Masterminds
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
The first book in the action-packed trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman is perfect for fans of Stranger Things and James Patterson.
Eli Frieden has never left Serenity, New Mexico...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.
A Secret Experiment: Eli and his friends think they live in a perfect town. They’re about to discover they’re not citizens—they’re subjects.Clones of Criminals: The shocking truth of Project Osiris connects these "perfect" kids to the DNA of the world’s most notorious villains.Kids vs. Adults: In Serenity, the people you’re supposed to trust most—your own parents—are the ones running the prison.An Unforgettable Escape: When the truth comes out, there’s only one option: a desperate, high-stakes breakout from the only home they’ve ever known.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Several teens learn that their idyllic small-town existence is a sham in this first entry in Korman's Masterminds series. Serenity, N.Mex., has the best standard of living in the country, with zero unemployment and total peace and prosperity. Thirteen-year-old Eli and his friends have never known anywhere else. Honesty, harmony, and contentment aren't just valued in Serenity, they're a way of life. Then Eli and the others start to notice odd things: when they try to leave town, they get sick; their Internet is remarkably sanitized compared to outside sites they accidentally come across; and some kids are considered special, while others are less so. After they discover the truth about why Serenity is so peaceful, they must face the fact that their lives have been ruled by a gigantic lie. Rotating among several young narrators, Korman builds tension as the mystery unfolds, leading to several surprise twists that upend the status quo. While an awful lot of dumb luck is involved in the kids' discoveries, this tense, fast-paced story will have readers racing toward the cliffhanger ending. Ages 8 12.
