The Naturals
Cassie Hobbes is gifted at reading people, taking one look at them and piecing together information about their lives. But she doesn’t think much about this gift, simply using it to get tips from customers at the diner where she works. That is, until a strange boy shows up one day and leaves her a business card to the FBI.
Cassie is sent to Washington D.C., where she meets Dean, Lia, Sloane, and Michael, the boy who she first met at the diner. These five teenagers make up the Naturals: a classified FBI program for exceptional teenagers like Cassie, and a program where the five members are trained to catch serial killers.
But this story isn’t just about Cassie. There’s someone else telling it: “you,” an anonymous serial killer slowly closing in on the Naturals themselves. “She doesn’t know who you are, but you know her. You’ve chosen her. She won’t understand until it’s too late.”
An emotion-reader, a lie detector, a human computer, and two profilers: the Naturals. And when a new killer strikes nearby, the five are going to have to use their gifts just to survive.
“The Naturals” is a perfect book for murder mystery lovers, and anyone who’s interested in psychology. Mainly focusing on Cassie’s story, with short “you” chapters in between, Barnes keeps the readers always guessing. This novel is an amazing summer binge-read, with three subsequent books continuing the story, making it a great starting point for fast-paced readers.
With complex character relationships and teenage romance thrown into the mix, this murder mystery is one you won’t be able to put down. The characters of “The Naturals” each have precisely developed profiles and characteristics that make the story incredibly emotionally striking. As the suspense of the story builds, so does the pressure on the Naturals, leading to tense confrontations and stressful situations that leave the readers frantic to find out what comes of the bonds between characters.
This suspense-packed story is addicting, and the plot twists are completely unpredictable. So whether it’s a late night or a long car ride, “The Naturals” is a captivating story that will keep you engaged and entertained during even the most boring of summer days. Last summer, I spent hours laying on my back porch with my head buried in “The Naturals.” As someone interested in psychology, I was left speechless at the amount of effort that went into this novel. And as I continued reading the rest of the series, I realized that everything was important. Every character, every minor detail, and every word was carefully thought out. That’s what made me really love this series: the way everything connected.
“The Naturals” is the first building block for an astonishing puzzle of a series, and it kept me constantly wondering what the Naturals team would do when new challenges arose. This story taught me to expect the most unexpected of turns, and to always trust in the abilities of a group of five teenagers with some help from the FBI.
Better Than the Movies
It’s her senior year of high school, and Liz Buxbaum’s dream rom-com situation is about to come true. Her childhood crush Michael just moved back to town, and he’s just in time to ask Liz to prom. But there’s only one problem: Wes. Wes Bennet, Liz’s next door neighbor, is insufferable. He’s infamous for cruel pranks and making fun of Liz throughout their childhoods, making Wes the absolute last person Liz wants to work with. But Wes is close with Michael, and Liz knows that if she wants Michael to notice her again, she’s going to need his help.
So Wes and Liz form a team, and as they work together to secure an invitation from Michael to prom, Liz finds that Wes might not be as much of a jerk as she thought. As Liz questions everything she knows about her dream-come-true rom-com story, she has to balance the ever-building tension over prom with her fears about college and the big changes ahead of her.
“Better Than the Movies” by Lynn Painter is the perfect teen romance story for any and all rom-com lovers. With relationships you could get lost in and bittersweet love stories, this book is perfect for a warm summer day. “Better Than the Movies” is packed with emotions, confessions, and relatable high school experiences.
Similar to the movie “10 Things I Hate About You,” with its strong, likable characters and swoon-worthy romance, this novel is just unpredictable enough to keep you hooked while still bringing a heartwarming sentiment into your reading. Reading this book, you’ll catch yourself rooting for the main couples and catching second-hand embarrassment from some of Liz’s less-than-ideal decisions.
Personally, I loved this novel so much because of how it made me really feel the emotions of the story. Even though Liz was a fictional character, I felt like I knew her and truly understood her. Her worries about the future resonated with my own, her nervous habits reminded me of my own, and her obsessions felt all-too-farmiliar to me. In “Better Than the Movies,” Liz felt like a friend, or even a version of myself, come to life on paper.
Another reason I felt so connected to Liz’s story was because I never got bored. Every time the romance storyline slowed down, I was introduced to new characters, new conflicts, and new ideas to focus on. As someone who struggles to get through slow starts in books, “Better Than the Movies” kept me constantly invested, and had more than enough action to keep the story interesting for days on end.
This light-hearted romance is practically designed for a warm day by the pool or laying on a towel in the sand. An entertaining and wholesome novel, “Better Than the Movies” is a great addition to your summer to-be-read.