Reviewer: Andrea
The Summary:
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’s 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.
The Review:
If you’re like me and you love crime shows, this is novel for you. Fans of CSI or Criminal Minds will devour this one. Though it might be a bit of stretch to imagine seventeen-year-olds solving complex crimes and chasing serial killers, you’ll soon forget all that and become engrossed in the story.
Barnes does an amazing job building her cast of characters. From the striking Michael to the brooding Dean, these characters leap from the pages until you find yourself believing it might just be possible these teens could actually accomplish all this group does. The mystery surrounding Cassie’s mother deepens and intermeshes with the story seamlessly, and I found myself completely disappointed when book ended. The good news? There are sequels already out in the world!
Don’t miss it! This is one of the most engaging novels I’ve read—young adult or otherwise—in a some time!
5 stars
