Bad Blood

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Think about your overall experience reading Bad Blood. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is also the author of The Inheritance Games, which centers on puzzles and family secrets. If you’ve read that series, how did the more procedural tone of The Naturals series compare?

2. The novel blends the high stakes of a YA thriller with the methodical investigation of a criminal procedural. Which of these two genre elements did you find more compelling, and what aspects of the story made you feel that way?

3. What was the most memorable or surprising revelation for you in the investigation? Did the final unmasking of the key players in the Masters’ conspiracy, like Ree and Director Sterling, feel earned?

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

1. The Naturals team operates as a “found family,” offering one another the support and loyalty that many of their biological families lack. Think about a time in your own life when a group of friends, teammates, or colleagues felt like family. What makes these chosen bonds so powerful?

2. Lia often uses a sharp wit and a tough exterior to hide her vulnerability and manipulate situations to protect herself and her friends. Have you ever felt the need to present a certain “mask” or persona to navigate a difficult social or professional environment? What are the benefits and drawbacks of doing so?

3. The concept of “bad blood,” or inheriting negative traits, is a source of anxiety for characters like Dean and Cassie. Society often places expectations on us based on our family background or lineage. In what ways have you felt the weight of family expectations, and how does that connect with the struggles of the characters in Bad Blood to define themselves on their own terms?

4. Cassie makes a morally complex choice to use her relationship with Dean to manipulate his father for information, justifying it as a necessary evil. Think about a time you faced a decision that presented no easy or “right” answer. How do you navigate situations of moral conflict?

5. The novel presents the Naturals’ abilities, from Michael’s emotion-reading to Sloane’s statistical recall, as innate talents. If you could have one of the Naturals’ abilities for a day, which would you choose? How do you think it would change your perception of the world around you?

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

1. The story features two cults, Serenity Ranch and the Masters, both of which exert immense psychological control over their members. What does the novel suggest about why people might be drawn to such high-control groups?

2. What does the book’s fictional premise of “Naturals” (teens with an innate gift for criminal profiling) say about our cultural fascination with understanding the minds of criminals? How does it connect with the popularity of true crime and shows like Criminal Minds?

3. Director Sterling’s betrayal reveals deep-seated corruption within the FBI, an institution meant to represent justice and protection. What commentary do you think the novel is making about power, secrecy, and institutional trust? Where do we see similar anxieties about the integrity of powerful organizations in our society today?

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

1. The narrative structure alternates between Cassie’s first-person investigation and the italicized, second-person “You” chapters, which portray the Pythia’s experience. What effect did this structural choice have on your reading experience? How did it shape your understanding of Lorelai’s psychological transformation from “victim” to a morally ambiguous figure?

2. In what ways does the recurring motif of games (from Cassie’s “verbal chess” to Lia’s strategic deceptions and Laurel’s reenactments of trauma) thematically explore The Duality of Power and Control?

3. What do Dean and Lorelai’s physical scars come to symbolize? How does the novel use these marks to represent the different ways that characters carry and are shaped by past traumas?

4. The town of Gaither, Oklahoma, is a place of economic decay and long-buried secrets. Beyond being a simple setting, how does Gaither symbolically reflect the generational corruption at the heart of the Masters’ organization?

5. How do the Masters, a secret society built on ritual and a twisted philosophy, compare to other fictional clandestine organizations you’ve encountered in books or films? For instance, how does their goal of psychological transformation differ from the political or financial aims of a group like SPECTRE from the James Bond series?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. In the Epilogue, the team plans to recruit a new generation of Naturals. If you could create a new character to join the program, what unique, innate talent would they possess, and how would it contribute to the team’s dynamic?

2. If you were adapting Bad Blood for a TV series, which character’s backstory would you want to explore in a dedicated flashback episode? What key moments from their past would you highlight to give the audience a deeper understanding of who they are?

3. The final confrontation in the sand-filled arena is a stark and dramatic setting. If you were designing this scene for a film, what visual or sound elements would you use to amplify the psychological tension of the fight between Cassie, her mother, and the onlooking Masters?