Common Sense Media Review
By Julie A. Carlson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teens vs. serial killer in implausible, confusing thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 10 parent reviews
Based on 57 kid reviews
Kids say this book is an incredibly gripping and captivating read, filled with unexpected plot twists and intriguing characters, making it hard to put down. While many praise its thrilling nature and strong storytelling, they warn that the graphic content can be disturbing, especially the sections from the killer's perspective, suggesting it's best suited for readers aged 12 and up.
- addictive
- graphic violence
- unexpected twists
- strong characters
- suitable for older teens
- thrilling mystery
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Years ago, Cassie's mother was killed, but her body was never found. This has haunted Cassie through childhood and into her teens, and she misses her mother very much. She lives with her grandmother but feels she doesn't belong. So, when the FBI recruits Cassie because of her \"natural\" ability to gauge people's emotions and background information just from looking at them, she jumps at the chance to change her life. She ends up living in Virginia with a group of other teens who have special abilities (e.g., pathological lying, mathematical deductive reasoning), whom the FBI believes will help solve cold murder cases. While solving a major case, Cassie hopes she also can find the answers to her mother's murder.
Is It Any Good?
The concept behind THE NATURALS is kind of interesting, but it doesn't work for various reasons. The big one: It's hard to accept the premise that the FBI would hire a bunch of kids (who aren't even attending high school) to solve crimes, especially ones involving serial killers. At one point, Cassie wonders if the FBI even knows the "Naturals" program exists, except for the two agents who recruited her. Readers may suspend disbelief for the sake of pure entertainment, but the novel's all over the place. It's predictable and full of cliches (a love triangle, insta-love, missing parents) and has unlikable characters.
Barnes seems to have done some research into the mind of a serial killer. However, she doesn't convey how the FBI really works and that being a criminal profiler takes more than just reading books at the library and checking people out at the mall. The Naturals is trying too hard to be a teen version of Silence of the Lambs. Some parts are suspenseful and creepy, but there's a lot of information that pops up out of the blue, leaving readers wondering if they missed something. Also, the ending is extremely confusing -- who killed who, who's bad, and who's good?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about crime stories in books and on TV. Is it important for them to accurately reflect real police work? Crime dramas on TV, for example, often show crime-scene technicians wearing high heels to a crime scene. How does The Naturals compare with these kinds of TV shows?
Cassie has the natural ability to figure out things, including the inner workings of people's minds and their behavior. Why can't Cassie solve her mother's murder if she can figure out other murders?
Cassie discovers things about her mother and her family. Why do you think Cassie's mother didn't tell her about her family history and past? Why keep it a secret?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date : November 5, 2013
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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