Catch Up on Gordon Korman’s New Masterminds Series with Criminal Destiny

In the first novel in the series, Masterminds, we met a gang of middle schoolers from rural Serenity, New Mexico, supposedly the best little town in the USA. But beneath the town’s idyllic veneer lies a sinister secret: the people each kid believes to be their parents are scientists, and “their” kids are actually clones.
Yep, Serenity is a front for an operation called Project Osiris, in which DNA from the world’s most dangerous criminals was harvested in order to create clones that would live in a “perfect” community. In theory, it would have been the ultimate nature vs. nurture experiment—but Eli, Tori, Amber, and Malik aren’t wild about having been lied to all their lives, much less being kept prisoners, and plot a daring escape to the outside world.
Korman does a great job summarizing the events of the first novel in his sequel, but it’s still well worth it to start at the beginning and check out both books. When we pick up the action in Criminal Destiny, the Osiris gang is on the run, and the kids quickly begin fulfilling their criminal “destinies.” Their rampant felonies recall Korman’s miniature con artist Artie Geller from No Coins, Please, who established a veritable empire of grift during a cross-country sightseeing tour. But while his crimes were limited to gambling and simple scams, the Masterminds quickly graduate to cat burglary and grand theft auto, leading to massive heist sequences and action scenes a la Korman’s Swindle and On the Run series.

Of course, the group’s antics also bring back fond memories of Bruno & Boots, the delinquent protagonists from Korman’s classic Macdonald Hall books. The complementary pairs of boys and girls are reminiscent of the gender equity between the Hall and their friends at Miss Scrimmage’s Finishing School for Young Ladies. The clones’ clever use of scientific factoids brings to mind one Elmer Drimsdale, whose work as the Hall’s resident genius was invaluable during countless schemes, and when the Project Osiris refugees embark on a desperate bus trip to escape their pursuers, we’re suddenly nostalgic for their more privileged Canadian peers’ attempt to harvest all the cans in Toronto during a school trip in Beware the Fish!

If you’re a longtime Korman fan, there’s plenty of his trademark banter, wit, and cliffhangers to keep you eagerly flipping the pages. On the other hand, if you’re a newcomer to Korman’s unique blend of humor and action, you’ll definitely want to pick up Masterminds: Criminal Destiny—quick, before the Surety catches up with you!
Did you know Gordon Korman has written nearly 90 books for young readers? Tell us your favorite in the comments below!