After discovering the truth about their parentage in Masterminds (2014) ey've been cloned from criminal masterminds as part of a twisted experiment i, Malik, Tori, and Amber are on the run and desperately lost. In their manufactured hometown of Serenity, New Mexico, they were carefully shielded from reality, but without any understanding of how the world actually works, they can only rely on their wits to get by. Desperate times call for desperate measures, however, and since they're imbued with the street smarts and problem-solving skills of their criminal "parents," figuring out how to break into buildings and manipulate dimwitted adults is disturbingly simple. Though occasionally the kids' alternating first-person narratives sound too similar, Korman's cinematic adventure is packed with enough thrilling action and suspense to keep the pages turning. Additionally, he weaves in thoughtful questions. Does using their inborn abilities make the kids any better than their imprisoned progenitors? And at what point do desperate measures turn into crime? A late-breaking twist ensures another installment on the horizon in this highly entertaining series.

The kids from Project Osiris are on the run. Eli, Tori, Amber, and Malik, cloned from the DNA of criminal masterminds, have escaped from their illegal laboratory community of Serenity, New Mexico. Determined to expose the iniquities of Project Osiris, they first seek out Tamara Dunleavy, the reclusive billionaire who funded the experiment. When Dunleavy refuses to help, the quartet decides to find one of their criminal's "parents," hoping he will reveal the truth about Project Osiris. Hunted by the Purple People Eaters, Serenity's own security force, the clones are desperate. Forced to steal transportation and break into houses, they become the subjects of a national search. Perhaps their DNA has made them criminals after all.Korman's second volume in his Masterminds series is a true page-turner, as hairsbreadth escapes and cinematic chase sequences follow each other in swift succession, leaving the reader breathless. The clones, who tell their story in short alternating chapters, reveal their characters and personalities without slowing the narrative, making the novel ideal for reluctant readers. Middle school readers will laugh as the unsophisticated clones encounter such pop culture icons as zombies, fast food, and "The Bachelor." Korman provides sufficient backstory for readers unfamiliar with the first volume of the series. Some readers might question the criminal activities of the clones, including a prison break, car thefts, burglaries, and police chases, but middle school fans of Korman's novels will devour this title while anxiously awaiting the concluding volume in the series.Jamie Hansen.