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Cover of Masterminds: Criminal Destiny

Young Adult · 2016 · PG

Masterminds: Criminal Destiny

by Gordon Korman

On the run from Serenity, the clones discover exactly whose DNA they were made from.

"A terrific page-turner, full of unexpected twists and revelations. Buckle up!"—James Patterson The second book in the acclaimed, action-packed series from New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman. Stranger Things fans, don't miss this trilogy! The clones of Project Osiris are free—but they’re being hunted. After their narrow escape from their “perfect” hometown, Eli, Tori, Amber, and Malik are finally in the real world and determined to expose the leaders of Serenity. They decide to track down Tamara Dunleavy, the mysterious billionaire and founder of Project Osiris. Evading capture by

For10+GenreYoung AdultLength320 pagesRead time~6 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

A lot

Reviewers flag more gore and action than the opener: pursuit by armed adults, injuries during escapes, and Amber's violent outbursts against her own team

Language

Barely any

Mild

Sexual Content

None

None noted

Substance Use

Some

The children remain subject to the medication regime established in book one, and pharmaceutical control of behavior is a recurring theme

Emotional Intensity

A lot

The core dread is genetic determinism — each child learns which infamous criminal they were cloned from and has to decide whether that decides them

What this book is about

Kirkus was cooler on this sequel than the first book, noting that Amber's "poor impulse control, manic tendencies, and violent outbursts" drive much of the trouble, and that the rotating point of view is confusing. On content, reviewers note this volume has more gore, more double-crossing and more action than book one — the kids are being hunted across state lines and their criminal parentage keeps surfacing as a fear about who they are. Serenity's sanitized sports, chosen to exclude violence, are a running motif.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

More gore and action than the first book

A team member with violent outbursts

Children fearing they are destined to be criminals

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