Masterminds (Masterminds, 1) Hardcover – February 3, 2015

Read this with my 5th grader for Battle of the Books. There are some grown up ideas that I had to explain, but that is fine. The story line was exciting, and the characters are likable. The cliffhanger comes at just the right place. We look forward to reading the next book.

Thought I'd share my daughter's review of Masterminds, with the addition that I am in awe of Gordon Korman's original plots, situations, and characters. Since reading Schooled and Ungifted a few years back as a family, I've been a fan. And, on family road trips, we've thoroughly enjoyed The Kidnapped series and now Masterminds. We're listening to Part II, Criminal Destiny right now (well, not right now).Here's my daughter's review:Masterminds is not the average middle grade/young adult novel you’ll read. It’s not about talking dogs or first grade trouble-makers. No, Masterminds is about far more serious matters. Here’s a quick summary: Five middle schoolers live in a so-called perfect town, Serenity, New Mexico; there is no violence, no poverty, and absolutely no awareness of the outside world. Tori, Malek, Hector, Amber, and Eli (the five main characters) go on a long, blood-curdling journey, to find out that eleven kids in Serenity, including them, are clones. Their whole life has been a science experiment to see how clones of criminal masterminds would act in a “loving” society like Serenity. Whoa! The book’s premise is so fascinating, but the author’s gripping writing and strong characters make it that much better. I recommend listening to the audiobook, because it’s cool hearing the different voices of the characters, but a paper copy is fine too. Masterminds will send a shiver down your spine. By the end of the book, you will be trapped inside the story, put in the main characters situation… and begging for more. And you’re in luck, because a sequel just came out in February; it’s called Masterminds: Criminal Destiny.

Spoiler alert, but in the end there is a truck going 60mph in second gear. As a person who drives a stick I was laughing reading this, but in the end it was a really good story.

This book was assigned as a reading project for children aged 10 and 11. It was one of the first books that the kids read all the way to the end before those pages were assigned; excellent way to tell the interest they had in the book. They also answered all of the questions correctly that I wrote up about the story line, again showing their interest and comprehension of the book. The only reason I gave it a 4 star is my own problem with books are not complete at the end of the book, too many unanswered questions. Although I do understand the concept of a series, I prefer a little more complete ending after a book is read.

I absolutely loved this book. It is YA, which tends not to be my genre, but I was a huge Gordon Korman fan when I was a kid, so I figured I'd see what his latest offerings are. This did not disappoint.I think people who liked "The Hunger Games" will like this book. It is not a post-apocalyptic setting exactly, but the main characters live in a tiny utopia-turned-dystopia, isolated from the rest of the world. The book lacks the depth of Hunger Games, and isn't nearly so thought-provoking, but it is nevertheless a thrilling ride. I've already started and almost finished the second one, and am excited to get into the third.Fans of Korman will find his usual dry humor throughout the book. I also appreciate that he tends to give his adolescent characters an appropriate amount of maturity. The YA I have read over-relies on youthful characters making outrageously stupid decisions, which I find to be a frustrating trope. The kids in this book are appropriately naive but not abjectly stupid.

I write middle-grade novels, so I like to read other books in that genre to see what other authors are up to. Masterminds is the best I've read in a long time. The author masterfully builds up suspense as you come to realize along with the characters that nothing in the sleepy little town of Serenity is what it seems. The characters experience some hair-raising moments as they scale walls and creep through duct work at the plastics factory - trying to evade the "Purple People Eaters" and discover the truth. What they find out changes everything and leaves them with just one course of action. Escape. Masterminds is skillfully written - alternating viewpoints between characters with clarity and ease. My only complaint is that it ends in a cliffhanger. Now I have to buy book 2!

It is not hard to believe this could and probably has happened. It was very interesting to read, can't wait to read the next book in the series

This is a very good book by a great author. It is filled with very exciting plot twists and action, and I have high hopes for this to be an epic series. The only problem with Masterminds is that it is a three-book series, and the last book won't be coming out for another two years. So you might want to wait until it gets close to time for the last book to come out before you read it, because a year is a long time to wait between books in a suspenseful series like this. But this is a great idea and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how this series turns out.

this book was something i read years ago with a class and decided to buy it for a 13-year-old I know. they loved it and are so excited to read the sequals. thanks so much for the service!

My son is 11 years old and he loved this book!! Lots of times he was laughing out loud and he has insisted that I purchase the next one in the series. He read this book in 2 days - highly recommend!!

My 14 year old son loves this book

The town is too perfect...the adults are conspiring to keep something secret...there is a faceless corps of security guards...cloning is involved...sound familiar? Somehow Korman puts a fresh spin on familiar tropes. Kept me turning pages to the end of the book. Wait--there's a sequel, too.

Grandkid gift. Loved it.