The Heirs is the Dark Academia YA thriller of your dreams. This is another exceptional book from a standout author in her field.
If you’ve yet to pick up a book by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, you are missing out. So far all of her work has featured well-constructed plots, superb characterisation and twists that will leave you reeling. She is a phenomenal author and I will continue to read the stories she decides to tell. The Heirs is an excellent addition to that list. It takes the twisted genius of
The Umbrella Academy and adds the tightly plotted murder mystery of And Then There Were None. The concept is intriguing and incredible, and what Faridah turns it into is astonishing.
The Heirs is twisty, compelling and explores this world in fascinating ways. I read this book in public and had to stop myself from audibly gasping at some of the twists. Time seemed to just slip away as I was utterly lost in the story of The Buttons and this fiendish mystery that plagued them all. For me, that is the mark of a truly great book, where you can escape reality for a while and completely lose yourself in a story. It’s a layered story that you won’t be able to put down.
Each of the siblings feels three-dimensional and I enjoyed following their narration as we got to learn more about them. All of them are hiding secrets, even from the reader at times. I liked how easily things shifted and dynamics were suddenly altered as you revisited events from a new perspective. They all have their defining gift and react to their upbringing in vastly different ways. This event forces them all back together again, which reignites old tensions and passions in equal measure. Every voice felt distinctive and I was impressed at the way Àbíké-Íyímídé was balancing all of their stories and competing timelines. The narrative structure of this book is astoundingly complex and truly a puzzle box. Once you find your way through the maze of the plot, the treasure is well worth the journey. The mystery is well-plotted with plenty of rabbit holes to lose yourself in and the twists are excellent as always. Ensure you keep your eyes peeled throughout though as Àbíké-Íyímídé keeps you guessing until the very end. This is a story that pays attention to detail and rewards any reader that does the same.
There is a lot to explore here around the concept of genius and the conditions which allow it to thrive. This social experiment has defined the lives of these children for better or worse and I enjoyed the way in which we see the ramifications of this play out. The use of multiple narrators allows us to see everyone’s perspective and gradually get a sense of the wider picture at play. There are plenty of secrets and lies to unpack and some messy dynamics to untangle. We move between the present investigation and the fateful time before to truly see the details and the domino effect of these events that ends in death. It keeps you on tenterhooks, racing through the pages to uncover just whodunnit and why. This is sharp and clever writing that keeps you engaged. It strikes a perfect balance between pacing and characterisation, giving you enough of each person to dig into who they are beyond their public facade. Each of them has shouldered the immense weight of these expectations and the perfection they are supposed to deliver. Their lives have been used as a game and now they are pawns in a new and deadly one.
The Heirs is a stellar work from a powerhouse YA author. Do yourself a favour and treat yourself to the twisted mystery within these pages.
The Heirs is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up The Heirs? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis
From the award-winning New York Times and Indie bestselling author of Ace of Spades comes a mystery about five teen geniuses, their billionaire father, and the aftermath of his murder—perfect for fans of The Inheritance Games, Umbrella Academy, and Knives Out!
Five prodigies, one dead father, a mansion full of suspects…
Octavius the Maestro.
Fola the Brain.
Bilal the Olympian.
Perdita the Artist.
Romeo the Failure.
These are the five heirs of the illustrious billionaire Leontes Button. Adopted and viciously trained with their father’s infamous “Button Method” to prove his hypothesis for creating prodigies—child geniuses—the Button siblings have had no choice but to be brilliant according to their father’s impossibly high standards.
Until he is murdered at his annual Prodigy Ball.
Now, all who attended the ball are required to stay in the Button Manor while the police investigate. But the officers have their work cut out for them—each of the Button siblings has something to hide, but The Heirs aren’t the only ones with secrets. After all, Leontes Button was especially good at making enemies…
