Reviewed by Shravan
August 28, 2023
This series by Gordon Korman is easily one of my most enjoyed series ever, and I highly, highly recommend it. It is super fun and interesting to read, and the amount of detail and work in this series is incredible. There were so many funny moments in this book, and I just wanted to keep rereading these books.
These books are about several 12 and 13 year old kids, who are exact DNA replicas of some of the worst criminals in history. They are continuously on the run, because they discover that they are just part of an experiment, and they want to avoid the life of unknowingly being “lab rats.”
There were a lot of moments in this book that were really intense and had a lot of suspense. There were so many surprising things that happened in these books that I didn’t expect to happen, and all of this contributed to this being just an overall amazing series.
It goes beyond saying that Gordon Korman writes these books extremely well, and I think that they appeal mostly to tweens and teens. However, people of other ages can still read it and enjoy it. Because there are a variety of topics such as violence and crime, my rating for this series is for ages 10+. Also, because of how much I enjoyed reading this books, and its appeal to people of all ages, an easy 5 Star rating. In the end, this is just an extremely well written series that anyone can enjoy.
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Common Questions About Masterminds
What age is Masterminds appropriate for?
Masterminds is recommended for ages 10-14 (Grades 5th-8th). The premise involves kids who are DNA clones of famous criminals, so there are themes of violence, crime, and identity that work better for older readers. That said, the writing is very accessible and fun. This is easily one of my most enjoyed series ever, and I highly recommend it.
What order should I read Masterminds?
Read in order: Masterminds, Masterminds: Criminal Destiny, and Masterminds: Payback. The story follows several 12 and 13-year-old kids who discover they're DNA replicas of some of the worst criminals in history and have to go on the run. Each book builds directly on the last with bigger twists and more suspense.
What is the Masterminds series about?
A group of kids in a small, perfect town discover they're actually part of an experiment. They're exact DNA clones of history's worst criminals, and they've been living as unknowing "lab rats." When they find out the truth, they go on the run. The plot twists kept me guessing the entire time, and there were so many surprises I didn't see coming. I gave this 5 Stars easily.
Is Masterminds similar to other Gordon Korman books?
Masterminds has more depth and suspense than most of Korman's other series. It's more of a thriller compared to the adventure-focused Everest and Dive series. The amount of detail and the twists make it stand out. If your kid loves Masterminds, they'll probably enjoy the Unwanteds series (similar "kids on the run" vibe) and the Kidnapped series, both on BookVine.
Masterminds is recommended for ages 10 - 14 (Grades 5th - 9th) with Lexile scores ranging from 730L to 730L.