Criminal Destiny: Chapters 1–5

by Gordon Korman
In this second book of the Masterminds trilogy, Amber Laska, Eli Frieden, Tori Pritel, and Malik Bruder decide they must commit small crimes in order to reveal the truth about the illegal cloning project that had created them.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–12, Chapters 13–20, Chapters 21–28
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. smorgasbord
    an assortment of foods served as a buffet meal
    “Good news—we got leftover pizza and some fried chicken—” Kevin’s eyes fall on the smorgasbord of food serving as poker stakes.
  2. billowing
    characterized by great swelling waves or surges
    Two moving bumps scramble out and begin frantically trying to fold the billowing silk.
  3. drawl
    speak in a slow and drawn out way
    “That’s fascinating,” drawls Malik. “And I should care about this because...?”
  4. windbag
    a person who talks a great deal about uninteresting topics
    “Just give him a few more minutes to go through the usual song and dance,” Randy soothes. “He’s not a bad guy, if you don’t mind windbags. Reminds me of your old man a little bit.”
  5. engrossed
    giving or marked by complete attention to
    She’s completely engrossed in a news broadcast. We’ve all been media-obsessed since leaving Serenity.
  6. flush
    turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
    “Spying on the neighbors.” Malik clucks disapprovingly. “Not very Serenity-like. This is going to bring down your grade in Contentment class.”
    She flushes.
  7. ingenious
    showing inventiveness and skill
    The problem is this: Where do you get evil babies? My “father,” Felix Frieden—actually, Hammerstrom—came up with a solution that’s as awful as it is ingenious: you clone them—from evil adults.
  8. wholesome
    characteristic of physical or moral well-being
    Project Osiris took DNA from some of the worst criminal masterminds in the prison system and created eleven clones—the four of us, poor Hector, and six others still in Serenity. If a sweet, wholesome upbringing can turn the scum of the earth into ordinary citizens, it proves that there are no bad people, only bad environments.
  9. depraved
    deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper
    Then there’s the little detail that we are exact copies of some of the most depraved criminals ever.
  10. bound
    very likely; almost certain to happen
    “I mean, we can’t stay here forever. Sooner or later, the teachers who run this place are bound to notice they’ve picked up a few extra kids.”
  11. galvanize
    stimulate to action
    We’re galvanized into action.
  12. practically
    almost; nearly
    We’ve been best friends practically since birth.
  13. relish
    derive or receive pleasure from
    Win or lose, I’m not going down without a fight. To my surprise, I’m almost relishing the idea.
  14. languish
    experience prolonged suffering in an unpleasant situation or place
    For the first time ever, I think of the criminal I’m cloned from, languishing in a prison cell somewhere.
  15. throng
    a large gathering of people
    This is Tori’s cover—hundreds of other kids, all milling around in the general confusion. I wish I’d thought of it.
    “Follow me!” cries Randy, leading us into the throng.
  16. resigned
    accepting that something unpleasant cannot be changed
    “It’s not like this thing can outrun a chopper anyway,” Malik adds in a resigned tone.
  17. lurch
    move haltingly and unsteadily
    The SUV swerves off the road, lurches over some scrub brush, and bumps up onto pavement again, a narrow curved ramp.
  18. sheer
    complete and without restriction
    It’s just a clash of everybody doing their own thing, at the same time, in the same space. But it’s also messy the way a forest is messy, with its thousands of species of plant life, growing every which way. The sheer chaos of it is what makes it cool.
  19. nix
    command against
    “We could make a break for the woods,” I suggest. “A chopper can’t land there.”
    Eli nixes that idea. “Then we’d be stranding ourselves. They could take their time, and come and get us at their leisure.”
  20. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    At the center of the sea of cars is a sprawling terminal building.
  21. obscure
    make unclear or less visible
    We wait until we’re almost at the entrance before she leads us into another line, and then a third, this one partially obscured by a shelter.
  22. airily
    in a manner that is overly casual or lacking seriousness
    “Sixteen,” I reply airily. “I’m meeting some friends to do research for a school project.”
    Funny. Back in Serenity, they taught us that lying was just about the worst thing you could ever do.
  23. assorted
    consisting of a haphazard variety of different kinds
    “Well, maybe that guy over there,” I add, indicating a ragged man seated against the wall in a huge carton, padded with assorted grimy blankets and pillows.
  24. teeming
    abundantly filled with especially living things
    The sidewalks are teeming with pedestrians.
  25. defiantly
    in a rebellious manner
    Then I stand there defiantly, waiting for him to give me a hard time about it.
  26. muse
    reflect deeply on a subject
    “Everybody’s so mean,'' Tori complains.
    “I don’t think they are,” Eli muses. “They’re just busy. They’ve got places they have to go and things they need to do.”
  27. buffet
    strike against forcefully
    At last, quiet—and a chance to stand still without being buffeted from all sides.
  28. elaborate
    developed or executed with care and in minute detail
    He makes an elaborate show of handing her his watch, his wallet, his cell phone, and a gold pinkie ring.
  29. discordant
    lacking in harmony
    A discordant note sounds in my head, one that extinguishes any exhilaration I might feel at my first glimpse of a real city.
  30. mezzanine
    intermediate floor just above the ground floor
    “It’s about choice,” Tori explains, peering up at the mezzanine at rack after rack of colorful dresses.
  31. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    “I wish I had my iPad,” Eli says wistfully.
  32. prod
    urge on; cause to act
    “Don’t keep us in suspense,” Malik prods.
  33. prompt
    assist by suggesting the next words of something
    “And when the cops ask us who we’re clones of?” Malik prompts.
    “We’ll tell the truth,” I reply readily.
  34. trump card
    a final factor or resource that determines an outcome
    I play my trump card. “It isn’t just about us, you know. There are six more kids just like us still in Serenity under Osiris’s thumb. We owe them the same chance at a life that we want for ourselves.”
  35. concede
    admit or acknowledge, often reluctantly
    “Good point,” Eli concedes.
  36. futile
    unproductive of success
    Eli takes off down the block in a futile attempt to keep up with the car.
  37. deftly
    in an agile manner
    Deftly, Eli copies the information, calls up a map program, and pastes the details into the search field.
  38. mull
    reflect deeply on a subject
    “What do I say?”
    I mull it over.
  39. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    “It’s not your fault you got cloned from some crook who wouldn’t know the truth if she tripped over it. Look at the bright side. At least she’s not a murderer.”
    “You’d better hope,” I seethe.
  40. tasteful
    in keeping with what is considered appropriate and stylish
    In Serenity, everything is brand-new and really nice: tasteful colors, rich fabrics, stylish furniture.
Created on Mon Mar 11 15:39:22 EDT 2024 (updated Tue Mar 12 15:15:03 EDT 2024)

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