Title: The Naturals
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
ISBN: 9781423168232
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 308
Source: Personal Copy
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. Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling but keeps her at arm’s length.
Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. 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.
Official Summary
20 September 2024
If you’re into psychological thrillers, crime drama, and some high-stakes teen drama, this book might be right up your alley.
Cassie Hobbes who’s got this crazy talent for reading people. Not like, “Oh, I can tell you’re bummed out” kinda reading, but more like, “I can guess your whole life story from one look” level. She’s a human lie detector with a bonus of psychological skills. This lands her a spot in this super-secret FBI program, and that’s where things get wild.
The Naturals program trains teens with crazy abilities to solve cold cases and catch criminals. Cassie’s squad is like a team of super-sleuths. There’s Michael, who’s got an epic memory; Lia, who’s a genius with criminal psychology; and Dean, who’s street-smart and can almost predict what people will do next. It’s kinda like if the X-Men were into solving crimes instead of saving the world.
As the story unfolds, you follow Cassie and her crew as they tackle some seriously messed-up cases. Their first gig is a string of murders that look just like some old cases from years back. The deeper they dig, the more dark secrets they uncover, and they start to realize that not everyone involved is as innocent as they seem. There’s a ton of suspense and mystery, and Barnes keeps you on the edge of your seat.
What I loved about The Naturals is how it mixes dark, intense themes with the everyday drama of being a teen. Cassie’s dealing with some heavy stuff from her past, and her new team brings in a mix of friendship, tension, and even a bit of romance. It’s not just about cracking cases; it’s also about figuring out who you are and where you fit in, which adds a cool layer to the story. So, if you love the ‘found family’ trope you will love this book!
If you’re looking for a book that’s got a gripping plot, interesting characters, and a few twists and turns that’ll keep you on your toes, The Naturals is worth checking out. It’s a fun, suspenseful read that’ll make you want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. This is the first book in the series, and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series.
The fact that this book does not get the hype that The Inheritance Games get is a true crime! This book is criminally underrated and I cannot wait to dive head-first into this series.
Overall, The Naturals is a fantastic blend of mystery, thriller, and teen drama that delivers a satisfying read with a lot of twists and turns. Give it a go if you’re into solving crimes with a side of high school drama!
Also by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
WHITE LITTLE LIES
“I’m not saying this is Sawyer’s fault,” the prim and proper one said delicately. “But.”
Eighteen-year-old auto mechanic Sawyer Taft did not expect her estranged grandmother to show up at her apartment door and offer her a six-figure contract to participate in debutante season. And she definitely never imagined she would accept. But when she realizes that immersing herself in her grandmother’s “society” might mean discovering the answer to the biggest mystery of her life – her father’s identity – she signs on the dotted line and braces herself for a year of makeovers, big dresses, bigger egos, and a whole lot of bless your heart. The one thing she doesn’t expect to find is friendship, but as she’s drawn into a group of debutantes with scandalous, dangerous secrets of their own, Sawyer quickly discovers that her family isn’t the only mainstay of high society with skeletons in their closet. There are people in her grandmother’s glittering world who are not what they appear, and no one wants Sawyer poking her nose into the past. As she navigates the twisted relationships between her new friends and their powerful parents, Sawyer’s search for the truth about her own origins is just the beginning.
About The Author
Author Bio from the Author’s Site
Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) is the author of more than a dozen critically acclaimed young adult novels. She has advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science, including graduate degrees from Cambridge University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar, and Yale University, where she received her Ph.D. in 2012. Jen wrote her first published novel when she was nineteen-years-old and sold her first five books while still in college. In additional to writing YA novels, Jen has also written original pilot scripts for television networks like USA and MTV, and she is one of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of fandom and the cognitive science of fiction and the imagination more broadly. Jen is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she holds a dual appointment in Psychology and Professional Writing.
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