The Naturals / Killer Instinct / All In / Bad Blood

The Naturals #1-4

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

4-Book Paperback Boxed Set. Canceled.

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

1498 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2021

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

[briar ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.96 ★ — jlb needs to go back to thrillers instead of romance suspense or whatever inheritance games knockoff she's doing now. she's honestly one of the best ya thriller writers in terms of sheer creativity, and with how much her writing has improved since this series, she needs to capitalize on that.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

rating-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
spice- none just kisses
TW- murder (describes dead body's), mentions of torture, drinking.
OMG i finally read the naturals series and i was hooked from the first 50 pages, I really don't how Jennifer can write all these amazing books like i never got bored or tired of the plot there was just plot twist after another💕 and the love triangle between Cassie, Michael, and Dean in the first couple books I WAS OBSSESED!!! totally a must read.

[Keessaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Criminal minds/sherlock vibes - I binged all 4 books bc I had to know how the mystery was gonna end

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this series. Each book was very fast-paced and left me wanting to read more at the end of every chapter. I most impressive thing about these books was the attention to detail and research the author did to write such a captivating story. It felt like watching an episode of Criminal Minds, but with teenagers. The romance sub-plot also kept me hooked. Throughout the 4 books, I would never have seen the ending coming. I felt like my jaw dropped so much during these books.

[Maliha · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Criminal Minds had a YA makeover with a dash of found family chaos and slow-burn trauma bonding, you’d get The Naturals. This four-book series is a fast-paced, twisty ride through cold cases, psychological profiling, and the messy brilliance of gifted teens recruited by the FBI.

Cassie Hobbes, our emotionally guarded protagonist, is a natural at reading people and haunted by her mother’s murder. Her journey from lone wolf to team player is layered with grief, trust issues, and just enough romantic tension to keep you hooked. The supporting cast? Iconic. Each teen brings their own flavor of brilliance and baggage, and the group dynamics are peak “I hate you but I’d die for you” energy.

✨ What hits:
- The pacing is addictive each book ups the stakes without losing emotional depth.
- The character arcs are satisfying, especially Cassie’s evolution and the slow unraveling of everyone’s backstory.
- The blend of thriller, mystery, and YA angst is chef’s kiss.
- Themes of identity, trauma, and loyalty are handled with surprising nuance.

🌀 What misses (just a little):
- Book one takes a minute to find its rhythm, some setup, some tropey moments.
- The romance subplot occasionally feels like it’s fighting for space in the plot-heavy narrative.
- A few twists lean dramatic over believable, but hey, we’re here for the drama.

Overall, The Naturals is a binge-worthy series that delivers thrills, emotional gut punches, and a cast you’ll want to protect at all costs. Not perfect, but absolutely worth the read and the re-read.

[Isabella Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

1000000000/10

[Claire Pyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best series ever!!!

[Jessicah Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing suspenseful series.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series had me captivated from the beginning. Each book had me guessing. Each book had me not wanting to stop reading. I fell in love with the characters. I went back and forth with emotions. I changed my mind multiple times with the love story that unfolded in the first couple books. I loved that this was a young adult series so that nothing felt like it crossed the lines of what my mind could handle reading. I say this as a 33 year old adult because morally I can’t handle some of the thrillers that are popular because of how intense they get. I felt like this series had just the perfect amount of intensity without making me feel sick to my stomach.

Loved this so much. If you haven’t read these books, DO IT!

[Teagan Deimund · Rating 5 out of 5]

TH BEST BOOK SERIES I HABE EVER READ! DEAN AND CASSIE ARE MY FAVE EVER! This book has so many freaking plot twists! Between all the shocking villains and relations to the crimes I can’t! I feel so bad for Sloane after all in, and POOR CASSIE after Bad book! Like honestly if I could rate this higher I would! It’s 100000000000/5

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

i just loved this whole series

[JudgyNerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot: Ngl the plot line for this one was a little difficult to follow. It was interesting and hooked me within a few milliseconds but as I got into the later books there were so many characters and I ended up having very little idea what was happening without my trusty WikiFandom page. I did like how all of the cases ended up being kinda intertwined and looped in with each other.

The characters: If I am going to be brutally honest if these characters weren’t who they were I would have threw this book across the room within the first few pages and im not even joking. I am obsessed with all of them. Every character is so well thought out and detailed!

Cassie: Cassie is one of the only “Naturals” who can truly feel emotions, although her familial life has been… rocky to say the least, she grew up with the most stable and loving family out of all of the Naturals. She is a Natural profiler and has the remarkable ability to take anyone’s BPE (behaviour, personality, environment) and discover what they would do in many certain situations. She is kind, loving and empathetic, often using her abilities to help others. She is Dean’s girlfriend, a good friend to Michael (even though he wishes it was more), a good friend to Lia (even though she would deny it) and is always so kind towards Sloane when she gets overwhelmed.

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Dean: Dean is also a Natural profiler, which is attributed to the fact that he grew up with a serial killer for a father. He shows very little emotion as he is afraid that he if he ever let anyone see what was below the surface they wouldn’t want him anymore. He often is described as “punishing” himself when something goes wrong, for example he chooses to sit on cold cement instead of a couch or forces himself to do or say something uncomfortable. Dean is Cassie’s boyfriend, although he doesn’t really believe he is worthy of this title. He often blames himself for what his father did to those women all of those years ago. He is described as having a “brother, sister” relationship with Lia as they have known each other the longest, he is very protective of her and vice versa.

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Michael: Michael is a Natural at reading emotions, and hiding his own too. He grew up in a use household and learned how to read emotions as a means of survival. He hides his emotions using humour and snark. Michael is described as having “Little regard for his own safety and a general disdain for authority”. I think this is because authority reminds him of his father who he couldn’t stand up against. He lives by the motto “If you can’t keep them from hitting you, you make them hit you.” This is even in how he is constantly overstepping the mark and pushing Special Agent Briggs and Sterling’s buttons. He is Lia’s on agin off again boyfriend that never seems to end well for either of them. He wishes to date Cassie although I believe this is more of a way to get back at Dean. He hates Dean although seems to have warmed up to him over time. He is shown as being very protective and loving towards Slaone. Michael is my soulmate.

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Lia: Little is known about Lia’s background but she is a Natural in lie detection and telling lies, something taht has come in handy many, many times. It is difficult to know when Lia is being serious or not as she generally is not. She is quite upbeat and always willing to stir up trouble for the others, dragging them along to parties full of murder suspects and suggesting games like truth or dare or strip poker. She has an on again off again relationship with Michael. She is shown to be like Deas’s younger sister, although she constantly proves that she doesn’t need guidance or someone to look over her shoulder. Despite her lack of seriousness it is quite clear she cares a lot about her friends and chosen family and would be willing to do whatever it takes for them.

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Sloane: Sloane is a Natural with numbers and statistics, rattling of data, facts and measurements constantly, although she has intense fears of being unliked, or excluded, which Cassie believes to have been stemmed from her childhood, growing up without a father. It is a running joke to the Naturals not to give her coffee as she can get hyper and even more prone to tell unnessacary facts. She has been proven to be a huge asset to the Naturals program on various occasions. She has a “brother, sister” relationship with Michael and is friends with both Lia, Cassie and Dean. She is also in a romantic relationship with Celine. Sloane is the closest with Agent Judd Hawkins as she reminds him of his dead daughter Scarlett, he cares deeply for her and acts as a father figure.

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[Adam Burnley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is am older book series by this author with me reading her inheritance series first so i had a taste of this author before, and i must say it was such good and fun ride with binging it in four days straight so i was able to get through all the books in 4 days. The main aspect of these books that stood out for me was the theme found family which i will discuss below

The theme of found family is present in the first book but only becomes stronger and more pronounced as the book goes on, due to these kids not being what we would call normal juno they all have abilities that ties them together but also abilities that draws them away from normal people to a certain extent so in sense they only have each other and have to rely on each other as the books goes on. Like any typical family though they have their fights, and their disagreement so it not always sunshine and rainbows for them regarding that connective between each other but like most family they will always go out of their ways for each other and help each out. I loved by the end with the extra help of a extra stories, we find even as they get older they are still as tight as they were when they were younger. This theme of family family i thought was done excellent by the author.

I must say i mentioned that this group social circle to an extent is very small to the extent of only having each other, but i love by the end with the help of the short story we see the world expanding to a certain extent. This is due to the naturals not being as uncommon as we thought seeing that they are recruiting at the moment, for me that have these abilities. That is not necessarily a good thing due to the nature of what takes to get these abilities, with these abilities being extraordinary but also abilities that have sinister beginning for most of theses kids with these abilities coming an internal sense of survival due to trauma so these abilities are born because of hardship so it is worth it to ask like are they worth. I would say that this is a double edged sword because they allow their victims to be helped, but these abelite's come from things that not kids should have to survive.

These books are murder mystery and thriller which is a genre that is inherently gruesome which is something that the author did not shy away, which is something that i think the author should be applauded for seeing these books are marketed for young adults so the author could have backed away from the darker aspects of the genre but she didn't with the author even letting us get in the head of the killers which is a factor that i think allowed to relate to the way the characters mind work so I thought the plots were very well done through out all 4 books. The other aspects of the plots of these 4 books is that they always related to our main squad in a sense, so the plots were a good vehicle regarding getting to know our characters on a deeper level and allowed us a the reader to sense of what they have gone through so i loved how the plot mixed in out characters backstory into the plot which is essential seeing that their backstory is the very reason why they are who they are.

We follow 5 main characters which are dean, michael, sloane, cassie and Lia which were all great characters to follow, with me loving all 5 of them to be honest with all of them being as strong as each other juno so none of them got lost in the mix which isn't the easiest of things to do when you have a large enough rota of characters and when some of them don't have pov. This is story pov book for 4 of the books, which is cassie but all of the characters had their time to shine and all got equal enough attention that all them stood out for me with each of the 4 books being focused all of the characters without them having a pov. This is why i thought the structure of the 4 books were great because yes this is cassie story, but the 4 books does a great at tieing in the other main squad personal storyline with each of the 4 books focusing on them without the need of making them a pov so i thought the author great job at juggling all 5 of our main squad

[In · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born smart. Born tough. Born FBI.
“None of us had normal childhoods. If we had, we wouldn’t be Naturals.”

Five teenagers. Five teens with extraordinary abilities. Five teens living under one roof, solving crimes while trying to survive their own broken pasts.
Cassie, the profiler, slips so deeply into her targets’ minds that her narration switches to you whenever she profiles someone.
Dean, another profiler, becomes the killer himself — his inner monologue written in I.
Michael reads emotions. Lia detects lies. And Sloane, the math–statistics–encyclopedia girlie, sees the world through patterns no one else can.

If Criminal Minds got a YA makeover with a touch of found-family chaos and slow-burn trauma bonding, you’d get The Naturals. This four-book series is a fast-paced, twisty ride through cold cases, psychological profiling, and the messy brilliance of gifted teens recruited by the FBI.

At first, they’re not even allowed to work on active cases — just cold ones. But, being teenagers, they can’t help sneaking around, reading files, and getting involved anyway. Eventually, the FBI lets them take part in real investigations (still under supervision, because they’re minors), and that’s when things get really intense.

This series is so much fun to read — one of those books that grabs you from the very first page and doesn’t let go until the end. I literally couldn’t put it down. I read all four books — 1,542 pages — in just two days (yes, I was absolutely sleep-deprived).
Each book has a different case, but they’re all connected — and somehow, every case ties back to the pasts of these five teens, making it even more addictive.

My favorite parts are always when they’re together, solving cases — so focused, taking turns analyzing with their unique skills. Especially when Cassie and Dean start profiling the killers — the way Cassie uses you and Dean uses I feels like a silent, intense conversation between them.

P.S. Criminal Minds is one of my comfort shows, so maybe that’s why I’m obsessed with this series lol.

[reioo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is the blueprint of thriller/murder mysteries with a romance subplot. The plot twist, characters, and murders just pull the reader along for the ride. There’s so much going on, but it’s perfectly paced and detailed. I love all the naturals so much and the little hints of their past makes me love them even more (Sloane is my niece and Judd is my uncle). The author incorporates small parts of their childhoods while they are solving and it really helps make them feel more human. Further, the romance isn’t some boring, cliche love triangle and it isn’t overbearing. It’s so well included, written, and a good contributor to the characters growth (they are also so cute hello). Lastly, the different murders are so so so good (that sounds wrong). To be honest, I never made the right guess but I don’t even care. It’s so suspenseful and the trail to finding the killer is so intricate yet easy to follow that I felt so empty after I finished the series. I wish she wrote more of these, the novella was great but there’s so much more that could be written.

[Ava Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers a masterclass in YA psychological thrillers with The Naturals series. Every book is a pulse-racing mix of sharp minds, buried trauma, and high-stakes investigations, with just enough heart to keep you emotionally tethered to every character.

Cassie’s gift for reading people doesn’t just drive the plot, it cuts deep into the psychology of fear, loss, and identity. And the FBI program? Genius. The blend of teenage brilliance and criminal profiling never feels gimmicky. It’s smart, it’s dark, and it keeps twisting when you think you’ve got it figured out.

Each book raises the stakes, but it’s Bad Blood that truly flips the table, family secrets, legacy killers, and that sense that no one is ever really safe. And then Twelve shows up with that full-circle moment? So satisfying.

This series deserves way more eyes, more love, and more buzz. If you’re into Criminal Minds with a dash of X-Men and the emotional pull of great YA fiction, you’ll be hooked.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I debated between 2 and 3 stars for this series but ultimately gave 3 since I didn't abandon it before finishing all of them.

I enjoyed the series at first, but things went downhill for me somewhere after the second book. I'd already been suspending disbelief for a series about teenagers working for the FBI. Then the plot introduced even MORE farfetched, ludicrous things, and I had a hard time staying "in" the story. After that realization came, the actual writing style started grating my nerves. I can't put my finger on the exact triggers -- other than the fact that there were many repetitive words/phrases, even across characters -- but I remember wondering "How much longer?" several times.

[evie ˚ ✧˚ · · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay i think this is the easiest way i can review the entire series on a whole

╰┈➤seventeen-year-old cassie is a natural at reading people. piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. but it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. that is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need cassie.

oh my gosh! i'm so happy i actually read this series. i binged this series over a week and good lord! the only plot twist i guessed was in the last book, but it was twist after twist after twist.

╰┈➤tropes
- love triangle
- grumpy boy, sunshine girl
- found family

overall such a good read and would recommend to ABSOLUTELY everyone :)

[CherryReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐

I started this series without knowing much about it, and in the end, I devoured the entire thing in just a few hours. It’s such a smooth read. The characters are incredibly endearing, and the writing is excellent. The immersion is total. I love the originality of the concept: a group of teenagers working for the FBI who all have special abilities.

For those wondering if there's romance, the answer is yes, there is, and it's a love triangle. It’s not really my favorite, but don’t worry, it’s not the main focus of the story. Think of it as a little bonus that adds to the plot without overshadowing it.

[Ada · Rating 5 out of 5]

THESE BOOKS WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN!! I FISHED THEM IN 3 DAYS 3! they are so entertaining and have the perfect balance of mystery and murder and romance, like I said I’m my inheritance games review: I am just reviewing the whole series so I don’t have to do all the individual books anyways, I read these before I read the inheritance games and wrote the reviews when I got my account: see my “about me” part for more info ANYWAYS: THESE BOOKS ARE AMAZING, Sloane is an perfect genius, Lia is like the perfect snobby yet nice character ever and Dean is a the actual absolute definition of angel. If you want to know what I mean: READ THE BOOKS :D!!!!!!

[ik · Rating 5 out of 5]

i just finished the whole serie and it's a MASTERPIECE !!!!
i'm soooo in love
i'm really happy that i started 2026 with this serie ❤️
i knew the books before but i didn't know what it was about
to my surprise it's a thriller with a lot of profiling , serial killer, murder, cold case and actuel case
it's really my vibe , i loved every page
there's a lot of plot twists that you're not gonna expect ( trust me 😂)
it's a young adult but i don't found it '' young '' at all ,is it because they are teenagers ? trust me they are not 😂
i was in love with every character annnnd there es a POV of the killer in every book ❤️

[Kayla Evangelista · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Natural series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is an exciting read featuring a group of teens with special talents who help the FBI solve cold cases and hunt down serial killers. Each team member brings something unique to the table, making for a great mixture of mystery and personal drama. This was the first series I read by her, and I absolutely loved it. Each book was so interesting and kept me hooked, though I did find the third book a bit hard to follow at times. Despite that, the entire series is a five-star read for me.

[A Sparrow's Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was really, really good.

- Like I mentioned in my review of the first book, after reading critically-acclaimed Holly Jackson's books, my hopes and dreams regarding anything that has "YA", "murder mystery", and "crime-solving teenagers with a hint of romance" in the same sentence plummeted deep into the co of the earth. Overall, the plot twists kept me hooked, the psychology inclusion was amazing and right up my alley, and it was so... nicely formatted. Crisp and good.

- I don't think I can go any further without mentioning my love for Cassie Hobbes. The girl is genuinely amazing. I have encountered very few such strong (female) protagonists like her in my life before, and I am so glad I got to see her character journey throughout the span of four books. What I love most about her is her ability to feel emotions even after being through so much. The last scene of the last book GUTTED me - not because of the murder and the gore, but because you could literally FEEL, THROUGH THE PAGE, how utterly broken Cassie was - but the first thing she did when she'd recuperated and rested was tell Dean how much she loved him (and vice-versa), and promise herself to just feel all the emotions. I'm not a person who cries much - at least, not about something related to books, but that specific scene (plus so many other similar ones) had me on the verge of tears. Cassie was just so strong - but I should probably also mention that she wasn't amazing all the time: you could see jealousy, envy, anger, dark thoughts and the like emanating from her - and that was one of the things that endeared me to her. I am so glad that the author didn't shy away from those ugly parts of life (well, as much as she could, considering this was YA and hence for teens). I think I should stop myself here before I gush on and on about Cassie and how much I love her (I could be Shahrazad and speak for 1001 nights about her but since I have self-restraint I shall not).

- Dean was just as amazing as Cassie. The only problem I had with him was that he was in the background too much for my liking. I get that he's also a profiler like Cassie, and she - being our main protagonist - was the one we focused on, but I love how much of a role he was playing in the first two books. By the end he (in the team) was kinda just like - "Hey wow! There's Cassie the profiler, Michael the emotion interpreter, Lia the lie detector, Sloane who's a maths whizz, and that's Cassie's limp sock boyfriend who's daddy was a serial killer so our boi got issues." Dean is literally everything I would search for in a man. I think I will stop before I rant about him as well. I'm so happy Cassie didn't end up with Michael (according to the author, that was the original pairing) - I definitely would have broken some things around my house.

- In the beginning, I was quite iffy around Sloane, but by the end she really did prove herself. I love her a lot. The only two main characters I'm still a little skittish around are Michael and Lia. Now before anyone throws hands, I would like to say that I understand they are complex characters. I admit they are strong, and I can see why people like them. But since people conflate disliking a complex character with not understanding them, I would like to tell you this: to like is an opinion. To understand is a substantial fact. With that being said, I just have a history with characters that can't take things seriously and have been through a lot (ahem, Leo Valdez scarred me to high heavens).

- Michael was good, I guess. But I just didn't see any substantial character development from the boy at all. He just basically remained constant. I'm sorry, but he had lots of potential to be deep and stuff but in Bad Blood, he was the exact same as he'd been in The Naturals. I think the one scene where he showed emotions and told me - yeah, I can be a better person was when he returned to the hotel room after his near-death experience and Aaron Shaw.

- Lia was kind of just... there. I didn't like her much. She was mean and haughty (at least in the first two books) and that really cemented the idea of her in my mind, even though by the end of the last book she's not like that anymore. I think the worst moment of her in the book was where she told Cassie that it's not her time to have issues. Which, okay - self-explanatory, but dude, you can't just tell somebody NOT to have issues??? It's not even affecting the actual case, and Cassie by that time had even accepted that she wouldn't receive any sympathy and was putting as much as she could into the ongoing case. By Lia's own logic, she shouldn't have received privileges to be sad and shaken up after her encounter in the cult in the last book, and nor should Sloane have received privileges to be sad about Aaron when they were looking at victims' bodies in the last book too. What utter tripe.

- I have this problem where I can predict plot-twists really quickly (my biggest flex is that I predicted the killer in an Agatha Christie book by reading only the first chapter and nothing else). And, yes, I did predict most of the plot-twists here, but I can still say that were extremely well thought-out. Not once did I want to exclaim that the author herself doesn't know where to go with the plot (sadly, a constant when I read YA mystery). Amazing. Kudos.

I think that's it. Loved the series. Can't believe it's over / can't believe it's not as popular as TIG when it's definitely better than that / can't wait to read the novella.

[Annabelle Jacks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it!!!
rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This collection got me through a reading slump, I absolutely could not put them down! Great story, twists, surprises!
The naturals consists of 4 books, about a group of teens, who've discovered an unnatural talent. Recruited by the FBI, they evolve their skills, solve murder mysteries and dive into their pasts!
There is also a novella, not as good, but still loved it!

[Gretchen Probst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was gripping. Think true crime podcast meets gifted Ninja Turtles meets snarky teens with haunted pasts helping others to not have as haunted of pasts.

I read all 4.5 (novella is included in this box set) books of this series and grew to love the characters. Plot twists will keep you guessing and turning pages.

[iam_someone_somewhere · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is really good, the writing is too. I just wish the author had done a better job with the love triangle, because while their individual stories are really well developed, the chemistry, tension, and attraction in their love interests feel kind of vague. But whatever; still a 4,5 star story, because it’s really that good.

[Annie.N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each book is filed to the brim with plot twists and mysteries. If you like seeing a mystery unfold before your eyes, then you'll love the natural series. Each book's mystery focuses on one or two of the main characters. Also, Jennifer Lynn Barnes is an amazing author, so her other series, The Inheritance Game, is a wonderful book as well.

[C. Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This series got me more into the Thriller genre. I started off reading the Inheritance Games, expecting this series to be similar, but it's much more intense and I love it. Between the UNSUB's povs, twists and never knowing who to expect as the killer, this series was a masterpiece and in my top 10 favorite series.

[Dian Septi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an easy read. Finished each book in a day. The premise is interesting. Fell in love with every character. It got a bit too convoluted in the third and final book but I didn’t really overthink it.

[annie mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are AMAZING!!!! Kept me on the edge of my seat, I read the first book in 2 hours. The plot twists made me have to set my kindle down and sit in silence for a few minutes. Jennifer Lynn Barnes wrote these books so well and the concept is very interesting.