The Naturals (book series)

This article is about the book series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. For the 1952 novel, see The Natural. For other uses, see Natural (disambiguation).
"Twelve (novella)" redirects here. For the novel by Nick McDonell, see Twelve (novel).
The Naturals
Book covers from the four main novels.
AuthorJennifer Lynn Barnes
Cover artistAbby Kuperstock
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreYoung adult fiction
Crime fiction
Mystery
Romance
PublisherHachette Books
PublishedNovember 5, 2013 - November 7, 2017
Media typePrint
No. of books5
WebsiteOfficial website

The Naturals is a series of young adult novels by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Beginning with a 2013 novel of the same name, the series follows the life of Cassie Hobbes, a 17-year-old girl who is contacted by the FBI to join a special program. The other members consist of Dean Redding, Lia Zhang, Michael Townsend, and Sloane Tavish.

The initial book was followed by Killer Instinct, published in 2014. The third book, All In, came out in 2015, and the fourth and final book, Bad Blood, was published in 2016. A novella, titled Twelve, was published in 2017.

Books

No. Title Date Pages ISBN
1The NaturalsNovember 5, 2013320978-1423-16823-2
2Killer InstinctNovember 4, 2014384978-1-423-16832-4
3All InNovember 3, 2015384978-1-484-71643-4
4Bad BloodNovember 1, 2016384978-1-484-75854-0
5TwelveNovember 7, 2017100978-1-368-02130-2

Reception

Alex Winters of The State Journal-Register praised the series and said, "If you enjoy suspenseful crime thrillers and whodunnits with a dash of teen melodrama, then this is the book series for you."[1] The New York Times best-selling author Ally Carter said the series was "a must-read for anyone who likes books about real teens who have no superpowers and yet aren’t quite typical either."[2] Reviewing the first novel, Kirkus Reviews wrote:

This savvy thriller grabs readers right away. Cassie’s outsider feelings are convincing and give credence to her actions throughout the story. There is enough violence, grisly description, and plot surprises to keep crime-show devotees reading. Unanswered questions will have those readers on tenterhooks for the next in the series.[3]

Also reviewing the first novel, Publishers Weekly lauded the writing by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, stating that "Barnes shows every card at just the right moment, catching readers off-guard at the final reveal. It’s a stay-up-late-to-finish kind of book, and it doesn’t disappoint."[4]

Kristi Elle Jemtegaard, from Booklist, wrote in her review for the initial book that "Nevertheless, teens looking for a fast-paced heart-stopper may find the pace slow at first, but then the thrills and chills kick in—only to leave listeners hanging, as this is the initial volume of a projected series."[5]

Accolades

Accolades for The Naturals
Book Year Award Result Ref.
The Naturals 2017 Lincoln Award Nominee [6]
Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee [6]
2014 YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection [7]

References

  1. ^ Winters, Alex (August 31, 2017). "Book review: 'The Naturals' series is full of suspense". The State Journal-Register. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  2. ^ Carter, Ally (May 20, 2014). "I Read YA". allycarter.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  3. ^ "The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  4. ^ Harding, Elizabeth (September 30, 2013). "The Naturals". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  5. ^ Elle Jemtegaard, Kristi (March 25, 2014). "The Naturals". Booklist. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "The Naturals". Goodreads. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  7. ^ "The Naturals | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. December 4, 2018. Retrieved 2021-12-21.