The Naturals

Cold cases are about to get hot. Don't miss this exhilarating crime thriller--perfect for fans of Criminal Minds and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder--from Jennifer Lynn Barnes, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inheritance Games.

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. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close. 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.

Think The Mentalist meets Pretty Little Liars--Jennifer Lynn Barnes's The Naturals is a gripping psychological thriller with killer appeal, a to-die-for romance and the bones of a gritty and compelling new series.

Praise for The Naturals

"The Naturals is Criminal Minds for the YA world, and I loved every page." --New York Times best-selling author Ally Carter

* "[A] tightly paced suspense novel that will keep readers up until the wee hours to finish." --VOYA (starred review)

"This savvy thriller grabs readers right away." --Kirkus Reviews

"It's a stay-up-late-to-finish kind of book, and it doesn't disappoint." --Publishers Weekly

"In this high-adrenaline series opener...even a psychic won't anticipate all the twists and turns." --Booklist

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Published May 2, 2023

352 pages

Average rating: 7.67

177 RATINGS

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Bigbackbookworm67

Oct 27, 2025

10/10 stars

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND

stonedwitchx3

Oct 05, 2025

7/10 stars

Cassie joins the “naturals” program after her mom mysteriously disappeared which is a program run by the FBI. It’s a fast paced cat and mouse themed story, Cassie can read people, she can step outta her shoes into another’s and tell you how or what they were feeling. There’s a lot of suspense, which is why I finished the book in a day. Cassie’s POV of the serial is intriguing honestly made me look over my shoulder a few times. Her ability to look at the way someone dresses or walks and know everything about their life is something that was passed down by her mom. & when she thinks her moms killer is targeting her, she’s in for a surprise one that I predicted it’s her auntie!!!

Abigail Bailey

Sep 30, 2025

10/10 stars

Oh my gosh I love this series. I was looking for a good book to read after many tried and many terrible reads when I came upon this beauty. I was a huge criminal minds fan (still am) and when it said "Criminal Minds for the ya world" I was sold.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Cassie's hilarious sarcasm and thoughts are just absolutely great, her character is well built. Michael now. He's a chameleon playboy. He's loveable and hateable at the same time. Lia. You hate her but it's a hate that is kinda entertaining. Sloane. Oh my gosh, she's so adorable. Sure she isn't the best at human interaction, but she's interesting and smart. She's sort of like Reid but they both have a uniqueness you gotta love. Then there is Dean. Son of a serial killer. That was brilliant. plus, his profiling brilliance and love and protection for all Naturals (well except maybe Michael) is just wow. Needless to say, I had a crush on him. It's not your usual love triangle though. Dean is not a bad-boy type. Sure he's kinda brooding but he's just lost in a broken world and Cassie is there to somewhat heal him. And the ending!!!!! Wow. I never saw that coming. All in all, great read, great characters, great everything. Five freaking stars.

b_marie

May 01, 2025

8/10 stars

I felt like I was reading a criminal minds episode but one of the personal ones that involve the main character. This was really good. The ending had a good plot twist, but I wish there was more flesh to it. And as of now, I cannot pick which team I am on in the love triangle because I love both men.

Andréa

Apr 27, 2025

9/10 stars

Review: Going into this one, I knew I was probably going to enjoy it based on the synopsis alone. I love a good psychological thriller and can easily say this one didn’t disappoint! The plot was solid, the characters well developed, and the twists and turns kept me eagerly flipping the pages to find out what would happen next. I tried to guess who the killer might be, but wow was I way off! But I love that! I love a book that keeps me guessing and leaves my jaw on the floor with an unexpected ending! I’d love to read through this again now that I know how it ends, as I know there were a few hints throughout that I didn’t initially pick up on. I will definitely be continuing this series! It does have times where it gives you things from the killer’s POV that can get a bit graphic. There are other triggers, such as death of a parent, parental neglect, parent involved in criminal activity, etc. Also, as a YA novel I always ask myself if it’s something we would allow my stepson to read. I’m on the fence with this one, only because of the graphic nature of this, and there was a love triangle going on between 3 of the teens in the Naturals program. But we’re pretty strict about what our kids read, so keep that in mind, as well. 4.75 star rating. 9/10 on Bookclubs