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The Naturals Books in Order
Below is the complete list of The Naturals books in order of publication, which is the recommended reading order for the series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes....
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The Naturals Books in Publication Order
- The Naturals (2013)
Buy on Amazon - Killer Instinct (2014)
Buy on Amazon - All In (2015)
Buy on Amazon - Bad Blood (2016)
Buy on Amazon - Twelve (2017)
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About The Naturals Series
The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a young adult thriller collection that blends psychological profiling, mystery, and crime investigation. Set against the backdrop of an experimental FBI program, the series follows a group of teenagers with extraordinary analytical abilities who are recruited to assist law enforcement in solving complex criminal cases.
The story begins with Cassandra “Cassie” Hobbes, a teenager with a rare gift for reading people. Cassie has an instinctive ability to analyze behavior and draw conclusions about a person’s personality, motivations, and past experiences. Her skill attracts the attention of the FBI, which invites her to join a classified program designed to train young individuals with exceptional profiling abilities.
Reading The Naturals books in publication order reveals how the story expands from Cassie’s introduction to the program into a broader narrative involving multiple cases, evolving relationships, and increasingly dangerous investigations. The group of teenagers recruited into the program—often referred to as “Naturals”—each possess a different specialized ability related to behavioral analysis.
Among Cassie’s teammates are Michael Townsend, a master at reading emotions and body language; Lia Zhang, whose gift lies in detecting lies and hidden truths; and Sloane Benedict, a statistical genius capable of identifying patterns in data that others might overlook. Together, they form an unconventional investigative team that approaches criminal cases from multiple analytical perspectives.
The program is led by adult FBI agents who hope the teenagers’ abilities will offer new insights into unsolved crimes. However, the young profilers quickly discover that their work brings them into close contact with dangerous individuals and disturbing criminal behavior. Many of the cases involve serial offenders whose patterns require careful psychological interpretation.
Cassie’s own past plays a central role in the overarching narrative of the series. Her mother disappeared years earlier under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind unanswered questions that continue to shape Cassie’s motivations. As the story unfolds, her search for answers about her mother becomes intertwined with the cases the team investigates.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s background in psychology heavily influences the structure of the series. Rather than focusing purely on physical clues or forensic evidence, the books explore how criminal behavior can be understood through patterns of thought, emotional responses, and personal history. Profiling, interrogation techniques, and psychological analysis all play major roles in solving the mysteries.
The relationships among the teenagers also form an important part of the story. Living together while working on intense investigations creates an environment filled with alliances, rivalries, and complicated emotional dynamics. Romantic tensions and personal secrets add further complexity to the group’s interactions.
Another defining element of the series is its pacing. The novels combine fast-moving suspense with carefully layered clues that allow readers to engage with the mystery alongside the characters. Each book introduces new threats and revelations while gradually building toward a larger understanding of the program’s purpose and the characters’ personal journeys.
The series also examines the ethical challenges of involving teenagers in dangerous investigative work. While their talents make them valuable assets, the emotional and psychological toll of confronting violent crime becomes increasingly evident as the story progresses.
Following The Naturals books in publication order allows readers to see how the characters mature and how the investigative program evolves over time. Through psychological puzzles, intense mysteries, and deeply personal motivations, the series presents a gripping exploration of how extraordinary analytical abilities can be used to uncover the hidden truths behind criminal behavior.
Series: The Naturals