Showing posts with label aarene storms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aarene storms. Show all posts

Book review by Aarene Storms: Knuckle & Potty Destroy Happy World

Saturday, July 21, 2012


Knuckle and Potty Destroy Happy World  by James Proimos
Cartoon characters Knuckle the Tiger and Potty the Bear are tired of being cute, sweet, huggable and wholesome.  They want their author (and artist) to portray them as tough and awesome...but how can fictional animals convince Outer World people to change?  It will take a special cartoon De-Zonking device and some quick thinking to change Happy World!

Silly slapstick narration by cartoon animals with attitude?  Oh yeah.  Hand this book to the kid who has read Captain Underpants a million times.   Or read it yourself.  I won't tell.  Ages 6 to adult.

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS 

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Book Review by Aarene Storms: Grave Mercy

Friday, July 13, 2012

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

The daughter of Death is determined to serve him...no matter what happens.

The year is 1485, and young Ismae is rescued from a potentially brutal marriage by a local hedgewitch, who recognizes the terrible scars on the girl's back as a mark of her true parentage: her father is Mortain, the god of death. Spirited away across Brittany, Ismae ends up at the convent of Saint Mortain, where she is instructed by nuns in the skills needed to serve their god: poisoning, fighting with swords, knives and crossbows, as well as the miscellaneous useful skills for assassins and spies, tactfully referred to as the "womanly arts."

Leaving the convent for the first time as a trained killer, Ismae's assignment is to journey in the disguise of "cousin" (mistress) with handsome Gavriel Duval to the castle of the young Duchess of Brittany, and kill whoever needs killed in order to protect and support the duchess. Sometimes the killing is quick and ruthless; occasionally, it is an act of kindness. But when the order comes for Ismae to kill Duval, she looks beyond her convent education for answers.

An engaging narrative voice and colorful world-building turn a predictable plot into an exciting tale of romance and intrigue. The book is first in a trilogy, but stands alone well. No cussing and limited gore; contains violence and references to lusty situations, but the sex occurs off-page and late in the book. References to "old gods" masquerading as "modern saints" may bother some readers.

Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult who enjoy historical and supernatural romances with strong female characters.

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS


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Book review by Aarene Storms: The Half-Life of Planets

Wednesday, July 4, 2012


The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin

"I am not a slut," says Lianna in the opening line of this dual-narrator novel. 

Lianna doesn't ever go farther than kissing with boys, but she has kissed a lot of boys.  Does that make her promiscuous?  She isn't sure.  To answer the question, Lianna embarks on a self-imposed scientific inquiry: to see what changes in her life when she focuses her attention on her summer research project and refrains from kissing boys.  Then, she meets Hank.

Hank has never kissed a girl, but he would really like to try it -- and when he meets Lianna, who doesn't seem freaked out by his atypical interest in (and continual babble about) music, he thinks that he would like to kiss her.  Hank, however, has a very typical Asperger's Syndrome inability to read social cues, and so he isn't sure if Lianna wants to kiss him.  Intellectually, he has learned the meanings of conversation gambits and body language, but the details remain mysterious to him.

The narrator perspective bounces between Lianna and Hank, giving readers insight into both characters ... and an opportunity to laugh more than once at each of the interactions between them. 

This is a fun summer book for readers who enjoy snappy conversations and rock-and-roll trivia, with lots of humor and a tear or two.  No sex, no violence; a few kisses, minimal cussing, and references to off-page masturbation.  Recommended for ages 14 to adult.

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS



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Book review by Aarene Storms: Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller

Tuesday, June 26, 2012


Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller  by Joseph Lambert

At the age of 19 months, Helen Keller became sick with an unknown illness (now believed to be scarlet fever) and as a result became blind and deaf.  For several years, her parents tried to teach her at home, but were unable to communicate with the child.  In desperation, they contacted the Perkins Institution for the Blind, the school in Massachussets which had gained fame 40 years earlier for educating Laura Bridgman, another deaf-blind student.  The Perkins Institution sent Annie Sullivan to be a governess to young Helen...and it was Miss Sullivan, called "Teacher" by Helen, who finally broke through Helen's handicap. 



This graphic novel tells the story of the relationship between Teacher and Helen Keller in remarkable pictures.  Many of the panels are narrated by Annie, extracted from letters she wrote to the head of the Perkins Institution.  Annie tells the story of her struggles with Helen, with the Keller family, with the oppressive climate and social conditions of the post-war South, and also flashes-back to her own troubled childhood in Boston, as a sight-impaired but highly-motivated student at Perkins.  The narration also relates a troubled chapter in the relationship between Helen, Annie, and the school, which occured when a charming story written by Helen was revealed to be almost identical to a short story published in 1889 by Margaret Canby.

Engagingly-told, with panels that draw the eye through even the painful bits of the story. A guide to discussion is included at the end of the book.  No cussing, no nekkidness.  Highly recommended for ages 10 to adult. 

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS



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Book review by Aarene Storms: Bumped

Friday, June 22, 2012


Bumped by Megan McCafferty
In this up-tempo dystopian novel, teen pregnancies are not only normal, they are vital.

A virus renders everyone over the age of 18 infertile, making teen pregnancy essential for the survival of humanity. Humanity has responded to the crisis by dumping societal norms upside-down, and now pregnant teens and pre-teens are considered the apex of beauty and the center of importance.  Children and pre-adolescents play at "bumping", young girls wear "MyTurn Tees" and and Preggerz FunBumps (with real skinfeel and in-uterobic activity!), and 16-year-old twins Melody and Harmony have only two years remaining until obsolesence. 

Melody is a contracted pro-pregger, who has signed with an agent to produce a very expensive delivery that will pay for a top-notch college as well as her adoptive parents' debts.  Harmony, raised in a conservative Amish-esque community, has run away from her adoptive family to bring her newly-found twin into a state of grace with God.

Absolutely nothing goes as planned.

The twins trade the narration back-and-forth as the situation gets increasingly complicated.  Fun slang and the twist on cultural values almost mask important messages about teen sexuality, sibling rivalry, religious tolerance, and the difficulty of living a life different from the life that parents and society expect.

Lots of talk about sex and sexual situations, but nothing happens on the page. Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult. This book would be interesting to discuss and contrast to Libba Bray's Beauty Queens.

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS 

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Book Review by Aarene Storms: Stickman Odyssey

Wednesday, June 20, 2012


Stickman Odyssey  by Christopher Ford

If the Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Percy Jackson had a child, that child would be Stickman:  an updated-epic, wise-cracking graphic novel of ancient Greece drawn in stick-figures.

Zozimos, kingly heir to Sticathia, escapes from his evil stepmother and is lost at sea.  He must find his way home, past golems, giants, and kings determined to imprison him for centuries, and is continually hindered by his own self-centered idiocy.  Befriended by some unlikely characters, Zozimos grows a bit but mostly hacks his way through the countryside with a (stick-figure-drawn) sword and many amusing turns-of-phrase. 

Action, adventure, stick-figures and poop jokes.  If you like that stuff (and I do), you'll love Stickman Odyssey!  No sex, drugs, or rock-and-roll.  Recommended for readers (especially boys and reluctant readers) ages 10 to adult

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS   




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Book Review by Aarene Storms: Purity

Sunday, June 3, 2012


Purity by Jackson Pearce

Just before 10-year-old Shelby's mom died, she made Shelby promise three things: to love and listen to her father. To love as much as possible. And to live without restraint. 

Now Shelby is 16, and her father has asked Shelby to join him in attending the Princess Ball, an annual father-daughter event that culminates with the girls taking a vow of purity. Shelby panics at the thought of a conflict between Promise One and Promise Three--how can she live an unrestrained life if she vows to live a pure life?

Aided by her friends, Shelby tries to exploit a loophole in the process by losing her virginity before taking the purity vow...but she has mixed feelings. 

Although the plot sounds fluffy, this story is filled with great characters.  I laughed frequently, and needed a hanky for the final chapter.  Purity is a quick, fun read, recommended for readers ages 14 and up.

On-page but non-graphic sex; no cussing, no blood, no violence, some under-age drinking.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true.  --R. Silvern

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS   


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Book Review by Aarene Storms: The Scorpio Races

Wednesday, May 16, 2012


The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater
audiobook read by Steve West and Fiona Hardingham 

Each year in November, the water horses come out of the ocean to race on the sand.  The water horses are swifter than regular horses; they are wilder...and they are killers.

19-year-old Sean Kendrick was orphaned years ago by the water horses, but he can't help loving them.  He returns each year to the Scorpio Races, and he usually wins.  This year, there is more at stake than just money: this year, Puck Connolly is racing against him, and she needs to win.

Breathtaking action and suspense will keep the pages turning late into the night.  With the action comes blood and a bit of gore, but the energy that starts on page one sustains readers through the icky parts, balanced by the sweet, tentative beginnings of an unlikely courtship between Sean and Puck.

Minor cussing, some blood/gore, some violence between people as well as between the water horses and their victims.  A little romance and a little magic.  Highly recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.  The audiobook features the talents of two excellent readers and is also highly recommended.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true.  --R. Silvern
Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS


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Book Review by Aarene Storms: Cinder

Monday, March 26, 2012

By Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS


Cinder by Marissa Meyer

In this re-told story with a sci-fi twist, Cinder is a teenaged cyborg with two stepsisters and a stepmother who hates the "subhuman" left in her care. While working as an android mechanic in the public market, Cinder meets up with the charming Prince Kai, who invites her to the fancy ball being held in his honor ... but Cinder knows that her stepmother will never allow her to attend.

Fairy tale elements are artfully re-cast, with the story returned to its original Chinese roots; however, futuristic New Beijing is very different from the ancient city. The fairy godmother is a household droid with a "defective" personality; the pumpkin coach is an ugly vintage motorcar (one suspects an orange VW Bug!), and the glass slipper is a too-small cyborg foot that doesn't attach securely enough to Cinder's artificial leg. The plot is relatively predictable, but the ending is a cliff-hanger that will be continued in the second part of the projected 4-volume series.

Recommended for readers who enjoy folktale retellings, romance, and futuristic societies, ages 12 to adult. No cussing, nekkidness, or excessive violence. There is (of course!) a kiss.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern


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Book Review by Aarene Storms: Entwined

Sunday, February 19, 2012

By Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

Entwined, by Heather Dixon,
Audiobook read by Mandy Williams

Princess Azalea is the eldest of many sisters, and heir to throne of Eathe. When her mother dies giving birth to the twelfth princess, her father the king declares that the entire household will observe mourning for an entire year: no playing in the garden, no colorful dresses, and worst of all: no dancing. The princesses are determined to dance...and when they discover a secret, magical ballroom beneath the fireplace presided over by the handsome and magical Mr. Keeper, it seems like the perfect solution. But Mr. Keeper has darker plans for the princesses...and for the kingdom.

This delightful retelling of Grimm's classic tale about twelve dancing princesses has a few charming twists. The characters of Azalea and her sisters as well as the king and a few remarkable princes and ministers make for an enchanting read. Although the original tale was also inspiration for Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball (2009), readers will find that this story is darker and more satisfying.

The audiobook is deftly read by Mandy Williams, who manages to gracefully convey the differences between twelve dance-obsessed daughters without tripping either herself or the listener.

No cussing or nekkidness. Some charmingly clandestine kisses and lots and lots of dancing. Recommended for readers ages 10 to adult.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern

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Book Review by Aarene Storms: Bluefish

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

By Aarene Storms,
Youth Services Librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz

Travis is a loner at a new school in a new town. He figures it will be like the old place, except the old place had his dog Rosco and this place doesn't. To his surprise, the new school has a few things the old one didn't have, including a smart, loud-mouthed girl called Velveeta and a reading teacher who is not going to give up on Travis.

Read this book for the wonderful, complex characters and the complex relationships between each of them...and be ready to cheer in triumph at for at least one of them.

As Travis' grandpa would say, "no sex, no drugs. Only rock 'n roll." This book doesn't need any more than that!

Highly recommended for grades 6 and up.
The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern


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Book Review by Aarene Storms: A Long, Long Sleep

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

By Aarene Storms, youth services librarian

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Technically, Rosalinda Fitzroy is 16 years old, however, she was born nearly 100 years ago. Locked away in chemically-induced slumber inside a stasis tube, Rose peacefully slept through the Dark Times that killed millions of people and left her orphaned...and heir to the enormous UniCorp fortune. Now that she's been kissed awake by the handsome Brendan, Rose must find her place in a world that is completely different from everything she has ever known.

This fresh retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story goes beyond a simple recasting of an old tale into a science fiction framework. Rose is a fully-realized character with deep flaws that she tries desperately to hide from the world, including herself. The futuristic world, ruled by mega-corporations like UniCorp, is just possible enough to be frightening, as well as fascinating.

Cuss words have changed in the future, so they are not offensive to 21st century readers. There is a very tactful incidence of Star Trek sex, so smoothly written that I almost missed it entirely.

Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern

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Book Review by Aarene Storms: All These Things I've Done

Saturday, October 1, 2011

By Aarene Storms, 
Youth Services Librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

16-year-old Anya is the heir to to the "family business": chocolate.

In the year 2083, chocolate is a controlled substance, and Anya's family is a modern mafia, importing chocolate and other prohibited luxuries to New York. Her parents were both killed in mob hits, leaving Anya in charge of a younger sister, a brain-injured older brother, and a dying grandmother. Anya considers herself the least romantic girl in the world...until she falls in love with Win Delacroix, the son of New York's new assistant DA.

Then Anya's ex-boyfriend nearly dies from eating a poisoned bar of Balanchine Chocolate, and the story begins to twist and turn and twist again.

Crime, drama, chocolate, forbidden romance...and this is only the first book! At least two more in the Birthright series are already in the works.

This book contains some sexual situations (including a steamy "near miss" scene in a hotel room) with no actual body parts on the page. There is no cussing, some not-very-bloody mob violence, and several scenes of alcohol consumption by teens; in 2083, alcohol is legal for all ages, but coffee is not.

Recommended for ages 14 to adult.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern

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Book Review by Aarene Storms: After the Golden Age

Friday, September 23, 2011

By Aarene Storms, Youth Services Librarian, Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn

Forensic accountant Celia West is the daughter of superheroes Captain Olympus and Spark, but her only "talent" seems to be a gift for getting kidnapped and held for ransom. When the insane supervillian Simon Sito (aka The Destructor) is captured and prosecuted for tax evasion, Celia finds her chance to help bring evil to justice. However, her investigation uncovers a conspiracy that might be the key to the origin of Commerce City's superheroes...and more.

Fast action, excellent writing, great characters, a unique setting, a little romance, and some tactful off-page sexual situations. This book is written and published for adults, but it will be welcomed by teen readers of superhero fiction.

Highly recommended for ages 14 and up.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern

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Book Review by Aarene Storms: For the Win

Thursday, September 15, 2011

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

Audio book read by George Newbern

All over the world, kids play video games...for money. They don't make much money, of course. Their bosses make most of the money, selling virtual treasure--magic swords, talking mushrooms, and virtual gold--to rich gamers who are too lazy to play the games and earn treasure for themselves. Virtual economies are big business...which is why the mysterious woman called Big Sister Nor is determined to organize the sweatshop virtual workers of the world into a real-life union.

Doctorow has written about an uninteresting topic with such riveting action that I found myself deeply immersed in the tale. Embedded in the story of the Webblies are mini-lectures about economics, politics, and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), which somehow, miraculously, are fascinating rather than boring.

The audio book read by George Newbern was so captivating that I found myself volunteering to drive anywhere, preferably somewhere far away, so that I could spend more time in my truck with the characters in the book.

Highly recommended to readers who love gaming...and also to readers who don't love gaming but do love a good book.

Ages 12 to adult; no sex, some violence, some cussing (in several languages).


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Book review by Aarene Storms: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Monday, September 12, 2011

By Aarene Storms, Youth Services Librarian, Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

In 1986, the new owner of the old Panama Hotel in Seattle discovered stacks of boxes and crates in the basement--boxes which contained the precious belongings of Japanese families abruptly rounded up and sent to internment camps at the beginning of World War II. The narration of this story jumps between the life of Henry Lee as a Seattle-born Chinese boy in 1942, and Henry Lee as a man in 1986 who remembers the deliberate dismantling of Seattle's Japantown by white and Chinese civil leaders...and the loss of his Japanese-American childhood sweetheart Keiko, who went to the Minidoka Camp with her family and never returned.

Weaving historical strands of Chinese-Japanese conflicts in Seattle, fear of the "Yellow Peril,' and wartime jazz music in Seattle, this modern story rings with remembrance and regret...and love.

Highly recommended for readers 14 to adult; especially recommended for book discussion groups.
No sex, minimal cussing; the violence is mostly off-page.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern

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Book review by Aarene Storms: How to Get Suspended and Influence People

Saturday, August 27, 2011

By Aarene Storms, Youth Services Librarian, Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

"How to Get Suspended and Influence People" by Adam Selzer

14-year-old Leon sarcastically narrates the events that result when he decides to make an avant-garde sex ed movie as an assignment for his "gifted and talented" class. Leon's video is weird but comforting, irrational but informative...and very quickly, banned at school.

Quick, quirky, and fun, Leon and his classmates address some common contradictions found in public schools, where masturbation is often called normal but more often considered vulger, where nudity may be classical but still censored, and where kids and adults will never see eye-to-eye.

This fast-paced novel will appeal to middle readers who wonder what "normal" is and if they will ever be it. Ages 12 to 16. No violence, some cuss words, frequent references to nudity, body parts, and all the other things that absolutely fascinate 14-year-old boys. This book has a few on-page kisses, but everyone stays fully clothed, even when the garage blows up.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern


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Book review by Aarene Storms: Five Flavors of Dumb

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

By Aarene Storms, Youth Services Librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

"Five Flavors of Dumb"  by Antony John
Piper is a high school senior in Seattle who just might be the best possible manager for the rock band called "Dumb". After all, Piper is deaf, and can't hear how bad the band sounds. Besides, since her parents dipped into Piper's college funds to pay for cochlear implants for her baby sister, Piper needs money.

Piper's business savvy is the real key to success for Dumb: she recognizes their strengths, and helps them to strengthen their weaknesses. However, Piper's savvy stops at "business"; she is remarkably dense when it comes to recognizing that one of the musicians loves her.

Piper is not a "deaf character"; instead, she is a terrific character with strong opinions, a terrific sense of sarcastic humor (she names her terrible old car the USS Immovable), a deep connection to her family, and a connection to deaf society that may be new territory for many readers. The Seattle setting is integral to the plot, as Piper and Dumb chase around the city in search of the musical history of rock and roll icons Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain.

Extra stars are awarded for the author's note acknowledging the definitive biographies of Hendrix and Cobain written by Richmond Beach resident Charles R. Cross.

Highly recommended for readers ages 14 and up. The narrative contains references to the rock-and-roll drug/alcohol culture, but there is no on-page drug use or sexual situations. The romance is sweet and satisfying.
The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern

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Book review by Aarene Storms: Ghostopolis

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

By Aarene Storms, Youth Services Librarian, Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

"Ghostopolis"  by Doug TenNapel
Garth Hale has been diagnosed with a fatal disease, but he's not ready to die yet. However, when a horse skeleton gallops through his bedroom one night, Garth grabs it and accidently gets zapped into the afterlife, where he and his friends (some living, some not-so-living) pit themselves against the evil Lord Vaugner of Ghostopolis.

Quirky narration, with some tiny funny sub-plots and lots of energetic artwork. 

Give this graphic novel to readers who enjoyed Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book, or to viewers who enjoyed Tim Burton's film The Corpse Bride. 

No sex or drugs or cussing, but plenty of dead stuff.

Ages 10 to adult.
The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern

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Book review by Aarene Storms: Half Brother

Saturday, July 9, 2011

By Aarene Storms, Youth Services Librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

"Half Brother" by Kenneth Oppel

13-year-old Ben Tomlin is accustomed to to parents making important decisions without any regard for his preferences or feelings. They've done it his whole life. 

But it seems to Ben that he might at least be asked if he wants to move across the country from Toronto, ON to Victoria BC so that his parents can pursue a new research project. 

Ben isn't very enthusiastic about adding a baby chimpanzee to the family at first. Gradually, however, teaching Zan sign language becomes Ben's project.

And then, the project funding fails.

Thoughtful and sweet, the story explores the boundaries of scientific ethics as well as the relationship between animals and people. The emotional sub-plot of Ben's experiences with his family and his first girlfriend are funny and pertinent as well.

Highly recommended for ages 12 to adult. Minimal cussing; some tame sexual situations between young teens are tactfully addressed.
The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern


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