Masterminders

by Tara Basi, Graeme Maughan (Editor), Chris Coady (Illustrator)

From the cauldron of a small Catholic primary school playground on the weather-beaten Small Island, Bobby and Terry set about tackling the world’s most intractable Global Warming, Women’s Troubles, Politics, Revolution, War and more. Beset by bullies, nuns and hormones, our duo and the occasional apprentice relentlessly pursue knowledge and truth with only logic, the odd exploding gerbil experiment and chocolate to protect them from the terrors of the playground.The story is told from Terry’s often confused perspective as he plays Alan Davies to Bobby’s Stephen Fry. The boys’ philosophical explorations of the human condition lead them to riches beyond understanding, poverty so crushing that a single wine gum is out of reach, the heights of power and the helplessness of unrequited infatuation – all under the reign of the Power Three, the playground’s bully trio of Tony, George and, Terry’s impossible love interest, Madge.Terry and Bobby are aided in their quests by the Small Island’s residents, including the disgraced ex-world-sheep-throwing champion Mr McStrumpy; Mr McTater, the island’s only butcher who is obsessed with perfecting the ultimate seagull sausage; bookshop owner, would-be author and faux-paedophile Mr Dicklightly; the crazed whirling dervish that is Dimple; and the ever-present Mr Singh, owner of the Small Island’s post office cum Sweet and Chips Emporium with Tent Café. Meanwhile, Terry’s dad is missing and his penniless mum is endlessly distracted by a bitter custody battle while holding down three jobs; and Bobby’s dad is very sick. Resilient as double-gusseted underpants, the pair battle through the four seasons of the school year to discover the eternal truths of life, death, friendship and the simple blessings of tofu-free chips. Masterminders was shortlisted for the Novel Prize.

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2014

Reviews

[Pary · Rating 4 out of 5]

[i]Masterminders[/i] by Tara Basi is a satirical coming-of-age novel that follows two primary school boys, Terry and Bobby. After their local public school closes, they are forced to attend a Catholic school run mostly by nuns because their families cannot afford a private education. To survive the strict rules of their new school and defend themselves against bullies, Bobby forms a group called the Masterminders, with himself as the leader and Terry as his loyal assistant. Together, they come up with clever and often funny plans to organize festivals and shows, win competitions and exams, and solve the many problems they face at school. Through these adventures, the boys learn about friendship, family, and the challenges of growing up.

The story is told from Terry's first-person point of view, which helps readers understand his thoughts and feelings. Terry is kind, loyal, and sometimes confused, making him an interesting and believable narrator. One of the ongoing parts of the story is his crush on Madge, a girl who is also one of the playground's toughest bullies. His feelings for her lead to many funny and awkward situations, while also showing the innocent side of childhood.

Instead of telling one long story, the novel is made up of different adventures, with each chapter focusing on a different topic. Through Bobby and Terry's ideas and experiences, the book explores subjects such as politics, economics, culture, religion, war, family life, and friendship. Even though these are serious topics, they are presented in a humorous way that is easy to understand. The novel also introduces many unusual and memorable characters, including strict nuns, school bullies, and the colourful people who live on the Small Island.

Although the novel is well organized and easy to follow, I did not find it consistently engaging. The story moves from one episode to another instead of building toward a strong climax. Because of this, there is not much suspense or mystery to keep readers excited about what will happen next. However, the humour, interesting characters, and thoughtful ideas make the novel enjoyable to read.

Overall, [i]Masterminders[/i] is a funny and imaginative novel with memorable characters and meaningful themes. It offers an enjoyable mix of humour and social commentary, even if it is not very fast-paced. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven stories and satire. I therefore give this book [b]4 out of 5 stars[/b].

[Keisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterminders by Tara Basi is a hilarious and smart novel centered around the antics of two primary-schoolers, Bobby and Terry. Using fantastic schemes, they attempt to tackle some of today’s toughest issues. From global warming, human rights, and bullying to female issues, like punctuation madness and erectile dysfunction.

Mostly succeeding with innocence and unexpected self-assurance that only children can pull off, they navigate the ever-changing corners of their Catholic School playground and the small eccentric island community they inhabit. The wonderfully brilliant schemes thought up by the “…intellectual heavyweight” Bobby, begins the same, with his signature pants hitch ( a sign he is truly thinking). Then each usually consists of an initial pitch to whomever they can use to pursue their current goals. Ultimately, the ideas work in favor of the boys more times than not.

The story is told through the eyes of Terry, as he is willingly lead, on a year-long journey of intellectual pursuits. Armed with knowledge found in Discovery Channel DVD’s, Bobby and Terry scheme towards making the world a better place for all. Masterminders has a relatively small rotating cast consisting of other island residents. Each character is another bright, funny, eccentric, and well-developed addition to the narrative. For instance, Mr. Dicklightly and Dimple, these are easily two of the most eccentric, funny, and imaginative characters found in the pages.

My favorite character has to be Madge. Although not directly involved in all the crazy shenanigans of these boys, she is always somehow mentioned, because of Terry’s infatuation with her. Her character changes and grows from over-powering bully to unlikely ally. Also, of the three bullies, she is the most intelligent and inquisitive.

I rate Masterminders 5 out of 5 stars. I truly enjoyed reading this novel. There are no offensive scenes or language in this novel. I laughed out loud and almost cried too. Tara Basi did an excellent job with this story. I would recommend Masterminders to both young adult and adult readers alike that enjoy funny, intellectual novels from unique points of view.

[Arya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book interesting in many ways, but unfortunately I couldn't fully resonate with it. While there were aspects of the story that captured my attention and made me curious to continue reading, I never felt completely connected to the narrative or the characters. Because of this, it was difficult for me to become emotionally invested in what was happening and I often felt somewhat detached from the overall experience.

One of the main reasons for this was the language. As a non-native English speaker, I found the book quite challenging to read and understand. The vocabulary was often complex and some sentences required more effort than I expected to fully comprehend. There were several moments when I had to reread passages multiple times to understand their meaning, which slowed down my reading pace and made it harder to stay immersed in the story.

I also felt that I may have missed some of the nuances, references or subtle details in the writing because of my level of English. This made it difficult for me to fully appreciate certain scenes and themes. At times, I was so focused on understanding the language itself that I could not completely engage with the emotions or ideas the author was trying to convey.

Despite these difficulties, I can still recognize that the book has several strengths. The premise is intriguing and there are moments that stand out for their creativity and depth. I appreciate the effort and thought that went into writing it, even if it didn't leave a strong personal impact on me.

Overall, my experience with this book was mixed. I found it interesting and worthwhile in some respects, but my struggles with comprehension significantly affected my enjoyment. Because of that, I was unable to fully connect with the story and its characters, which prevented the book from truly resonating with me.

[Julie Whitley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wild ride

I loved this story! It was a crazy wild ride with two friends, Terry and Bobby, and their wilder schemes, and their perceptions that were close, but just off enough to be hilarious. Terry learns a lot in the company of his brilliantly off-kilter friend and his lessons culminate in a result he could have never imagined.

[Faith Ruggiero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterminders is the funny, sweet, and mischievous story of two young boys navigating adult issues. The strongest aspect of this story is the characters. From the first page, the characters are vividly described, and the reader immediately falls in love with them. While all the characters are well done, the main characters, Bobby and Terry, are the true stars of the story. Both characters are well-developed, complex individuals with compelling arcs. At first, Bobby seems like a fair-weather friend, a little cold toward Terry, using him only for his schemes and benefit, while Terry is a naïve follower needing Bobby's help and approval for everything he does. By the end, Bobby becomes a caring friend who truly loves and appreciates Terry’s friendship, and Terry learns how to do his own thing by creating his own successful scheme without any help from Bobby. Additionally, the parallels between Bobby’s dad being sick and Terry’s dad abandoning him and his mom give both characters motivation and camaraderie. The other characters, such as Madge, George, Tony, Tiny Tim, Mr. Singh, Mother Superior, and Maria, were also well-developed, and each had their own distinct arc.

The choice to have the boys dealing with traditionally adult issues like women’s rights, culture, death, etc., was a good choice. While neither boy fully understood the issues they were trying to fight for, it was entertaining and inspiring to see these issues through the eyes of children, for example, how they thought global warming was a good thing because it would make it warmer after they were outside freezing. There were also a few funny and interesting plot twists throughout that help to keep readers engaged, like the implication that Maria is a pole dancer. The writing choices the author made throughout were excellent and helped pull the whole book together. Additionally, the worldbuilding was really well done, as the reader could truly imagine this small island the kids were on. The ending was a little rushed, but that can be forgiven, as that was the best ending possible for everyone involved.

Masterminders is an incredible book about the wonders and hardships of childhood. The work the author put into the story is clearly shown through its flawless editing and imperfect yet lovable characters. I rate this book a five out of five stars.