When you go looking for the devil

Author : Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Title : The Naturals
Published : 07/11/2013
Pages : 352
Genre : Young Adult / Crime Thriller
Publisher : Quercus Children's Books
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     Cassie Hobbes is not like most teenagers. Most teenagers don't lose their mother in a bloody, unsolved murder. Most teenagers can't tell who you are, where you're from and how you're likely to behave within moments of meeting you. And most teenagers don't get chosen to join The Naturals. Identified by the FBI as uniquely gifted, Cassie is recruited to an elite school where a small number of teens are trained to hone their exceptional abilities. For Cassie, trying to make friends with the girls, and to figure out the two very different, very hot boys, is challenging enough. But when a new serial killer strikes and Cassie is drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse, she realises just how dangerous life in The Naturals could be.

     Every once in a while I like to deep my toe into the world of young adult novels. And I always come out the others side having had an enjoyable time. With The Naturals, it was down to it's mixing with the crime genre. I think a lot can be added to a plot when my viewpoint is from that of a teenager. It also allows the author to play around with certain staples of the genre's when your heroes don't have to play by the rules of the adult world. 

     The book is told from the point of view of Cassie our young hero. By the time we get to meet her she has already been through a lot. And while parts of this have brought her much pain it has left her with a skill set that is always keeping her on her toes. With an ability to profile people just by looking at them she is accustomed to being able to size people up very quickly.  This is a girl with a lot of heart and she cares deeply for those she chooses to let in. When given the choice she is willing to fight the good fight and put everything on the line as long as it won't bring harm to those around her. I suppose you could say she has a lot of moxie and she's not afraid to show it. 

     In the pursuit of a new life that entails moving away from her job and family, Cassie is teamed up with a group of other teens similar to her. In some way or another, they all have so natural ability that can help the F.B.I solve cases. I felt that because each had different fields of focus it allowed them to fill in individual roles within there new family unit. But for this group of teens, it works as a double edge knife. While it was a long time ago I was a teenager I remember how brutal at times it can be, And when the teens in question can pick each other with the skill of a surgeon feelings where bound to get hurt. And there were a few moments when it caught me by surprise and left me to catch my breath. On the other side of this there where parts that left me with a smile on my face and laughing.  I liked their interaction and they seemed, for the most part, believable I will admit there are some parts that are obviously outside the realms of most things that teenagers will go through they still didn't stray too far. 

    The author managed to bring me into the story and she gave me a very enjoyable ride while I was with these characters. When I first started this book I wasn't sure what to expect I knew there would to some extent have to suspend belief due to the nature of the plot. And in all honesty, once I started reading that was the last thing on my mind. The way she writers for me was so easy to get on with and it did not take me long to get through. The characters we are presented with are interesting enough that I want to learn more about them.  In a story that is predominately about the use of brains over brawn there is plenty of action built into this story and as a thriller, it works very well building tension as the body's starts to pile up. As Barnes added in the elements of the serial killer plot it gave me just enough at each stage of the book to keep me guessing as to the killer's identity. 

     By the time I got to the final revel and I thought I had it all wrapped up it turned out I was very wrong and this sudden change through the story into a whole new light. It was to my surprise that this turned out to be a bonafide mystery thriller that I think adults, as well as younger readers, will enjoy greatly. It also was darker and creepier than I thought it would be.  You kind of have certain expectations of baselines with Y/A novels. while the descriptions of crime scenes may not be as detailed as other authors I had to bear in mind the target age of the novel. And for them, I would think there is plenty of blood spilled on the page.

     Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this book and I think in some ways this allowed me to enjoy the book a little more. It raised my expectations of what a good Y/A crime novels can be. This book is like a good fairground ride, There are thrills and at times you wonder if you will get off in one peace. But for me and more importantly, it was fun to read and sometimes this is just the sort of book you need to read.