The Naturals book series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Cassie gets scouted for a special classified FBI program that utilizes exceptional teenagers to solve crime. She joins the program and meets four other teenagers who, like her, possess unnatural talent. For example, Michael is able to read people’s emotions. Lia is able to detect lies. Together, they solve a multitude of murders and crimes by “profiling” the killers. They would step into the killer’s shoes and figure out their motives based on whatever evidence they could find. They would look at the location of crime, the criminals house, their relatives, etc.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the characters and their dynamics. Each character has their own backstory/trauma that contributes to their skill. For example, Michael’s father was abusive, so Michael developed the ability to read emotions in order to know when his father was angry.
Honestly, I think the main reason I enjoyed this series so much was because of its uncanny resemblance to “Criminal Minds,” the Netflix show. I’m not sure if any of you have watched it, but I used to really be into it, and this book series very clearly took inspiration from the show. The author essentially used the same concepts of “profiling” the killer and transformed it into a series more suited for teenagers.
However, just because I enjoyed the series doesn’t mean that it had no flaws. One major issue that I didn’t particularly like was just how unrealistic the whole premise of the situation was. An undercover FBI program for five teenagers? Teenagers that also acted far maturer than their age? I notice this to be a common trend in YA books- making the characters younger than they really should be to make the book more appealing to read. Fifteen to seventeen years seems to be a favorite among authors.
Despite these issues, the books are still very well-written, and I’d recommend them to anyone interested in crime/thriller books!
- Hannah Song
Great Review Hannah! This review has really gotten me interested in this series. I always wanted to read like a crime series book but never knew where to start. This might be a good starting point. I think the association with the Netflix shows really helped me understand the book summary better. Once again, great job!
ReplyDeleteGood review Hannah. This crime series has peaked my interest. Your plot summary was well written and your analysis on it's strengths and weaknesses is superb. I definitely agree with your statement on how authors of YA novels often make their characters younger to tailor to the preferences of a majority of YA readers. I'll definitely consider putting this on my reading list.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds really interesting! Your plot summary was really detailed, and I like your review. I also agree with your frustration with YA authors and how they make teenage characters weirdly mature; it's quite an annoying pattern for me. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteI love crime movies and books , they're so interesting. I actually have this on my read later list. I cant wait to read it now.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Young adult authors definitely write teenagers unrealistically mature.
Great book review Hannah! I loved how you gave a informative summary without explaining the entire book. I also liked that you compared it to a TV show that people might've watched or heard of. After reading this review I will have to put this book on my reading list because I really enjoy murder mysteries. Overall, this is a very good article, and good job.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how the main character can find out who someone really is and what their true motives are by piecing together little parts of how someone acts. I also like how you put your thoughts and ideas in between paragraphs. A lot of people forget to do this and it makes their blog look more like a book summary than a book review. I really like how you connect the book to something else that you enjoyed. It tells readers a bit more about you and your personality. But the best part of your blog was when you noted the flaws of the book. Most people don't realize the flaws of a book when they really enjoy it. I guess this is because they are focusing more on the good parts than the worse parts. You were enjoying the book while finding flaws which tells me that you are a very attentive reader. Good job with this post.
ReplyDeleteOOH!!! I love crime books and I think it's interesting how Cassie's past and childhood leads to what she does presently. You describe the plot very well and the book looks very intriguing. I do agree however that when components of a book are too unrealistic, it makes it harder to connect with. Thanks for the great review Hannah! I will be sure to check "The Naturals" out!
ReplyDeleteWow, this book sounds really cool! I like that you gave a summary + explanation of the 'abilities' without spoiling anything. I also like that you gave reasons why you liked and disliked parts of the book. Good review!
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