45 pages 1 hour read

Gordon Korman

Masterminds

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015

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Background

Series Context: The Masterminds Trilogy

Masterminds is the first book in the Masterminds trilogy. The three installments tightly interconnect. Unsurprisingly, the first two books end with cliffhangers, and Masterminds doesn’t offer any resolution to the central plot; it simply concludes at a brief stopping point. In Masterminds, the clones discover their secret identities and learn of the villain behind Project Osiris: Felix Hammerstrom. They glean some essential information in the basement research center beneath the Plastics Works factory, but many of the facts they need to know remain hidden. The first novel ends with their escape from Serenity as they successfully find temporary shelter with Eli’s friend Randy in Colorado.

The second installment in the trilogy, Masterminds: Criminal Destiny, has the group trying to find proof of Hammerstrom’s scheme that will convince the world to believe them. They hope to do this by getting statements from their DNA donors about Project Osiris. After staying with Randy long enough to make a plan, the clones are on their own again. Their first stop is a visit to Tamara Dunleavy, the tech billionaire who initially supported Hammerstrom’s research. She lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and was once a criminal genius hacker before turning over a new leaf.