Review: The Naturals - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, published by Quercus on 7th November 2013

Goodreads synopsis:
Cassie Hobbes is not like most teenagers. Most teenagers don’t lose their mother in a bloody, unsolved kidnapping. Most teenagers can’t tell who you are, where you’re from and how you’re likely to behave within moments of meeting you. And most teenagers don’t get chosen to join The Naturals.

Identified by the FBI as uniquely gifted, Cassie is recruited to an elite school where a small number of teens are trained to hone their exceptional abilities.

For Cassie, trying to make friends with the girls, and to figure out the two very different, very hot boys, is challenging enough. But when a serial killer begins recreating the details of her mother’s horrific crime scene, she realises just how dangerous life in The Naturals could be...

 

 

I was slightly taken by surprise after reading this book.  I thought it was going to be good because I'm a big fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes's writing and I know she always comes up with brilliant stories but 'The Naturals' was absolutely superb and hugely gripping.  I'm thrilled that this is only the first book in the series because I can't wait to read more about the characters and find out what happens to them next.

 

In recent months I've become slightly hooked on crime and mystery novels because they are so engrossing and I enjoy trying to solve the cases along with the characters.  I therefore loved the premise of this book which centres on teens with special abilities who work for a secret FBI programme.  It reminded me a little bit of The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting, so if you enjoyed those books, then I would definitely recommend giving 'The Naturals' a try.

 



The main character Cassie is a Natural.  She has the ability to profile people, putting together a psychological profile of even complete strangers and this talent leads her to join a special team put together by the FBI.  She, along with other teens who have similar abilities, help to solve cold cases.  She has an ulterior motive too, in that she wants to discover more about her mother's murder and hopefully track down clues to the killer.  There's a real sense of danger throughout as the killer turns the tables on Cassie and she becomes the hunted rather than the hunter.      

 

One of the things which really helped to make the book stand out for me, was the authenticity of detail which Jennifer Lynn Barnes has woven into the story.  We get insights into how the FBI work, as well as the psychology of how the team attempt to understand the thoughts and motivations of criminals and killers.  I loved all of this and found it utterly fascinating. 

 

A hugely enjoyable read which had me engrossed from the first chapter, I'm immensely looking forward to the next book in the series. 

 

Waiting on Wednesday #57

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly awaited upcoming releases. Head on over there to take part or to check out all the other fabulous books that people are looking forward to reading!

Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Published on 7th June 2012 by Quercus

Bryn knows first-hand that being the alpha of a werewolf pack means making hard decisions, and that being human makes things a thousand times worse.

She's prepared to give up her humanity, but the wolf who promised to Change her is waiting - though for what, Bryn doesn't know. Still human, she must take her place in the werewolf Senate, the precarious democracy that rules the North American packs. Standing side by side with werewolves who were ancient long before she was ever born is enough of a challenge, but Bryn soon learns that the Senate has been called to deal with a problem: the kind of problem that involves human bodies, a Rabid werewolf, and memories that Bryn, Chase, and the rest of their pack would rather forget.

With bodies stacking up and political pressure closing in from all sides, Bryn and her pack are going to have to turn to old enemies and even older friends for help - especially when it starts to look like this time, the monster might be one of their own. 

This is the third book in the Raised by Wolves series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.  I've really enjoyed following Bryn's story and the challenges she's had to face as a human living with wolves.  I have no doubt that this will be another well-crafted and exciting instalment.   

Review: Every Other Day - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, published by Quercus on 2nd February 2012

Goodreads synopsis:
Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.  And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

Review:
I'm a huge fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes's Raised by Wolves series so I had high expectations for her new paranormal YA novel which I'd had my eye on for quite a while prior to publication.  While it was an enjoyable read it didn't quite deliver for me on every level and failed to entirely win me over.

Paranormal is one of the hottest crazes on the YA market at the moment and is also one of my favourite genres, mainly because of the sizzling romances they generally feature, along with the kick-ass heroines and supernatural elements which seduce the reader into believing in another world very different to our own.  'Every Other Day' felt like it was trying to combine all of these things but not quite getting there.  There was a scientific strand running throughout the book which explained many of the aspects of the story and this seemed to have been well researched, drawing on Jennifer Lynn Barnes own background.  It was quite complicated though and sometimes I had to go back and read a page again to make sure I understood it all fully.  

Kali D'Angelo is a sixteen year old who is human one day and slaying supernatural creatures the next, a cycle that she repeats over and over every twenty-four hours.  I never felt like I got to know to know the real Kali well enough.  She keeps a lot hidden from the people around her but too much felt like it was concealed from the reader as well.  This may have been because her character is quite introverted and shy but I wanted to know more about who she really was and what made her tick outside of being characterised as a demon slayer.

There was no real romance in the book, although an attempt was made to establish one between Kali and the mysterious Zev, who she doesn't actually meet properly until near the end of the book.  I missed the romance, the dates, the kissing!  Instead, the emphasis is on Kali's burgeoning bond with her new friends who all seem extremely different but are gradually brought together throughout the book to fight a common cause.  I loved Skylar in particular   I also really liked the plot concerning Kali's mother which was intriguing and often quite sinister at times but again could have done with more development.    

I'm not sure if this is a stand-alone novel or planned as part of a series but the ending leaves the latter open as a possibility.  If there is a sequel it will be interesting to see what happens with the story and characters next and might allow for some of the more intriguing aspects of the book to be explored in greater detail.

Review: Trial By Fire - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Trial By Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, published by Quercus on 13th June 2011

Goodreads synopsis:

Bryn is now leader of the Cedar Ridge pack of werewolves and she's convinced that her pack is different - it's democratic and fair. Then Bryn finds a battered teenage Were, Connor, bleeding on her front porch. He begs Bryn to protect him from an abusive leader; Bryn takes him into her pack.

But Bryn's Were partner Chase doesn't trust the new boy, and the more time she spends helping Connor, the more aggressive Chase becomes. Bryn is not sure if it's jealousy, or Were possessiveness but for the first time she starts to feel suffocated by the bond she and Chase share.

Review:

The wolf pack is back...with even more bite than before!

I’m very new to this awesome series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes but already I’ve been sucked into her werewolf universe.  If you like your books packed full of action and you’re a fan of the paranormal genre then this is a series that you need to pick up.  I really enjoyed the first book ‘Raised By Wolves’ but Barnes has topped herself with ‘Trial By Fire’ which swiftly sucked me back into Bryn and her wolf pack’s world. 

Bryn is now the alpha of her own pack.  A situation complicated by the fact that she isn’t actually a werewolf - she’s human.  This means that the traditional rules don’t always apply to her and when she’s confronted by a threat to her pack, she has to figure out how to keep them safe without threatening the other alphas’ authority.  What makes her situation even more unique is that she's also female and this causes a whole new set of problems.  I enjoyed seeing how Bryn coped with this and how she balances being a democratic leader with sometimes having to exercise authority over the other werewolves in her charge. 

I loved the fact that the story got off to a bang from the word go and there wasn’t a long prelude leading into the main plot.  Sometimes several chapters are devoted to reminding you about everything that’s gone on before when most of the time I’d rather just get on with the story.  I was therefore pleased that the plot moved along swiftly from the very beginning.   

Barnes has written some fabulous characters who can all be distinguished by wonderfully individual and unique personalities.  There’s life-long friend Devon, who is dealing with brother issues, loyal sidekick and female Were Lake who isn’t afraid to point a shotgun at someone if the situation arises, rescued Maddy who is adjusting to life as part of the pack, mother-figure Ali and her two twins and a whole host more of fantastic secondary characters.  Of course, Bryn is one of my favourites as I love books which have a strong, feisty, no-nonsense female heroine.  She ticks all the boxes for me in the way in which she won’t back down from a fight and she’ll do anything to protect the people around her.  This is sometimes made harder for her by the fact that she's human and doesn't possess the same physical strength as other Weres.  However, she's intelligent, quick-witted and clever and this stands her in good stead for fighting off threats to the pack.

As well as finding out more about the dynamics of the wolf world, I also enjoyed the inclusion of a psychic coven that not only cause problems for Bryn but also lead to a secret being revealed about someone close to Bryn.  This added an interesting angle to the plot and is something that I'd like to hear more about in the future.

'Trial By Fire' has it all and is a welcome return to a superb series that keeps getting better all the time!