The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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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.

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                                                                                      Rating:  4.5 of 5 stars
                                                                                      Series book: Yes 
                                                                                      Will I read the Next: Yes

This book was described as the Criminal minds or Lie To Me for YA readers. Well, I've never seen Criminal Minds (Don't judge me) but I've seen Lie To Me. I. Love. That. Show. That, Gossip Girl, and Veronica Mars are the bomb.com (yes I still say that. don't judge me). That being said, I personally think that The Naturals was the atomicbomb.com. That's right I went there. I have no complaints about the writing, and as we all know that's rare. It did remind me a little of the Body Finder Series, but that's only because of the killer's POV or profile or whatever it was.

I think I've made it painfully obvious how much I hate books that don't surprise me, not even a little. If not, well I just did. Anyway, this book totally surprised me. Towards the end, I knew something bad was going to happen because come on it's the end of the book something bad has to happen. I'm talking to the book (yes, out loud. Yes, I got looks. Risks of the book lover life) like on TV you see someone talking to the horror movie saying "don't go into the closet! Don't go into the closet! Oh, well I told you not to go into the closet!" Yeah that was me only I was saying "Don't leave the house, don't leave the house! Oh, you left the house...Now everyone's gonna die." It was an amazing delivery of a suspenseful YA book. I'm completely satisfied with the plot and the amount of suspense. Overall the book was just fantastic.

Besides the main character (and Michael of course, but more on him later), Sloane was my favorite character. I must have a soft spot for the slightly crazy but endearing supportive character. Sloane is a natural with patterns and numbers and statistics, so she's just say random statistics whenever there was an awkward pause. She kind of reminded me of that squirrel from Hoodwinked, and like said squirrel Sloane was absolutely insane when she ingested caffeine. Having five teenagers with the kills to tell who's lying and lie like a pro, read anyone like a book, read your emotions, and someone who's pretty much a walking Wikipedia makes for some entertaining breakfast banter.

Love triangles. Damn you all to hell. ESPECIALLY you unsolved love triangles. There's a special place in hell for you. I hate it when a girl goes back in forth. Cassie was all "I'm so confused I've kissed more guys in 24 hours that I have my whole life." SHAME ON YOU. Not because you've kissed two guys in 24 hours but because you're complaining about it. Stop complaining and choose. You cannot alternate between both and have romantic moments and make kissyfaces at both of them. Personally I think Michael is the right choice(I am totally team Michael, he's on my Official Book Boyfriend list) he was just a more developed, if more mysterious, character. Sure Dean has this sad background and I feel for him but we don't date boys out of pity here Cassie. At least, not more than once. Go to the movies with him, give him the "just friends" speech and move on. To Michael. Because he's better. And funny. Dean all broody and serious. He's got no charm, and besides the points he gets for being "sensitive" he's really not appealing at all. Sorry to those who will unavoidably be Team Dean, but you wrong. I just hope the love triangle is solved in book two. Fingers crosses(ahem Team Michael).

SUMMARY OF REVIEW(In case you don't actually feel like reading the review):
Writing:5 out of 5
Plot: 5 out of 5
characters: 5 out of 5 
Romance: 3.5 out of 5
Overall:  4.5 out of 5
PG-13

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