I started The Heirs expecting a fun YA mystery, but it turned out to be something much more nuanced. The premise grabs you right away. Five prodigies have a long history of being shaped under the strict and somewhat disturbing Button Method, have spent their lives performing for their adopted father, billionaire Leontes Button. Octavius, Fola, Bilal, Perdita and Romeo have been raised to be brilliant in different ways, and the annual Prodigy Ball is designed to showcase their talents. Instead, it becomes the scene of Leontes’s murder, and the siblings are stuck in their huge house with a long list of guests who might have wanted him dead.
I liked that the story was told through various points of view. It let me sit with each sibling’s inner world and see how they each reacted differently to the pressure of being labelled exceptional. What hit me was how heavy that label was. The book looks at the emotional toll of being told you have to be exceptional and how that can distort relationships, ambitions, and even a sense of self.
The theme of nature versus nurture runs throughout the novel. I found myself wondering, is talent something you are born with or something you can engineer and what happens when someone tries to force an answer? It was strangely compelling to watch the Button Method unravel. At least in this family, brilliance has never been synonymous with happiness.
The character work was what worked best for me. The siblings are messy and vulnerable and distinct, and I found myself rooting for them even when the mystery took center stage. In particular, Octavius and Romeo each have their own private heartbreak. There are some funny moments in the beginning that add to the charm, and I almost wish that tone had been carried further into the story.
Readers who like dysfunctional families, morally complex characters and mysteries with emotional heft will probably enjoy the book. It has the glamour and tension of a locked-room mystery but also the intimacy of a family drama.
The Heirs is a smart and exciting YA thriller with plenty of action and heart. I finished the book feeling surprisingly fond of these siblings, and I am keen to read more of Faridah Àbíké‑Íyímídé’s books.
The book was Penguin YA’s bookclub read of the month; thank you for the opportunity to read this novel alongside some of my favourite South African bookish peeps.
