A review by reka111
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Studying mutilated bodies was routine. Talking to me—apparently, that was hard

Did I like this book? I don't know. How do I feel about it? I don't know. Even despite everything, would I sell my soul for it? Absolute. This book was terribly unique, I mean, honestly, I liked the idea itself, but not the execution. 

Cassie was a very likeable and persistent protagonist with a strong personality and big dreams, honestly I got what I expected from her. 

Dean, well, he's gives Derek vibe to me (The Summoner) and maybe the word I could use to describe him — and summarize his whole being — would be “interesting.” Either way, the genuine care and attention he showed towards Cassie was very nice of him. He has his wounds, perhaps bigger than others, but I feel like slowly and surely, they've started to heal somehow. 

Lia was one of my favourites anyway, her strong personality was something everyone needed. She may not be a saint, but she is the one who holds the team together. 

Michael irritated me for some reason, a lot, but eventually I managed to like him somewhat. However, I appreciated his joke and the way he stands up for others.
I didn't believe for a moment that he was evil, but I didn't really understand what he was doing there.


Sloane didn't feature much, but I loved her interesting facts, I'm so sorry that others find her annoying, I think she's very fascinating and lovable, you just have to pay attention to her. 

Briggs is a weary father trying to keep his hyperactive adopted children on track. The poor man has and will have plenty of grey hairs from them, but deep down he cares about them very much and trusts them sincerely. 

Locke. Ahhmm, honestly I don't know how to feel about her. Part of me feels truly sorry for her, but another despises her. I couldn't tell if I understand her or not in the end, but that's just me. 

The plot went smoothly, and it was extremely easy to follow. It was captivating and kept me interested throughout. The pace was good, at least I never felt like we were going very slow or fast. The wording was, frankly, not the best, but for a typical YA book, I don't even expect Shakespeare. The love triangle (it's more like a tent) wasn't my favourite, and I didn't really feel — thank goodness — the chemistry between them. The end was well sealed (with a nice lead-up in culture), it was fast-paced and tense, I really liked it. I can't wait to continue.