alcoholic, she was raised by her severe grandmother, the family matriarch, who is obsessed with the VanDemeres' ancestry. After falling ill, Grandmother decides to hold a "Last Standing Heir" contest to determine who will inherit the family business and fortune. Avery, an underdog, learns that her mother is actually alive, living in Croatia, and that she has been writing Avery letters every year on her birthday. Avery strikes a deal with the family lawyer (whose son develops into a love interest), winning the right to see one letter per successful challenge; soon, she is traversing the world, digging for diamonds and seeking out VanDemere family history. Myers (The Vanishing Game) serves up hyperbolic action, melodramatic twists, and romance as the petty and fumbling VanDemeres try to best one another for money. While Averyâs happy ending is a bit pat, this globe-trotting race offers no shortage of thrills. Ages 12âup.

November 15, 2014
After she's caught escaping her harsh boarding school, Avery reluctantly enters the competition devised by her imperious grandmother to determine who among the mostly despicable VanDemere clan will inherit the family business and fortune.Each timed challenge (the competition's more reality TV than The Westing Game) is crafted around character traits Mrs. VanDemere admires: intellect, fortitude, resourcefulness, unity, commitment, courage and integrity (but not mercy, compassion or forgiveness, Avery notices). Travel and genealogical research (ancestors include a Scottish lord, two Pilgrims, and veterans of the Revolutionary and Civil wars) are required. Unless expressly prohibited in the rules, unethical behavior is allowed. To secure Avery's participation, the family lawyer, whose gorgeous son Avery selects as her helper, reveals that contrary to what she's been told, her Croatian mother's alive; with each stage Avery completes, he'll release one of her mother's letters. Abandoned by her father, bullied by cousins and uncles, Avery now discovers her grandmother's cruelty to her mother. Though the novel is entertaining, with two incompatible storylines, it never quite coheres. The high-concept plot is the more successful-watching the avaricious, sneaky, squabbling VanDemere clan compete and cheat is a hoot-but juxtaposed against Avery's efforts to reconstruct the somber past and reconnect with her mother, it seems trivial and Avery's willing participation, questionable. Recommended for reality TV fans and genealogy buffs. (Thriller. 12-15)

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April 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-A privileged teen and her scheming relatives compete for a chance to inherit the family fortune in this blend of "Gossip Girl" (Little, Brown) and "The 39 Clues" (Scholastic). Avery VanDemere has grown up in the lap of luxury, but she bristles at her grandmother's strict rules and pines for the deceased mother she never knew. When Riley Tate, the handsome son of her family's lawyer, interrupts her escape from school, Avery learns that Grandmother has challenged her heirs to prove their moral fiber and knowledge of family history through a series of tests. Furthermore, Riley's father has surprising information about Avery's mother, but she won't get it unless she wins. Committed to uncovering her past, the teen dives into the competition, finally fighting back against the relatives who have always diminished her and, of course, falling for Riley. Teen mystery fans who don't mind suspending disbelief will enjoy the thrilling challenges, from mining for diamonds in a Venezuelan national park to helicoptering to a remote Scottish abbey. Unfortunately, Avery isn't much of a heroine, relying heavily on Riley and other allies to get her through the competition. Readers may still struggle with Avery's lack of appreciation for her comfortable upbringing. Moments of conflict that threaten the couple's relationship feel contrived, and few will be surprised by the tidy resolution. Still, it's a fast-paced pick that will suit teens who haven't tired of tales of rich people behaving badly. VERDICT The concept will hook readers, but they may not care enough to follow through.-Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Sacramento Public Library, CA

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