Masterminds

I use this book with 5th grade book club members, and they LOVE it! Korman has written a book that is packed with action, suspense, ah-ha moments, and relatable characters. Moreover, there are deep questions to discuss (nature vs. nurture, the ethics of cloning and/or human experiments, honesty vs. lying)As soon as you finish book 1, you'll be ready to pick up book 2. The only problem: we have to wait for book 3 to be published in Feb. 2017. :)

You won't be disappointed with this sequel.. A whole new set of adventures, as the four from Serenity continue their pursuit to get someone in authority to recognize the evil at the heart of their parents' experiment.

Page turner, cliffhanger, edge of my seat mystery. The plot is fast paced, and there are many twists and turns I never saw coming. My middle school boys will love it, and there are strong girl characters as well to round it out. I cannot wait to read the next one. Definitely a great addition to any middle grade library.

So good and awesome and amazing and perfect great cliff hanger ?????????????☺??☺??☺??☺☺☺☺☺???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????so so so so so so so so good

Eli, Malik, Tori, and Amber have escaped from Serenity and the Osiris Experiment. But now what? Where can they go to get help? Their search for an ally will take them all the way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, back to Serenity and off to Texas. Along the way they discover that it isn't easy for kids on the run who have no they can trust to stay above the law. Can they beat their genes or does each step take them closer to proving their genetic destiny?

This was one constantly hopping book. The kids are constantly going out of the frying pan into the fire. At times it stretched belief a bit, and because of that I didn't like it as much as the first one. Still an exciting read for middle graders with a bit of a twist at the end. Definitely need book three to come out sooner! Major cliffhanger ending!

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Because of their fugitive status, the kids end up breaking and entering a few times and stealing things. There's a couple cuts and scrapes, but nothing super serious.

Serenity, NM is a calm and peaceful place. Most people work for the orange traffic cone production factory. No one goes hungry, and in fact, everyone has enough money for their own pools, basketball courts, etc. There's no crime, and honesty is engrained in everyone so much many things, like tests, are done on the honor system. Eli is one of a handful of kids his age in the town. They're all preparing for Serenity Day, the day the town celebrates the founding of this model, crime-free, honesty-based town by FDR in 1934. There will be the yearly water polo game, the presentation of the kids' Serenity projects, a picnic, and fireworks. Everything seems perfect, until Eli's friend Randy convinces him to check out an old car he found outside the city limits. Eli has never set foot outside the town before, he's never really had a reason to. Randy is Eli's best friend, and Randy really wants to show him this old sports car so off they go. But as soon as they get near the town boundary, Eli starts to get very sick. A helicopter full of the Surety, who are in town for protection of the factory and town, appears almost immediately and next thing Eli knows he's waking up at home being told that Randy is moving to his grandparents' house in Colorado. Randy says some strange things in his goodbye to Eli, and eventually Eli figures out Randy's left him a secret goodbye letter. In that, Randy tells him that the whole thing about his grandparents is a lie and the town is shipping him off to a boarding school, and he can't contact Eli even if he wanted to. He warns Eli that there's something strange going on in Serenity. Eli's peers tell him it the letter is just one of Randy's pranks, but when lightning strikes close to Serenity one night while Eli is doing research on the Boston Tea Party the website changes from saying the Boston Tea Party was a peaceful tea party where Britain and the new US negotiated things to something about a protest against the British government and dumping tea into the sea. Eli decides to show his dad Randy's letter, and soon finds himself waking up from being drugged. He catches on, and fakes taking further pills. But Eli is now sure, Randy was on to something, and Eli's own father is in on it as well as other adults he's trusted all his life. Eli and three of his peers start poking around, and what they find out about Serenity will shatter their worlds.

This was a superbly written and very exciting thriller/mild dystopia. BUT IT ENDS IN A CLIFFHANGER!!! I need the next book asap! Ahem. Yes. I'll be ok. Maybe. I can't tell you too much about the secrets going on without spoiling things, but suffice it to say they are big. Big enough you could write an adult thriller/dystopia with the same basic plot. Korman keeps things middle grade appropriate though, which is hard with an exciting dystopia, but he pulls it off and does so without readers needing to suspend belief much at all. And I can wait to figure out what happens to Eli and his friends next! Passed this on to adrenaline junky middle graders for an exciting read, and they devoured the entire series.

Notes on content: One minor swear word. No sexual content. One person may have died in an explosion. Some scrapes and bruises from an exciting escape. And there's some ethically iffy stuff going on in Serenity, but that's what our heroes are trying to make right.

The blurbers for this book - Brandon Mull, James Dashner, Peter Lerangis - are all serious middle grade and YA heavy hitters. I wondered if their raves were puffery and log-rolling or were honest reflections of this book's appeal. Well, having read the book I would suggest that their praise is generally well warranted.

Why?

(MILD SPOILER IF YOU ARE REALLY SENSITIVE TO SPOILERS.)This starts out as one of those something-is-rotten-in-the-state-of-Denmark creepy Utopia books. You know there's going to be some sort of twist figured out by the smart suspicious kids. What you don't see coming is all of the twists, the twistiest-twists, and the very satisfying and especially clever twists. This is not just a one-twist book. It's not a single Twilight Zone episode, ("Oh my gosh. It's a cookbook!"). It's a whole season of Twilight Zone. Sure, there are some plot holes and coincidences and a few gaps you have to overlook, but as thoughtful tricky middle grade actioners go this one plays as fair as possible in its plotting and twists.

And the special upside is that the kid characters have some depth and personality. (The author's choice to narrate separate chapters from each different kid's point of view works, and adds variety to the tale's telling.) The kids think about things and have inner lives that aren't always predictable. They aren't just a multi-ethnic collection of pieces being moved around the story board. Even better, the writing is crisp and direct and fairly sophisticated while remaining accessible. The book is neither over nor under written. Scenes are set efficiently and well; action is gripping; suspense builds nicely. But, Korman doesn't overreach by going epic or mythic or magical. The story telling is restrained and always under control, which I think is very attractive in a middle grade action/adventure/suspense story, and this is clearly aimed at middle grade readers.

So, the upshot is that you have a well written, cleverly constructed, engaging, and even at times thought provoking middle grade action/adventure. A very happy find.

Please note that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

Masterminds by Gordon Korman is told from different points of view.
I thought it was cool that is told from different points of view because it helped me see the story in different ways. Malik hates having to live in Serenity, or as he calls it “Happy Valley”, but Amber doesn’t want to live anywhere else.
Different characters see the world in different ways, like how Tori has an “artist’s eye” and she sees things other people don’t. But the others just see everything as what it is.
If one chapter is mainly about someone, it would be told from their point of view. Like when Hector helps breaks into the factory, he is an important part of chapter, so it is told from his point of view. If it wasn’t it would just be Eli saying everything that Hector did.
This is a great book with four points of view. I can’t wait for the next one!

this book is on of Gordan Kormans Greatest works
I look forward to reading he next book.A must read for lover ofnadventure; thrill and geology just like kormn other series on the run, it is a work of art

Hi! All in all, I would give Masterminds, by Gordon Korman a solid 75/100, or 4 stars.

In my review, I'll address Plot, Characters, and the Conflicts of the book in depth.

Section 1: Plot
The plot was interesting, and at times, surprising. Overall, it kept you entertained. It was lighthearted but also addressed some serious topics. Some of these include dealing with a life long friend moving away and never being able to speak to them again, as well as dealing with the death of a friend. Honestly, the book felt a little bit too young for a YA title, and may have been better suited for a younger audience. Disregarding this, the book was still enjoyable. Without giving to much of the story away, prepare to laugh, gasp, and not cry, but be sad for the characters.

Section 2: Characters
The characters were one of the strongest components of the book. They felt very real, and everyone could relate to at least one of the kids in the book. At parts when the characters were going through strong emotions, you could really feel what they felt. And when something good happened to them, you felt genuinely happy for them, and when unfortunate events occurred, you felt the same amount of distress as the characters themselves. There was very rarely a moment when the characters felt unrealistic, or out of characters.
Throughout the book the characters did change. One character, a young girl named Amber was commonly described as “Happy Valley's biggest fan” Yet, by the end of the book, after learning the truth of their small town, Amber was no longer happy with blindly believing what the adults in town told her, and she hated the place. At the beginning she happily listened to what any adult told her, but by the end, she learned that she would have to question authority if she wanted the truth.

Section 3: Conflicts
There were conflicts in the book, but it took a while for them to even be brought up. The book was very slow to start, and it takes a patient reader to reach the main conflict and action. The main conflict of the book was between the children of Serenity and the adults that run it. The children had been raised to love the town. This worked for 13 years but after the best friend of Eli, the main character, was forced to move out of town supposedly to his grandmother's ranch, things changed. Randy, Eli's best friend, left behind a secret note that stated that something fishy was happening around town. Only Eli took the note seriously, but after a thunderstorm that messed with the WiFi signals, and Eli found that their internet was being censored, his closer friends warmed up to the idea that all might not be well in Serenity. The conflict revolves around this, and has to do with Eli and his friends gathering proof of the town's crimes, their escape from town that ended in a near miss with death, and then their travel to find Randy in the outside world with which they had no experience. The conflict was interesting, and complex if nothing else.

Section 4: Overall Review
In conclusion, the book was okay. It wasn't the best I've ever read, nor was it the worst. The plot felt a bit to simple for the target audience, yet it was bearable. The characters were very realistic and relatable, and were the strongest suit of the book. The conflict was interesting and complex, but very slow to become a focus of the book, taking a patient reader to fully enjoy it. For all these reasons I give it 4 stars, and a 75/100 rating. I would suggest this book to a friend, but maybe one that is a bit younger than myself. Thank you for reading, and goodbye.

Written by Jacob K

Very clear story and loved the chapters written from a different characters point of view each time. This was a family read aloud and my older son (10) who hates to read independently actually read ahead and completed the trilogy without waiting for me and my younger son (8). So that’s really the highest honor a book could get from my family! The end does have a small conclusions but really does have you wanting to continue to the second book.

just finished Masterminds today & loved it! I am not a futurist/sci fi/fantasy lover but glad I took a chance on this. Disappointed that Gordon Korman didn't make it to the Tucson Festival of Books but since I'd bought the book before I found out he wasn't going to get there (plane problems), I thought I might as well read it before I gave it away. Very suspenseful, empowered kids though a bit unrealistic, and now can't wait for the sequel!

Synopsis- Eli Frieden liked his life at Serenity, New Mexico, a nice little town in the middle of nowhere. It was reported as the #1 Best Town To Live In in the world. But it isn’t until Eli’s best friend Randy suddenly leaves town with no explanation, only leaving a cryptic note, that Eli starts to suspect things. He soon finds out, with the help of other classmates, that Serenity isn’t a charted town. Everything in it is fake. Everything they’ve been told is a lie. Even who they are.

As a science experiment over nurture-versus-nature, they took DNA from the world’s captured criminal masterminds, and cloned them. They would then raise the children in an environment devoid of evil to see if they would be nice, respectful citizens, instead of evil geniuses. Did I mention that the idea of cloning was made illegal internationally?

It’s funny, that in sheltering people from the truth, when the wall breaks down, they turn into what you hoped they wouldn’t.*

What I Thought- This is an interesting book. It’s very original. The concept is cool, but kind of creepy, too. I mean, kids being cloned from modern criminal masterminds to discover the answer to nurture vs. nature, is kind of awesome, but also disturbing. It really made me think about the whole story. Cloning is not something to be tampered with. The creepiness of the plot really sets the stage for the whole story. I couldn’t put this book down or get it out of my head. Mr. Korman has written a well-done story with great characters and a marvelous execution of a plan. Really looking forward to a second book!
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Originally reviewed at http://www.shaelit.com/2015/03/review-masterminds-by-gordan-korman/

Honestly, though, in the beginning I wondered if I had made a mistake. None of my friends had read Masterminds yet, so I was already on my guard, and the beginning was… Well, it was fine. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t exciting. We meet Eli, the son of Serenity’s mayor, his friend Randy, and a few other kids. Serenity is deadly dull. It’s the perfect white-picket-fence kind of town you see on postcards. Everyone is well-behaved, peaceful, and compliant. The doors are all left unlocked, cookies at school work on the honor system, and even the textbooks feature lovely things like the civil Boston Tea Party where American and British leaders sat down to discuss their differences over tea and scones.

Yeah, you guessed it. Serenity is too perfect, and it’s all for a reason. A sneaky, scientific reason that was 100% Shae-bait. Watching the kids of the town slowly put together the pieces and fight against their own disbelief made for an engaging read. That part of the story reminded me a lot of an MG Truman Show, complete with altered perception, enhanced technology, and justified paranoia. And the kids! I loved the kids, partly because I could empathize with aspects of each of them. In particular, I found myself gravitating toward bully Malik, tiny Hector, and control freak Amber. Honestly, the fact that Serenity cheerleader Amber ends up being the scariest one of them all tickled me to no end. And ALL of the kids are incredibly smart and observant once they put their minds to ferreting out the mystery of Serenity.

I wish I could talk about Serenity’s secret, because blasting open that door was what really sealed the deal for me. However, SPOILERSSSS, so I shan’t. Let’s just say that it’s all very Shae-approved and wonderful and scientific and logical and creepy. And THAT ENDING! There were sweet bits and sad bits and exciting bits and then BOOM. The end. The end!?!? Guys, I can’t wait for the sequel. I just can’t.

Points Added For: The kids, the twist, the creepiness of the entire town, Amber’s darkness, Malik’s sweet heart, poor Hector’s issues, the escape!, the ending.

Points Subtracted For: The beginning had some awkwardly worded spots.

Good For Fans Of: The Truman Show, smart kids figuring things out, suspicious authority figures, sneaking around, science, [see original review for SPOILER.]

Notes For Parents: Light violence, some bullying.

Gordan Korman is by far my sons favorite author. To the point he has mentioned he wishes he would come talk at his school like other authors do. It helps that I enjoy reading his books with him. This series is both our favorite. We can't wait until March until book 3 comes out.

The book Masterminds by Gordan Korman was my favorite book all summer. It had lots of twists and turns, I was always surprised at what happened next. The two things I liked about the book is there was lots of characters and when they drove the truck. It was both funny and suspenseful at the same time. It is hard to tell the story without spoiling it. I was fascinated that the author wrote a story like this. If you like mysteries and science this is a book for you. I can't wait for the sequel!!

Welcome to Serenity, New Mexico, the city where everyone is happy, the children are above average and there is never a reason to leave. The inhabitants think themselves fortunate to live in a place where, unlike the rest of the world, there is no murder, deceit and corruption. In fact, Serenity just might be too good to be true.

Eli Frieden used to never question the too-good-to-be-trueness of Serenity until one day, on a seemingly harmless bike ride, everything changes. Eli and his friend Randy decide to bike to the outskirts of town when Eli suddenly becomes horribly ill. Saved by the purple people eaters --- what Eli calls the town security force, the Surety --- Eli tries to put the incident out of his mind until Randy informs everyone at school that he’s being shipped off to live with his grandparents for no reason. On very rare occurrences do people leave Serenity, so Eli and his friends Tori, Malik, Amber and Hector become suspicious and do a little investigating to discover the truth.

Fortunately, Randy leaves a series of clues that lead Eli and his friends to a note where Randy claims he was actually sent to a boarding school in Colorado, not to live with his grandparents. Apparently there is a reason that Eli got sick on the bike ride, and Randy is convinced it has something to do with the fact that Eli, Tori, Malik, Amber and Hector are ‘special’ and that the town of Serenity is screwy. With nothing but Randy’s note to go on, Eli and his friends decide to do some investigating into whether or not Serenity is hiding something and in what ways Eli, Tori, Malik, Amber and Hector might be ‘special.’

Some say that ignorance is bliss, and for the children of Serenity, that just might be true. Eli and his friends’ investigation leads them down a path they could have never imagined. First they discover that all the news and Internet information is somehow being filtered to only share positive, encouraging news. Second, the town’s epicenter, the plastic factory, may not be an actual functioning facility. With nothing but intuition --- and the quest for truth --- to guide them, the group of friends set out on a dangerous mission to find exactly what the perfect town of Serenity is hiding, even if it means coming face to face with the unthinkable.

Based on the title, MASTERMINDS, and the cover, I thought for sure this was going to be a book about kid geniuses and the overthrow of a local town or something to that effect. The actual plot is much better than I could have anticipated --- you probably won’t believe it yourself. That’s all the more reason to pick up this book by the mastermind himself, Gordon Korman.

Reviewed by Benjamin Boche

The book Masterminds by Gordan Korman was my favorite book all summer. It had lots of twists and turns, I was always surprised at what happened next. The two things I liked about the book is there was lots of characters and when they drove the truck. It was both funny and suspenseful at the same time. It is hard to tell the story without spoiling it. I was fascinated that the author wrote a story like this. If you like mysteries and science this is a book for you. I can't wait for the sequel!!

Welcome to Serenity, New Mexico, the city where everyone is happy, the children are above average and there is never a reason to leave. The inhabitants think themselves fortunate to live in a place where, unlike the rest of the world, there is no murder, deceit and corruption. In fact, Serenity just might be too good to be true.

Eli Frieden used to never question the too-good-to-be-trueness of Serenity until one day, on a seemingly harmless bike ride, everything changes. Eli and his friend Randy decide to bike to the outskirts of town when Eli suddenly becomes horribly ill. Saved by the purple people eaters --- what Eli calls the town security force, the Surety --- Eli tries to put the incident out of his mind until Randy informs everyone at school that he’s being shipped off to live with his grandparents for no reason. On very rare occurrences do people leave Serenity, so Eli and his friends Tori, Malik, Amber and Hector become suspicious and do a little investigating to discover the truth.

Fortunately, Randy leaves a series of clues that lead Eli and his friends to a note where Randy claims he was actually sent to a boarding school in Colorado, not to live with his grandparents. Apparently there is a reason that Eli got sick on the bike ride, and Randy is convinced it has something to do with the fact that Eli, Tori, Malik, Amber and Hector are ‘special’ and that the town of Serenity is screwy. With nothing but Randy’s note to go on, Eli and his friends decide to do some investigating into whether or not Serenity is hiding something and in what ways Eli, Tori, Malik, Amber and Hector might be ‘special.’

Some say that ignorance is bliss, and for the children of Serenity, that just might be true. Eli and his friends’ investigation leads them down a path they could have never imagined. First they discover that all the news and Internet information is somehow being filtered to only share positive, encouraging news. Second, the town’s epicenter, the plastic factory, may not be an actual functioning facility. With nothing but intuition --- and the quest for truth --- to guide them, the group of friends set out on a dangerous mission to find exactly what the perfect town of Serenity is hiding, even if it means coming face to face with the unthinkable.

Based on the title, MASTERMINDS, and the cover, I thought for sure this was going to be a book about kid geniuses and the overthrow of a local town or something to that effect. The actual plot is much better than I could have anticipated --- you probably won’t believe it yourself. That’s all the more reason to pick up this book by the mastermind himself, Gordon Korman.

Reviewed by Benjamin Boche

Fantastic story, filled with mystery, adventure, danger and plenty of edge-of-your seat moments. The town of Serenity seems perfect... Perhaps too perfect. Something isn't right, but what? When the kids become suspicious, they try to figure out what is going on and in a town with so many secrets, that isn't easy. This is a great book for middle grade students and for adults. Try to avoid reading too much about this book because it's better if you don't know the secret when you start reading. :)

I love audio books where each character is read by a different actor/narrator. It seemed like the girls' parts were read by young women, but the boys were read by men. Weird. Are there no teen boy audio book narrators?? By far the worst narrator (and this almost ruined the book for me) was Mike Rylander as Malik. He did all the girl voices with lisps and made them sound like complete idiots. It was not only annoying and distracting but condescending. I will avoid any audio book in the future that he participates in.
The story though, was a lot of fun. I would rate the print version higher than the audio.

This fast-paced new book from Gordon Korman is full of twists and turns around every corner. It starts off slow but quickly gets off the ground. This is one of the best mysteries I've ever read, a must-read for everyone who loves a mystery. For a full review visit www.kidstokids-bookreviews.com.

This is an amazing book! It has an excellent clifhanger that makes you want to read the next book! I strongly encourage you to read this book. You won't regret it. It is adventure and comedy plus even quite sad at times.

One of the things Korman does best is create realistic and engaging characters under 16, and Masterminds is particularly good in this regard. I'm re-reading it now and can't wait for the sequel. A clever, suspenseful story. Kudos, Korman!

The book was exciting and had great characters. My complaint lies in the fact that it was a cliff hanger. There is no ending. If you want to find out what happens to the characters you must purchase the next book in the series--a cheap trick to sell more copies to kids.

First of all, this book is AMAZING. I found this book because I have read the author's other novels. I love how each chapter is written in a different persons perspective. It's a thrilling book that will keep you hooked! I can't wait for the sequel.

This book is "mindcandy" above all others. Gordan Korman draws pictures in your mind and you feel like you know the characters. He is the master of writing! I enjoyed this book because it seems so utopic that you know something is wrong from the start. I would really advise you to read this book. It is awesome!