Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)
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14 reviews
Overall rating
4.6
Plot
4.6(14)
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4.5(14)
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Unravel Me
Overall rating
5.0
Plot
5.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
This is the honestly the hardest review I have written. I had no words when I finished reading Unravel Me except for “All of the stars!” because really, this book deserves way more than that measly five. I actually had to sleep on it, to come down from the high it gave me, so that I could even form a coherent thought. Now I’m here, and I’m telling you all that Unravel Me is the best book of the year so far. At least for me. I don’t even care that I’m not really a fan of the flowery writing. In fact, I think it feels kind of out of place amongst all of the action and ass kicking. But Tahereh Mafi is some kind of storytelling genius. I could not get enough of this.
Unravel Me had me feeling way too many feelings. I cannot even identify them all, but one that I am sure of is giddiness. I could just feel myself getting more and more giddy the more pages I turned. I was getting light headed from anticipation, and I probably could have passed out at any time. That might be a really unhealthy reaction to have to a book, but I couldn’t control it. I received this book on a Tuesday, and read it straight through the very next day. I only took breaks to update my GoodReads and Twitter statuses. And to eat a brownie, which gave me tummy ache that I’m choosing to interpret as “Serves you right for putting the book down!”
Juliette starts out as a timid little mouse with rabies. You’re afraid she’ll bite you, but you don’t really think she will. Then she morphs into a jaguar with rabies, and you nearly pee your pants. Now she wants to bite you and she probably will, but you can’t turn away from her because she’s just so majestic. She’s scary. Juliette is so afraid of being seen as a monster and hurting someone, but she is downright terrifying in Unravel Me. I also feel like she’s quite unstable. That makes me a little happy because Warner is quite unstable, and then they can be unstable together, and everyone knows that two negatives make a positive. At least if you multiple them, but whatever. Juliette is bad ass, but I think she owes that to Kenji.
I was always oddly suspicious of Kenji, but now I adore him! He’s so full of himself and hilarious. He stole nearly every scene that he’s in. But he’s not only the jokester. He’s a great support for Juliette while she’s in emo mode. He essentially tells her to stop crying and put on her big girl panties. He’s not her babysitter. Juliette needs to take control of her powers before she kills someone, and Kenji knows all to well what her powers can do to a person.
Everything about this book is better than Shatter Me. Shatter Me does not even compare. I would say that Unravel Me is 62 times better than its predecessor, which I gave 4 stars to, so that means Unravel Me really gets 248 stars. It’s that simple. My biggest issue with the first book was quickly resolved in this one, and it made me super happy! Well, it made me kind of sad for Juliette and Adam, but I was glad that things weren’t that simple. I may not be on Adam’s team, but I still like him. I actually really enjoyed the romance, but I was really just waiting for Warner to show up…
CHAPTER 62!!! Warner doesn’t just magically appear that far in. He’s around much earlier than that making my heart flutter. But holy crap Chapter 62. Unravel Me was fantastic before I got that far. The rating in my head was hovering around 4.5 and 5 stars already, but that chapter just pushed it over the edge. I was ecstatic to get so much Warner. My feelings were floating on a warm Spring breeze beneath a rainbow and a unicorn flew by, then a tornado hit and shredded my feelings, deposited them in an abandoned field where they were promptly set on fire and turned to ash, then I inhaled the ash and couldn’t breathe. Then I died a little. That’s a pretty accurate description. There’s one quote that I really want to share, but it’s like a giant spoiler monster! It’s just so amazing! But I won’t, because you all need to go read it for yourself! It’s the bottom paragraph on page 394 of the US Hardback for those curious.
I might be rambling, but I beyond loved Unravel Me. When I finished I felt like sobbing. It’s not that the ending was particularly sad. I just didn’t want it to be over, and I was on emotional overload. I’m not even eager for the next book, because I’m still stuck in the pages of this one.
Unravel Me had me feeling way too many feelings. I cannot even identify them all, but one that I am sure of is giddiness. I could just feel myself getting more and more giddy the more pages I turned. I was getting light headed from anticipation, and I probably could have passed out at any time. That might be a really unhealthy reaction to have to a book, but I couldn’t control it. I received this book on a Tuesday, and read it straight through the very next day. I only took breaks to update my GoodReads and Twitter statuses. And to eat a brownie, which gave me tummy ache that I’m choosing to interpret as “Serves you right for putting the book down!”
Juliette starts out as a timid little mouse with rabies. You’re afraid she’ll bite you, but you don’t really think she will. Then she morphs into a jaguar with rabies, and you nearly pee your pants. Now she wants to bite you and she probably will, but you can’t turn away from her because she’s just so majestic. She’s scary. Juliette is so afraid of being seen as a monster and hurting someone, but she is downright terrifying in Unravel Me. I also feel like she’s quite unstable. That makes me a little happy because Warner is quite unstable, and then they can be unstable together, and everyone knows that two negatives make a positive. At least if you multiple them, but whatever. Juliette is bad ass, but I think she owes that to Kenji.
I was always oddly suspicious of Kenji, but now I adore him! He’s so full of himself and hilarious. He stole nearly every scene that he’s in. But he’s not only the jokester. He’s a great support for Juliette while she’s in emo mode. He essentially tells her to stop crying and put on her big girl panties. He’s not her babysitter. Juliette needs to take control of her powers before she kills someone, and Kenji knows all to well what her powers can do to a person.
Everything about this book is better than Shatter Me. Shatter Me does not even compare. I would say that Unravel Me is 62 times better than its predecessor, which I gave 4 stars to, so that means Unravel Me really gets 248 stars. It’s that simple. My biggest issue with the first book was quickly resolved in this one, and it made me super happy! Well, it made me kind of sad for Juliette and Adam, but I was glad that things weren’t that simple. I may not be on Adam’s team, but I still like him. I actually really enjoyed the romance, but I was really just waiting for Warner to show up…
CHAPTER 62!!! Warner doesn’t just magically appear that far in. He’s around much earlier than that making my heart flutter. But holy crap Chapter 62. Unravel Me was fantastic before I got that far. The rating in my head was hovering around 4.5 and 5 stars already, but that chapter just pushed it over the edge. I was ecstatic to get so much Warner. My feelings were floating on a warm Spring breeze beneath a rainbow and a unicorn flew by, then a tornado hit and shredded my feelings, deposited them in an abandoned field where they were promptly set on fire and turned to ash, then I inhaled the ash and couldn’t breathe. Then I died a little. That’s a pretty accurate description. There’s one quote that I really want to share, but it’s like a giant spoiler monster! It’s just so amazing! But I won’t, because you all need to go read it for yourself! It’s the bottom paragraph on page 394 of the US Hardback for those curious.
I might be rambling, but I beyond loved Unravel Me. When I finished I felt like sobbing. It’s not that the ending was particularly sad. I just didn’t want it to be over, and I was on emotional overload. I’m not even eager for the next book, because I’m still stuck in the pages of this one.
Awesome sequel, enjoyed Juliette even more in this one!
Overall rating
5.0
Plot
5.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
When the synopsis says that she has to make some hard choices, it is not exaggerating I thought it was just being fancy, but she is faced with a twist that I didn't see coming. And it makes her have to make choices about love that can kill, or breaking her own heart... and his?
I love the first book, and the second doesn't disappoint. We get to see more about Omega Point, and we get more of Kenji, who quickly became one of my favorite secondary characters. In Unravel Me, we see more of the day to day operations and Castle's research. The action is well written and the character development is superb. Juliette learns so much about herself and about stepping up, but she of course is still not perfect. She makes some mistakes that hurt to read about, and she literally couldn't make some of her decisions without hurting someone.
Besides the above mentioned twist, there are others that left me reeling. I finally began to see the appeal of Warner to an extent (this part of the review was written before I read Destroy Me) but I still go a little crazy for Adam He makes me happy just how much he adores her and how loyal he is to his family and what he believes in. Speaking of his family--James has grown up a little in this one and he is one of my fave characters besides the obvious choices.
Although I still think that Adam is the best for Juliette, I know that between what I have learned in this and Destroy Me, that I don't want Warner to get hurt. I don't know how that is going to happen, but I know I don't want it. Where Shatter Me was Adam's book, and it made me love him, and it seems like the main character always picks the first love, Unravel Me is Warner's book. We get to see more of that deep, emotional and scarred side of him. And we see more connection with Warner, because Juliette is afraid of hurting Adam. My mind doesn't even know what to think, and that is good writing when I can't make up my mind.
As usual, the pacing is great. There is always some sort of action going on, whether battles or character development. Or some scenes that will break your heart, or make you sigh because of the romance. The sequel is hot and I absolutely can't wait for the third.
Bottom Line: Awesome sequel, enjoyed Juliette even more in this one!
I love the first book, and the second doesn't disappoint. We get to see more about Omega Point, and we get more of Kenji, who quickly became one of my favorite secondary characters. In Unravel Me, we see more of the day to day operations and Castle's research. The action is well written and the character development is superb. Juliette learns so much about herself and about stepping up, but she of course is still not perfect. She makes some mistakes that hurt to read about, and she literally couldn't make some of her decisions without hurting someone.
Besides the above mentioned twist, there are others that left me reeling. I finally began to see the appeal of Warner to an extent (this part of the review was written before I read Destroy Me) but I still go a little crazy for Adam He makes me happy just how much he adores her and how loyal he is to his family and what he believes in. Speaking of his family--James has grown up a little in this one and he is one of my fave characters besides the obvious choices.
Although I still think that Adam is the best for Juliette, I know that between what I have learned in this and Destroy Me, that I don't want Warner to get hurt. I don't know how that is going to happen, but I know I don't want it. Where Shatter Me was Adam's book, and it made me love him, and it seems like the main character always picks the first love, Unravel Me is Warner's book. We get to see more of that deep, emotional and scarred side of him. And we see more connection with Warner, because Juliette is afraid of hurting Adam. My mind doesn't even know what to think, and that is good writing when I can't make up my mind.
As usual, the pacing is great. There is always some sort of action going on, whether battles or character development. Or some scenes that will break your heart, or make you sigh because of the romance. The sequel is hot and I absolutely can't wait for the third.
Bottom Line: Awesome sequel, enjoyed Juliette even more in this one!
Another Amazing Book from Tahereh!
Overall rating
5.0
Plot
5.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
This book rocks!
Good Points
Ok, I have finally gotten my thoughts together for this book. It took a lot of thinking, too. As you can see I really loved this book, just as I loved the first book. I must say that Mafi truly has an AMAZING gift. When I closed the book after the final page all I could say to myself was, "How am I EVER going to write a review for this book?"
Blurb from Goodreads:
tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.
Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.
She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.
Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.
In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.
Well now, doesn't the blurb just get ya to jump right in? After reading Destroy Me I have to admit that I had a bit of sympathy for Warner. I really didn't want to. I really wanted to hate him, but my stupid heart broke just a little and allowed him to shimmy his way in there. Grr....that's what I say to you Mafi!
And as soon as I read Destroy Me, I knew my view of this entire series would turn around and I could not wait to get my hands on this book. I knew that it would blow my mind and have me questioning where my loyalties lie.
I will spare you the quotes and pictures, the little videos and ideas that constantly pop into my mind as I think about this book. It's totally turned my brain to much, and flipped my heart upside down. Instead, I'll tell you what I thought of the characters and the plot, of Mafi's writing and of the emotions that were pulled right out of my body.
Juliette, as in Shatter Me, was an amazing character in this book. She's strong, while still being feminine and maybe just a bit unsure. The self loathing she had in book 1 has fallen away to reveal a woman who is starting to understand herself more and more. Yes, she has such a struggle inside her. She loves Adam, but feels a mysterious draw to Warner. He invades her mind, seeping into cracks she thought she had long sealed. And not only does she struggle to understand where these emotions are coming from, but she continues to struggle with trusting others, not to mention herself. Yet, she becomes this stuck of dynamite, this power of change, this woman who is strong and begins to embrace who she is and uses it to her advantage.
Adam, well, he's Adam. Smart, sexy, loving, amazing. And my heart totally and completely breaks for him. I cried when I learned of his power. I cried when I learned what it would do to him and Juliette. His power actually forces him to withdraw into himself and away from Juliette. It killed me to watch this struggle. And, despite how Mafi has swayed my heart, Adam will always be my sweetheart, will always have his hold over my heart. His pain completely shattered me. He became this mushy, lumpy mess who didn't know how to handle himself. It was such a complete change from the strong manly person we met in the first book.
And then there's Warner. What can I say. He's a force to be reckoned with. And what a surprise to find out exactly why he is able to touch Juliette. I didn't expect it at all. But, my oh my, his need to have Juliette is totally overpowering in this book. And, he completely turns Juliette inside out. She doesn't know what to do with herself and her overwhelming feelings for him, or why they even exist She inexplicably drawn to him. And despite my wanting to hate him, I find him sexy and so totally hot I felt like I would burst into flames. He's such a tortured soul, and this made me bend for him.
And Kenji, oh my Kenji. I love him. I love his humor. He makes me want to give him a huge, and sometimes I want to smack the sense into him. But my favorite thing about him is that he's straight forward and no nonsense. He tells things as it is. I can honestly say that he truly became a friend to Juliette. Someone she could lean on and trust. I need to see more Kenji for sure!
Mafi's writing is amazing. She has such a way with work. Her prose are poetic and all encompassing. Her words flow off the page so smoothly. She made my pulse race. My heart actually hurt inside my chest, the ache was so real I found myself pressing my hand against my sternum. She made me want to devour the book and turn the page despite the hurt it might cause. I had no idea where things were going or where they would end up. And the ending, oh boy, it just put things all out there. And there were so many awesome moments in this book there was no way I could list them all here and be satisfied. I would have to paste and copy the whole book!
So, this is definitely 5 stars from me. And it makes me yearn for the next installment. At the same time, I am mad at myself that I jumped right on it and read it so fast, because now I have to wait that much longer to crawl back into this world. I will be very sad when this series comes to an end for sure. Well done, Ms. Mafi, you are a truly a genius of words!
Blurb from Goodreads:
tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.
Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.
She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.
Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.
In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.
Well now, doesn't the blurb just get ya to jump right in? After reading Destroy Me I have to admit that I had a bit of sympathy for Warner. I really didn't want to. I really wanted to hate him, but my stupid heart broke just a little and allowed him to shimmy his way in there. Grr....that's what I say to you Mafi!
And as soon as I read Destroy Me, I knew my view of this entire series would turn around and I could not wait to get my hands on this book. I knew that it would blow my mind and have me questioning where my loyalties lie.
I will spare you the quotes and pictures, the little videos and ideas that constantly pop into my mind as I think about this book. It's totally turned my brain to much, and flipped my heart upside down. Instead, I'll tell you what I thought of the characters and the plot, of Mafi's writing and of the emotions that were pulled right out of my body.
Juliette, as in Shatter Me, was an amazing character in this book. She's strong, while still being feminine and maybe just a bit unsure. The self loathing she had in book 1 has fallen away to reveal a woman who is starting to understand herself more and more. Yes, she has such a struggle inside her. She loves Adam, but feels a mysterious draw to Warner. He invades her mind, seeping into cracks she thought she had long sealed. And not only does she struggle to understand where these emotions are coming from, but she continues to struggle with trusting others, not to mention herself. Yet, she becomes this stuck of dynamite, this power of change, this woman who is strong and begins to embrace who she is and uses it to her advantage.
Adam, well, he's Adam. Smart, sexy, loving, amazing. And my heart totally and completely breaks for him. I cried when I learned of his power. I cried when I learned what it would do to him and Juliette. His power actually forces him to withdraw into himself and away from Juliette. It killed me to watch this struggle. And, despite how Mafi has swayed my heart, Adam will always be my sweetheart, will always have his hold over my heart. His pain completely shattered me. He became this mushy, lumpy mess who didn't know how to handle himself. It was such a complete change from the strong manly person we met in the first book.
And then there's Warner. What can I say. He's a force to be reckoned with. And what a surprise to find out exactly why he is able to touch Juliette. I didn't expect it at all. But, my oh my, his need to have Juliette is totally overpowering in this book. And, he completely turns Juliette inside out. She doesn't know what to do with herself and her overwhelming feelings for him, or why they even exist She inexplicably drawn to him. And despite my wanting to hate him, I find him sexy and so totally hot I felt like I would burst into flames. He's such a tortured soul, and this made me bend for him.
And Kenji, oh my Kenji. I love him. I love his humor. He makes me want to give him a huge, and sometimes I want to smack the sense into him. But my favorite thing about him is that he's straight forward and no nonsense. He tells things as it is. I can honestly say that he truly became a friend to Juliette. Someone she could lean on and trust. I need to see more Kenji for sure!
Mafi's writing is amazing. She has such a way with work. Her prose are poetic and all encompassing. Her words flow off the page so smoothly. She made my pulse race. My heart actually hurt inside my chest, the ache was so real I found myself pressing my hand against my sternum. She made me want to devour the book and turn the page despite the hurt it might cause. I had no idea where things were going or where they would end up. And the ending, oh boy, it just put things all out there. And there were so many awesome moments in this book there was no way I could list them all here and be satisfied. I would have to paste and copy the whole book!
So, this is definitely 5 stars from me. And it makes me yearn for the next installment. At the same time, I am mad at myself that I jumped right on it and read it so fast, because now I have to wait that much longer to crawl back into this world. I will be very sad when this series comes to an end for sure. Well done, Ms. Mafi, you are a truly a genius of words!
There are no words!!!!
Overall rating
5.0
Plot
5.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
ARC received from HarperTeen
Release Date: 2-5-2012
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Undeniably and Irresistibly Unforgettable
It might be called Unravel Me, but I want nothing more to be tangled up in Mafi’s world! I loved Shatter Me more than words can describe, so I was just hoping that this second installment would live up to the first. Oh how my hopes were tossed to the stars when this sequel captured my heart even more than the first!!!! Laced with secrets and hidden agendas, catapulted into the void between good and evil, and filled to the brim with unwavering and unrelenting love—from page 1, Tahereh’s world will entrap you within its web.
I just love, love, love the language and metaphors that Tahereh uses in her novel. Many people find it annoying, but I think it’s breathtakingly beautiful. Poetic and truthful, it cuts to my soul. Now you might think I’m exaggerating or being too “oh my she’s awesome,” but I really have never had a reaction to writing like I do to Tahereh’s prose.
“These sticks and stones may break my bones, but these words, these words will kill me.” ARC, pg. 279
Ah! I just love it. I can feel the sorrow seeping from Juliette’s heart—knowing what people say about her—that she’s dangerous, untrustworthy, ready to explode. Juliette can take all the physical pain in the world—I mean, she was locked away for so long without any comforts or communication; but words? They can cut you more deeply than anything, and the way that Tahereh shows this…my words can never do her genius justice.
One way I know if a book is memorable is whether or not I like the heroine. Like I’ve said before, it’s easy to right a swoony guy. But a girl that will keep my attention and gain my confidence? That’s difficult to do. But Juliette had me rooting for her from the first page of the first book, and I will continue rooting for her until the very end. She’s strong and brilliant, and she doesn’t let the bleak and the hopeless break her. She stands firm and fights for her cause—even if it means she could die. She’s willing to give up everything, and for that, I admire her.
I loved that we got to know Warner even more in this book. We see a side that is so surprising and so heartfelt, and I do believe many girls will start to waver between Adam and Warner. I know I did—I was Adam all the way in Shatter Me, but now, there is a part of me that wants Juliette to love Warner. It’s like they are Catherine and Heathcliff—two souls that reach out and recognize each other, through all the pain and fear. I won’t say much more about what we learn about Warner because it is so great to get to read and discover his truth for yourself!
My only complaint—and it’s not really even a complaint, it’s just an observation, really—there wasn’t much Adam in this book. There were so many steamy scenes with them in the first book, and I loved seeing them feed off each other, but there weren’t many scenes with them together in this book. I understand why she did this, though, because this installment was more about Warner and Juliette’s discoveries as opposed to Adam’s, but I think some readers will find themselves missing him.
Steam.
Longing.
Truth.
Betrayal.
Power.
Unravel Me has it all. This is a series I will never hesitate to recommend to everyone—even the stranger in the elevator! Full of life and death, love and hate, fear and power; Unravel Me will bring you to the edge of your seat, and come the end of the book, it will kick you right over the edge! Now I just have to wait until 2014…oh, the horror!
ARC received from HarperTeen
Release Date: 2-5-2012
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Undeniably and Irresistibly Unforgettable
It might be called Unravel Me, but I want nothing more to be tangled up in Mafi’s world! I loved Shatter Me more than words can describe, so I was just hoping that this second installment would live up to the first. Oh how my hopes were tossed to the stars when this sequel captured my heart even more than the first!!!! Laced with secrets and hidden agendas, catapulted into the void between good and evil, and filled to the brim with unwavering and unrelenting love—from page 1, Tahereh’s world will entrap you within its web.
I just love, love, love the language and metaphors that Tahereh uses in her novel. Many people find it annoying, but I think it’s breathtakingly beautiful. Poetic and truthful, it cuts to my soul. Now you might think I’m exaggerating or being too “oh my she’s awesome,” but I really have never had a reaction to writing like I do to Tahereh’s prose.
“These sticks and stones may break my bones, but these words, these words will kill me.” ARC, pg. 279
Ah! I just love it. I can feel the sorrow seeping from Juliette’s heart—knowing what people say about her—that she’s dangerous, untrustworthy, ready to explode. Juliette can take all the physical pain in the world—I mean, she was locked away for so long without any comforts or communication; but words? They can cut you more deeply than anything, and the way that Tahereh shows this…my words can never do her genius justice.
One way I know if a book is memorable is whether or not I like the heroine. Like I’ve said before, it’s easy to right a swoony guy. But a girl that will keep my attention and gain my confidence? That’s difficult to do. But Juliette had me rooting for her from the first page of the first book, and I will continue rooting for her until the very end. She’s strong and brilliant, and she doesn’t let the bleak and the hopeless break her. She stands firm and fights for her cause—even if it means she could die. She’s willing to give up everything, and for that, I admire her.
I loved that we got to know Warner even more in this book. We see a side that is so surprising and so heartfelt, and I do believe many girls will start to waver between Adam and Warner. I know I did—I was Adam all the way in Shatter Me, but now, there is a part of me that wants Juliette to love Warner. It’s like they are Catherine and Heathcliff—two souls that reach out and recognize each other, through all the pain and fear. I won’t say much more about what we learn about Warner because it is so great to get to read and discover his truth for yourself!
My only complaint—and it’s not really even a complaint, it’s just an observation, really—there wasn’t much Adam in this book. There were so many steamy scenes with them in the first book, and I loved seeing them feed off each other, but there weren’t many scenes with them together in this book. I understand why she did this, though, because this installment was more about Warner and Juliette’s discoveries as opposed to Adam’s, but I think some readers will find themselves missing him.
Steam.
Longing.
Truth.
Betrayal.
Power.
Unravel Me has it all. This is a series I will never hesitate to recommend to everyone—even the stranger in the elevator! Full of life and death, love and hate, fear and power; Unravel Me will bring you to the edge of your seat, and come the end of the book, it will kick you right over the edge! Now I just have to wait until 2014…oh, the horror!
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