The Naturals

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2013

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-6

Part 2, Chapters 7-16

Part 2, Chapters 17-25

Part 3, Chapters 26-35

Parts 4, Chapters 36-37 and Part 5, Chapter 38

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Parts 4, Chapters 36-37 and Part 5, Chapter 38Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 4: “Seeing” - Part 5: “Deciding”

Part 4, Chapter 36 Summary

Dean instantly steps into action to protect Cassie, even as Locke taunts him by suggesting he is a killer like his father. He shoots at her but misses. She hits him on the head with her gun, sending him to the floor unconscious next to Michael’s bleeding body. Locke transforms before Cassie’s eyes to reveal the true psychopath that she is, and Cassie blames herself for not noticing the clues before. Locke attacks Cassie for breaking her rules by allowing Michael to trail her, and she accuses Cassie of being weak like her mother. Locke reveals that she carefully manufactured the circumstances that brought Cassie into the program and led her to the safe house. When she presents a crying Genevieve to Cassie, Cassie realizes Locke wants her to kill the girl so that she can truly be Locke’s protégé. Cassie plays along while secretly promising to help the girl, but when Genevieve desperately grabs Cassie, Locke loses control and stabs Genevieve.

Part 4, Chapter 37 Summary

Pushing Genevieve aside, Locke comes for Cassie, intending to stab her as well. Cassie distracts her by asking her questions. Locke reveals that she is Lorelai’s sister, Cassie’s aunt. She and Lorelai grew up together being physically abused by their father. When Cassie’s mother got pregnant, she left to protect her baby, and Locke—who admits to using a fake name—was left alone with their father. She grew up wanting to find Lorelai again, but eventually this desire morphed into resentment, rage, and a desire to kill her. When Locke finally found Lorelai, she discovered she had already been murdered, so she joined the FBI to find her killer. Cassie had no idea about her mother’s past or her family. As Locke continues telling her story, Cassie notices Michael has regained consciousness and is quietly trying to grab his gun. Cassie distracts Locke further by pretending that she killed her own mother, but Locke is unconvinced. She plans to kill Cassie and blame the murders on Dean, but Michael finally reaches his gun and shoots Locke multiple times, killing her.

Part 5, Chapter 38 Summary

Two weeks later, Michael, Dean, and Genevieve are all out of the hospital and recovering. Dean feels guilty for not shooting Locke and protecting Cassie, while Cassie is dealing with the aftermath of discovering that she is related to a serial killer and that she still does not have answers about her mother’s murder. Lia asks Cassie if she plans to remain in the program, confessing that she will miss her if she leaves, and Cassie confirms that she will be staying. Cassie then confesses that she has kept the tube of red lipstick she found on Locke’s body, her mother’s exact shade. Locke was the person who left the makeup on Lia’s bed; she also kept her victims’ lipsticks as trophies. Additionally, Michael tells Cassie that he knows she has a connection with Dean, and he will be patient until she can choose between them. Cassie is left more confused about her feelings for each and about what she wants in general, but she has faith that being in the program will help her figure it out.

Part 4, Chapters 36-37 and Part 5, Chapter 38 Analysis

The final section of the novel contains the anagnorisis, or the moment of illumination in which Cassie discovers the identity of the UNSUB: FBI agent Lacey Locke. This twist ending is a familiar trope in the mystery or “whodunit” genre. Usually, the antagonist is someone the protagonist never suspected or someone they have learned to trust. Indeed, Cassie has thought of Locke as her mentor, ally, and advocate. The novel adapts the “twist ending” trope by revealing Locke as Cassie’s family. This highlights The Power of Family, for Better or Worse, which proves significant throughout the story. The connection that Cassie has felt to the UNSUB in the previous sections is revealed to be ironically biological.

Still, in trying to make Cassie a killer like her, Locke effectively destroys any chance of a satisfying family reunion; her influence on Cassie was felt more strongly as Lacey Locke, FBI agent, than as Lacey Hobbes, serial killer. Cassie now has one more thing in common with Dean, as she accepts that his “father was as much of a monster as [her] aunt” (305). Her use of the word “monster” communicates exactly how she views Locke after the events at the safe house, in direct contrast to how she does not see Dean, even though he still thinks of himself in this way. Dean is her family—more than Cassie’s aunt ever could have been.

Additionally, once the conflict is resolved, the meaning of the titles of each part becomes apparent. “Knowing” refers to the way Cassie instinctively knows people by reading their behavior, personality, and environment. She knows she does not fit in with her father’s family. Briggs knows about her talents because he has researched her. Michael knows what being in the program entails and tries to warn Cassie away. “Learning” refers to Cassie embarking on her journey in the FBI to learn more about herself, her skills, her fellow Naturals, and hopefully her mother’s murder. The audience also learns more about the UNSUB from reading the “You” chapters and applying the profiling information Cassie and Dean practice in their training.

Even the UNSUB learns more about Cassie. “Hunting” refers to both the UNSUB hunting Cassie and other victims and the Naturals and the FBI hunting the UNSUB in return. The title also refers to the killer hunting for control and power with each kill. The predatory connotation of the word is purposeful and almost equates the killer and Cassie in describing their behavior the same way. “Seeing” conveys the significance of the plot twist: Cassie now sees who the UNSUB was all along. She also sees herself more clearly; based on her actions at the safe house, she is quick-thinking and a survivor. “Deciding” signifies the Naturals’ struggle to accept the trauma that has occurred and decide how to move forward. It presents their actions as choices, giving them autonomy where they previously had little. Cassie especially makes a powerful decision: She will stay in the Naturals program to continue learning about herself and how her talents can help save more lives.