All In

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is also famous for The Inheritance Games series, which similarly revolves around teens solving high-stakes puzzles. How did you find All In compares to her other work or to other YA thrillers you’ve read?

2. Did the novel succeed in balancing the Las Vegas serial killer procedural with the overarching mystery of the cult and Cassie’s mother? Did you find the way the two plotlines informed each other effective?

3. The Naturals series has been described as “Criminal Minds for the YA world” (v). Do you feel this is an accurate description, and does the book live up to that praise? Why or why not?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The novel argues that true family is a bond forged in shared experience and trust, not just blood. Have you ever developed a close connection with someone because of mutual understanding of difficulty?

2. Many of the Naturals’ talents are presented as coping mechanisms developed in response to trauma. Can you think of a time when a difficult challenge in your own life helped you develop an unexpected strength or skill?

3. What did you think of Lia’s brand of “tough love” support, especially when she tells Cassie it isn’t her “turn” to be dysfunctional (94)? Is this a realistic or helpful way for friends to support each other through crisis?

4. Cassie makes a huge leap of faith when she gives Dean the USB drive containing her mother’s case files. What do you think this moment says about the nature of trust and vulnerability in their found family? If you’ve ever had to decide to trust someone with a weighty but private matter, how did you navigate this decision? 

5. What was your reaction to Michael’s decision to punch the father at the pool? Where do you think the line is between justified intervention and reckless escalation? Have you ever intervened in an interaction between strangers?

6. Sloane’s painful family history with her father, Grayson Shaw, is contrasted with the kindness shown by her half-brother, Aaron. How did this dynamic make you feel about the different forms family obligation can take?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The practice of criminal profiling has become a major pop culture trope. How does the novel’s use of gifted teenagers as profilers change or challenge the conventions of this genre?

2. Beau Donovan is both a victim of extreme childhood trauma and a remorseless killer. What commentary does his character offer on the justice system’s capacity to understand perpetrators with complex and sympathetic backstories?

3. The story leans heavily into the idea of a secret, multi-generational cult of killers operating in the shadows. Why do you think conspiracy theories and secret societies hold such a powerful grip on our collective imagination?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What effect did the shifts between Cassie’s perspective and the killer’s second-person “You” chapters have on your reading experience? How did this structure build suspense and dramatic irony?

2. The Fibonacci sequence evolves from a killer’s signature into the doctrine of an ancient cult. How does the meaning of this symbol shift as the team uncovers more of the conspiracy?

3. Dean’s profiling method, where he often speaks from the killer’s point of view, is a key character trait. In what ways does this verbal tic reinforce his deep-seated fear of becoming like his father?

4. Compared to other books or films that feature cults, is the one in All In, with its mythology of the Seven Masters, the Pythia, and Nine, particularly effective or terrifying? Why or why not?

5. The novel contrasts different models of mentorship and fatherhood, primarily through Judd Hawkins and Grayson Shaw. How do these two characters serve as foils to explore what it means to be a guardian?

6. In what ways does the Las Vegas setting, with its emphasis on performance, games, and illusion, amplify the book’s core themes of order, chaos, and deception?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The Naturals program recruits teens based on their innate, trauma-honed abilities. What talent would you contribute to the team, and how might it help in an investigation?

2. The book ends with the Naturals using a funeral as a strategic deception to protect Laurel and fool the cult. Propose another clever, non-violent plan the team could use to disrupt the cult’s operations from the inside.

3. Beau’s attempt to join the cult was a spectacular and public failure. Design a more subtle and cunning “audition” that a different prospective member might devise to impress the Seven Masters without attracting the attention of the FBI.