What do you think?
Rate this book
Enter the Bluebird
Enter the Bluebird is the story of Julie Rouge, who's nearly 16 and can't wait to join her mother, the masked crimefighter Red Talon, patrolling the crime-ridden streets of New Edinburgh.
Unfortunately, Julie's mom has disappeared, and, while searching for her, Julie is going to discover that the city she calls home is even nastier, more corrupt, and riddled with toxic secrets than she ever knew.
Enter the Bluebird is a noir YA superhero novel about secrets and betrayal and violence and love.
Unfortunately, Julie's mom has disappeared, and, while searching for her, Julie is going to discover that the city she calls home is even nastier, more corrupt, and riddled with toxic secrets than she ever knew.
Enter the Bluebird is a noir YA superhero novel about secrets and betrayal and violence and love.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
213 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Brendan Halpin
20 books171 followersI grew up in Cincinnati, went to college in Philadelphia, and also lived in Taipei and Edinburgh along the way. I've lived in Boston since 1991.
I became a professional writer in 2000, writing about my late wife Kirsten's breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Kirsten died in 2003, leaving me and our daughter Rowen. I married Suzanne in 2005 and got her kids Casey and Kylie in the deal too. Bargain! Suzanne and I live with our three kids and dog in the shadow of Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, best neighborhood on earth.
I became a professional writer in 2000, writing about my late wife Kirsten's breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Kirsten died in 2003, leaving me and our daughter Rowen. I married Suzanne in 2005 and got her kids Casey and Kylie in the deal too. Bargain! Suzanne and I live with our three kids and dog in the shadow of Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, best neighborhood on earth.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 3, 2013
There's a lot to like in this book. I start out pretty biased, because Brendan got the idea from playing in a superhero game I started a few years back. The dedication includes all the characters we've played in that game over the years. I backed the Kickstarter that launched the book, and received my copy via that route.
Despite the jacket telling me it's a noir novel, it was darker than I expected. This is one of those YA books that YAs actually like because it doesn't sanitize the story just because it's a YA book. It's written in classic noir inner monologue style, with some nice switching of tone between Julie the secret identity and The Bluebird superhero.
I really like 2 slow reveals that happen in this book. One is the building of the character of the disappeared mother. As Julie slowly learns the secrets of her past, the mother's character and choices along the way become clear. It was very well done. The second is the general world building - the way the city and the nation (and somewhat the world) the story takes place in are pretty classic comic book alternate reality, but those differences emerge naturally without the dreaded Wall of Exposition.
This book was a good origin story for the Bluebird, and I found the story and the characters compelling enough that I hope there's a sequel! Get writing Brendan!
Despite the jacket telling me it's a noir novel, it was darker than I expected. This is one of those YA books that YAs actually like because it doesn't sanitize the story just because it's a YA book. It's written in classic noir inner monologue style, with some nice switching of tone between Julie the secret identity and The Bluebird superhero.
I really like 2 slow reveals that happen in this book. One is the building of the character of the disappeared mother. As Julie slowly learns the secrets of her past, the mother's character and choices along the way become clear. It was very well done. The second is the general world building - the way the city and the nation (and somewhat the world) the story takes place in are pretty classic comic book alternate reality, but those differences emerge naturally without the dreaded Wall of Exposition.
This book was a good origin story for the Bluebird, and I found the story and the characters compelling enough that I hope there's a sequel! Get writing Brendan!
August 22, 2013
I'm selective with YA Fiction but I backed the Kickstarter project for this one, excited to see what Brendan Halipn could do with a 15 y.o. superheroine. As it turns out - quite a lot.
Enter The Bluebird is a breath of fresh air in a market glutted by vampires, monsters and dreary dystopian futures. In Julie, Halpin has given us a strong and complex female character whose interest truth and justice overshadows even the sparkliest boy.
If we can get a sequel, I'm in.
Enter The Bluebird is a breath of fresh air in a market glutted by vampires, monsters and dreary dystopian futures. In Julie, Halpin has given us a strong and complex female character whose interest truth and justice overshadows even the sparkliest boy.
If we can get a sequel, I'm in.
January 10, 2014
Truly enjoyable. A light fun read. Thank you Jules for the recommendation...Keep 'em coming.
I am not giving you anything that could be construed as a spoiler...which unfortunately means I can't talk about my favorite parts of the book. Too bad, read it yourself. =P
I am not giving you anything that could be construed as a spoiler...which unfortunately means I can't talk about my favorite parts of the book. Too bad, read it yourself. =P
February 26, 2016
Fantastic futuristic superhero story. Finished it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. Absolutely loved it.
April 16, 2014
I loved this! Enter the Bluebird simultaneously was refreshing and exciting, while still feeling like a classic superhero tale.
Julie’s mother, Sonia, is the Red Talon, a crime-fighting metahuman – a superhero. Julie spends all her free time training under Sonia’s guidance, preparing for the time when she can join her mother in patrolling the streets of New Edinburgh, chipping away at the Syndicate. When Sonia goes missing, Julie has the task of trying to find her.
Julie is at once an outstanding heroine, and a normal girl who misses her mother. She is strong and confident, which I really appreciated. She knows what she has to do, and how to do it. But she’s still only a 15 year old girl – she makes mistakes and lacks the wisdom to truly comprehend the outlasting consequences of her actions. What matters most is that she is truly trying – she’s trying to find her mother, she’s trying to help the people of New Edinburgh, she is trying to make her city a safer place for all its citizens. It’s hard though – it was hard for the Red Talon, and it’s hard for Julie, the Bluebird. Every step of the way, my heart broke for Julie. Here is this young girl, this kid, who is basically all alone in the world, the only family she has is gone, and yet she’s still so selfless as to try to fill in the gaps left by a corrupt government and police force. Julie, in a word, was amazing.
The world-building Halpin employed here was nothing short of awesome. Not only did he cover an alternate history for Europe and the Americas, he also created a complex city in New Edinburgh. The organized crime, the Syndicate, that ruled the city was well-imagined. I felt the claustrophobia Julie felt when trying to escape the Enforcers and their Packards (seriously, though, how cool is that? A bunch of mobsters pulling up in Packards.) You could feel the corruption at every level – no one was trustworthy, not even the firefighters.
The characters are what really brought Enter the Bluebird to life. Julie has very few people she can rely on: the groundskeeper named Howard at the cemetery where her lair, the Rookery, is; and brother and sister Kendra and Anthony, who live in the worst part of the worst neighborhood in New Edinburgh. Howard, a metahuman himself with an interesting power, was friends with the Red Talon before she went missing. He was like the father Julie never had, there for her when she needed him the most, waiting up for her when she was on a mission, always with a warm cup of tea to offer. Kendra and Anthony.. there are no words for how amazing these two characters were. Kendra, who came into the story so closed off and angry, really grew on me – she ended up being a strong and true friend. Anthony, like any other boy his age, was hilarious in his awe of the Bluebird and the Red Talon, their secret lair, and all their cool weaponry. These two brought life into the story where there could have been only darkness.
Enter the Bluebird was darker than I thought it would be. There is a lot of violence, of course, but the story also deals heavily with addiction, the main drug of New Edinburgh – Snake Oil – being quite prevalent because of the organized crime element. There are many more mature themes in here, which was wholly unexpected, but gave this story a heavy dose of reality, which I loved. Grief also plays a big part in Julie’s journey, which will break your heart.
In short, Brendan Halpin did basically everything right in Enter the Bluebird. The one and only problem I had was that I wish there were more suspects in Sonia’s disappearance. The culprit wasn’t quite a shock but it was unexpected. I only wish that Halpin had laid out a few red herrings for us, if only to up the suspense.
Again, I absolutely loved Enter the Bluebird. I thought it was quite original and unique, unlike any read I’d ever encountered before. I loved Julie, a strong, able heroine. Let’s make superheroes the next big thing in YA, okay?
Julie’s mother, Sonia, is the Red Talon, a crime-fighting metahuman – a superhero. Julie spends all her free time training under Sonia’s guidance, preparing for the time when she can join her mother in patrolling the streets of New Edinburgh, chipping away at the Syndicate. When Sonia goes missing, Julie has the task of trying to find her.
Julie is at once an outstanding heroine, and a normal girl who misses her mother. She is strong and confident, which I really appreciated. She knows what she has to do, and how to do it. But she’s still only a 15 year old girl – she makes mistakes and lacks the wisdom to truly comprehend the outlasting consequences of her actions. What matters most is that she is truly trying – she’s trying to find her mother, she’s trying to help the people of New Edinburgh, she is trying to make her city a safer place for all its citizens. It’s hard though – it was hard for the Red Talon, and it’s hard for Julie, the Bluebird. Every step of the way, my heart broke for Julie. Here is this young girl, this kid, who is basically all alone in the world, the only family she has is gone, and yet she’s still so selfless as to try to fill in the gaps left by a corrupt government and police force. Julie, in a word, was amazing.
The world-building Halpin employed here was nothing short of awesome. Not only did he cover an alternate history for Europe and the Americas, he also created a complex city in New Edinburgh. The organized crime, the Syndicate, that ruled the city was well-imagined. I felt the claustrophobia Julie felt when trying to escape the Enforcers and their Packards (seriously, though, how cool is that? A bunch of mobsters pulling up in Packards.) You could feel the corruption at every level – no one was trustworthy, not even the firefighters.
The characters are what really brought Enter the Bluebird to life. Julie has very few people she can rely on: the groundskeeper named Howard at the cemetery where her lair, the Rookery, is; and brother and sister Kendra and Anthony, who live in the worst part of the worst neighborhood in New Edinburgh. Howard, a metahuman himself with an interesting power, was friends with the Red Talon before she went missing. He was like the father Julie never had, there for her when she needed him the most, waiting up for her when she was on a mission, always with a warm cup of tea to offer. Kendra and Anthony.. there are no words for how amazing these two characters were. Kendra, who came into the story so closed off and angry, really grew on me – she ended up being a strong and true friend. Anthony, like any other boy his age, was hilarious in his awe of the Bluebird and the Red Talon, their secret lair, and all their cool weaponry. These two brought life into the story where there could have been only darkness.
Enter the Bluebird was darker than I thought it would be. There is a lot of violence, of course, but the story also deals heavily with addiction, the main drug of New Edinburgh – Snake Oil – being quite prevalent because of the organized crime element. There are many more mature themes in here, which was wholly unexpected, but gave this story a heavy dose of reality, which I loved. Grief also plays a big part in Julie’s journey, which will break your heart.
In short, Brendan Halpin did basically everything right in Enter the Bluebird. The one and only problem I had was that I wish there were more suspects in Sonia’s disappearance. The culprit wasn’t quite a shock but it was unexpected. I only wish that Halpin had laid out a few red herrings for us, if only to up the suspense.
Again, I absolutely loved Enter the Bluebird. I thought it was quite original and unique, unlike any read I’d ever encountered before. I loved Julie, a strong, able heroine. Let’s make superheroes the next big thing in YA, okay?
September 20, 2013
What’s not to love about an action-packed YA superhero book, one with a flawed yet cheer-on-able (I know that’s not a real word. But I wanted to use it anyway.) lead character? What if the action hero was a girl? Mind-blowing, I know. Girls are supposed to be the ones getting saved, not doing the saving. Or they’re relegated to the role of secondary superhero. But not in this one. The good guys in this story don’t need cups in their costumes (at least, not below the belt…).
Okay, I should probably start over. I’m getting sidetracked and quippy because of how much fun this book was, but I should begin at the beginning, as the King of Hearts says, and bring you along with me. Sorry about that.
I was first introduced to author Brendan Halpin when I read A Really Awesome Mess, his collaboration with Trish Cook about a teen rehabilitation center, which was great. So when I had the opportunity to review his latest project, Enter the Bluebird, I jumped at the chance. (Not literally. I have a bad knee from years of dance classes, performances, etc.) My interest was further piqued when I learned that Halpin had run a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the book’s production. He must have had quite a bit of faith in this story in order to put it all on the line like that, right? My question was whether or not he was on track. I mean, you can Kickstart just about anything these days, and some of the ideas are truly terrible.
But not this one. Enter the Bluebird is a truly excellent book. Let’s start with the cover, shall we? I mean, look at it. Even if I’d never heard of the author, I can pretty much guarantee that this book would catch my eye and I would snatch it off the shelf for a closer look.
Then there’s the story itself. Enter the Bluebird is about Julie Rouge, a teen girl who’s been training under her mother, Sonia (superhero Red Talon), and is eager to embark on her own crimefighting career. Sonia works hard to train Julie as rigorously and meticulously as possible, but Julie becomes frustrated with her mother’s protectiveness and longs to get out there and kick some butt. Her chance comes all too soon when her mother goes missing and Julie is left to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance and fight The Syndicate, which is exactly what it sounds like: a pack of bad guys who not-so-secretly runs the city.
This book contains everything a superhero book should: it’s got humor, tons of action, a dystopic city in need of redemption, a heartbreaking backstory, terrifying villains, and a heroine that makes you want to stand up and cheer. Plus, the action scenes are clean and, as such, are some of the best I’ve ever read. All too often, authors get caught up in description, and the fight scenes suffer for it. “A little less talk, a little more action” is the way I like my literary fisticuffs, and this book truly delivers on the action.
All in all: Worth reading, and worth buying for teen guys and girls. I know that the book is almost always better than the movie (with rare exceptions; I’m looking at you, Fight Club), but I’d still like to see this one on the big screen. It’s a great book, and it has the potential to be an awesome flick under the right direction.
Note: I received a free review copy of this book.
Okay, I should probably start over. I’m getting sidetracked and quippy because of how much fun this book was, but I should begin at the beginning, as the King of Hearts says, and bring you along with me. Sorry about that.
I was first introduced to author Brendan Halpin when I read A Really Awesome Mess, his collaboration with Trish Cook about a teen rehabilitation center, which was great. So when I had the opportunity to review his latest project, Enter the Bluebird, I jumped at the chance. (Not literally. I have a bad knee from years of dance classes, performances, etc.) My interest was further piqued when I learned that Halpin had run a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the book’s production. He must have had quite a bit of faith in this story in order to put it all on the line like that, right? My question was whether or not he was on track. I mean, you can Kickstart just about anything these days, and some of the ideas are truly terrible.
But not this one. Enter the Bluebird is a truly excellent book. Let’s start with the cover, shall we? I mean, look at it. Even if I’d never heard of the author, I can pretty much guarantee that this book would catch my eye and I would snatch it off the shelf for a closer look.
Then there’s the story itself. Enter the Bluebird is about Julie Rouge, a teen girl who’s been training under her mother, Sonia (superhero Red Talon), and is eager to embark on her own crimefighting career. Sonia works hard to train Julie as rigorously and meticulously as possible, but Julie becomes frustrated with her mother’s protectiveness and longs to get out there and kick some butt. Her chance comes all too soon when her mother goes missing and Julie is left to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance and fight The Syndicate, which is exactly what it sounds like: a pack of bad guys who not-so-secretly runs the city.
This book contains everything a superhero book should: it’s got humor, tons of action, a dystopic city in need of redemption, a heartbreaking backstory, terrifying villains, and a heroine that makes you want to stand up and cheer. Plus, the action scenes are clean and, as such, are some of the best I’ve ever read. All too often, authors get caught up in description, and the fight scenes suffer for it. “A little less talk, a little more action” is the way I like my literary fisticuffs, and this book truly delivers on the action.
All in all: Worth reading, and worth buying for teen guys and girls. I know that the book is almost always better than the movie (with rare exceptions; I’m looking at you, Fight Club), but I’d still like to see this one on the big screen. It’s a great book, and it has the potential to be an awesome flick under the right direction.
Note: I received a free review copy of this book.
January 28, 2015
Originally posted here
Enter the Bluebird tells the story of Julie Rouge, the daughter of meta human Sonia Rouge who is also known as the Red Talon. The Red Talon loses her life fighting street crime in the city of New Edinburgh. Julie is left with a costume for her new avatar: The Bluebird, which kicks off her thirst for justice and revenge. In the process, she confronts the reality of the city she grew up in and the ghosts of her mother's past.
The only other Brandon Halpin book I've read before this is A Really Awesome Mess but the two books don't have much in common. Enter the Bluebird has no room for cutesy; it's darker and grittier than your average YA book. The world building is crazy amazing: with the Syndicate: the nucleus of corruption, Snake Oil: an addictive drug and agent of evil, the Legion of Freedom, the layout and atmosphere of New Edinburgh and the world outside it. All of my senses were enraptured by this world that could easily double as a comic-bookverse.
It's a coming of age/origin story that is far more real than any superhero story I've ever seen. Julie has the ability to fly, and in her determination to rid New Edinburgh of corruption there's a fair amount of window-breaking, fires and angsty moments by the cemetery. More than this, though, the book confronts other harsher realities: namely, the people Julie/The Bluebird rescues, who don't necessarily find her superhero stunts amazing; not from where they're standing.
"Are you kidding me?" Kendra said. "Now I get to spend the rest of the night picking glass slivers off the beds. And then I have to go out to fill a form in triplicate and hope the housing authority fixes the window before winter comes. What happens the next time it rains? What happens if the piece of glass gets in my little brother's eye? Did you think about that?"
"No," The Bluebird said. "I only thought about the person who was screaming and trying to help her. I didn't know she was too stupid to know that she needed help."
"You're the stupid one. You're dumber than your costume. You think you know things, but you don't know anything. You think the solution to every problem is to kick somebody-"
(...)
"Fine," Julie said. She tried to find The Bluebird inside her somewhere, but she could only find little hurt Julie...
I found Kendra and her little brother refreshing. They made the story all the more gripping, and showed that yes, fighting evil isn't as easy as a well placed punch. In fact, Halpin does not simplify any of the broader issues the world of Enter the Bluebird is filled with. He is unafraid to expose Julie to hurt, heart wrenching grief, people who have more than two dimensions and danger that strikes from more than one direction and never conveniently works in her favour.
As Julie struggles to pick up the pieces, make sense of her mother's death and gets infatuated with the Mayor's son, The Bluebird carries the weight of the city and falls more than once. Enter The Bluebird is, from start till end, a vividly written YA noir that I couldn't get enough of.
Enter the Bluebird tells the story of Julie Rouge, the daughter of meta human Sonia Rouge who is also known as the Red Talon. The Red Talon loses her life fighting street crime in the city of New Edinburgh. Julie is left with a costume for her new avatar: The Bluebird, which kicks off her thirst for justice and revenge. In the process, she confronts the reality of the city she grew up in and the ghosts of her mother's past.
The only other Brandon Halpin book I've read before this is A Really Awesome Mess but the two books don't have much in common. Enter the Bluebird has no room for cutesy; it's darker and grittier than your average YA book. The world building is crazy amazing: with the Syndicate: the nucleus of corruption, Snake Oil: an addictive drug and agent of evil, the Legion of Freedom, the layout and atmosphere of New Edinburgh and the world outside it. All of my senses were enraptured by this world that could easily double as a comic-bookverse.
It's a coming of age/origin story that is far more real than any superhero story I've ever seen. Julie has the ability to fly, and in her determination to rid New Edinburgh of corruption there's a fair amount of window-breaking, fires and angsty moments by the cemetery. More than this, though, the book confronts other harsher realities: namely, the people Julie/The Bluebird rescues, who don't necessarily find her superhero stunts amazing; not from where they're standing.
"Are you kidding me?" Kendra said. "Now I get to spend the rest of the night picking glass slivers off the beds. And then I have to go out to fill a form in triplicate and hope the housing authority fixes the window before winter comes. What happens the next time it rains? What happens if the piece of glass gets in my little brother's eye? Did you think about that?"
"No," The Bluebird said. "I only thought about the person who was screaming and trying to help her. I didn't know she was too stupid to know that she needed help."
"You're the stupid one. You're dumber than your costume. You think you know things, but you don't know anything. You think the solution to every problem is to kick somebody-"
(...)
"Fine," Julie said. She tried to find The Bluebird inside her somewhere, but she could only find little hurt Julie...
I found Kendra and her little brother refreshing. They made the story all the more gripping, and showed that yes, fighting evil isn't as easy as a well placed punch. In fact, Halpin does not simplify any of the broader issues the world of Enter the Bluebird is filled with. He is unafraid to expose Julie to hurt, heart wrenching grief, people who have more than two dimensions and danger that strikes from more than one direction and never conveniently works in her favour.
As Julie struggles to pick up the pieces, make sense of her mother's death and gets infatuated with the Mayor's son, The Bluebird carries the weight of the city and falls more than once. Enter The Bluebird is, from start till end, a vividly written YA noir that I couldn't get enough of.
November 12, 2013
I'm a fan of Halpin's fiction and nonfiction, but one of the reasons I was so glad to back Enter the Bluebird on Kickstarter was because my youth was marked by a steady diet of comic books.
Halpin has a knack for capturing the voices of teenagers. Exasperation, loneliness, sarcasm, optimism, and a yearning to "do big things" all come through loud and clear as Julie and her peers make their way around New Eddy. The characters are at once believable and exaggerated. At times I found myself wanting to cheer or boo as if I were watching a film hero or villain appear on screen.
As much as I enjoyed "meeting" the characters, my favorite part of Enter the Bluebird was the world in which these characters live. Dystopian settings are all the rage these days, but Halpin trades zombies and aliens for more recognizable themes: corruption, poverty, politics, and the cynical manipulation of the "have-nots" by the "haves." The storyline is a dark one, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling in admiration as Halpin navigated from one end of New Edinburgh to another, encountering "oilers," the Syndicate, and ominous Packards at every turn.
New Eddy may not seem like a popular vacation spot, but I'm ready for a return trip and crossing my fingers for a sequel!
Halpin has a knack for capturing the voices of teenagers. Exasperation, loneliness, sarcasm, optimism, and a yearning to "do big things" all come through loud and clear as Julie and her peers make their way around New Eddy. The characters are at once believable and exaggerated. At times I found myself wanting to cheer or boo as if I were watching a film hero or villain appear on screen.
As much as I enjoyed "meeting" the characters, my favorite part of Enter the Bluebird was the world in which these characters live. Dystopian settings are all the rage these days, but Halpin trades zombies and aliens for more recognizable themes: corruption, poverty, politics, and the cynical manipulation of the "have-nots" by the "haves." The storyline is a dark one, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling in admiration as Halpin navigated from one end of New Edinburgh to another, encountering "oilers," the Syndicate, and ominous Packards at every turn.
New Eddy may not seem like a popular vacation spot, but I'm ready for a return trip and crossing my fingers for a sequel!
November 1, 2013
Bam! Pow! Biff! Make time for Julie Rouge AKA The Bluebird!
ENTER THE BLUEBIRD by Brendan Halpin reminded me in the best way of the old Batman TV show with Adam West and Burt Ward, when superheroes were a little less flashy but had more heart. The book--Kickstarted, how appropriate is that--has that same fun mix of action and earnestness, humor and darkness, camp and thrill. I especially liked Julie's complicated origin story. May The Bluebird fly again!
ENTER THE BLUEBIRD by Brendan Halpin reminded me in the best way of the old Batman TV show with Adam West and Burt Ward, when superheroes were a little less flashy but had more heart. The book--Kickstarted, how appropriate is that--has that same fun mix of action and earnestness, humor and darkness, camp and thrill. I especially liked Julie's complicated origin story. May The Bluebird fly again!
November 10, 2017
Oh dear.
For most of this book, it looked like a 3-4 star job. A little more grim than I like my spandex stories, but well written with an engaging protagonist.
And then the last fifteen pages happened. The ending is really, really not good. It's not a deus ex machina, in that Halpin has put all the pieces in place for it ahead of time ... but I still found it deeply unsatisfying.
For most of this book, it looked like a 3-4 star job. A little more grim than I like my spandex stories, but well written with an engaging protagonist.
And then the last fifteen pages happened. The ending is really, really not good. It's not a deus ex machina, in that Halpin has put all the pieces in place for it ahead of time ... but I still found it deeply unsatisfying.
October 27, 2013
Fun YA read by one of my favorite authors. Julie Rouge is a superhero(ine) crimefighter in training, until her mother (a/k/a the Red Talon) suddenly disappears. Julie must learn to fend for herself, figure out who she can trust and who she can't, and how to take over where the Red Talon left off. She learns some brutal truths and secrets along the way to becoming the Bluebird.
March 11, 2014
Very fun read! I will definitely be interested in a sequel. :)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews