{YA Review} The Naturals (The Naturals #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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. Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. 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. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Hardcover, 308 pages. Published November 5th 2013 by Disney-Hyperion 

 

{Rating} 5/5 - I loved it!

 

{Review} 

"You've chosen and chosen well." (page 1, line 1)

I loved it! The characters, the storyline, the mystery, the intensity ... I couldn't get enough of it. I'm a huge fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes, her writing style, her creativity, the well imagined, complex characters and storylines full of twists and turns.

The idea of 'Naturals' was intriguing, the different abilities, how each of the Naturals play their part. I thought Cassie was a strong heroine, that Dean and Michael were layered and I wanted to know more about them. There's also a hint of romance - though I'm not a fan of love triangles - I liked each of the boys in their own way and I understand Cassie's draw to each of them.

Though some mysteries were solved, many questions remain unanswered, leaving me wanting more. The Naturals is one of my favorite YA reads of all time, from one of my favorite authors, and I'm eagerly awaiting book two in The Naturals series, Killer Instinct which releases in November.