Source: Young Adult, Mystery
Student Reviewer: Paige H.
I'm a DIEHARD Naturals fan. So, when I read All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, you knew I HAD to do a book report on it. "All In" is the third book from the Naturals series, and OH MY! This book was excellent. I also solved the mysteries with the characters while reading, keeping me on my toes the whole time. Like the plot twists! I was mentally pinning the points, thinking of what would happen next, like who would get hurt? What's this character going to do now? All that stuff. I felt very immersed in the book. Also, the character development in this book!! It was amazing; I learned more about Sloane, Micheal, Lia, and everyone.
Man, this book was a fantastic read! In this book, "The Naturals" heads to Las Vegas to help solve a string of murders, but suspects don't pop up quickly, so this time, they really must dig for clues. Now, the ways the victims were murdered were typical, but for some reason, they have numbers or codes imprinted on their wrists. It's nothing like any cold cases the naturals have solved before. But wait, that's not all. For the first time in years, there's been a crack in her mother's murder case, which can change Cassie's view on everything. The tension is thick between the Naturals, and people's lives, including their own, are at risk. It is now indeed a race between time. Can Naturals solve this case? Cassie, the main character, is a profiler with a unique set of skills. Her orange hair and blue eyes are just the beginning. She deeply cares about everyone, but sometimes her emotions can cloud her judgment. Dean is also a profiler, and he's dating Cassie. He has blonde hair and hazel eyes. He can be pretty mysterious, but you can see him open to the group throughout the books. Sloane is the definition of an AI. She knows anything and everything, and she's fantastic with numbers. He has blonde hair and blue eyes, and she's a sweetheart. The case that the naturals are solving hits too close to home for her. Lia is a human lie detector; she can instantly identify any lie. She has monolids, black hair and dark eyes. She can be nice, but also very direct. Micheal is an emotional reader. Knowing this, he can hide his emotions well. He has brown hair and brown eyes; he's an extrovert at its finest. The Naturals stay in Las Vegas, Nevada. Where they stay in a fancy high-end hotel (Thanks to Micheal's money). The hotel is near different casinos and shops, which can help the Naturals relax while working on this case.
To conclude, this book is hands down excellent. The plot twists, characters, everything. This book is PACKED with details, so I learned a lot! It's incredible how the author specializes explicitly in stuff like this. (while doing research I found an about the author on Goodreads) For example, the about her says, "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." So, this book was very descriptive; it made me even more obsessed! I give this book a solid 8.7 out of 10. I recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers or young adult books.
