The Naturals

The Naturals
(The Naturals #1)
Jennifer Lynn Barnes

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 9781423168232
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date of publication: November 5, 2014
Age: Grades 7 and up
Genre: Mystery

Themes: serial killers, FBI, criminal psychology, murder, identity

Cassie is pretty good at reading people, piecing together tiny details to create a picture of their lives. It turns out, however, that this skill has led the FBI to peg her as a Natural. Naturals are teenagers with skills in criminal psychology, unpolluted by formal education. Cassie finds herself recruited as a Profiler and is starts working with a group of other teens to solve cold cases. What she doesn't realize is that the FBI's current case will test all of her skills as a serial killer makes her the next target.

First of all, I already really enjoyed watching murder/detective shows, Criminal Minds and Lie To Me being some of my favorites. So this book, which is kind of like one giant Criminal Minds episode, was already a winner in my mind. Barnes NAILED it: super suspenseful, unpredictable, and she has the creepy ability to get you inside the psycho serial killer's head (she DOES have a PhD in psychology...). Of course, there's no way the FBI would actually hire teenagers. But hey, the rest of it is believable. The story wrapped up nicely while still leaving you wanting more. There are more mysteries left unsolved, after all. Recommended for sure.

It is all about teens, for teens, but it is nothing-held-back gruesome serial killer. So while no bad language or sex, you may want to take that into consideration

Find it at your library or on Amazon