Twelve

The Naturals #4.5

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Cassie Hobbes has been working with the FBI since she was a teenager. Now twenty-three years old, she and her fellow Naturals have taken over running the program that taught them everything they know. As a unit, they're responsible for identifying new Naturals--and solving particularly impossible cases. When their latest case brings back a ghost from their past, Cassie and the other Naturals find themselves racing against the clock--and reliving their own childhood traumas.In a small, coastal town in Maine, there has been a rash of teen suicides--or at least, that's what the police believe. Mackenzie McBride, age twelve, thinks differently. Desperate to make herself heard, she stands at the top of a lighthouse, threatening to jump... unless the FBI agents who rescued her from a kidnapper at age six come to hear her out.Enter the Naturals. It doesn't take Cassie long to realize that Mackenzie isn't bluffing: she truly is convinced that the suicides are murder, and she really will jump if she can't get the FBI to believe her. To the outside world, Mackenzie is nothing more than a traumatized child. But so was Cassie, once upon a time. So were Michael, Dean, Sloane, Lia, and Celine. With a storm rolling in off the ocean and Mackenzie's position becoming more precarious by the moment, the Naturals have very little time to get to the truth about the deaths--and about twelve-year-old Mackenzie McBride.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Novella

Audiobook

First published November 7, 2017

About the author

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.

Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

Reviews

[Ali Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I have to officially say goodbye to these characters😭🥹 I loveeee that in this lil novella we got a mystery AND we still got to learn more about all the characters. I also love that we got more Celine in this one! Despite her being a newer character, I grew to care about her so fast. I'm also glad this novella jumped forward a few years in time so we got to see where all the characters ended up.

Now I would like to start a petition 🙋🏼‍♀️ for Jennifer Lynn Barnes to write a yearly Naturals novella so I never have to say goodbye to my fav characters

[manju ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

in one word: disappointing.

in a few more: underwhelming, pointless, boring!!!

i wanted fluff. i wanted cute moments between the naturals, even between briggs and sterling. what i did i get? idk but it wasn’t that.

—

ready for a cute lil fluffy novella 😋

[chloé ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m glad i read this novella, but it wasn’t really a necessary addition to the series.

i liked the glimpses of each of the Naturals’ past but i wasn’t too invested in the storyline itself.

if you’re reading this review, you should still pick up the four main books! they’re worth it!

i’ll miss all the characters so much. ❤️

[marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i would love a bunch of these shorter novellas for this series

[irem (warner’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭑ GOODBYE GOODBYE GOODBYE YOU WERE BIGGER THAN THE WHOLE SKYYYY

[cami · Rating 5 out of 5]

i fear we need another book.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I knew and accepted that Behavior, Personality, Environment wasn’t a one-time calculation, that everything we did and experienced became a part of us. Without our particular childhoods, none of us would have been Naturals."

It took me months, but I finally read this! I can’t say I’m disappointed with what I was met with, as I had heard this novella wasn't necessary, which I kinda thought as much. I would've loved to have seen them all together, besides the fact that the storyline and mystery story here just felt a bit lackluster, and I didn't find it fulfilling. However, I was really glad to see them all again (even if it was brief with some), and I'm kind of hoping JLB revisits them all in a permanent way without milking the series for the sake of it, as the ending felt like it was left open to the possibility of more one day and I think that was the authors intent? hoping thats the case

the natural series

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so darn good to be back in this world with these characters. Still one of my favorites series from this author and with all the developments in this novella, I can only hope more or at the very least, a spin off is to follow.

[Ash ꣑ৎ (quit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⸝⸝🧩˚₊﹕5 stars 💫✨﹕੭₊˚

wdym this series is over again 🥺🥺

⸝⸝🧩˚₊﹕pre-read﹕੭₊˚

prepared to binge this in one sitting 🤭🤭 I don't wanna have to say goodbye to my babies tho 🥺🥺

[LiL (catching up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

-ˏˋ3.5 ☆ˊˎ-

I had no idea what to expect with this novella but I’m so glad I read it! In a way it gave me the closure I didn’t get from the last book.

Being back with my babies is always great and getting a glimpse at their future was the closure I didn’t know I needed. The plot was engaging as well which I was not expecting. Jennifer added a mini chapter for each character where we see them at twelve which I really liked and honestly it just left me wanting more of their stories.

Was this absolutely needed?
Not really, but I think lovers of this series will appreciate this mini novella. The interactions of our beloved characters and solving one last mystery with them left me with all the nostalgia not gonna lie. After finishing the fourth book I didn’t feel anything, just that something was missing, but in the end of this I could feel such longing. I’m really gonna miss them.

Overall, it was such a good wrap on the series.

[Karyn⁠ ۶۟ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ⭐️ 🚧 💃 ⛈️

It was okay. I’ll take this as an extended epilogue. It was enjoyable to spend more time with the characters, and I’m honestly so sad this is the last book.

Don’t mind the 3 stars though, if you’re still debating whether to read this series, you definitely should! Especially the first four books because they’re absolutely worth it.

[kayy⸆⸉ ☆ (aelin’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

₊˚⊹“𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙨” ｡𐙚

ᝰ 𝟓 WISTFUL STARS ❕☆
﹌﹌
SPOILERS AHEAD ❗️❗️
ೃ⁀➷ 𝙼𝚢 𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 ｡꒰ 💭🗝️ ꒱𖦹 °┊͙

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 𝐖𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐘❗️ I can’t believe this series is over 😭 it was my first thriller and so glad for that :p omg now I’m getting nostalgic 🥲 I love all these characters so much 🫶🏼🫶🏼 It was so sweet seeing them older and seeing a glimpse of what their life will look like 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ istg the happiest moment was when I read Ronnie and Briggs are having twins 🥺 aaaaa that’s so cuteeee. Overall, this was amazing and I’m just sad it’s over 🙁

୨𖦹“𝙉𝙤𝙬, 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚: 𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜-𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙨 𝙒𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙨, 𝙮𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙖𝙮?” ⋆. 𐙚 ˚ I say yay 😝

[anna ୨୧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

➳ 𝒓𝒕𝒄! -༉‧₊˚✧ 3.5 🌟 i already miss them sm 🤧


* note: 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 ‘𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦’ 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 ‘𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥’ 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦!


ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭: my last time reading about these characters 🥹 i love them sm <3

[✧ hayley (the sugar bowl) ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➳ 4 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

i loved seeing my babies one last time 🫶🥹







୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆

[irha ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡ (semi-hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked this one, it was cute ☹️ i’m still not happy with who cassie ended up with and i never will be

i’m so sad that this little world is over now but i enjoyed it lots 🤭💟

[sydney ° . ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

JENNIFERRRRRRR WE NEED MORE NATURALS BOOKS INSTEAD OF INHERITANCE GAMES BOOKS PLEASEEEEE

[give me books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Była spoko, ale jak to nowelki, tak niezbyt potrzebna

[Belle₊˚⊹♡ (for keeps ∞♡) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️


I really enjoyed this though I do have some things to say about this….

BRO I NEED MICHAEL AND LIA TO BE TOGETHER WHY ARE THEY STILL BANTERING IN THERE TWENTIESSSS YALL AINT TEENS NO MOREE 😔😔😭😭

And lowky the ending of them talking about them “finding brothers in Texas” who would be good in the naturals is kinda giving the Hawthorne brothers tbh 🤨😭

I absolutely love love Jennifer Lynn Barnes writing and will always binge her books 💝💝💝🥰

Rating: 3/5
Spice: 0/5
~Age Rating: 13+

𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙:

Kinda sad this officially the last of The naturals series but in we go 😭😔

[Mel&#x1f33b; · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Honestly I just didn't want this story to end because I love the characters so much, so this was bitter sweet as I knew it was the last part of the story. Please can we have several other spin offs Jennifer?!

This was super short and I wished there was more fluff I wanted more Cassie & Dean and wanted to see more of Sloane, Lia and Michael too and just everyone interacting. I did enjoy the time jump and getting to see them in the future and why I understand why Cassie hasn't formally joined the FBI I was sad she wasn't with the others doing the training.

I still did really enjoy the plot of this short case & really recommend this whole series to everyone!!

Pre-reading ࿐ ࿔*:･

I don't want to leave this world

[jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was.....underwhelming to say the least

this was kinda unnecessary and predictable, which saddens me sooo much to say bc she kept me on my toes for so long and she gave me easy bait???

this does follow them in the future as cassie is now 23, but when people said we would get more insight on each of their pasts, i thought it would add more but it felt like info we already knew.

i literally finished this and then turned the page and went ??? that's it? like although i ate up whatever crumbs she gave me it felt disappointing in some way but at least we know what happens in the future.

[Leena · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨The end of an era ✨
🩷🫶😭

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

the way that I would give an arm and a leg for Jennifer Lynn Barnes to write a new series about the older Naturals

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short was just such a treat to read! I adore each and every one of these five loveable misfits! Cassie, Lia, Dean, Sloane and Michael. We get to see them once again, around six years later after the events of the last book in the Naturals series.

I don't know how Jennifer Lynn Barnes does it, but even within a short around 100 pages novella, she menages to write an intelligently plotted, compelling and most of all surprising mystery case! I certainly have not guessed the killer.

Everyone who enjoyed The Naturals series will not be dissapointed with this short addition in the slightest.

P.S. Because I love these characters everything about this series, I can't help but wish this wasn't the end. If the author ever decides to write maybe a spin-off series to this one, I'd definitely read that! Maybe focusing on a new group of Naturals like Mackenzie when she's 15 and joins the program, which would be about 3 years down the road in the program, with these five making comebacks. That's just my wishful thinking though - this novella is definitely wrapped up - simply because I don't want this series to end just yet.

After loving both her Naturals and Fixer series, I'd certainly read any mystery/crime/psychological thriller book Barnes writes, either set in The Naturals world or other.




“Part of you will always be in that shack. And as long as you’re there—the man responsible wins.”
“No,” I said, my voice like a gunshot that ricocheted through the lightroom. “You win, Mackenzie, because you’re alive. Because you survived. Because that son of a bitch is in the ground, and Mackenzie McBride is still dancing.”



“Dance,” I told her. She was on a ledge. It was pouring rain. That was the last thing I should have advised, but in that four-by-four shack, when she was just a little girl, Mackenzie had danced—hours upon hours, again and again, because it was her body.
Because no one was going to take that away.”

[♡ Amanda Love ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m going to miss these crazy characters so much 🥲

[Malak ೀ (I'M BACKK!!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 starssss!! (My pookies deserve all the stars in the world idc✋️🙄)

UGHHHHHH IM SO SAD THAT I DON'T GET TO SEE MORE OF THEM ANYMORE 💔💔 I'm probably gonna go reread this series to savour every moment of them😔
~~~
📣PREREAD:
Excuse me for quoting Jeff Buckley when he said "IT'S NEVER OVERRRRRR" but unfortunately it is cuz this is the final novella in the entire series 😔☹️💔 UGH NO IM GONNA MISS MY SHAYLAS😭😭

[deeja · Rating 5 out of 5]

how am i supposed to move on from this series i miss it already🥲

[seeraaa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝟥,𝟧 ⭐
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳…
𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘦, 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭, 𝘓𝘪𝘢, 𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘦.
𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦.



Twelve was a sweet goodbye. I loved seeing the team together one last time.
And as for Briggs and Sterling — they got remarried!! 😭💍 That’s exactly what I had been hoping for since the beginning.

But I really wish we got to see the whole Naturals team and the agents working together one last time — solving a tense, high-stakes case side by side. That kind of energy was missing, and I truly missed the intensity.

Dean and Sloane off doing their own thing felt right.
But… Celine in the spotlight? 😅 I liked her in Bad Blood, but here it felt like she showed up to steal the group photo on graduation day.

Also, I wish Judd had been mentioned — not a single word about him? That didn’t sit right. And to be honest, I wanted the case itself to be a bit stronger — it felt more like a quiet farewell than a final thrill.

Still, this series meant a lot to me. I’m sad it’s over, but I’m so glad I came back to finish it. It was clever, emotional, intense, and full of characters I’ll miss deeply. WHAT A RIDE. 💙🫶🏻




Not ready to say goodbye just yet — time for Twelve. 💙

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok. I was hoping for more than what we got

[maysa ₊˚⊹ ᰔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

how am i supposed to move on from this series now that it’s over?? ☹️☹️ every single one of these characters will always have a special place in my heart.

this was such a cute read and i loved reading about the naturals as adults. cassie was kind of annoying in this tho lol. the character’s povs from when they were 12 years old were so heartbreaking and i just wanted to give sloane, lia and michael a hug 💔💔

overall i’m glad i decided to read this novella bc uhm “bad blood” wasn’t the best and i didn’t want to finish this amazing series feeling disappointed.

i think im the only person who is still team michael after reading this entire series sooo if cassie doesn’t want him i volunteer????

[gavie (busy with nursing school) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 🌟!!!!