| Title | : | Bad Blood (The Naturals, #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1484757327 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781484757321 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 384 |
| Publication | : | First published November 1, 2016 |
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.
Bad Blood (The Naturals, #4) Reviews
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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. -
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!
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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)
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IM FUCKING PANICKING WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THE TITLE AND THE COVER OUT IT'S SO PRETTY OH MY GOD
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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)
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NEEEEEED -
RTC next year? :)
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I literally forgot so many things from the previous books, but I don't feel like re-reading them and I'm already 50 pages into this so I'll just have to work it out somehow.
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This beauty has arrived.
This is it. The last book.
Now I want tons of Cassie and Dean.
I want lots of psycho serial killers.
I want blood and guts and dead bodies.
I just want everyone to be okay. -
1.) The Naturals ★★★★.5
2.) Killer Instinct ★★★★
3.) All In ★★★★.5
4.) Bad Blood ★★★★.5
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THIS SERIES WAS FREAKING CRAZY. -
I'm a wreck again
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Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did
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Cause baby now we got- -
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.
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Jennifer Lynn Barnes, if you're reading this place yourself in a motherfucking chair and write at least eighteen thousand hundred billion million more natural books (preferably based around michael). thank.
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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 ★★★★ -
Bad Blood was such a painful but also satisfying conclusion to the best Crimi Young Adult series I've ever read! When it comes to the investigation and plot, the third book will still be my favourite, but overall this one comes very, very close. I'm in love with all of the characters! And I'm definitely going to miss them.
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This is one of my NEW all-time favorite series…
⇝Ratings Breakdown⇜
Plot: 5+/5
Main Characters: 5/5
Secondary Characters: 5/5
The Feels: 5/5
Addictiveness: 5/5
Theme or Tone: 5/5
Flow (Writing Style): 5/5
Backdrop (World Building): 5/5
Originality: 5/5
Book Cover: 5/5
Ending: 5+/5 Cliffhanger: Nope, but I wouldn't mind going back to this world with this set of characters.
Total: 5+/5 Stars ~A+~
⇝My Thoughts⇜
This Series has rocked, with each book upping the stakes and becoming more entwined with the next and the previous. Seriously, just fantastic. I highly recommend it. After book 1, I really only liked Cassie and Dean, but as the series progresses I've come to love all these characters, yeah…even Michael has grown on me, some. Sloan is my new favorite now, just for her comic relief, she's so serious with her on cue randomness. Lia, it turns out is much more complex than I originally thought. You really learn a lot about Lia in this final book, and her story is rather mind-blowing.
⇝Will I read more from this Author⇜ Yes, yes and Hell yes!
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Niki's Mini Review of Bad Blood:
This book. This series. Is perfection.
Need more convincing?
Niki Reviews The Naturals – in which I gush profusely.
Niki Reviews Killer Instinct – in which the gushing continues.
Niki Reviews All In – in which I completely lose my shit.
Seriously. It’s my all-time favorite YA series. Read it.
Other books you might like:
^I'm being funny with my recommends. I usually give comparative titles. In this case, if you aren't reading JLB, you aren't doing it right. :P -
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
I finished a serieeees.
I always wanted to use Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen as an introduction. And now that I've done it: Not that good of an idea.
Another bad idea: Reading this book in the middle of the night while being a scaredy cat who can't handle amusement parks.
Rating 4.75
I'VE READ THIS WHOLE SERIES BEFORE. seriously. How can someone forget reading a WHOLE SERIES, is beyond me. Well, at least I loved it.Imagine if I reread a series I hated for no reason.
If you don't finish reading long reviews, the only thing you need to keep in mind are these wise words: Read.This.Series. It's amazing!
We're finally dealing with Cassie's mother disappearance. And let me tell you, what I have concluded from this final instalment: Some people are fucking crazy Mental illness can't be helped and it's nothing to be ashamed of. But psychopaths, are called psychopaths for a reason.
We're thrust into a world of not just murder- but a whole cult of psychopaths. Like killers weren't creepy enough. And as usual, our gang has to solve the crimes.This organisation is the one who kidnapped Cassie's mom, therefore this time it's more personal than ever.
So many ships and laugh out loud moments.
Michael and Lia: Complicated, intense and absolutely hilarious.
Dean and Cassie: If what they have is called a relationship than I'm probably married to my bed.
Sloan and Celine: My favorite ship! shipshipshipship.
Briggs and Sterling: Exs are hard to get over so just get married again.
I liked Cassie more this time. Color me shooked. I hated Dean a little. Michael had his bad moments and I LOVED him anyway. Lia is my favorite pathological liar on earth. And Sloan is my spirit animal.
Tiny things I didn't like
Everytime someone speaks we have to keep in mind HIS OR HER DARK PAST. Like this:
'I want a glass of water.' Dean said and he drank it so fast because his father is a MURDERER not because he's thirsty.
We get it! everyone has a sob story BUT I don't have to be reminded of it every five seconds.
Dean and Cassie's lack of relationship
This is probably a personal hatred. But they never talk about anything. And boom! they are in love.
Dean and Lia's friendship
Many times we read about how they're like brother and sister BUT WE NEVER SEE IT. They fighting half of the time and not to talking to each other, the other half.
Why 5 stars?
The plot twists and excitement is what really makes this series a must read for me. Just go and read it already!!
Thank you for reading this review and I hope you have a great day! -
Очень боялась того, что будет слитый конец. Такое часто бывает - отличная серия и просто до безобразия испоганеный финал. Здесь такого, слава богу, нет.
Книга держала в напряжении, и не было нормальной возможности предугадать кто же за всем скрывается. То есть я приблизительно догадывалась, но отметала эту теорию, так как она отдавала невероятностью. Но в конце все равно удивилась.
Я очень надеюсь, что Барнс не будет писать продолжение. Серия закончилась, и хоть она оставила ниточки для того, чтобы можно было бы сделать ещё парочку книг, мне кажется она уже не сделает такой финал в будущем. Логичный и в принципе справедливый.
Итоговая оценка: 10 из 10 -
Plot - 14/20 - I didn't like Bad Blood nearly as much as I enjoyed the rest of the Naturals series. The plot dragged a bit and wasn't as gripping.
Characters - 15/20 - There wasn't much characters development or depth. I still loved the characters but they aren't nessassiarly Jennifer's strong point.
Creativity - 15/20- Compared to the past three books in the series Bad Blood was a let down in the creative section. Even with this there were still a lot of fun plot twists.
Writing - 14/20- Writing want my favorite but it was still good.
Pace - 5/10- It took me 3+ months to read this book. I just wasn't motivated by the story to read it. I wanted to love it but I wasn't feeling anything.
Ending - 8/10- Great ending we were thrown plot twists again and again. (personally I think so should have spread then out to make the middle of the book more interesting) I wasn't expecting the plot twist and they really made the ending crazy but good:)
All in all I'm pretty disappointed with the last book in the Naturals series but it wasn't a train wreak.. so that's good:D
3/5 stars
71/100 = C
Cover Revel:
THIS COVER, YESSS!
THIS TITLE, NOOO!
I swear I'm going to start singing Bad Blood by Taylor Swift every time I see it just like I already do with Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson. -
Finishing a beloved series is exactly 30% gratifying and 49057258409% painful.
LET THE HANGOVER COMMENCE! -
4 STARS FOR "BAD BLOOD" BY JENNIFER LYNN BARNES
"All must be tested." You say the words as you drag the flat of the knife across the offering's neck. "All must be found worthy."
Power thrums through your veins. This is your decision. Your choice. One twist of your wrist and blood will flow. The wheel will stop.
But without order, there is chaos.
Without order, there is pain.
This book rocked my world. I guarantee it will rock yours once you pick it up yourself.
jennifer Lynn Barnes is such an underrated, overlooked author within the Young Adult market, but she really shouldn't be. Her plots and stories are well thought-out and planned, and her writing never looks down upon the reader. This series is exactly what I wanted, and don't get nearly enough: a dark, gritty, mostly violent, psychologically-based thriller that has you thinking left is right, and right is left, when you try to follow along with the cases. Bad Blood, in particular, kicks it up a notch from the previous books in the series. It rarely allows you a moment to breathe before you realize Cassie and her team have found themselves another lead or in a new predicament.
The Naturals series has an overarching storyline, with each individual book focusing on a member of the Naturals team more so than the others each time. This time around, not only did we get closure and answers as to what happened with Cassie's mother, but we also get a closer look at Lia and Michael. Lia was a star in this one, and I loved hearing more about her past. She's a character that prides herself on being able to lie and deceive- always a perpetual mystery - and to have her confronted with a case that requires her to break down some of those walls - it was heartbreaking, but it made me feel all the more closer to her character. As a result of this, we also got to see some sweeter moments and scenes between Lia and Cassie.
Even though Dean was pushed to the sidelines a bit here, it did help me solidify my feelings towards Cassie/Dean. He's a sweetheart, and I love the constant support and encouragement he gives her. I think we also got to see a lighter side to him, which was a surprise considering he's the broody one of the series, and this is the darkest book in the quartet. It was sweet seeing certain developments between him and Michael, even though I would have been happier to see more.
My only complaint is that I felt that the series ended too abruptly. I can't say much without giving away the ending, but I would have liked to spend a little bit more time with everyone before having to say goodbye, especially after an ending as dramatic as that. (And also, my heart lowkey still beats for Cassie/Michael despite my stance on Dean being the best one for her, so I would have wanted more friendshipy moments between her and Michael too.)
I absolutely recommend this series to anyone looking for something darker and psychology-based, with some cute friendship and romance on the side. -
SERIES RECOMMENDATION
NOTE: I originally posted this at
Speculative Chic.
Upon hearing the premise for Jennifer Lynn Barnes's YA crime series The Naturals, I was sceptical. Teens working for the FBI sounded more fantasy than contemporary. But I gave the first book a chance, and it isn't bad as I feared. Killer Instinct is definitely an improvement, and I was well and truly hooked.
But the series really shows its genius in Book 3, All In. It must've been a nightmare to research and organise, because it involves the Fibonacci sequence. And the serial killer case carries over into the series closer, Bad Blood, which is mind-blowing brilliant.
This is exactly how a series should be: consistently high quality. I recommend The Naturals series to anyone and everyone if given the chance. If you can suspend your disbelief in regards to the premise, you'll be rewarded above and beyond. It's essential for any YA or crime bookshelf. -
9 out of 10!
a decent conclusion to a very good detective series. it managed to fulfil my expectations. everything got resolved (i mean i noticed couple of plot holes in the very beginning and then bam! 10% left and this holes are filled and everything makes sense).
this book is intense! and so twisty! there were twists I totally saw coming, twists I should have seen coming but didn't, and twists I would've no way seen coming.
i love all characters so much OwO
this book was really hard to put down. i am extremely satisfied. -
'Cause baby now we got ba-ah-ad blood . . .
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⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
❌🆗Plot - The plot was very slow, a lot slower than the previous three and this is also the longest in the series. I get it was dealing with some emotional things but that didn't really work for me, I just wanted a faster pace and more action.
✔️Plot twist - IT'S PERFECT 😭😭
🆗Characters - I enjoyed the characters and their dynamics, they were all adorable and complex but there wasn't much development either. It was fine, I liked it.
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Rating system
❌= I did not like it
🆗= It was ok, I have nothing against but it doesn't stand out
✔️ = It was great and I wouldn't change anything about it
❌🆗 = Somewhere between I did not like it and ok
🆗✔️= Somewhere between ok and great -
I can't believe it is over! Both happy and sad. This was a great ending/addition. Full review to come.
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A satisfying grade A conclusion to this awesome series. Wouldn't have it any other way....except I wouldn't maybe mind a spin off of some sort.
4.5 Stars -
i both need this and don't want it to end. whelp.
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Okay great finale but I'm crushed it's the final book. Ya know what I'm saying?
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I really really liked the ending. Very good conclusion to this amazing series. But the third book is still my favourite.
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4.5 Stars
I LOVE this series. It's a mystery/thriller I can read before bed that won't give me nightmares. So awesome all around. The cases the Naturals work on become more and more personal and have higher stakes than ever.
Bad Blood combines all the drama, suspense, and sleuthing you could hope for and is a fantastic conclusion to the series that leaves you wanting more!
PROS:
-Characters. All of the characters in this series are amazing and developed. Cassie is so compassionate and focused. Her drive and determination are inspiring. Lia and Michael are both so complex. They don't like showing their true selves, not even to each other. They deflect and posture to avoid attachments and disappointments and will readily hurt someone before they can be hurt themselves. Dean is riddled with guilt, trauma, and self-loathing from his childhood. He hates himself for who his father is and what he made him do and it's heartbreaking to see him struggle and try to move past that. Sloane is a precious angel and needs to be protected at all costs. #ProtectSloane2k17. She is so analytical and logical but never cold or distant. She cares deeply for all the team members and is ready to do anything for them. She is really the glue that holds everyone together. The side characters are amazing too. Briggs, Veronica Sterling, Judd and even some of our antagonists like Daniel Redding are all fully developed characters that are integral to the story as a whole and not just one-offs who show up to make a splash and are never heard from again.
-Relationships. All of these dynamic personalities lead to some interesting pairings. All of the Naturals have a strong relationship and care for each other as family - a dysfunctional and damaged one, but still family. Briggs, Veronica, and Judd round out the family as the caretakers and provide sternness, warmth, and experience to these troubled teens. Within the Naturals group, all the teens interact and form styles of relationships with each other - Sloane and Cassie's relationship is different than Sloane and Lia or Lia and Cassie. Each relationship reflects the characters really well and feels real and impactful.
-Twists. There were quite a few twists in this story that I did not see coming. They kept me engaged in the story and the plot moving forward at a nice pace. The best part is that all of the twist MAKE SENSE. There are clues and hints of information that lead you to suspect what might be coming, but never gives it away completely. The actions of certain characters completely fall in line with their personalities and created a surprisingly suspenseful moment that left me with my jaw on the floor.
- Following the successful twists and surprises, I loved the callbacks and tie-ins to the previous books in the series. It really felt like a complete story bringing in people from the past and integrating them into our present plot line. I also loved how we, like Cassie, finally got some closure to the questions she's been searching for since her mother's disappearance. It really helped to bring the series full circle.
CONS:
-Confusing. There were about 2 pages in the middle of the book that were full of dates and names and it was a lot to take in at once. I had to refer back to those pages a few times to clear up specifics that a character would reference. The information was well integrated in it's discovery and meaningful to the story it was just a lot to process at once.
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This series is so fantastic and full of mystery, suspense, and charming teens with a penchant for trouble. The mysteries are well-crafted and carry through the stories, building and developing, and the characters grow as they face new horrors and try to prevent others. HIGHLY recommend to fans of YA, mysteries and thrillers, especially if you like a little lightheartedness included as well. -
Unbelievable.
I could swear that
Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a psychotic serial killer in her past life.
My thirst for blood is superbly sated. :D -
Part way through the book I almost started to lose interest simply because the plot just wasn't going anywheres. I loved the characters but where was the story going....the last few chapters brought it back in focus.
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An amazing ending to a series I loved from the very first book.
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i beg ur fucking pardon also great series slay and dean isnt that bad
reread:
don't u just love creepy children with borderline DID singing nursery rhymes
