Criminal Destiny: Chapters 13–20

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
40 words 15 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. wallop
    a severe blow
    “Maybe he didn’t tell the police about us because he doesn’t remember,” Tori puts in. “He took a pretty major wallop.”
  2. contemptuously
    without respect; in a disdainful manner
    “Nothing like cash to say ‘Don’t go away mad; just go away.’” Contemptuously, she opens her hand and allows the five hundreds to flutter down to the soft shoulder.
  3. blanch
    turn pale, as if in fear
    He examines the blood smear and blanches.
  4. larceny
    the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
    We’re wanted for evading custody, breaking and entering, petty larceny, and grand theft auto.
  5. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
    “The metal’s too strong,” he says in consternation.
  6. chalet
    an alpine house or cottage with a steeply sloping roof
    We finally find a small storm-shuttered ski chalet flying a tattered Chicago Bears flag, and leave the Bentley behind the house, out of view of the road.
  7. figment
    a contrived or fantastic idea
    We’re feeling everything all at once: triumph that we’ve found it; relief that this un-place we come from isn’t a figment of our imaginations; and plain fear that we’re putting our hard-won freedom at risk by going back there.
  8. rut
    a groove or furrow
    The Splash! truck bounces and rattles over every bump and rut.
  9. dinky
    small and insignificant
    It always looked dinky to me; it looks dinkier now. The entire street grid would fit easily inside the little Denver neighborhood where the Campanellas live. A pimple on the landscape.
  10. flak
    intense adverse criticism
    The door is open at least three inches, and I know Mom’s not going to be happy about that. One of her favorite lectures is “We’re not paying to air-condition the entire state of New Mexico...” Dad’s going to catch some flak over this.
  11. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
    The acrid smell hits us almost immediately. Smoke—not dense, billowing clouds, but a light gray haze in the air.
  12. jar
    affect in a disagreeable way
    Even when we know the truth, it’s jarring to see Serenity’s pride and joy laid bare as an empty shell.
  13. heedless
    characterized by careless unconcern
    I get down on my hands and knees and start sifting through the mess, heedless of the fact that gray grit is beginning to cover me from head to toe.
  14. lament
    express grief verbally
    “Who cares?” Malik laments. “We’ll never be able to read it. We came all this way, and for what? Happy Valley wins. We may be the masterminds, but they’re the ones who are always a step ahead.”
  15. jettison
    throw away, of something encumbering
    Me, I’m just thrilled to jettison the pink and sequins.
  16. flashy
    tastelessly showy
    Me, I’m just thrilled to jettison the pink and sequins. Way too flashy.
  17. deadpan
    without betraying any feeling
    “There’s a word we weren’t allowed to learn,” she drawls, deadpan.
  18. mottled
    having spots or patches of color
    The ink is still mottled, but the blotches have shrunk to the point where definite letters are now visible.
  19. painstakingly
    in a very careful manner
    But with my artist’s eye, I can envision the lines as they were being formed, and painstakingly put it together, letter by letter.
  20. digest
    arrange and integrate in the mind
    “We have seven names, but there are four more that we can’t read. That adds up to eleven, which is a very familiar number. Eleven of us—eleven clones.”
    The earth stands still as we digest this.
  21. racketeering
    engagement in an illegal enterprise carried on for profit
    Federal, state, and local police charged Alabaster with 147 counts of crimes ranging from armed robbery to racketeering to conspiracy to commit murder.
  22. undaunted
    unshaken in purpose
    “Cool?” I echo. “He’s a ruthless criminal who’s spending the rest of his life behind bars!”
    Malik is undaunted. “But when he was out he had six houses, fourteen cars, two yachts, and a private jet!”
  23. rile
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    Even in jail, she still spends most of her time riling up the other inmates to riot against the guards.
  24. conscience
    motivation deriving from ethical or moral principles
    The woman is a toxic mixture of anger, mule-headedness, and zero fear. She has absolutely no conscience.
  25. rabble-rouser
    political leader who seeks support by appealing to passions
    The last thing anyone would want is a rabble-rouser like that loose on the streets.
  26. radical
    far beyond the norm
    Mickey Seven is a radical extremist and a mad bomber!
  27. extremist
    a person who holds radical views
    Mickey Seven is a radical extremist and a mad bomber! And the fact that we share a lot of the same beliefs makes it scarier!
  28. swindler
    a person who steals by means of deception or fraud
    Last on the list is C. J. Rackoff, swindler, embezzler, and Ponzi schemer.
  29. embezzle
    appropriate fraudulently to one's own use
    Last on the list is C. J. Rackoff, swindler, embezzler, and Ponzi schemer.
  30. lapse
    pass into a specified state or condition
    “Always bent out of shape because he was being left out, or he wasn’t getting his fair share of something. Poor shrimp.” He lapses into a melancholy silence.
  31. melancholy
    characterized by or causing or expressing sadness
    “Always bent out of shape because he was being left out, or he wasn’t getting his fair share of something. Poor shrimp.” He lapses into a melancholy silence.
  32. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    “C. J. Rackoff?” Malik is incredulous. “Doesn’t it feel bad enough to lose Hector without having to go look at his middle-aged evil twin?”
  33. panhandle
    a narrow strip of land projecting from a larger area
    “C. J. Rackoff is serving seven consecutive twenty-year sentences at the Kefauver Federal Detention Facility in the Texas panhandle, near a town called Haddonfield.”
  34. consortium
    a cooperative association among institutions or companies
    On the side is the logo of the New Mexico Pinto Bean Consortium, which Frieden found on the internet.
  35. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    I make a point of being nowhere near the wheel by the time the attendant saunters over.
  36. knack
    a special way of doing something
    The days of Frieden hogging all the driving are over. I think I’ve got kind of a knack for it.
  37. stoutly
    in a resolute manner
    “What an awful place,” Tori whispers.
    “Take a good look at it,” Amber says stoutly. “This is where our parents are going when we prove what they did. Or somewhere exactly like it.”
  38. venture
    put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation
    “We’re all cloned from people who are behind bars in prisons just like this,” Tori ventures timidly. “Is this how we’re going to end up?”
  39. humble
    low or inferior in station or quality
    She’s already standing there with the door open, grinning widely. “Welcome to our humble abode.”
  40. abode
    housing that someone is living in
    She’s already standing there with the door open, grinning widely. “Welcome to our humble abode.”
Created on Mon Mar 11 15:39:44 EDT 2024 (updated Tue Mar 12 16:27:24 EDT 2024)

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