Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Pages: 304, Hardcover
Source: Audiobook, Library
Source: Audiobook, Library
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.
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.
- This is totally teen Criminal Minds with a paranormal twist. And I LOVE Criminal Minds. I can't get enough crime-story-type books and I especially enjoy the darker ones that dig into the mind of serial killers. As appalling as some of these stories are (and how paranoid I've become since watching/reading them) I find them fascinating.
- I loved the gifts that the Naturals possessed - I always enjoy stories involving abilities. I think it was interesting to see how the Naturals used their gifts to solve cases and I particularly enjoyed how their gifts shaped their interactions with each other. Imagine not being able to lie or hide your emotions - yikes!
- I loved the cat and mouse game going on. This is another book that provides the killers POV throughout the story and you all know I love getting the bad guys POV.
- The mystery. I didn't exactly see that ending coming. Really, this book was so fast-paced that I didn't have time to predict anything. I liked how the case was solved but some parts of the story are still left open for later. I imagine there will be more books.
- I believe in coincidences but this book relied on them and when things are too improbable it bugs me. That's all I can say without giving anything away.
- The love triangle. Cassie was all over the place. It felt like all it took was for a boy to look at her for her to develop feelings for him. I wasn't convinced why she liked either boy. The whole romance aspect just felt like a plot extra.
- I wish the Naturals had the chance to actually solve cases as a team. This was mostly about Cassie learning the ropes, stumbling upon a case, and figuring it out in time for the big ending ( with the aid of her two gentlemen). We didn't really get to see the unit work together.
This book was a ton of fun. Despite the romance and the unlikelihood of things, I really enjoyed it. It was a compelling crime story, with a nice touch of paranormal and drama.
