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    Masterminds
    Masterminds
    Masterminds
    Audiobook7 hours

    Masterminds

    Written by Gordon Korman

    Narrated by Ramon de Ocampo, Kelly Jean Badgley, Tarah Consoli and

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    The first book in the action-packed series from New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman is perfect for young fans of James Patterson and John Grisham. 

    Eli Frieden lives in the most perfect town in the world: Serenity, New Mexico. Honesty and integrity are valued above all else. The thirty kids who live there never lie—they know it’s a short leap from that to the awful problems of other, less fortunate places.

    Eli has never left Serenity . . . why would he ever want to? Then one day, he bikes to the edge of the city limits and something so crazy and unexpected happens, it changes everything. Eli convinces his friends to help him investigate further, and soon it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems in Serenity. The clues mount to reveal a shocking discovery, connecting their ideal crime-free community to some of the greatest criminal masterminds ever known.

    The kids realize they can trust no one—least of all their own parents.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateFeb 3, 2015
    ISBN9780062346797
    Author

    Gordon Korman

    Gordon Korman published his first book at age fourteen and since then has written more than one hundred middle grade and teen novels. Favorites include the New York Times bestselling Ungifted, Supergifted, The Superteacher Project, The Unteachables, Pop, Notorious, Unplugged, Operation Do-Over, Slugfest, and the Masterminds series. Gordon lives with his family on Long Island, New York. You can visit him online at gordonkorman.com.

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    Reviews for Masterminds

    4.5/5

    99 ratings14 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I loved this book! It had such an interesting plot and some crazy plot twists!
    • 4/5
      Eli Frieden lives in Serenity, New Mexico, the most perfect town in the world. There is no crime, no poverty, and everyone is so nice. Eli doesn't see this as a problem until his best friend, Randy is sent away and leaves Eli a note, telling him that things in Serenity are not as perfect as they seem. It isn't long before Eli along with three of his friends begin to investigate things that just don't seem to fit about their town. What they discover leads them to attempt a most daring escape.

      Masterminds has a tantalizing mystery as well as an interesting premise - a perfect town filled with secrets. Each chapter is told from the perspective of different characters, so as the mystery unfolds, we see the different reactions of each character as they start to realize that their lives have all been a huge lie. Overall, this is a very unique story that should have conspiracy theorists salivating.
    • 4/5
      The kids of Serenity, New Mexico have the perfect lives. They all have pools, they all have video games Their parents love and support them. Life is good. When Randy convinces Eli to ride their bikes across the town border to see an old car he and his father discovered, Eli agrees, even though he should ask his dad. When they get to the edge of town Eli gets violently ill, and the police have to come in and helicopter him to safety. As Eli recovers he finds out that Randy is being shipped off to his grandparent’s farm. No one has ever moved away from Serenity before. This is weird enough, but Randy’s strange behavior before he leaves gets Eli thinking, and he knows Randy must've left him a message. This prompts Eli and a few friends to begin investigating. But is Eli prepared for what's really going on in Serenity? Is there really something different about eleven of the children that live there? And what should they do with the information they discover? You'll be turning the pages to find out!

      I have read other books by Gordon Korman and was looking forward to reading Masterminds. I didn't know much about it, so I was pleasantly surprised by the unique plot twist. I've tried not to give anything away so you can discover what's going on too. I really liked Eli, Amber, Malik, and all the other characters whose story we got to hear. Each character has a different personality, and I could relate to all of them for various reasons. When I found out what was going on, I was shocked! I kept thinking that the plans they uncovered were going off the tracks and the consequences could be far-reaching. The book ended on a cliffhanger, which I wished could be different. Still, it was an exciting read and the next book is out, so I plan on picking it up soon. I just hope it doesn't end before I have more answers! I recommend this to kids in fourth grade and up who like mystery and adventure. This was such an interesting concept that I can’t wait to learn more and see where the story goes.
    • 3/5
      Five kids make a discovery that could cost them their lives in this science fiction novel.Chapters alternate points of view. Eli is the first and main narrator. As he and his best friend head out of town, Eli becomes deathly ill. A helicopter immediately lands and takes him to a doctor. The next day, Eli’s best friend finds out that he has to move to his grandparent’s land to help them. Something is fishy, so Eli begins his investigation. Eli and his friends live in a perfect town, called Serenity where the streets are named serene names like Harmony. It’s the perfect place to live--supposedly. Pretending to take prescribed pills for a couple of weeks of being homebound, Eli discovers that the pills make him forget. Another strange incident occurs when Eli discovers a strange website that he hasn’t seen before while researching the Boston Tea Party. It’s at this point, he talks to other kids in the town.Eli’s friends agree to help him find the truth. Unfortunately, the truth puts them in danger and secrets are discovered that mean their parents cannot be trusted. What can they do when they can’t go to adults and they can’t leave town without getting sick? The novel doesn’t end because it’s book one. I really thought I knew how the book would end, but I was wrong. It just sets us up for the next book while I was expecting a shocking ending. I think you’ll be able to come up with several scenarios as to what will happen in the next book. There’s a lot you could discuss after reading it that I can’t bring up here without spoiling the entire book.
    • 3/5
      If I were going to rank Gordon Korman's books, this would come near the bottom of the list. Its basically all groundwork for the series and terribly bland. The premise is interesting though and the set-up intriguing enough to justify reading the next book.
    • 4/5
       If you like mystery and suspense, Masterminds by Gordon Korman is a good choice. Everyone in the town of Serenity is perfectly content in this perfect little town. There is no crime, all the students behave (for the most part), there is a great sense of community, and no poverty. Everyone have everything they need, and most of what they want. Our main character, Eli, very happy, until something goes very wrong. His best friend is sent away after Eli becomes very ill when the two of them head to the outskirts of town. All of the sudden, questions begin to arise. As Eli and his friends look for answers they find out more than they could have imagined. The factory where everyone works doesn’t make anything, the internet is whitewashed, and their parents aren’t their parents. Korman weaves a suspenseful story where each new discovery is another shock to the readers. The characters work together, using deductive reasoning and perseverance, as they face each new, horrible discovery. Their final conclusion is that they must overcome tremendous obstacles to leave town. I would recommend this book to upper elementary (grades 4 and 5) into early middle school.
    • 5/5
      Great book can't wait to listen to the next one in the series
    • 4/5
      You don't hear much complaining in Serenity. Randy always manages to find something, though. It's almost as if he's daring the universe to do a better job, no matter how great things already are. I think my dad would be happier if I found a different best friend. But let's face it, in a town with only thirty kids, there's not much to choose from. And anyway, you don't find best friends. Best friends just happen.



      "You can waste your whole life wandering only to find that what you're searching for is right in your own backyard," I return. I didn't make that up. That's what it says on the gazebo in Serenity Park. It's kind of the town motto.

      This is a great middle grade story. Serenity is a nearly perfect town. Everyone is happy, there is no crime and no conflict. It's like a whole town full of Stepford people. Obviously something isn't right here, but what? None of the kids have ever left town. With everything so perfect, who would want to leave. Until one day, Randy convinces Eli to go for a bike ride to the edge of the city limits. Something happens there that changes everything. Randy moves away, leaving Eli and his other friends to figure out the town's mysterious secret.

      Let me say something though. Don't read any blurbs about the book if you can help it. I read a couple and they ended up giving away a key point in the story - not the whole thing, but something I would have rather found out on my own.

      Also, I have never read any Gordon Korman books before. He is coming to our school in the fall, so I figured I should try his books. This book is fairly new, but he has written many middle grade stories. I think I will have to try some other ones. His writing is fast paced and really draws you into the story.

      Recommended to:
      Kids in grades 4 thru 8 who like adventure will love this story. The story is filled with mystery, adventure, danger and edge of your seat moments.
    • 4/5
      Given it's a children book, this was great. It's a pageturner, and there were good surprises.

      On the other hand, there was a big infodump 20% from the end, and it didn't feel like a "whole story".
    • 5/5
      Absolutely fantastic! Great Sifi mystery novel. I'm in my thirties and I enjoyed this more than the kids.
    • 3/5
      Eli and his friends live in the best town in the US - Serenity, New Mexico. In this small town, the classes are small, their parents are the mayors and principals and they take classes in contentment and honesty. Everything is wonderful...until Eli's best friend is sent away, leaving many questions about what is really going on in Serenity and why the town seems to be spying on eleven kids - including Eli himself. My school had a chance to Skype with Gordon Korman this year and he told us the premise of this book...but it kind of gave away the revelation the kids have, so I just kept waiting for it instead of enjoying figuring it out with the characters. I think I would have liked it more if I didn't know what was going on :)
    • 4/5
      Ack, big time cliff hanger at the end of the book...leading to the sequel, I'm sure. Using multiple narrators, this book follows five early teens from Serenity, AZ, a peaceful, affluent, isolated community, where everyone is honest and lives in harmony. If it seems to good to be true, it probably is. When Eli gets a strange note from his friend who is suddenly shipped out of town and he gets a glimpse of a totally different version of history (the Boston Tea Party) on the Internet during a storm, he believes that there is something screwy going on in the town. Along with Hector, Malik, Tori, and Amanda, the group decides they have to try to break out of town to survive. They are resourceful and sneaky in their quest for the truth and freedom, reeling from the fact that the people they trust the most may have been lying to them their whole lives.
    • 5/5
      Amazing!
    • 4/5
      I like this book because I think it has a good story line.
      Some characters are funny and some are serious.
      I think it has a good amount of build up for the next book. It’s definitely not the same as most books but in a good way.you should listen to it.