Review: The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
by Sophia Downey
Our Youth Literacy Ambassador Sophia Downey shares her thoughts on The Naturals, written by American YA author Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
About The Naturals:
Cassie Hobbes is not like most teenagers. Most teenagers don't lose their mother in a bloody, unsolved kidnapping. Most teenagers can't tell who you are, where you're from and how you're likely to behave within moments of meeting you. And most teenagers don't get chosen to join The Naturals. Identified by the FBI as uniquely gifted, Cassie is recruited to an elite school where a small number of teens are trained to hone their exceptional abilities.
For Cassie, trying to make friends with the girls, and to figure out the two very different, very hot boys, is challenging enough. But when a serial killer begins recreating the details of her mother's horrific crime scene, she realises just how dangerous life in The Naturals could be.
Borrow a copy of The Naturals from our catalogue.
Sophia's review:
The Naturals is a mystery book with themes of found family and justice. The story is told through the eyes of intelligent teenager, Cassie, who gets selected to be part of a special FBI crime-solving team - a group of young adults with extraordinary talents who can solve cases that ordinary detectives have been unable to. With Cassie being able to instantly tell all about someone’s life just by looking at them, she adds a key skill to the team...
Cassie is a lovable character who is extremely resilient and the relationships she forms with the people around her are enjoyable to watch. With her amazing skill set and bravery she clearly stands out from other characters as the story progresses.
The other teens in the team are just as remarkable and each has their own intriguing backstory, unique personality and skills that make them enjoyable to follow through the plot.
I really liked this book and would strongly recommend this, and the rest of the series, to anybody who likes mysteries, drama and romance. For similar titles I would also recommend Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson and One of us is Lying by Karen M. McManus.
Love books? Want to discuss them in a reading group? Find out how to get started →