The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games Book 4) – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games Book 4)

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2023

86%

WISE Score

4.3

Amazon

Billionaire brothers, underground gambling, and family secrets—it’s basically 'Knives Out' meets 'Ocean’s Eleven' for the TikTok generation.

The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games Book 4)

book

2023

86%

WISE Score

4.3

Amazon

Billionaire brothers, underground gambling, and family secrets—it’s basically 'Knives Out' meets 'Ocean’s Eleven' for the TikTok generation.

4.3

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4.3

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Where to Read

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

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Screenwise Verdict

If your kid spent the last year obsessed with the first three books, this is a no-brainer. It shifts focus from Avery to the brothers, which actually breathes some fresh air into the series.

It’s a 'smart' thriller. It doesn't talk down to teens, and the puzzles are genuinely clever. While it deals with the high-society world of gambling and 'fixing' problems, it stays grounded in the emotional reality of four brothers trying to outrun their grandfather's shadow.

It's a high-quality page-turner that beats a 3-hour TikTok session any day.

Age Fit

Best for ages 12 and up. It’s written for the Young Adult market, so while the vocabulary is accessible, the plot complexity and 'billionaire-lifestyle' drama are most satisfying for middle and high schoolers (and plenty of adults).

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The core of the book is about brotherhood and protecting family, specifically Grayson’s drive to look after his half-sisters. However, the 'Hawthorne way' often involves manipulation and a 'merciless' approach to problem-solving that keeps it from being purely sweet.

Imaginative

Jennifer Lynn Barnes excels at creating 'puzzle-box' worlds. Between London's underground gambling clubs and complex family riddles, it's a playground for readers who love strategy and high-concept mystery.

Safe

It's a standard YA thriller. There are themes of high-stakes gambling, some physical peril, and intense family psychological drama, but it avoids graphic content or gratuitous 'dark' themes often found in modern teen media.

Enriching

The series is a gateway drug for reading. It encourages critical thinking, logic puzzles, and explores the heavy psychological toll of extreme wealth and inherited expectations.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Puzzles that actually require a brain to follow, making it a great workout for a teen's logic skills.
Explores the weight of carrying a family legacy and the choice to be your own person.
Fast-paced enough to keep a 'scrolling' brain engaged without being 'brain rot' content.
Focuses on the complex bond between brothers who were raised to compete but choose to cooperate.

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What to Watch For

The London plot line centers on underground gambling, which is depicted as high-glamour and high-risk.
Grayson’s 'merciless' problem-solving can lean toward the morally grey.
Heavy themes of abandonment and family trauma regarding the brothers' absent fathers.

Conversation Starters

"Is Jameson a strategic risk-taker or just a thrill-seeker who doesn't know when to stop?"
"Would you rather inherit a billion dollars with a toxic family or have a normal life?"
"What does 'family first' actually mean when your family is asking you to do something wrong?"
"Grayson tries to handle everything alone—why is it so hard for him to ask for help?"

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