Title: Killer Instinct
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: November 2014
Genre: YA Fiction/Crime
Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book Two
Synopsis can be found here.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Review:
There is something addicting about Barnes’s Naturals series. I’ll admit the premise of a group of teenagers who are acutely more aware of certain aspects of the human condition, in a secret government agency that helps them solve cold (or not so cold) cases is a little far fetched sometimes for me. But I can’t help but enjoy this sequel, even more than the first.
Cassie and friends take it upon themselves to investigate a copy cat murderer who is claiming lives much like the serial killer father of one of their own. Dean’s father is in jail and has been for years. But he is one of the most notorious serial killers of all time and someone out there is following in his footsteps.
Easy to read, the book is really plot focused with a lot of surprises and unanswered questions that get slowly answered as you keep reading. not everything is obvious which is fun and Cassie’s questions are your questions. There is some romance but I didn’t find it overpowering or distracting. That said, I did want her to wind up with one of the buys and the fact that she chose the other just lends credit to Barnes’s writing. Both boys are great for Cassie and it’s hard to choose. I don’t blame the girl at all.
That said, the highlights characters of the book are neither of the main three. For me, they’re actually Lia (resident B-I-T-C-H) and Sloane, awkward anti-social fact girl. Sloane adds some great humor and Lia is so cutting she steals every scene she’s in. I wish Lia and Sloane were more in the forefront, that’s how great they are.
And that brings me to the only gripe I have about the book. While I don’t really dislike Cassie, I’m not really a fan of her either. She’s sort of bland and there’s only so much of the inner monologue about how she’s figuring the killer’s motivations out I can take. The adults aren’t well developed either. I feel like they got back story and drama, but they’re like support characters, like the parents that wander into a YA book and just make it difficult for the main characters to create drama.
I think fans who love fast paced stories with twists and danger will like Killer Instinct and the first book. I’m looking forward to reading the third book too!
Rating 7 Would Recommend
Kimberly majored in Songwriting and currently works full time in the music industry. When she's not listening to music, knitting or writing, you can find her outside reading her favorite genres: Young Adult, Adult Fiction, Mystery, and Romance.