The Naturals (Naturals Series #1)

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Overview

Jennifer Lynn Barnes, #1 bestselling author of The Inheritance Games, delivers an exhilarating mystery—perfect for fans of Criminal Minds and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

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.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes's The Naturals is a gripping novel with killer appeal and a to-die-for romance. Don't miss the other books in the Naturals series: Killer Instinct, All In, and Bad Blood.  
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316540629
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Series:	Naturals (Cassie Hobbes) Series , #1
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	1,423
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty acclaimed young adult novels, including The Inheritance Games trilogy, Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals, The Lovely and the Lost, and The Naturals series: The Naturals, Killer Instinct, All In, Bad Blood, and the e-novella, Twelve. Jen is also a Fulbright Scholar with advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science. She received her Ph.D. from Yale University in 2012 and was a professor of psychology and professional writing at the University of Oklahoma for many years. She invites you to her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com or follow her on Twitter @jenlynnbarnes.

Editorial Reviews

"The Naturals is Criminal Minds for the YA world, and I loved every page." —New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter

* "[A] tightly paced suspense novel that will keep readers up until the wee hours to finish." —VOYA, starred review

"This savvy thriller grabs readers right away." —Kirkus Reviews

"It's a stay-up-late-to-finish kind of book, and it doesn't disappoint." —Publishers Weekly

"In this high-adrenaline series opener...even a psychic won't anticipate all the twists and turns." —Booklist

Praise for The Inheritance Games:
A New York Times and USA Today Bestseller
A GoodReads Choice Awards Finalist
A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
An Amazon Top 100 Book

“Barnes is a master of puzzles and plot twists. The Inheritance Games was the most fun I’ve had all year.”

—E. Lockhart, bestselling author of We Were Liars and Again Again

"A thrilling blend of family secrets, illicit romance and high-stakes treasure hunt, set in the mysterious world of Texas billionaires. The nonstop twists kept me guessing until the very last page!"—Katharine McGee, New York Times bestselling author of American Royals

"Impossible to put down."—Buzzfeed

* "Part The Westing Game, part We Were Liars, completely entertaining."—Kirkus, starred review

* "This strong, Knives Out-esque series opener...provides ample enjoyment."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Barnes's meticulously crafted novel is like the film Knives Out for the YA world, perfect for any reader seeking suspense, romance, and glamour.... Barnes crafts high-stakes tension, a swoony love triangle, and a large but memorable cast of characters. Fun and fast-paced, fans of Karen M. McManus's One of Us is Lying and Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious will find a new home at Hawthorne House."—SLJ

"[A] well-characterized mystery that's packed to the brim with twists and tricks. Hand immediately to teen fans of Knives Out or readers who love Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series."—Booklist

"Prickly, witty, and stubborn as a mule, Avery is an eminently likable protagonist, and her savvy ability to manage the obnoxiously privileged people she suddenly finds herself surrounded by is admirable, helped plenty by her quippy one-liners that level even the snobbiest among them."—BCCB

From the Publisher

09/30/2013
In an intense CSI-type thriller, Barnes (Nobody) lets readers inside the mind of 17-year-old Cassie Hobbes, a “Natural” profiler with the uncanny ability to piece together an individual’s motives, backgrounds, and patterns of behavior. After her mother’s gruesome abduction, and with her father overseas, Cassie is recruited for a special FBI program for teens like her to help solve cold cases. Cassie immediately realizes that being a Natural may be more than she bargained for, and her fellow gifted teens take getting used to, including Michael, an emotional expert who seems fascinated with Cassie’s, and Dean, who just looks pissed off—mostly at her. Barnes is in her wheelhouse with this story of keenly powered teens and covert ops, and she provides an enticing inside look at the world of crime-solving through Cassie’s hyperaware eyes. Cassie’s pursuit by an unknown serial killer keeps things tense, as do creepy narratives from the killer. Barnes shows every card at just the right moment, catching readers off-guard at the final reveal. It’s a stay-up-late-to-finish kind of book, and it doesn’t disappoint. Ages 12–up. Agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

2013-10-01
A teen with a special ability and a tragic past is recruited by the FBI to join a group of young profilers. Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has lived with her paternal grandmother since her mother's presumed murder five years ago. Lorelai Hobbes was never found, but the horrific scene at the site of her disappearance pointed toward her death. Cassie has never quite fit in with her family, haunted by memories and her uncanny ability to "read" people. Her mother had helped develop that skill so she could be helpful in Lorelai's "profession" as a psychic. When Cassie is approached by the FBI to join a special unit of young profilers, she sees an opportunity to do some good. Cassie moves into an unusual group home in Quantico, Va., with other teens who have gifts useful to the FBI. In addition to her training, Cassie has to navigate the group dynamic, as each of her cohorts has a back story. A series of killings like Lorelai's in nearby Washington, D.C., makes it impossible for Cassie to remain on the sidelines despite the efforts of her superiors. This savvy thriller grabs readers right away. Cassie's outsider feelings are convincing and give credence to her actions throughout the story. There is enough violence, grisly description and plot surprises to keep crime-show devotees reading. Unanswered questions will have those readers on tenterhooks for the next in the series. (Mystery. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews