The Naturals (The Naturals, #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This is a really easy to read and gripping book that had a twist even I didn’t expect although this was my second reading of the book so this time round I was able to see the hints dropped earlier than the first time I read it. The characters add a lot to this book but I can’t say it didn’t go along the lines of other YA books which in my opinion made it a bit cheesy or clichéd. 

The main character is Cassie Hobbes; a teenage girl who after the death of her mother is sent to live with her father’s side of the family in Colorado. That is where she remains until she is targeted by a branch of the FBI which is specifically aimed at teenagers with special abilities to help in series killer cases. Cassie is targeted because of her ability to profile people without even thinking about it she is what they call a ‘natural’. With a string of murders which Cassie and her team are investigating dragging up memories of her mother’s death it seems impossible for them to be linked but they are in a way I didn’t see coming. Cassie is an interesting character with a good backstory that drags readers further into the story.

Secondary characters I found most noteworthy were Cassie’s co-workers in the ‘Naturals’ department; Dean, Michael, Lia and Sloane. Dean is the quiet and broody bad boy; the child of a serial killer who is now putting his personal connection to good use, being a profiler. Michael is the boy who drags Cassie into the division; he has learned how to be a profiler in the hopes of helping the FBI. Lia is a natural herself but not at profiling, she can spot lies as they are told, and although has difficulty getting along with the other house mates comes through in the end. And Sloane, the geeky and technologically brilliant character; with a few issues in social interactions, she often refers to statistics.

The storyline is something similar to that of the adult crime genre but this is something that doesn’t happen very much in the YA genre so I found it very refreshing. The pacing was great; creating tension and adding in the POV of the killer and creeping me out massively but then ending with a stunning revelation and continuing to keep us hooked and wanting to continue with the series.

4.5 stars; if it wasn’t for the YA clichés in this book it would have been 5