Who Would Like This Book:
If you're obsessed with shows like Criminal Minds or have a soft spot for twisty thrillers, The Naturals is your kind of book. Jennifer Lynn Barnes serves up a YA mystery full of fast pacing, clever deductions, and a group of teens with extraordinary profiling talents who help the FBI crack cold cases. Cassie, the main character, is smart and relatable, and the found-family crew she meets is both distinct and fun to follow. The story blends suspense, action, and just enough romance to keep things interesting. Mystery lovers, crime drama fans, and anyone who enjoys a brainy heroine should definitely check it out.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers struggled with the premise - that the FBI would let actual teenagers work on murder cases - and felt it required a major suspension of disbelief. If you're tired of love triangles in YA or want all the romantic drama on the back-burner, the Cassie-Michael-Dean triangle might be a turn-off. A few found the characters a bit stereotypical or wished the story focused more on the crime-solving and less on interpersonal angst. While the violence isn't extremely graphic, the book does deal with dark themes and murder, which might not be for everyone.
About:
Seventeen-year-old Cassie, a natural at reading people, is recruited by the FBI to join a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to solve cold cases. The Naturals program consists of gifted teens with unusual skills working together to crack infamous cases, including a current serial killer on the loose. As Cassie delves deeper into the program, she realizes that danger looms closer than she ever imagined, with twists, suspense, and a lethal game of cat and mouse with the killer.
The book 'The Naturals' by Jennifer Lynn Barnes follows Cassie and her fellow Naturals as they navigate through profiling, mysteries, and chilling revelations. The plot intertwines elements of psychological thrillers, crime-solving, and teenage dynamics, offering a fast-paced narrative filled with engaging characters, intriguing cases, and a final twist that leaves readers hooked and eager to uncover more.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include murder, violence, psychological trauma, and themes of loss, which may be disturbing for sensitive readers.
Has Romance?
The book presents a medium level of romance, primarily focused on the love triangle involving the protagonist Cassie.
From The Publisher:
Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But, it's not a skill that she's ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they've begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.
What Cassie doesn't realize is that there's more at risk than a few unsolved homicides-especially when she's sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.
Think The Mentalist meets Pretty Little Liars-Jennifer Lynn-Barnes' The Naturals is a gripping psychological thriller with killer appeal, a to-die-for romance, and the bones of a gritty and compelling new series.
Ratings (180)
Incredible (60) | |
Loved It (74) | |
Liked It (28) | |
It Was OK (15) | |
Did Not Like (3) |
Reader Stats (338):
Read It (197) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (118) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (19) |
7 comment(s)
I wasn’t sure if I’d like this because I didn’t really enjoy The Inheritance Games but I loved it! I kind of expected the twists but not fully so it was enjoyable and there were some very funny parts
Perfect for the fans of criminal minds, ya twist on murder and mystery. Teenagers who have the ability to profile and deduce from the facts presented to them to solve cold cases. Each one is different
Here's the thing-- this is a book for teenagers. There is no better way for teenagers to process their big-ass emotions than to let them read about teenagers in situations where the stakes FEEL equivalent to what they're going through, like life and death (when it's like, high school and embarrassment). It allows the reader to process a lot of questions that I remember having as a teen feeling all my feelings for the first time (and that's really what being a teenager is-- you may have felt betrayal or heartache or sadness or humiliation as a kid but as a teenager your identity is starting to solidify so those feelings have somewhere to land instead of simply existing within the ether of your life and when they do land they land HARD because you have not yet developed a way to protect yourself from them aka coping mechanisms).
The questions: Am I my parent's child? Am I a monster for the things I think? Is this what it feels like to not fit in, even with your family? Is this what it means to be seen? Will I ever be seen?
If I were 14-15 reading this book, I would LOVE it. Look at how the adults can trust the kids. Look at how they are dealing with shit. "I'm like that," I would have thought. "I have big feelings. I can be trusted. I, too, am frustrated when my parents don't see me as the competent and important individual I am."
But I'm not 15. I'm 30. I have been feeling my feelings for a long time. My frontal lobe has been more or less fully intact for the last five years. I have an MFA in poetry, for god's sake. So, I have combined my appreciation for the book from the teenager's perspective with my criticism of it from a book perspective to conclude that it's solid. 3. Probably a 2.5. The suspension of disbelief is too much, honestly. Once you get beyond it, it's fun the way that Riverdale is fun, the way Criminal Minds is fun.
I like the characters. I like the description of the big feelings. The plot is ridiculous. The writing is okay. Perfect for a teen. Eye rolly for a grown-up. Of course, I'm going to read the next one.
Captivating and thrilling, this book had me rethinking my perspective on everything.
I didn't write a review for this back when I read it in 2016, so we'll have to rely on 22-year-old me's opinion.
My original rating for the book when I was 15 was three stars. Upon rereading, I considered four stars, but after some thought, I decided to keep the three-star rating. I've found that, at the moment, I'm prone to rating books higher than usual because I've had such difficulty finding things to keep my interest with the reading slump I'm in.
The Naturals undeniably engaged me (I read it in about two and a half hours in one sitting), but it wasn't a perfect book. There was a lack of character development that prevented me from being attached to anyone, and Barnes didn't provide the reader with enough clues as to who the culprit would be so that it made sense in hindsight, which is my preference.
My original plan was to reread the three books I've already completed and then finish the series by reading the one book I haven't —
Bad Blood I think I'll still do that, but I'm in no rush to get to the next one.
the writing style was extremely engaging - hooked from the start! the found family element is amazing, and EVERY character (the kids) has had a traumatic past - no spoilers! - which explains why they're ''naturals'' at what they do.
As a crazy psychology lover, this was amazing. i've never read a book like it (as of yet!) and it was so cool to read the depths of profiling people
Devoured the whole series in less than a week -- definetly recommend!!
Though the plot got slightly ''too much'' in the last book; it was still amazing - especially the twists!
More love triangle, less investigation than I was expecting
What can you read after
The Naturals?
About the Author:
I've wanted to be a writer for pretty much as long as I can remember. In fact, aside from a brief flirtation with the idea of being a veterinarian when I was four, being a professional writer has been my…
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
