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The Uncommoners #2

by Jennifer Bell, อลิซ (translator)

Ivy and her older brother, Seb, are back in Lundinor--the underground city where enchanted objects can do incredible things, if they're uncommon. But not everyone is thrilled at their arrival. Namely, Selena Grimes, the wicked ghoul who will stop at nothing to return her guild, the Dirge, to their former glory. When Ivy and Seb learn that Selena is after the Jar of Shadows, one of the five most powerful uncommon objects, they know it's up to them to find it first.

But there's more than just Selena to worry about this trading season. Jack-in-the-Green, an escaped shape-shifting convict, haunts the city; Grivens, a troubling game where players often end up horribly injured--or worse--is on the rise; and foes disguised as friends lurk in the shadows. Ivy will have to figure out who they can trust--before they meet their uncommon ends.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Childrens, Magic, Mystery

280 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2017

About the author

Londoner Jennifer Bell began working in children’s books as a specialist bookseller at Foyles, Charing Cross Road, one of the world’s most famous bookstores. After having the privilege of listening to children talk about their favorite books for many years, she started writing a book of her own on her lunch breaks.

For other authors with the same name, see Jennifer^^Bell.

Reviews

[Carina Olsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had so hoped to love this book. Because I read the first one a few months ago; I liked it a lot, and I felt sure I would enjoy this sequel even more. But oh, how I was wrong. So disappointed by this one. I'm giving it two stars, and even that feels too kind of me. Gosh. I really wish I had loved this book. Thought I would.

I wish to start by saying what I enjoyed about it. Because there was not much, but I did like a few things. There are illustrations inside, and they are so precious. I loved them lots, and wish there had been more. I found the plot of the book to be exciting a few times, felt like it could have been so amazing, aw. But it was not.

And sadly, there weren't anything else about this book that I did like. This book is the sequel to The Crooked Sixpence. It takes place a few months later, but there is zero mention about what happened in those months. Which was a bit disappointing. I did like reading about this world; the underground in London, where certain people are trading and having a good time. There is a bit of magic, which was interesting to read about. But sadly it wasn't enough. Because I couldn't stand the writing in this sequel. Which makes me very sad. I simply could not connect at all. Or focus much either. I just wanted the book to be over. Which is the worst feeling to have while reading. Especially considering that this book was pretty long. Usually love that. Ugh. But not now.

One thing that bothered me the most was that I didn't feel any connection at all between the characters. They never talk to each other. They don't do friend stuff together. Sure, they are together, but the writing doesn't focus on it at all. Just on other things. Not friendship. Not the siblings. I felt no love or anything between these people. Which was so extremely disappointing. As I had expected so much more. Ugh. Middle grade books are usually perfect for me. But this one was not. It was so bad, and so disappointing.

I'm not going to write too much about this book. Simply because I do not want to. I'm just happy to be done reading it. Aw. Which is very upsetting. Have been reading so many bad books this year already, and really wanted this one to be one of the good ones. Ugh. Unsure now if I will read book three or not. Maybe. But it probably isn't out until a year from now, so will see then I guess. Won't say too much stuff that happens in this one, but I must mention a few things about this, as they bothered me a whole bunch.

I said in my review of book one that it reminded me so much of Harry Potter. And oh, this book was even more like those. It wasn't a good thing. The villain was just about the same. How they had made up a new name for the bad guys, because it was too scary to say their old name. How they had this horrible prison. How the main girl gets entered into a deadly game by someone else. How the leader of this underground place turns into a friend of the kids, and are sharing secrets with them. It was just silly. Made zero sense.

I usually don't mind at all when books remind me of other books. But this one was ridiculous with all the likeness. I noticed it very often, and it just bothered me. Aw. I'm sure some people will love this book, but I'm not one of those. I didn't care for the characters at all. Ivy wasn't interesting anymore, because I know nothing about her. Seb was just there, nauseous all the time. And Valian was simply unimportant in this story, yet there all the time. These characters gave me nothing. And that is the biggest disappointment.

Not saying much more now, just, well. I was so disappointed and sad by this book. So wish it had been better. But it wasn't. Not as bad as a one star, but not much better either. I found all the villains to be so silly and have no meaning at all. Didn't care about anyone or what they were doing. The writing just felt off all the time; since it was impossible to connect to anything. Aw. Sadly, I wouldn't really recommend this book for anyone. Sure, book one was a three star, but not perfect either. Still, they both are really pretty.

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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2017/0...

[Dragana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zaista dobar nastavak. Više Lundinora, više neobičnjačkih predmeta i pomalo mračnija priča. Odlična za decu koja su suviše mala za Potera. Likovi su sjajni i zaista je lako vezati se za njih.
Jedva čekam završni deo.

[Galleane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voilà une suite dont j'ai vu les qualités, des qualités qui ne m'auront malheureusement pas autant touché que précédemment et j'ai vu plusieurs défauts qui ne m'avaient pas gênés auparavant et qui ici l'ont été, voir qui ont été problématiques. Je n'ai pas du tout détesté ma lecture, mais je ne m'attendais pas à ressentir autant de distance vis-à-vis du contenu.

Mon avis complet : https://bloggalleane.blogspot.com/201...

[emiisconfused · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finishing this book felt like returning home.

It’s so beautifully written and I love it so so much. Ivy, Seb, Valian and Scratch’s adventures were fun and amazing to read and I loved the introduction of the new character, Judy.

I have nothing bad to say. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Evelyn Evertsen-Romp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je kunt echt merken dat het verhaal beter loopt nu de wereld goed is opgebouwd: er is meer ruimte voor plot ofzo. Héél verslavend, nu lekker verder met deel 3.

[Ana Maisuradze · Rating 5 out of 5]

ძალიან კარგი საბავშვო წიგნია, რომლითაც მეც მშვენივრად გავერთე. დინამიური და ჩამთრევი სიუჟეტი აქვს. იმედია მესამე ნაწილის თარგმანსაც მალე ვიხილავთ. 😍

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer Bell er ikke en der skuffer sine læsere, hold da op. Lige så hæsblæsende og fængende som første bind i serien om De Ualmindelige. Den evige kamp mellem det gode og det onde og den lidt slørerede linje imellem. Du lærer endnu flere ualmindelig genstande at kende, for slet ikke at tale om et spil, jeg nu ved, at jeg ALDRIG skal prøve. De karakterer Jennifer Bell introducere er så godt bearbejdet at hver har deres egen historie, hvilket er helt fantastisk. Det hjælper til en bedre forståelse både af deres handlinger og helheden af De Ualminde.
Bedst af det hele er at Jennifer Bell i denne bog har en form for index bagerst i bogen, det ville have været ret rart at vide undervejs, hvor du bl.a. hører mere om Hobsmatch og Grivens.

[Levan Shakulashvili · Rating 4 out of 5]

საყვარლობაა, უბრალოდ wanting more გრძნობით დამტოვა ძალიან. აი ეს ბავშვები ხო დამოგზაურობენ ათას მაგიურ ადგილას და უფრო მეტად მინდოდა რო გადავეყვანე შიგნით და უფრო მეტად შემეგრძნო იმ ადგილების სუნი, გემო და ა.შ კიდე მაგალითად გრივენსის ტურნირი ძალიან ზედაპირულადაა აღწერილი, ორთაბრძოლებიც და ა.შ და ცოტა უფრო ვრცლად შეეძლო ავტორს, მაგის გამო ბევრ რამ დაიკარგა. პერსონაჟების განვითარებაშიც, დიალოგები უფრო დატვირთული შეიძლება. ნუ ბევრი რამაა რაც ძაან მომეწონა, მაგალითად სკაპტიკონი, რაც აზკაბანს ჰგავს და პოტერიადას ჰგავს ბევრი რამით და ვაიბით. ნუ მაინც დიდი სიამოვნებით ვკითხულობ, whatever xd

[Marie the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just adore this world and the magic of everyday items! I also adore Ivy and Seb! This is just a great fantasy book I think! With a dash of humor as well!

[Femke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the character developments and the drawings. Can't wait for book three.

[Bookwanderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book put so much questions into my head. I can't wait to see what Ivy, Seb and Valian get up to in the third and final book.

[Auburn Waves · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
The problem with these books, I think is that they lack a certain depth. It took me a while to figure out what it was that bothered me, but this is what I can say for this series:
The world building is fun and exciting and the plots are interesting, weaving together multiple strands of story. However, and maybe it is because there is so much going on, but the characters suffer. They feel less like people and more like chess pieces who conveniently end up places that aid the plot in some way. I don't know if I'll continue. I like the trader stuff, but the characters don't have enough depth for me.

[Janey Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent adventure, although you do have to read The Crooked Sixpence first. I'm looking forward to seeing more development of the Lundinor world.

[Twogirlsandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quand les éditions Hachette Romans m'ont proposé de lire Le sablier fumant, le second tome des Extraordinaires, j'étais ravie ! En mai, j'avais lu le premier tome et j'avais adoré. C'est donc avec hâte que je me suis lancée dans cette suite. Ivy, Seb et Valian poursuivent leur recherche des Grands Biens Extraordinaires. Dans leur quête, ils vont devoir contrecarrer les plans de la Mormô, une guilde secrète qui s'emploie à détruire le monde que nous connaissons.

Même si j'ai bien aimé ma lecture, j'ai trouvé plus de longueurs dans le ce second tome, ce qui est contradictoire car il y a tout de même beaucoup d'action. Jennifer Bell nous propose toujours un très bel univers. Le monde des extraordinaires m'enchante et à chaque fois, c'est un véritable voyage plein de magie. J'aime beaucoup ce monde qui réserve toujours des surprises car nous ne savons jamais quelle sera la fonction de l'objet extraordinaire. Saviez-vous que les boules à neige servent en réalité d'appareil photo ? Je l'ai découvert avec plaisir dans ce livre. Ce que j'aime également beaucoup dans cet univers, c'est que vivants et morts cohabitent afin de nous offrir un monde encore plus magique. Nos personnages mènent plusieurs enquêtes parce qu'ils ont deux mystères à résoudre et je trouve que cela permet de montrer l'étendue de l'univers.

En ce qui concerne les personnages, j'ai aimé suivre Ivy, Seb et Valian, trois adolescents très courageux, ingénieux et débrouillards. C'est toujours un plaisir de suivre des personnages comme eux. J'aime particulièrement Ivy, qui est pleine de ressources pour une enfant de 12 ans. Dans Les Extraordinaires, il y a peu de personnages, ce qui évite de se perdre. Malgré tout, ils ont tous une grande part de mystère surtout les morts tels que Johnny Hands ou Mr. Punch. Nous en savons peu également sur certains personnages centraux comme Ethel, Valian ou encore grand-mère Sylvie. Cette touche de mystère est charmante, mais j'aimerais en savoir plus.

Pour conclure, comme vous l'avez sans doute compris, je peux vous dire que j'ai beaucoup aimé cette suite malgré quelques longueurs. L'univers me plait vraiment pas mal de part son originalité et la magie qu'il dégage grâce aux objets et à la présence des morts. Les personnages sont géniaux, mais certains sont encore un peu trop mystérieux. Je suis fan des illustrations qui parsèment le livre. Les Extraordinaires est une très bonne saga jeunesse. J'ai hâte de lire le troisième et dernier tome.

Twogirlsandbooks

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE SMOKING HOURGLASS is another rip-roaring adventure through this world that explodes with imagination. It has the fast-paced action I've come to expect from MG, wrapped up in the world's whimsy. All the well known bag travelling and bells are back, but this time with more objects doubling up in an interesting way and some hints dropped about the next book.<

After setting up the world in the previous instalment, Jennifer Bell is able to really have fun with Ludinor and the Undermart this time. Having re-read THE CROOKED SIXPENCE ahead of picking up this entry, it really feels like the book has got into its stride with the world. Part of that is Ivy's familiarity with the world means she's not stopping at everything around her in surprise, but rather simply notes the oddity uncommon nature of the world as a matter of course. It allows for a bit more flow that also doubles as showing the Sparrow's increased comfort in the world.

The change in Ludinor for spring was also a cool little bit of world building, making the same setting feel a little different, as did visiting new places. It felt a little forgotten towards the end, not quite as green throughout, but I liked the link to the Great Uncommon Goods.

The objects are at the heart of this book, linking one of them into Greek mythology. That was a really clever bit of foreshadowing I didn't catch until the ending! More of the history of the world and its guilds was revealed (I have to say, the smoking hourglass is a cooler calling card than the crooked sixpence - good on the alchemists for that! See, I've always been right in thinking the alchemists are the best fantasy group!)

Ivy's whispering abilities are very much in the background. I liked that there isn't a focus on her "learning her powers", as you often find in the second book of trilogies when the powers are discovered in the first. Instead, it's just there in the background, not really bothering anyone but helping guide them a little. I think we may see more of it in the next book.

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another unputdownable book in the series!! Such a unique mystery adventure! I love this world and all the special objects! The friendships in this, & the brother/sister relationship are everything! So amazing to read about! Scratch still has my heart and soul lol we meet some new characters, and learn some more pieces to the puzzle. I totally did NOT see that ending coming! I had no idea that’s what was going to happen! Which I love! Karl James Mountford did another beautiful cover for the book. BUT this one also had his amazing illustrations sprinkled throughout the book as well! Which you know I loved that! I love how he brings the words to life visually, while the author brings it to life verbally in your mind. So amazing. Highly recommend, & can’t wait to start the 3rd and last book later today. Also, I’m sad because I don’t want it to end!💜💜





Synopsis of 1st book in series: Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems…
When their grandmother Sylvie is rushed to the hospital, Ivy Sparrow and her annoying big brother Seb cannot imagine what adventure lies in store. Soon their house is ransacked by unknown intruders, and a very strange policeman turns up on the scene, determined to apprehend them . . . with a toilet brush.
Ivy and Seb make their escape only to find themselves in a completely uncommon world, a secret underground city called Lundinor where ordinary objects have amazing powers. There are belts that enable the wearer to fly, yo-yos that turn into weapons, buttons with healing properties, and other enchanted objects capable of very unusual feats.
But the forces of evil are closing in fast, and when Ivy and Seb learn that their family is connected to one of the greatest uncommon treasures of all time, they must race to unearth the treasure and get to the bottom of a family secret . . . before it’s too late.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Smoking Hourglass is a very disappointing second part of the Uncommoners series. Ivy and Seb continue their investigates of the powerful Dirge, their footsteps shadowed by evil Selena Grimes and her deadly praying mantis henchman. They uncover a plot to release the contents of The Jar of Shadows into the world, a kind of Pandora's Box, and begin their search in Ludinor to discover their true intentions. I like Jennifer Bell's writing (usually) and I like the aesthetics and ideas in the Uncommoners. The Steampunk setting and the innovative ideas for uncommon objects that replace magic made the first book very interesting and colourful. The Smoking Hourglass, for me, didn't build on that. The constant additions of objects, characters, settings and history felt cluttered and rushed. Most disappointingly, I didn't feel that Ivy, Seb or Valian had any opportunity to advance their character. We do learn a bit more about the Dirge and about Selena, and their grandmother does recover her memory and tell them a bit about their past, but individual character progression is short on the ground. We jump from one action-mystery scene to the next and, while it does all come into focus much more in the final third, mostly I was uninterested and confused. In particular, I found the Griven game very annoying and couldn't help see the parallels with the Goblet of Fire. The game itself is utterly non-sensical and the supposedly mortal danger is made ridiculous by the fact that none of the contestants die anyway. It was one example of story tools that felt patched together for the cool factor rather than any sense of narrative or world building. I'll read the next one and I liked some parts of this one, but I hope the final part is a little more surprising than this predictable affair.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually finished this a week or so ago...and I listened to it...while I was doing something else, so my recollection and subsequent "review" will be a disaster. HAHA
I liked it though.
Before diving into the story, I want to say that I loved the narrator's voice. She is Jayne Entwistle. So after listening to this I looked her up and she is best known for being the voice of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce!!! I immediately borrowed one of those books to hear her and now I'm crushed bc Flavia sounds just like Ivy and Feely & Daffy sound awful. While I only listened for a few minutes, somebody else had the voice of the villainous Selina Grimes, so that was offputting. I'll just stick to reading those.
Ok, Ivy, Seb and Granma Sylvie return to Lundinor. Sylvie has official inheritance stuff to go through and Ivy and Seb are going to the undermart. From the get we are literally whisked away via uncommon objects and find ourselves in the Spring Market which is 100% different from the Winter Market.
Granma Sylvie's memory is slowly returning and she can remember seeing a black door with a "smoking hourglass" on it so of course, that is our new quest.
Ivy, Seb, their friend Valian, his dead acquaintance, whose name escapes me, all work together to prevent The Dirge from obtaining the Jar of Shadows.
We meet some new folks: Judy who is a maid at the bed and breakfast, the praying mantis Jack in the Green, Selina's most recent henchman, as well as a father and son team who are American and sell Dragon's Brew that makes you burp fire.
Many more scrapes in this fun adventure.

[Emilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun and introduces some interesting new characters while bringing back most of the characters in the first book. There was a lot more action than in the first book which kept the novel fast-paced all the way through. The mystery was also engaging and the reveal towards the end was unexpected and actually shocked me for a moment. I enjoy how small facts that are introduced seemingly offhand at the beginning came back as plot points later on. However, I also know that for some people who don't pay attention to small details it may seem like these plots came entirely out of left-field. I enjoy the adventures of Ivy, Seb, and Valiant, it was also nice to see Seb playing a bigger role in this book.

The only problem I actually had with this book was the absolutely convenient way that each of their problems was solved. I understand that the novel can only take place across three days (to follow along with the rules of the undermarts set in the first book) but the way that all of the answers seemed to be found so easily started getting to me in the end. Then again I read this book in less than two days which meant that this problem stood out a lot more than if I had spaced out my reading a lot more.

Overall I rate this book as a high 4 star and will be reading the final book soon.

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 2nd novel in the Uncommoners series, Jennifer Bell transports us back to the magical underground world of Lundinor for another adventure with Ivy Sparrow and her friends. The characters of this series are great- each and every one just jumps off the page and depending on how the author wants us to view them, makes me love them, hate them or feel awful for them (and sometimes all three at once!). My favourite character has to be Scratch the bell- he`s one of the most adorable companions I`ve ever seen and I honestly don`t understand how you could read these books and not just love him. I did find this instalment much slower paced than the Crooked Sixpence, but when you become immersed in Lundinor and the plot kicks off the book definitely picks up. These are worth reading just for the sublime worldbuilding Bell pulls off, but there are so many other aspects to fall in love with too and I really recommend them if you enjoy fantasy and mystery in your middle grade. The twists in this book toward the end left me really shocked as I`d never have predicted them, and I will undoubtedly be picking up book three as the hints in the closing chapters were super exciting!

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 26% through. What a disappointment after I just adored the first book in this series. But this just felt like a messy draft. I can forgive not focusing on the characters' development on behalf of plot development, but then the plot also needs to be amazingly executed. Here I just couldn't concentrate because of weird writing choices and what felt like a less developed plot. I actually first thought that I had picked up the wrong book or that I had missed some chapters when I started reading it because I was already confused and disoriented from the start. And since it seems that this may persist in the final book, I just think that I am going to discontinue this series and move on to something else.

My other reviews in The Uncommoners series:
The Crooked Sixpence (#1)

[Tara K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following on from the Crooked Sixpence, The Smoking Hourglass takes you once again down into the world of the Uncommoners. Where book 1 did a lot of introduction to the world and the characters, the 2nd book in the series gives us more pace, more intrigue and more darkness.

This is a truly excellent 2nd book in the series, you do need to make sure you've read the 1st book, but it honestly doesn't disappoint. This is a perfect read for the books intended audience, and any adult that likes a little bit of escapism!

[Audrey Nester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely get Harry Potter vibes from this series and this one in particular reminded me a bit of Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire with the Triwizard's tournament and this one having the Grivens game. We also had both participants being entered with their knowledge into a game that could lead to their death. The Goble of Fire is book within Harry Potter that I like the least which also translated into me, since they are similar, not really enjoying this story as much as I did the first in the series.

[ボート • lilbbtpinbookland · Rating 4 out of 5]

เนื้อหาเข้มข้นขึ้นมาก เห็นพัฒนาการของตัวละครเดิมอย่างไอวี เซบ และวาเลียน จนลืมไปเลยว่าพวกเขาคือเด็ก ดำเนินเรื่องเร็ว กระชับ เล่มนี้สนุกขึ้นมาก รู้สึกตื่นเต้นตามตลอดเลย จะเห็นวัตถุไม่ธรรมดาอีกหลายอย่าง เราชอบศิลาแห่งความฝันมาก เป็นหินที่ชอบหนังสือ เอาหนังสือเล่มไหนไปวางมันจะทำให้สถานที่นั้นเปลี่ยนไปตามโลเคชั่นในหนังสือ อยากได้เลย

ใจนึงเล็กๆ ไอวีแค่ 11 ขวบเอง แต่ต้องมาเจอคนตายไม่รู้เท่าไหร่ มีคนจ้องจะฆ่าอีก อยากให้น้องได้วิ่งเล่นปกติบ้าง เหนื่อยแทน แต่น้องเก่งมาก ฉลาด มีไหวพริบ เก่งขึ้นเรื่อยๆเลย

[Rachel Hales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won book 1 of this series through Goodreads Giveaways, and I knew immediately on reading it I'd be buying book 2. The author has created a world where magic doesn't exist and yet everything feels magical. Lundinor is a well crafted place, full of intrigue. It feels both realistic and yet otherworldly and different. Book 2 took the world to a whole new level. I'd recommend this series to anyone who loved Harry Potter!

[Anna-Sofie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This the second book of The Uncommoners is even better than the first one - I guess the introductory feeling of the first book has a lot to do with it: The universe of the Uncommoners is established now, and the author can focus more on building up a thrilling story. It is original fantasy (though the inspiration from Harry Potter and Hunger Games is evident) - and I love the importance of friendship, and the unimportance of gender identity in the description of Ivy, Seb, and Valian.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 4 out of 5]

While attempting to figure out the next deadly plan of Serena and the evil Dirge, Ivy, Seb and Valian learn of a jar containing fears that, if ever unleashed, could lead to the loss of thousands of lives - and their enemies are hot on its trail! Bell gives fans another exciting and colourful adventure with more fun characters and wondrous charm. Can Ivy and her friends figure out how to stop the Dirge before they take out Lundinor permanently?

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read- January 2020
- I am majorly shocked with how much I loved this. I read the first book in this series last year for The Reading Rush and I really didn't enjoy it, I actually ended up giving it 2 Stars. However, I could see the potential with this series so I decided to carry on and I have to say I'm very glad that I did. I absolutely adored this book which is great considering I was dreading reading it. I can't wait to read the next book.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. The second book in the Uncommonness series had that same charm that drew me and held my attention in the first book. Imagine the wonder and excitement of Diagon Alley but instead of visiting it only once a year, you get to visited four times. Plus there are other Diagon Alley is in the world, I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series. This was a 3.5 stars for me. I liked it and then some.

[Asger · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the first book but was very disappointed by this sequel. I was hoping that Bell, in The Smoking Hourglass, would take her time to explore the fantastic hidden magical world of the Uncommoners.
That I am sad to say is not the case. Instead the book is a mess of plotlines going in different directions, focusing on action and speed, but with the end result of boring me as a reader.