Masterminds By Gordon Korman
Growing up in a town like Serenity has its perks: there’s no crime, no poverty, and honesty is valued above all. Kids like Eli, Randy, Tori, Amber, Malik and Hector are 13 years old and have known each other their entire lives. In their small town of 185 people, they pretty much know everybody.
People in Serenity like the town so much that they never leave. No one ever goes away on vacation, or even for a shopping trip to a bigger town. And strangely, this tiny town has its own security force called the Surety (known by children as the Purple People Eaters). Theoretically, they are the security guards at the big Plastics Works that employs practically everyone in town. But they also act as a police force.
It’s hard to imagine that “America’s Ideal Community” would need a police force…
Eli and Randy, eager for fun, decide to take a bike ride out of town. As soon as they leave the limits of Serenity, Eli is completely debilitated by overwhelming pain. His blinding headache and terrible cramps make him unable to continue, and he falls off the bike. Before Randy can even think about what to do, the Surety descends out of the sky in a helicopter, scoops the boys up and returns them to the safety of home.
Soon Randy is whisked away to live with his grandparents in another town. Something strange is going on in Serenity. And Eli, Tori, Amber, Malik and Hector are going to figure out what it is.
As they begin to investigate, much is revealed about their origins. In fact, they discover that their parents have been keeping secrets from them since the beginning. Secrets – in a town where everyone is always honest. Or so they thought.
The kids of Serenity are determined not to be fooled anymore. So without telling their parents, they decide to matters into their own hands and embark on a thrilling adventure…
Fast-paced and suspenseful, Masterminds is a book that can’t be put down! The first in a trilogy, Masterminds will keep kids reading, no matter what kinds of books they normally enjoy.