The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Pages: 304
Released:  November 5, 2013 (I had a digital ARC via NetGalley)
Publisher:  Disney-Hyperion

Quick Recap:  Having just come off the tremendous Lexicon by Max Barry, a book which I still believe is the best of this year, I found myself laughing while reading The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes because both books have very similar plot lines, just the latter is made for teenagers.  Both books involve a young girl getting recruited to live at a facility where special skill sets are honed for the advantage of others.  Both books have grisly murders that may or may not be directly related to our heroine.  And both of these adventures are very readable - and very fun.

The Plot:  This young adult book introduces readers to a group of teenagers who work on cold cases for the FBI.  These teens live together under close watch by their handlers, and each member has a unique ability that most young adults do not.  The newest member of this group, 17 year-old Cassie, has the ability to get inside the mind of killers.  She jumps at the chance to be a part of this select few and use her ability for good, with hopes of one day tracking down the person who brutally killed her mother (although no body was ever recovered...dum dum dum!).  Shortly after she moves into this house, a series of murders that hit literally too close to home begin, and any summer-campy aspects of this new life are thrown out the window as the fast-paced investigation begins.

Favorite Scene:  In a scene that reminded me of the movie Seven, when a box arrives for Cassie, you know that she shouldn't open it...and you know that when she inevitably does she's not going to love what she finds inside.  It's a great scene.

If I Could Change Something:  In an effort to create a love triangle found in many teen books today, Cassie forges relationships with two of the other members of this teen crime crew - Dean and Michael.  Both of these characters needed more developing, because while we get their histories, I still found myself forgetting which one was which.  The romance also tended to be a stretch, with too much happening too fast.  Teen readers will most likely forgive the schmaltz, but it's really the only place where adult readers may roll their eyes.  Well, that and the fact that some of the adults in this book would, realistically, never let teens get as close to the crime scenes as they do - but hey, this is a teen book after all!

Reluctant Reader Approved:  This book is GREAT for reluctant readers, and will keep guys and girls both on the edge of their seats.

Overall Score:  I think young adults are going to love this book - and what I expect will be a series.  Barnes does an excellent job creating a mystery that throws a ton of suspects into the mix, and I will honestly admit I thought for sure I had the ending figured out but was totally wrong.  For adult readers, there is still a lot to enjoy here, and while the book is fairly violent, the details are often spared to keep us in PG-13 territory.  I would give this book a 7 overall, but probably an 8 or 9 for teens who are really the target audience, to which Barnes nearly hits the bullseye.  It's a great start to what could be a very promising series.