Time of Iron #1: Long Live Evil – Sarah Rees Brennan

When you’re given the opportunity to turn your impending The End into To be continued…, you take it.

Rae, who life cruelly cast in the role of the character most likely to stop breathing by the end of the chapter, is very nearly at the end of her story when she rediscovers something she hasn’t felt for the better part of three years: hope. Rae enters the pages of her favourite series and proceeds to set about rewriting her story.

Being cast as the villain is an upgrade for this once upon a cheerleader. Rae takes her new found energy (and breasts) and runs with it. Of course, things go off script quicker than you can say ‘plot twist’ but being the villain is complicated. There’s the scheming, the management of other’s expectations, the inconvenient feelings…

“Don’t you dream of the forbidden? Choose wrong. Choose evil. Let’s do it together.”

Rae is so relatable and there were other characters I met in the pages, like Key and the Golden Cobra, who I definitely need to spend more time with. It didn’t hurt that this portal fantasy takes place in one of my book nerd dreams, the pages of a beloved book. Oh, the places I would go…

But villains. Because ethics aren’t as high on their agenda, villains tend to be more interesting, complicated characters and I’m an absolute sucker for mwa-ha-ha moments. I’ve got to be honest with you, though. I keep hoping I’ll encounter a villain that gives me Hans Gruber vibes and I don’t think I’ll be completely satisfied until I find one.

This book was a bit of a complicated read for me. I was absolutely hooked by the beginning and the end but the middle contained sections that dragged on for me. For a while it felt like the entire reason for Rae being there was put on hold to focus on the dramas playing out between other characters, but when it got going again it really got going.

It wasn’t until I was about halfway through that I realised this was the first in a series. (Apparently my attention to detail is not what it used to be.) I found this frustrating because by the time the next book is released the urgency to need to know what happens next may have faded. With how this book ends, I hope I don’t have to wait too long.

“Time to take evil to the next level.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A tale for anyone who’s ever fallen for the villain…

When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series.

She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she’s not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor’s tale.

So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they’re doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor’s fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.

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Alchemical Journeys #2: Seasonal Fears – Seanan McGuire

Cover image of Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire

Melanie and Harry are the couple I didn’t know I needed and that’s saying something because my usual response to anything even approaching lovey dovey is “Bleurgh!” Because Melanie and Harry love one another in a world Seanan created, their love isn’t bleurgh. At all. It is everything!

She’s his fairy tale. The only one he’s ever wanted.

In this, the second book of the Alchemical Journeys series, Seanan expands the world of Roger and Dodger, Hunger Games style.

Melanie, the “overmedicated cheerleader”, and Harry, the quarterback, are the love of each other’s lives but they’ve always known Melanie’s heart condition came with a deadly countdown. But what if there was a way they could be together beyond high school? At a cost, of course.

Some of my favourite characters from Middlegame make an appearance here and I love them more than ever. You really should read Middlegame first for much needed background and because it’s one of my favourite reads of all time.

This book also gave me some new favourites. There’s Diana, who doesn’t get a lot of page time but she truly leaves her mark. There’s Aven, who … wants. There’s Jack, who hasn’t had enough training for this but is going to do her best to make up for lost time.

“All right, this is where things get weird.”

Seanan always introduces me to characters that stay with me long after the last page. I finished this book six weeks ago and I’ve spent more time than I should probably admit thinking about Melanie and Harry. I’ve also spent a lot of time trying (and failing) to come up with the perfect words to describe my love for their story.

Seanan always gives me so many sentences to highlight. Sometimes they’re about the characters or their circumstances but, more often than not, what I’m highlighting are things that make all the sense in the world but make me pause and wonder why I never thought of it like that before. Seanan just gets people, in all of our beauty, struggles and depravity.

People who think a pretty girl is prettier when she doesn’t know it are people looking to take advantage of a pretty girl who doesn’t understand the danger she’s in

Sentences like that just stop me in my tracks.

I didn’t think I’d ever find a series to rival Wayward Children but here we are. I’m sure that Seanan isn’t capable of writing a bad book.

Favourite no context quote:

“It’s all about the symbolism from here on out, buddy,” she says. “Symbolism and murder.”

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

The king of winter and the queen of summer are dead. The fight for their crowns begins!

Melanie has a destiny, though it isn’t the one everyone assumes it to be. She’s delicate; she’s fragile; she’s dying. Now, truly, is the winter of her soul.

Harry doesn’t want to believe in destiny, because that means accepting the loss of the one person who gives his life meaning, who brings summer to his world.

So, when a new road is laid out in front of them — a road that will lead through untold dangers toward a possible lifetime together — walking down it seems to be the only option.

But others are following behind, with violence in their hearts.

It looks like Destiny has a plan for them, after all…. 

“One must maintain a little bit of summer even in the middle of winter.” — Thoreau

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A Bold Pumpkin Plan – Katy Hudson

Cover image of A Bold Pumpkin Plan by Katy Hudson

Hedgehog is ready for a change. After building the same house year after year, he’s planning something new this year.

Something brighter. Something bolder.

Like many introverts, Hedgehog’s imagination is big and so is his attention to detail. He figures out the perfect plan to make his perfect home a reality, but the best laid plans of mice and men (and hedgehogs) often go awry.

Opening yourself up to change in one area of your life often generates change in others. It isn’t long before Hedgehog has the opportunity to overcome obstacles.

Although he probably wants to roll up into a ball and hide, Hedgehog chooses to be courageous, being clear about what his needs are and accepting help from others.

Mouse offers to help

Along the way, Hedgehog and I gain much needed confidence and learn that while alone time is so very important for introverts like us, we also need others in our life.

I love Katy Hudson’s books. She’s one of my favourite illustrators, bringing the struggles and triumphs of the most adorable animals to life. Their emotions are clearly portrayed and they’re always so relatable. Having read almost all of Katy’s previous books, I was delighted to find a few familiar faces amongst the pages.

The words are just as rewarding as the illustrations. I see myself in so many of Katy’s characters so her books are always a good reminder of lessons I’ve learned along the way.

Like the stories that preceded it, I haven’t found the reread that’s one too many. I don’t think I will ever tire of this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone Editions, an imprint of Capstone, for the opportunity to read this picture book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A plan to build a unique home takes a timid Hedgehog on an incredible journey of self-discovery. From meeting new friends to conquering countless obstacles, Hedgehog tackles his house plan with a newfound confidence. Best-selling creator Katy Hudson (Too Many Carrots and Mindful Mr. Sloth) combines her stunning, detailed artwork with themes of friendship, problem solving, and self-awareness in this empowering picture book.

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Megalodons, Mermaids and Climate Change – Ellen Prager & Dave Jones

Cover image of Megalodons, Mermaids and Climate Change

Written by a marine scientist and a meteorologist, this is an interesting introduction to the ocean and the atmosphere. It answers questions about topics including the sea, sea creatures, coral reefs, the supernatural (or is it?), lightning, hurricanes, weather forecasting, extreme events, climate change and the sun.

I love fun facts and there are plenty here.

You’re more likely to be killed by a toaster than by a shark.

The only whale with an esophagus big enough to swallow a human adult is the sperm whale but they “dive thousands of feet to catch prey” so you’re very, very unlikely to be on the menu, even accidentally.

Starfish aren’t called starfish anymore! They’re known as sea stars now.

As sunlight enters the ocean, short-waved light like green and blue penetrate deeper. Long-waved red light is absorbed more quickly. So, below about sixty feet, without artificial light, everything appears blue-green.

… This includes blood.

When I was a kid, I was always on the lookout for books like this for school project research but it was too advanced for kid me. Adult me wavered between Didn’t I learn this at school? and That’s really interesting. I should have studied science after it became an elective at school. It probably would have been just right for teenage me but they would’ve thought it looked too much like homework.

For readers who are craving more answers, there’s a fairly extensive list of sources and additional information at the back of the book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Could ancient giant sharks called megalodons still exist in the deep sea? What should you do if stung by a jellyfish? Can we predict lightning strikes and how is climate change affecting hurricanes?

With humour, easy to understand language, and fun illustrations, marine scientist Ellen Prager and meteorologist Dave Jones use frequently asked and zany questions about the ocean and atmosphere to combat misinformation and make science engaging and understandable for all. From dangerous marine life, coral reefs, and the deep sea to lightning, hurricanes, weather forecasting, the Sun, and climate change, they reveal what’s fact, what’s fiction, and how to find science-based answers. This book is perfect for anyone curious about the world around them, educators, science communicators, and even scientists who want to learn about and explain topics outside their expertise.

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Louder Than Hunger – John Schu

Cover image of Louder Than Hunger by John Schu

It’s 1996 and Jake, an eighth grader, lives in suburban Chicago. He volunteers at a nursing home after school.

Jake’s mother is sad and his father is largely absent. His favourite person and best friend is his Grandma, who shares his love of Broadway musicals.

Jake loves all of Emily Dickinson’s poetry but one poem in particular speaks to him.

I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you—Nobody—too?

What speaks the loudest in Jake’s life, though, is the Voice. The Voice tells him not to eat and reminds him constantly how worthless he is.

I
punish
myself
day
after
day.

Why?

For
taking
up
too
much
space.

For
being
me.

For
breathing.

Jake has anorexia. His story is based on the author’s, which adds to the authenticity of Jake’s voice.

When Jake is sent to Whispering Pines for treatment, the reader is granted access to his thoughts and struggles. Along the way, we discover why Jake is trying so hard to disappear.

Every
single
day
I felt like I was on the outside,
looking in.

I read this book in one sitting. It was easy for me to relate to Jake, especially when he spoke about his connection to his Grandma. My Nan was also my favourite person and I saw some of her in the bond Jake had with his Grandma.

This was Jake’s story so the focus was always going to be on him but I would have liked to have learned more about the other young people being treated at Whispering Pines. We spent the most time with Kella but even she only felt like an acquaintance.

When I was Jake’s age, I also struggled with disordered eating. Unlike Jake, no one noticed what was happening with me so I wasn’t offered/forced into treatment.

However, I know firsthand the power of books, showing you that despite how you may be feeling, you aren’t alone. A book was what impacted me the most at the time.

My hope is that this story speaks to young people who have their own stories of disordered eating, that it gives them the courage to use their voice so they can access the support they deserve.

Make sure you take care of my boy!

Thank you so much to Walker Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A powerful, authentic verse novel exploring a teen boy’s experience with disordered eating, charting the successes and setbacks of his journey toward recovery.

Jake feels alone at school and alone at home. Some days it feels like the only people who understand him is the poet Emily Dickinson – and Jake’s beloved grandma. But there is also the Voice inside him, louder than any other, who professes to know him best of all.

The one that says “You have me.”

The Voice is loud enough to drown out everything else, even the hunger Jake feels, until his mum intervenes and sends him to Whispering Pines.

Here Jake will learn how to confront the loneliness inside him, and find out who he is and what he has to live for. That is, if he can quiet the Voice…

Told in succinct and powerful verse, this novel is a stunning and wholly authentic expression of a young man finding the will – and the power – to wrest control from the intrusive thoughts that crowd his mind.

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The Bright Sword – Lev Grossman

Cover image of The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

I’ve been keen to read a Lev Grossman book for years but, for one reason or another, the stars never aligned. When I saw this book, which promised a bunch of oddballs, I was sure it was for me.

I conveniently ignored the fact that I’ve never been that interested in the legend of King Arthur. Sure, I watched The Sword in the Stone when I was a kid but that doesn’t count.

Initially I was hooked. I really liked Collum, who’s on his way to Camelot.

“Oh, you’re too late for that.”

Unbeknownst to Collum, King Arthur is dead and all that’s left of the Round Table are the leftovers, the ones that didn’t die.

While I enjoyed the chapters that focused on the characters’ backstories, I found it difficult to get into the actual quest at hand and by a third of the way into it, it started to drag for me.

The writing really engaged me in the beginning so I don’t think it has anything to do with the author’s style. I’m actually more keen than ever to read The Magicians trilogy, which is one of my favourite TV series.

I don’t think this is a case of this not being the book for me. I think it’s the right book at the wrong time. Once I read The Magicians trilogy, I don’t think you’ll be able to keep me away from it.

“The sword’s in the sea, and the last ship has sailed.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Rey, an imprint of Penguin Random House, for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

When gifted young knight Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place on the Round Table, he quickly discovers that he’s too late: The king died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left.

And the survivors aren’t the heroes of legend either, like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill.

But it’s up to them to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance, even as God abandons Britain and the fairies and old gods are returning, led by Morgan le Fay. They must reclaim Excalibur and make this ruined world whole again.

But first they’ll have to solve the mystery of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell.

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I Was a Teenage Slasher – Stephen Graham Jones

I Was a Teenage Slasher cover image, featuring a belt

I will never tire of final girls. Against all odds, they have what it takes to survive. But for every final girl running for their life, there’s a slasher casually walking behind them and I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me cheering the slasher on. (Unless the final girl is Jade Daniels. She’s off limits.)

The body count can never be too high. The river of blood should be cascading. The more organs on show, the better.

I love watching slashers follow and, every so often, break the rules. I search every scene for potential weapons. Horror movie soundtracks tend to earworm their way through my life. (My texts tell me Jason is nearby. The Halloween theme is my ringtone.)

I always want to know what makes the slasher tick, though, and it’s not like they’re the chattiest bunch so a lot is usually left to my imagination. I get the flashback scene so I know what those camp counsellors were up to when they should have been making sure Jason’s lungs weren’t filing with water. Jason now? He’s doing some walking and some killing but he’s not exactly inviting me to sit in on his therapy sessions.

What makes him a slasher and not someone else? Someone like me?

Schting!

That’s where Tolly comes in. This is his story.

Places to be, people to eviscerate.

This is also Amber’s story. Tolly is writing this for his best friend, who he hasn’t seen for half a lifetime. While Tolly didn’t even know what a slasher was before all of this started, Amber knows all of the rules.

This time, we get to see insides become outsides from the slasher’s POV and with Tolly talking me through it, I finally got the inside scoop (sorry!) I’ve been waiting for. Tolly isn’t quite who I was expecting, though.

He’s a slasher with heart. No, not one he ripped from the chest of one of his victims. One who has the ability to make me tear up, because he’s just so relatable and I want everything to turn out well for him. (Is there ever going to be a Stephen Graham Jones book that doesn’t make me cry?)

These kids are my kind of outcasts. The fact that they’ve been cast in this genre is just a bonus.

Favourite no context quote:

If she’d had sad eyes earlier, then now what she was about to tell me was that the moon was hurtling toward the Earth, and our only shot at stopping it was to catapult all the Earth’s puppies up at it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

1989, Lamesa, Texas. A community driven by oil and cotton – a town where everyone knows everyone else’s business. 

Tolly Driver, seventeen, a good kid with more potential than application, exists on the outskirts with his best friend, Amber. They navigate the hellscape of the teenage social scene, sticking together in a place that doesn’t know how to be different.

But when they go to a fateful party at Deek Masterton’s house – a party that ends in a series of gruesome, brutal and extravagant murders – Tolly’s world gets flipped upside-down. Because some slashers are born in violence and retribution, some were born that way – and some were just in the wrong place, at the wrong time…

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These Deathless Shores – P.H. Low

This is Peter Pan, but not as you know it.

Hook is a once upon a time Lost Boy who was unceremoniously exiled (that’s putting it nicely) when she got her first period. Now an addict, she’s coming back to the Island with her ‘Twin’ because the Island has the drug she needs and the villain who’s overdue for some revenge.

The villain of this story is Peter. You know, Peter Pan. With laughter I heard in my head as Michael Jackson’s (yeah, my brain’s weird) and a bloodlust that probably shouldn’t have surprised me, this Peter deserves everything coming to him, and more. He’s an absolute asshole and I wouldn’t have lost any sleep if Jordan had pulled Peter’s skeleton from his body while he watched. I may have helped her.

In case it’s not obvious, this is not Disney, with its cutesy songs and pixie dust. Okay, there is pixie dust but its ingredients were not approved by Walt.

With a backdrop of feminist rage – being relegated to specific roles in society approved by the patriarchy, making yourself small in order to fit the mould – this is oftentimes a painful read. The legacy of childhood trauma, multifaceted and cruel, is at its heart, with battles waged both against others and internally.

“We become what we need to be in order to survive.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Jordan was once a Lost Boy, convinced she would never grow up.

Now, she’s twenty-two and exiled to the real world, still suffering withdrawal from the magic Dust of her childhood – and the drug she’s using to medicate that withdrawal is wreaking its final, fatal effects.

With nothing left to lose, Jordan returns to the Island and its stories – of pirates and war and the cruelty of youth – intent on facing Peter one last time, on her own terms.

But Peter isn’t the only malevolent force moving against her. As Jordan confronts the nature of Dust, first love, and the violent legacy carved into the land itself, she realises the Island may have plans of its own.

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The Wanderlands #1: The Failures – Benjamin Liar

I can’t do this book justice, no matter what I say, but I’m going to try. It’s epic: in scope, in scale and, yes, the slang works, too.

It’s a story of monsters, made by people and circumstance. It’s also about those that life tried to make into monsters but who, against all odds, kept their heart intact.

You’ll meet so many characters: complicated, multifaceted characters. Those who are overwhelmingly good will do bad things; sometimes for good reasons, sometimes not. The characters you will love to hate may surprise you with their capacity for good. No one is what they first appear.

You’ll meet Sophie, who saved the world when she just was a kid. She followed this feat with a couple of decades of debauchery with her friends, the Killers. Each Killer is carrying a secret from their past that could change everything.

There are Giants and Behemoths and made things that belong in your nightmares.

It’s dark and there’s the Dark. There are doors and Doors. You’ll encounter magic that creates and magic that destroys. This is a world where you follow your dreams.

You will need to pay attention. The details matter. If the door is red, remember there’s a red door because you may see it again and the fact that you remember it will tell you something the next time you encounter it.

With some characters living for lifetimes, there are plenty of backstories to catch up on. Alliances are formed and broken. Motives change over time. Names no longer fit as well as they once did.

This story is nonlinear. This is also where your attention to detail will be rewarded. Your reactions to reveals will likely run the gamut of “I knew it!’ to ‘Huh?’ to ‘OMG!’ Knowing what you now know, though, you’ll be eager for a reread to pick up clues you missed the first time around.

You will curse the fact that the next book hasn’t been published yet because you need it right now! In fact, you need the whole series, dammit!

But you’ll wait, because you don’t have any other option. There’s no other option, right?

While you wait, you’ll take the time to feel the warmth of the sun on your face. You’ll appreciate trees in a way you didn’t before. When you see a butterfly, a delight may bubble up in you that you haven’t felt in a long time.

You will wait and you will think about these characters who are neither all good or all bad, and you will look forward to the day you get to see them again.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and DAW Books, an imprint of Astra Publishing House, for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Welcome to the Wanderlands.

A vast machine made for reasons unknown, the Wanderlands was broken long ago. First went the sky, splintering and cracking, and then very slowly, the whole machine — the whole world — began to go dark. 

Meet the Failures.

Following the summons of a strange dream, a scattering of adventurers, degenerates, and children find themselves drawn toward the same place: the vast underground Keep. They will discover there that they have been called for a purpose — and that purpose could be the destruction of everything they love. 

The end is nigh.

For below the Keep, imprisoned in the greatest cage ever built by magicians and gods, lies the buried Giant. It is the most powerful of its kind, and its purpose is the annihilation of all civilisation. But any kind of power, no matter how terrible, is precious in the dimming Wanderlands, and those that crave it are making their moves. 

All machines can be broken, and the final cracks are spreading. It will take only the careless actions of two cheerful monsters to tip the Wanderlands towards an endless dark … or help it find its way back to the light.

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Worst Week Ever! #6: Saturday – Eva Amores & Matt Cosgrove

Justin Chase’s worst week is on the home stretch. He has officially made it through the worst week weekdays of his life.

Justin was thrown a curveball on Friday night and now it’s a whole new ball game, one with zombies! I must have been behind the eight ball because learning that Justin’s home backs onto a cemetery came out of left field for me.

It’s not any old cemetery either. It’s the Cemetery For Elite Athletes, which gives rise to the pole-vaulting dead. Literally. Athletic zombies mean Justin is definitely out of his league.

Not one to throw in the towel, though, Justin is going to try to Pac-Zombie himself, his family, Mia and Marvin (even Marvin) to safety.

On your marks, get set, run for your life!

Par for the course, Justin’s mortification is televised for all the world to see. Someone really needs to suspend Marvin’s tech privileges.

Nan’s gonna need a bigger swear jar, we’re reminded of the horrors of Lycra and I will never think of ‘stunned mullet’ the same way again.

Mia may not have had time to show us any of her drawings today but I was introduced to the holographic robot pirate shark ghost of my dreams.

Holographic robot pirate shark ghost

That’s a book I definitely need in my life…

It’s down to the wire now and I can’t wait to get acquainted with our feline overloads. If Captain Fluffykins’ grumpy face is any indication, the gloves are coming off and Justin’s going to have to keep rolling with the punches. Have our heroes got a sporting chance of surviving this impending cat-aclysm?

Matt and Eva keep hitting these books out of the park. What they’ve teed up for Sunday, I can only imagine. I can’t wait to watch from the sidelines. Until then, I’ll be holding my Cloppy Doppy plush toy tight in anticipation.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Have YOU ever had a BAD WEEK?

Justin Chase sure has, and THIS is it!

He miraculously made it through the mayhem of MONDAY, the trauma of TUESDAY and the weirdness of WEDNESDAY. He was throttled by THURSDAY and frazzled by FRIDAY! It’s time for a nice, relaxing weekend, right? WRONG!

Now it’s SATURDAY and Justin has to somehow survive a zombie apocalypse … and he lives next door to the cemetery for elite athletes!

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