Saturday, May 2, 2020

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Naturals
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Publication Date: November 5, 2013

Format: eBook
Price: $7.99
Page Count: 320
ISBN-13: 9781423181187

Reading Level: Grades 7 and up (ages 12+)
Lexile: 690
Interest Level: Grades 9 and up (ages 14+)

Annotation: With an almost-supernatural sense of reading people, Cassie agrees to join the FBI's program for talented teens and help them crack cold cases.

Plot and Content Summary: Cassie is able to read people very well, and the FBI wants someone like her in their teen program. She agrees to participate, hoping it will bring her closer to finding out who murdered her mom. The program moves her into a house with other teens similar to her, and Cassie learns that there are a lot of secrets and threats. With a new serial killer on the loose, all the teens must team up and put their heads together to solve this case.

Evaluation: This was so much fun to read from beginning to end. Being in the mind of someone who picks up on so many details was incredibly interesting, and especially so when she met other teens of similar natures. Teens reading this will no doubt enjoy the banter, jokes, and games between Cassie and her housemates. The Naturals is a suspenseful and plot-driven first book in a series—the way Barnes ties everything together is so smart!

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: The Naturals is a great book for anyone looking to escape reality and wanting to get lost in a good story. For teens who have lost parents, they may be able to relate to Cassie and her loss. It may be comforting to take her perspective and follow her as she tries to figure out what happened to her mom. Although their experiences may differ, knowing that someone shares the same feeling of not having a parent or older adult figure could help work out lingering emotions.

Issues Present: There is a lot written in this series starter that can be looked at as unrealistic or exaggerated, but nothing is completely impossible. And even if it was, there is nothing wrong with escapist literature. Sometimes, we need a fun story to enjoy and temporarily forget life problems.

Book Talk Ideas:
  • Discuss Cassie's relationship with each of her housemates. Do you think their abilities affect (both positively and negatively) it?
  • How does murder of Cassie's mom affect how Cassie approaches life?
  • Were you able to guess who the serial killer was?

Genre/Subgenres: Thrillers and suspense

Readalikes: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga; How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller; Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon; My Sister's Stalker by Nancy Springer; The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

References
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