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Nowy chłopak
Wierzysz w ideały? Zoe wierzy. W końcu jej nowy chłopak jest na to żywym przykładem. Czy na pewno? Co ukrywa Jack?
Kiedy superprzystojny nowy chłopak zaczyna naukę w szkole Zoe, jej pierwszą reakcją jest zdenerwowanie.
Jest zbyt idealny. Nie może być prawdziwy…
Lecz kiedy Jack zaczyna się nią interesować, Zoe chowa obawy głęboko do kieszeni. W końcu to najpopularniejszy, najprzystojniejszy i, co najważniejsze, najmilszy chłopak w całej szkole. Niedługo później zaczynają się spotykać. Jack okazuje się wszystkim, o czym marzyła Zoe: jest dobry, uważny i romantyczny…
Lecz Zoe powinna była zaufać swoim przeczuciom. Czy jej wymarzony chłopak naprawdę jest dobry, czy raczej zbyt dobry, by był prawdziwy?
Kiedy superprzystojny nowy chłopak zaczyna naukę w szkole Zoe, jej pierwszą reakcją jest zdenerwowanie.
Jest zbyt idealny. Nie może być prawdziwy…
Lecz kiedy Jack zaczyna się nią interesować, Zoe chowa obawy głęboko do kieszeni. W końcu to najpopularniejszy, najprzystojniejszy i, co najważniejsze, najmilszy chłopak w całej szkole. Niedługo później zaczynają się spotykać. Jack okazuje się wszystkim, o czym marzyła Zoe: jest dobry, uważny i romantyczny…
Lecz Zoe powinna była zaufać swoim przeczuciom. Czy jej wymarzony chłopak naprawdę jest dobry, czy raczej zbyt dobry, by był prawdziwy?
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2019
21 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Paula Rawsthorne
9 books20 followersPaula Rawsthorne is one of the winners of the Undiscovered Voices 2010 competition and the 2004 winner of the BBC’s ‘Get Writing’ competition. Her comedy THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT was read by Bill Nighy on BBC Radio 4 and chosen for Pick of the Week. Her unsettling story IN ATTENDENCE was published by Route in an anthology of contemporary fiction called IDEAS ABOVE OUR STATION (reviewed in The Guardian). In 2008 Route also published her short story THE ACCESSORY in an anthology entitled BONNE ROUTE which also received good reviews. She lives in Nottingham with her husband and children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
June 9, 2021
CO TO BYŁO XDD
📌Miałam ochotę na jakiś taki typowy romansik młodzieżowy- idealny chłopak i ta "inna" dziewczyna.
📌Chciałam się odmóżdżyć, ale ta pozycja? No błagam 😂
📌Jeden plus za to, że jedna z bohaterek była Polką.
📌Rozumiem, że jest wolność pisania i można wydać dosłownie każdą książkę, ale TO nie powinno nawet znaleźć się na papierze.
📌Bohaterowie mieli po 16/17 lat? No please, miałam wrażenie, że czytam o niezbyt rozumnych, zakochanych dwunastolatkach.
📌Cała ta książka to jedno wielkie XD
📌Miałam ochotę na jakiś taki typowy romansik młodzieżowy- idealny chłopak i ta "inna" dziewczyna.
📌Chciałam się odmóżdżyć, ale ta pozycja? No błagam 😂
📌Jeden plus za to, że jedna z bohaterek była Polką.
📌Rozumiem, że jest wolność pisania i można wydać dosłownie każdą książkę, ale TO nie powinno nawet znaleźć się na papierze.
📌Bohaterowie mieli po 16/17 lat? No please, miałam wrażenie, że czytam o niezbyt rozumnych, zakochanych dwunastolatkach.
📌Cała ta książka to jedno wielkie XD
April 29, 2021
zróbcie sobie przysługę i nigdy tego nie czytajcie.
1.5/5 (jedna gwiazdka za dziewczynę, która była Polką, a pół gwiazdki za cymbergaja w szkole. porażka)
1.5/5 (jedna gwiazdka za dziewczynę, która była Polką, a pół gwiazdki za cymbergaja w szkole. porażka)
December 13, 2021
Książka o tajemniczej, dość ciekawej fabule, aczkolwiek jeśli mam być szczera, momentami dość mocno mnie irytowała, a jej zakończenie wprowadziło mnie w stan wysokiego wzburzenia. Czy polecam? Nie wiem. (Chociaż... plus za nawiązanie do twórczości mojej ukochanej Emiliy i jej "Wichrowych Wzgórz" :'))
October 18, 2019
I don’t even know where to begin? Like what the actual heck did I just read?
All this book has done to me, is to make me unbelievably angry. The “twist” at the end? Don’t. Just don’t. I can’t believe it actually turned out the way it did. And that isn’t the only thing about this that had me so so mad.
I’ll rate this, but I honestly don’t even want to write a review because I’m so angry at this damn book.
So I won’t, at least not right now. Maybe in the future I’ll express all my anger. But right now I simply can’t be bothered. Everything about this book is just a big nope and I’m so over it.
All this book has done to me, is to make me unbelievably angry. The “twist” at the end? Don’t. Just don’t. I can’t believe it actually turned out the way it did. And that isn’t the only thing about this that had me so so mad.
I’ll rate this, but I honestly don’t even want to write a review because I’m so angry at this damn book.
So I won’t, at least not right now. Maybe in the future I’ll express all my anger. But right now I simply can’t be bothered. Everything about this book is just a big nope and I’m so over it.
April 21, 2022
was going to give two stars but genuinely couldn't think of any redeemable qualities whatsoever!! so a solid 1/5 from me.
This will contain spoilers, though honestly you shouldn't waste any time reading this book, so don't worry about it.
A summary of things I didn't like:
1) The characters. Everything about them. They were so stale and one-dimensional. And there was no "development," particularly with Zoe. It was just about as subtle as a bag of bricks!! She kept changing her mind with little reasoning, over the course of a few paragraphs!! It was all, "Ethan is just a friend, Jack is horrible, Jack is mysterious, Jack is gorgeous and I'm dating him, Jack is evil, Jack could never be an android, Jack is an android." There was no reasoning behind her decisions, no effort made in development whatsoever. In the epilogue, completely out of the blue, she just seemed to decide she loved Ethan back!!! What!!! That was set up particularly badly, but I'll get to the romance later.
1a) Zoe. A flatter and less interesting than a brick wall, as far as characters go. I felt no empathy for her whatsoever, she was severely underdeveloped and lacking in pretty much everything. Also a total idiot. Honestly I cannot find the words to describe my anger at the lack of character development.
1b) JACK. oh my god. I would've liked some subtlety??? Like he just appeared and I was thinking "what a freaking weirdo why is he advertising companies to his friends, why is he behaving this way." Any reader with two braincells to rub together could see that Jack (& his family) aren't normal at all. There was no mystery!! He just appeared and behaved like a freak!! Very weirdly described overall, not utilised well. I can think of dozens of ways to improve his introduction, the description of his behaviour, and the reveal. He was so clearly a creep to anyone with a brain. Poor overall.
2) The romance was boring. Zoe was basically emotionless, I really didn't connect with her at all. She didn't really seem to feel anything for anyone, she was just behaving. There was little transition into her liking and dating Jack, it just happened. Again, poor development. Also it felt silly to reveal their romance on the blurb because that's the whole first half of the book out the window. There was no excitement or tension or jealousy or suspicion or fear or worry or *anything* between Zoe and Jack (which may have been the point... But she was dating him!!! She kissed him. They held hands. *She* would have felt something!!!!! god. My apologies because I can't phrase my arguments quite right) OR Zoe and Ethan!! She just decided she was in live with him, which was set up like two separate times. It annoyed me so much, it was so random and awful. Literally nothing vaguely romantic contained within the covers.
3) the plot was just silly in lots of places. The arm wrestling?? The dog?? The dad was fairly stupid. And loads of unresolved plotlines, like Zoe's friends, Zoe's friends learning Polish, the Sixth Form fundraising and decorating - the list goes on. The plot just generally didn't make sense and it felt like it had little direction. While there was some sort of storyline, it was haphazardly constructed and didn't feel real. It wasn't organic, it was fairly clumsy and didn't really make sense. And the ending annoyed me. Also I don't get whether it was meant to be critiquing AI or social media or megacorps or advertising or teens in general or popular culture or trends or fitness culture or popular white men or all of those together or something else entirely. The book's identity felt confused, and I don't know what the intentions where with this one. And for me, intentions are important when you're writing a morality tale, sci-fi/dystopia. And this dips into all three, but the message is muddled and I don't feel any sort of emotional response to it. It was just lacklustre and trying to be too many things, and maybe trying to be a little clever but mostly being the opposite.
3a) the ending deeply irritated me, I really don't know what was happening. The picture painted of the complications following Jack's big reveal was very strange, trying to be concise but big, while failing at both. And the implications of the very last sentence are weird? Again, I'm having trouble phrasing it correctly but the ending was just very sucky. Not good.
4) The setting. Generally it felt poorly described and I could barely picture much of anything. The scene was not very well set. Jack was supposed to be this abnormality, but because we are not introduced to *normality* first, the sense of that is just poor. We don't know how weird or bizarre Jack is because he enters the story very near to the beginning. This didn't make sense to me at all!! but mainly my first point of setting & descriptions being poor, and I generally didn't get along with the writing style & tone.
5) linking to my previous point, the writing!! There were some odd descriptions (Zoe describing lipstick being painted onto "[her] wide mouth" severely freaked me out, and Jack slapping his taut stomach?? Ew) which were overall not well thought out, and not very intelligent. I felt a bit silly reading it, to be honest. On the whole the writing & description felt juvenile and weird, and it was very clunky, lacking in flow or drive or excitement. Lacking in pretty much everything.
THATS IT FOR NOW!! This was longer than I was expecting. Basically, I didn't enjoy this. It wasn't even funny-bad, or enjoyable-trashy-bad, it was just plain-boring-bad. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone!!
This will contain spoilers, though honestly you shouldn't waste any time reading this book, so don't worry about it.
A summary of things I didn't like:
1) The characters. Everything about them. They were so stale and one-dimensional. And there was no "development," particularly with Zoe. It was just about as subtle as a bag of bricks!! She kept changing her mind with little reasoning, over the course of a few paragraphs!! It was all, "Ethan is just a friend, Jack is horrible, Jack is mysterious, Jack is gorgeous and I'm dating him, Jack is evil, Jack could never be an android, Jack is an android." There was no reasoning behind her decisions, no effort made in development whatsoever. In the epilogue, completely out of the blue, she just seemed to decide she loved Ethan back!!! What!!! That was set up particularly badly, but I'll get to the romance later.
1a) Zoe. A flatter and less interesting than a brick wall, as far as characters go. I felt no empathy for her whatsoever, she was severely underdeveloped and lacking in pretty much everything. Also a total idiot. Honestly I cannot find the words to describe my anger at the lack of character development.
1b) JACK. oh my god. I would've liked some subtlety??? Like he just appeared and I was thinking "what a freaking weirdo why is he advertising companies to his friends, why is he behaving this way." Any reader with two braincells to rub together could see that Jack (& his family) aren't normal at all. There was no mystery!! He just appeared and behaved like a freak!! Very weirdly described overall, not utilised well. I can think of dozens of ways to improve his introduction, the description of his behaviour, and the reveal. He was so clearly a creep to anyone with a brain. Poor overall.
2) The romance was boring. Zoe was basically emotionless, I really didn't connect with her at all. She didn't really seem to feel anything for anyone, she was just behaving. There was little transition into her liking and dating Jack, it just happened. Again, poor development. Also it felt silly to reveal their romance on the blurb because that's the whole first half of the book out the window. There was no excitement or tension or jealousy or suspicion or fear or worry or *anything* between Zoe and Jack (which may have been the point... But she was dating him!!! She kissed him. They held hands. *She* would have felt something!!!!! god. My apologies because I can't phrase my arguments quite right) OR Zoe and Ethan!! She just decided she was in live with him, which was set up like two separate times. It annoyed me so much, it was so random and awful. Literally nothing vaguely romantic contained within the covers.
3) the plot was just silly in lots of places. The arm wrestling?? The dog?? The dad was fairly stupid. And loads of unresolved plotlines, like Zoe's friends, Zoe's friends learning Polish, the Sixth Form fundraising and decorating - the list goes on. The plot just generally didn't make sense and it felt like it had little direction. While there was some sort of storyline, it was haphazardly constructed and didn't feel real. It wasn't organic, it was fairly clumsy and didn't really make sense. And the ending annoyed me. Also I don't get whether it was meant to be critiquing AI or social media or megacorps or advertising or teens in general or popular culture or trends or fitness culture or popular white men or all of those together or something else entirely. The book's identity felt confused, and I don't know what the intentions where with this one. And for me, intentions are important when you're writing a morality tale, sci-fi/dystopia. And this dips into all three, but the message is muddled and I don't feel any sort of emotional response to it. It was just lacklustre and trying to be too many things, and maybe trying to be a little clever but mostly being the opposite.
3a) the ending deeply irritated me, I really don't know what was happening. The picture painted of the complications following Jack's big reveal was very strange, trying to be concise but big, while failing at both. And the implications of the very last sentence are weird? Again, I'm having trouble phrasing it correctly but the ending was just very sucky. Not good.
4) The setting. Generally it felt poorly described and I could barely picture much of anything. The scene was not very well set. Jack was supposed to be this abnormality, but because we are not introduced to *normality* first, the sense of that is just poor. We don't know how weird or bizarre Jack is because he enters the story very near to the beginning. This didn't make sense to me at all!! but mainly my first point of setting & descriptions being poor, and I generally didn't get along with the writing style & tone.
5) linking to my previous point, the writing!! There were some odd descriptions (Zoe describing lipstick being painted onto "[her] wide mouth" severely freaked me out, and Jack slapping his taut stomach?? Ew) which were overall not well thought out, and not very intelligent. I felt a bit silly reading it, to be honest. On the whole the writing & description felt juvenile and weird, and it was very clunky, lacking in flow or drive or excitement. Lacking in pretty much everything.
THATS IT FOR NOW!! This was longer than I was expecting. Basically, I didn't enjoy this. It wasn't even funny-bad, or enjoyable-trashy-bad, it was just plain-boring-bad. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone!!
September 13, 2019
3 Stars.
Zoe Littlewood is starting her first year at college and she soon meets Jack Cartwright, the new boy who has moved to the area from Somerset. Jack is popular, and charming, and a perfect boy in every possible way. Zoe is the only one who seems to resist his charms until Jack starts showing romantic interest in her. But a series of strange events leads Zoe to suspect that something is wrong.
I picked up The New Boy because I really liked the cover and I had wanted to read more books this year that were written by UK authors. The New Boy had a premise that had potential and it was a fairly short book so I picked it up from the library.
I didn't have high expectations for it so it didn't quite let me down but I wanted more of the sci-fi and thriller aspects of it. I was just indifferent to the book - it wasn't a favourite, but it wasn't terrible either, which is why I've given it 3 stars. The plot twist is easy to guess from the cover and the last few chapters of the book are where it really lost me.
Verdict:
If you're 14 and you're interested in the cover or blurb, then go ahead and read it. It's not so bad if you keep your expectations low or need a quick read.
Zoe Littlewood is starting her first year at college and she soon meets Jack Cartwright, the new boy who has moved to the area from Somerset. Jack is popular, and charming, and a perfect boy in every possible way. Zoe is the only one who seems to resist his charms until Jack starts showing romantic interest in her. But a series of strange events leads Zoe to suspect that something is wrong.
I picked up The New Boy because I really liked the cover and I had wanted to read more books this year that were written by UK authors. The New Boy had a premise that had potential and it was a fairly short book so I picked it up from the library.
I didn't have high expectations for it so it didn't quite let me down but I wanted more of the sci-fi and thriller aspects of it. I was just indifferent to the book - it wasn't a favourite, but it wasn't terrible either, which is why I've given it 3 stars. The plot twist is easy to guess from the cover and the last few chapters of the book are where it really lost me.
Verdict:
If you're 14 and you're interested in the cover or blurb, then go ahead and read it. It's not so bad if you keep your expectations low or need a quick read.
July 17, 2019
The cover gives us some clues as to what’s going on, but I had a niggling feeling throughout that something wasn’t quite right. Once the pieces slotted into place, it was rather worrying.
Preying on our concerns makes for scary stories, and this certainly had the potential to do just that.
When our main character starts college she is excited to be with her closest friends. On the very first day they notice the new boy, Jack Cartwright. Model looks, impeccable behaviour, interested in a range of activities...he sounds too good to be true. Having started the book with Jack and our narrator on top of a tower block we know that, yes, he is not quite what he seems. The question is, just what is going on?
Against her first thoughts, Zoe ends up in a relationship with Jack. He’s full-on, and I wondered if he was going to turn out to be an emotional abuser. The truth is far stranger. Nobody escapes the fall-out from this relationship.
There were, for me, some pacing issues and I can’t quite bring myself to totally believe the premise. That aside, an interesting read.
Preying on our concerns makes for scary stories, and this certainly had the potential to do just that.
When our main character starts college she is excited to be with her closest friends. On the very first day they notice the new boy, Jack Cartwright. Model looks, impeccable behaviour, interested in a range of activities...he sounds too good to be true. Having started the book with Jack and our narrator on top of a tower block we know that, yes, he is not quite what he seems. The question is, just what is going on?
Against her first thoughts, Zoe ends up in a relationship with Jack. He’s full-on, and I wondered if he was going to turn out to be an emotional abuser. The truth is far stranger. Nobody escapes the fall-out from this relationship.
There were, for me, some pacing issues and I can’t quite bring myself to totally believe the premise. That aside, an interesting read.
November 13, 2021
1.5/5⭐️
ummm ummm ummm
huh
i dont even know where to start so i’m just going to throw some bullet points in here trying to gather my thoughts
• what the hell was THAT?
• the half of the book just doesn’t add up with reality and that was so extremely funny to read, i literally had tears in my eyes
• the main characteristic of the main character was that she was kind of into the guy that is mentioned in the title
• characters have no depth
• i guessed 3/4 of the ending by the time i’ve read half of this book
• i have a meme to sum this book up perfectly but i don’t know how to add pictures into goodreads, so sorry for that
• the only reason this gets 1.5 stars is that it was extremely quick to read and didn’t take much of my time (it took me maybe 3-4 hours total to finish this book)
• oh and the characters were behaving like immature twelve year olds in love
• if you are 13 and like books that have nothing to do with reality and are also only about the relationship between a boy and a girl- go ahead, read it
this was an ✨aggressively heterosexual disaster✨
and also, my theory proved right: if you’ve read one book of that type, you’ve read ALL of them, thank you very much, i read this book for science
ummm ummm ummm
huh
i dont even know where to start so i’m just going to throw some bullet points in here trying to gather my thoughts
• what the hell was THAT?
• the half of the book just doesn’t add up with reality and that was so extremely funny to read, i literally had tears in my eyes
• the main characteristic of the main character was that she was kind of into the guy that is mentioned in the title
• characters have no depth
• i guessed 3/4 of the ending by the time i’ve read half of this book
• i have a meme to sum this book up perfectly but i don’t know how to add pictures into goodreads, so sorry for that
• the only reason this gets 1.5 stars is that it was extremely quick to read and didn’t take much of my time (it took me maybe 3-4 hours total to finish this book)
• oh and the characters were behaving like immature twelve year olds in love
• if you are 13 and like books that have nothing to do with reality and are also only about the relationship between a boy and a girl- go ahead, read it
this was an ✨aggressively heterosexual disaster✨
and also, my theory proved right: if you’ve read one book of that type, you’ve read ALL of them, thank you very much, i read this book for science
Read
August 21, 2021CO TO MIAŁO BYĆ?
To było tak złe. Byłam przekonana ze to będzie jakaś typowa lekka obyczajowka taka młodzieżowa you know niczym z wattpada, aby sobie na raz przeczytac (bo akurat miałam zastój) ALE TO?
Nawet nie wiem czym to nazwać. Ta książka to jedna wielka porażka, dotarłam chyba do 80 strony ¿ nigdy więcej jej nie tknę.
Zróbcie sobie przysługę i nie czytajcie jej😐
COŚ OKROPNEGO!!!!!!!!!
To było tak złe. Byłam przekonana ze to będzie jakaś typowa lekka obyczajowka taka młodzieżowa you know niczym z wattpada, aby sobie na raz przeczytac (bo akurat miałam zastój) ALE TO?
Nawet nie wiem czym to nazwać. Ta książka to jedna wielka porażka, dotarłam chyba do 80 strony ¿ nigdy więcej jej nie tknę.
Zróbcie sobie przysługę i nie czytajcie jej😐
COŚ OKROPNEGO!!!!!!!!!
July 27, 2021
nice, but the ending is too far-fetched and predictable in my opinion
February 17, 2019
*NO SPOILERS*
New B̶o̶y̶ Book 'The New Boy' is still yet to be released/published but I managed to get a copy from my school book fair ;) Here is my take on Paula Rawsthorne's newest piece of work!
"I don't care how handsome and charming he is, wasting time on boys is not on my timetable"
It seems perfect new boy Jack Cartwright is all everyone can be caught up in. He's smart, good-looking, popular and extremely irresistible. Zoe is free from his spells but not for long until flawless, captivating Jack takes a certain liking towards her and she's caught up in all he is, courteous and enthralling. Soon as their affection evolves, Zoe is torn between circumstances which arise, causing her to battle with a shocking secret which may end her. Is everything really what it seems to be?
"Whatever it is whoever they are, he can always find something in common with them"
I loved it! It was thrilling, dark and riveting! As soon as I read the prologue, I was gripped and hungry as to what was to come. At the beginning I was a little less interested and wasn't as addictive as it was deeper into the book. Gradually, halfway through the book it becomes a bit of a guessing game and it gets you thinking about the characters and the situations, About 3/4 of the way through I was buried in the mystery and tension. It becomes fast-paced and has been written so well especially at the beginning and end. I think the characters are good also and well thought out and Zoe is definitely not naïve which I love and it's not cliché as well which is great!
"I've never seen someone so perfect"
"My heart beats for you"
"I am Heathcliff."
It could be predictable but at the same time it might not be. I was so addicted, I couldn't put it down and I think it will such a bestseller! The title and cover is immediately enticing and I just had to buy it and it was totally worth it. Rawsthorne has a solid storyline which will appeal so well to Young Adult readers. It's so good and I think you will definitely enjoy it if you like mystery-romance-thrillers!
"They'll write about us. Tell stories about us, be jealous that they've never loved so deeply"
"I'll only ever love one girl until the day I die and her name is Zoe Littlewood"
It's published on the 7th March and if your interested you must get it! I don't know if its going to be a part of my absolute faves but its certainly near there.
Happy Reading! :)
Aaliah X
If you want to see more book reviews check out my blog: https://aaliahpatel.weebly.com/books
New B̶o̶y̶ Book 'The New Boy' is still yet to be released/published but I managed to get a copy from my school book fair ;) Here is my take on Paula Rawsthorne's newest piece of work!
"I don't care how handsome and charming he is, wasting time on boys is not on my timetable"
It seems perfect new boy Jack Cartwright is all everyone can be caught up in. He's smart, good-looking, popular and extremely irresistible. Zoe is free from his spells but not for long until flawless, captivating Jack takes a certain liking towards her and she's caught up in all he is, courteous and enthralling. Soon as their affection evolves, Zoe is torn between circumstances which arise, causing her to battle with a shocking secret which may end her. Is everything really what it seems to be?
"Whatever it is whoever they are, he can always find something in common with them"
I loved it! It was thrilling, dark and riveting! As soon as I read the prologue, I was gripped and hungry as to what was to come. At the beginning I was a little less interested and wasn't as addictive as it was deeper into the book. Gradually, halfway through the book it becomes a bit of a guessing game and it gets you thinking about the characters and the situations, About 3/4 of the way through I was buried in the mystery and tension. It becomes fast-paced and has been written so well especially at the beginning and end. I think the characters are good also and well thought out and Zoe is definitely not naïve which I love and it's not cliché as well which is great!
"I've never seen someone so perfect"
"My heart beats for you"
"I am Heathcliff."
It could be predictable but at the same time it might not be. I was so addicted, I couldn't put it down and I think it will such a bestseller! The title and cover is immediately enticing and I just had to buy it and it was totally worth it. Rawsthorne has a solid storyline which will appeal so well to Young Adult readers. It's so good and I think you will definitely enjoy it if you like mystery-romance-thrillers!
"They'll write about us. Tell stories about us, be jealous that they've never loved so deeply"
"I'll only ever love one girl until the day I die and her name is Zoe Littlewood"
It's published on the 7th March and if your interested you must get it! I don't know if its going to be a part of my absolute faves but its certainly near there.
Happy Reading! :)
Aaliah X
If you want to see more book reviews check out my blog: https://aaliahpatel.weebly.com/books
December 29, 2021
Wierzysz w ideały? Zoe wierzy. W końcu jej nowy chłopak jest na to żywym przykładem. Czy na pewno? Co ukrywa Jack?
Kiedy superprzystojny nowy chłopak zaczyna naukę w szkole Zoe, jej pierwszą reakcją jest zdenerwowanie.
Jest zbyt idealny. Nie może być prawdziwy…
Lecz kiedy Jack zaczyna się nią interesować, Zoe chowa obawy głęboko do kieszeni. W końcu to najpopularniejszy, najprzystojniejszy i, co najważniejsze, najmilszy chłopak w całej szkole. Niedługo później zaczynają się spotykać. Jack okazuje się wszystkim, o czym marzyła Zoe: jest dobry, uważny i romantyczny…
Lecz Zoe powinna była zaufać swoim przeczuciom. Czy jej wymarzony chłopak naprawdę jest dobry, czy raczej zbyt dobry, by był prawdziwy?
A więc tak, jestem świeżo po przeczytaniu książki i jeszcze próbuję zebrać moje myśli do kupy.
Na początku książka strasznie mnie nudziła, przeczytanie każdego kolejnego rozdziału odwlekałam w czasie. Nie mogłam sie skupić, robiłam tysiąc innych rzeczy, aby tylko nie czytać. Fabuła przypominała mi taką typową historię z wattpada o popularnym chłopaku i zagubionej, ale zadziornej dziewczynie. Dopiero w połowie książki akcja powoli ruszyła i coś w końcu zaczęło sie dziać. Nie powiem, że zauważyłam jakąś diametralną różnicę, ale jednak rozwój wydarzeń nabierał tępa. Wątek, który przewijał się w książce czyli wątek sztucznej inteligencji i tego jak Internet może wpływać (i wpływa) na świat, moim zdaniem można było trochę bardziej rozwinąć. Cała historia była dość przewidywalna i monotonna. Szczerze powiedziawszy, tylko koniec tej książki był dla mnie interesujący i sprawił, że ostatnie strony czytało się z jako takim zaciekawieniem.
Do żadnego z bohaterów się nie przywiązałam i z żadnym się nie utożsamiłam. Byli tacy jak inni, zwyczajni. Oczywiście dało się zauważyć i wyłapać jakieś cechy charakteru bohaterów, ale to nie wystarczyło do zbudowania z nimi więzi. (czytelnik-bohater)
Książka została napisana łatwym i nieskomplikowanym językiem.
Czy polecam? Nie. Aczkolwiek nie jest to najgorsza książka jaką w życiu czytałam.
Do następnego! ~ papierowelatawce
Kiedy superprzystojny nowy chłopak zaczyna naukę w szkole Zoe, jej pierwszą reakcją jest zdenerwowanie.
Jest zbyt idealny. Nie może być prawdziwy…
Lecz kiedy Jack zaczyna się nią interesować, Zoe chowa obawy głęboko do kieszeni. W końcu to najpopularniejszy, najprzystojniejszy i, co najważniejsze, najmilszy chłopak w całej szkole. Niedługo później zaczynają się spotykać. Jack okazuje się wszystkim, o czym marzyła Zoe: jest dobry, uważny i romantyczny…
Lecz Zoe powinna była zaufać swoim przeczuciom. Czy jej wymarzony chłopak naprawdę jest dobry, czy raczej zbyt dobry, by był prawdziwy?
A więc tak, jestem świeżo po przeczytaniu książki i jeszcze próbuję zebrać moje myśli do kupy.
Na początku książka strasznie mnie nudziła, przeczytanie każdego kolejnego rozdziału odwlekałam w czasie. Nie mogłam sie skupić, robiłam tysiąc innych rzeczy, aby tylko nie czytać. Fabuła przypominała mi taką typową historię z wattpada o popularnym chłopaku i zagubionej, ale zadziornej dziewczynie. Dopiero w połowie książki akcja powoli ruszyła i coś w końcu zaczęło sie dziać. Nie powiem, że zauważyłam jakąś diametralną różnicę, ale jednak rozwój wydarzeń nabierał tępa. Wątek, który przewijał się w książce czyli wątek sztucznej inteligencji i tego jak Internet może wpływać (i wpływa) na świat, moim zdaniem można było trochę bardziej rozwinąć. Cała historia była dość przewidywalna i monotonna. Szczerze powiedziawszy, tylko koniec tej książki był dla mnie interesujący i sprawił, że ostatnie strony czytało się z jako takim zaciekawieniem.
Do żadnego z bohaterów się nie przywiązałam i z żadnym się nie utożsamiłam. Byli tacy jak inni, zwyczajni. Oczywiście dało się zauważyć i wyłapać jakieś cechy charakteru bohaterów, ale to nie wystarczyło do zbudowania z nimi więzi. (czytelnik-bohater)
Książka została napisana łatwym i nieskomplikowanym językiem.
Czy polecam? Nie. Aczkolwiek nie jest to najgorsza książka jaką w życiu czytałam.
Do następnego! ~ papierowelatawce
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2019
OVERALL
Overall, the book was okay. It didn't have me on the edge of my seat or anything, but it was well-written and I give credit for that. However, I had many many problems with it so, ta-dah, here are some subtitles.
TOO SLOW
This book was so goddam tedious, which is why it took me TWO WEEKS to read it. I just couldn't be bothered. Too boring. Too long. Too slow.
DISAPPOINTING PROTAGANIST
I had such high hopes for Zoe's character. She was the one girl that wasn't completely brainwashed and then she had to go and act like the other annoying girls as well. It was such a disappointment and literally made me not like her for the rest of the book.
IRRELEVENT SIDE CHARACTERS
You know who I'm talking about. Sonja and Jodie. They were so annoying and so irrelevant, why the hell were they even there? It didn't take away from anything, but at the same time, it didn't really add anything either.
MISLEADING BEGINNING
What the hell was that prologue? It was misleading and made no sense because Ethan wasn't even the one that it happened with. I get foreshadowing by not revealing the whole story but it just seemed stupid and pointless.
UNRELATED PLOTTWIST
There was literally nothing in the blurb or in the book that had anything to do with robots. The whole robot thing just seemed way to out of the box for a plot-twist.
THE ENDING
The ending-ending... epilogue? Whatever it was. It was kinda stupid. She spent the whole book pining over him and that was all overshadowed by her acting like an activist against him. And all the intense drama was just reduced down to this stupid reality show stupidity.
RUSHED ENDING
The start and middle of the book was so slow and then the end just sped up way too much. I kept pausing and thinking... what the hell is going on right now?
Overall, the book was okay. It didn't have me on the edge of my seat or anything, but it was well-written and I give credit for that. However, I had many many problems with it so, ta-dah, here are some subtitles.
TOO SLOW
This book was so goddam tedious, which is why it took me TWO WEEKS to read it. I just couldn't be bothered. Too boring. Too long. Too slow.
DISAPPOINTING PROTAGANIST
I had such high hopes for Zoe's character. She was the one girl that wasn't completely brainwashed and then she had to go and act like the other annoying girls as well. It was such a disappointment and literally made me not like her for the rest of the book.
IRRELEVENT SIDE CHARACTERS
You know who I'm talking about. Sonja and Jodie. They were so annoying and so irrelevant, why the hell were they even there? It didn't take away from anything, but at the same time, it didn't really add anything either.
MISLEADING BEGINNING
What the hell was that prologue? It was misleading and made no sense because Ethan wasn't even the one that it happened with. I get foreshadowing by not revealing the whole story but it just seemed stupid and pointless.
UNRELATED PLOTTWIST
There was literally nothing in the blurb or in the book that had anything to do with robots. The whole robot thing just seemed way to out of the box for a plot-twist.
THE ENDING
The ending-ending... epilogue? Whatever it was. It was kinda stupid. She spent the whole book pining over him and that was all overshadowed by her acting like an activist against him. And all the intense drama was just reduced down to this stupid reality show stupidity.
RUSHED ENDING
The start and middle of the book was so slow and then the end just sped up way too much. I kept pausing and thinking... what the hell is going on right now?
March 3, 2019
How many times have you discovered something unpleasant or shocking about someone you know and said: “I knew there was something odd about them”? Did you really know, or were you just saying that? Was there something in your gut telling you that something just wasn’t right?
Meet Zoe Littlewood. Friend, daughter, student. She’s also a non-conformist. Going along with what everyone else is doing just isn’t her thing. But, her relatively happy bubble (let’s not worry about her dad and his new wife, Petra, just yet) is about to be disrupted by a new student at her sixth form college – Jack Cartwright.
Everyone wants a piece of Jack. Except Zoe, at least at first. The question is – why?
If you think you know what to expect out of The New Boy, then please read it. It’ll make you think again. Not only is it a trope I’ve never seen before, but it was also one that left me speechless (shook, as the kids say) and desperate for more.
Woven into the tale of Zoe and Jack is a social commentary on the impact of social media on our lives. It talks about how it permeates our everyday lives without us even realising, invading our privacy and affecting our decision making processes.
There are also some difficulties that many teenagers will relate to, such as blended families and challenging friendships.
The New Boy will make your heart beat faster and the hairs on your arms stand up. Dark, disturbing, and an awe-inspiring piece of writing.
Many thanks to Scholastic for providing a copy of this book for an exchange for an honest review.
Meet Zoe Littlewood. Friend, daughter, student. She’s also a non-conformist. Going along with what everyone else is doing just isn’t her thing. But, her relatively happy bubble (let’s not worry about her dad and his new wife, Petra, just yet) is about to be disrupted by a new student at her sixth form college – Jack Cartwright.
Everyone wants a piece of Jack. Except Zoe, at least at first. The question is – why?
If you think you know what to expect out of The New Boy, then please read it. It’ll make you think again. Not only is it a trope I’ve never seen before, but it was also one that left me speechless (shook, as the kids say) and desperate for more.
Woven into the tale of Zoe and Jack is a social commentary on the impact of social media on our lives. It talks about how it permeates our everyday lives without us even realising, invading our privacy and affecting our decision making processes.
There are also some difficulties that many teenagers will relate to, such as blended families and challenging friendships.
The New Boy will make your heart beat faster and the hairs on your arms stand up. Dark, disturbing, and an awe-inspiring piece of writing.
Many thanks to Scholastic for providing a copy of this book for an exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2022
dupy nie urywa
August 7, 2019
Okay, so this book was the first of many for my summer reading. It was a good start, the characters are good, the set up was interesting. But the more the book went on the more it started to drag, then a new plot opportunity popped up which sparked my interests but my brain worked out the so-called 'plot twist' which left me downhearted.The New Boy. Overall, the book took me on some ups and downs, the very end was OK and if the author had moved the book on a bit quicker then she could have extended the ending because it had big potential. If you have to do a deal for example a 3 for 2 in a book store and you are unsure of what to get; get this book. Its not worth paying the full price for but if included in a deal its fine. Easy read.
March 7, 2019
This is a high quality, teen-focused thriller enjoyed by parent and teen. Great twists - wish we could say more but no spoilers. The story raise loads of things to think about from social media influences to … well, can't say more without spoilers. Both of us liked that it was a cracking read - fast paced, characters you warm to and great climax. Parent especially liked that it successfully managed to detach teen from their mobile phone!
April 26, 2019
I like Paula Rawsthorne. She writes contemporary sci-fi which is easy to engage with and fun to read. Shell was an interesting story and so I was eager to read the new boy. That being said I was slightly disappointed but that's probably because in my mind I'd set the bar pretty high.
The story introduces you to Jack, the new boy. He is perfect in every way and he soon becomes the most popular person at school. Every one wants to be Jack. Everyone but Zoe who doesn't like him. this soon makes Zoe the focus of Jack's attention and things begin to spiral quickly.
Things I liked:
- It was an easy to read contemporary sci-fi
- Zoe was relatable
- The book, although set in a school, took you to some interesting places and events so it never felt dull.
- The twists at the end were fun and action packed.
Things I didn't like:
- From the start I knew all about Jack. It was too predictable and finding out how everyone else found out about Jack wasn't that interesting to uncover.
- The ending drove me mad - how could people be so idiotic!
- The Ethan story line didn't hook me as much as it was meant to. I didn't care for his character or him and Zoe as an item.
- Certain parts were quite dull like the dance, football match, the date - I feel like the same things were rehashed.
Despite the negatives the new boy is still a great read and I think it will be a huge hit with Year 7-9 students. Paula is making sci-fi fun and accessible for younger people.
The story introduces you to Jack, the new boy. He is perfect in every way and he soon becomes the most popular person at school. Every one wants to be Jack. Everyone but Zoe who doesn't like him. this soon makes Zoe the focus of Jack's attention and things begin to spiral quickly.
Things I liked:
- It was an easy to read contemporary sci-fi
- Zoe was relatable
- The book, although set in a school, took you to some interesting places and events so it never felt dull.
- The twists at the end were fun and action packed.
Things I didn't like:
- From the start I knew all about Jack. It was too predictable and finding out how everyone else found out about Jack wasn't that interesting to uncover.
- The ending drove me mad - how could people be so idiotic!
- The Ethan story line didn't hook me as much as it was meant to. I didn't care for his character or him and Zoe as an item.
- Certain parts were quite dull like the dance, football match, the date - I feel like the same things were rehashed.
Despite the negatives the new boy is still a great read and I think it will be a huge hit with Year 7-9 students. Paula is making sci-fi fun and accessible for younger people.
August 19, 2019
I am a huge fan of Paula Rawsthorne and although she does not write horror fiction her thrillers always have a very dark edge to them and her back-catalogue of The Truth about Celia Frost, Blood Tracks and Shell are well worth investigating. Her latest offering, The New Boy, is another very solid thriller convincingly set in the hustle and bustle of a Sixth Form College. Zoe starts college and her best friends from her previous school, Jodie, Sonja and Ethan are also there, soon they meet Jack who becomes incredibly popular, very quickly. Although this novel has a lot to hold the attention I found it very predictable and much of the action was so telegraphed I believe many teen readers may well agree. I was hoping the ending might hold a twist, but it ended as I thought it would.
There was much to admire in Zoe, one of the few students to shun social media and The New Boy made many clever observations on this. Jack is amazing at everything and soon unites the college across the varied friendship groups and gangs and because he is attracted to Zoe friction begins to appear in her friendship group, especially with her oldest friend Ethan. As the story moves on there are more clues and suspicions as it flitted from drama to thriller. An easy, but hopefully not too predictable read, for kids eleven years and above.
There was much to admire in Zoe, one of the few students to shun social media and The New Boy made many clever observations on this. Jack is amazing at everything and soon unites the college across the varied friendship groups and gangs and because he is attracted to Zoe friction begins to appear in her friendship group, especially with her oldest friend Ethan. As the story moves on there are more clues and suspicions as it flitted from drama to thriller. An easy, but hopefully not too predictable read, for kids eleven years and above.
March 2, 2020
В целом, читается легко и, в общем-то, относительно интересно.
Другое дело, что суть книги и Джека лично мне (и, судя по отзывам, всем) ясна была с первых страниц, а когда ты сразу разгадал загадку (которая была ни разу не загадочная), в то время как автор «типа» продолжает напускать тумана, а герои ничего не понимают… Удовольствие сомнительное. Прямо скажем, ни я, ни другие читатели такое не любят.
Книга поразительно непопулярна. Ровно год спустя после своего выхода на Goodreads она набрала всего 93 оценки и получила плачевный рейтинг 3,48. И, в целом, можно понять почему.
Идея (хоть и не новая) довольно интересна, и читалось легко… Но суть, загадка и конец… Сами понимаете, восторга ни у кого не вызывали. В самом деле, когда ты все сразу понял, а персонажи всю книгу, простите, жутко «тупят»… Это никому не понравится.
Ну, и вообще… книга для детишек лет 14, которые мало YA читали. Только, так сказать, начинают знакомиться с этим жанром. Тогда да, может реально и понравится. Наивным романтичным девочкам. А серьезно (ну, даже относительно) книгу эту воспринимать нельзя.
Да и конец: не могут люди быть настолько тупыми. Что, ни одного фильма-катастрофы на ту же тему не смотрели? Как-то нереалистично это.
Да и вообще реалистичностью тут даже без учета сай-фая не пахнет, так что… Как-то вот так.
Итоговая оценка: 5/10
Другое дело, что суть книги и Джека лично мне (и, судя по отзывам, всем) ясна была с первых страниц, а когда ты сразу разгадал загадку (которая была ни разу не загадочная), в то время как автор «типа» продолжает напускать тумана, а герои ничего не понимают… Удовольствие сомнительное. Прямо скажем, ни я, ни другие читатели такое не любят.
Книга поразительно непопулярна. Ровно год спустя после своего выхода на Goodreads она набрала всего 93 оценки и получила плачевный рейтинг 3,48. И, в целом, можно понять почему.
Идея (хоть и не новая) довольно интересна, и читалось легко… Но суть, загадка и конец… Сами понимаете, восторга ни у кого не вызывали. В самом деле, когда ты все сразу понял, а персонажи всю книгу, простите, жутко «тупят»… Это никому не понравится.
Ну, и вообще… книга для детишек лет 14, которые мало YA читали. Только, так сказать, начинают знакомиться с этим жанром. Тогда да, может реально и понравится. Наивным романтичным девочкам. А серьезно (ну, даже относительно) книгу эту воспринимать нельзя.
Да и конец: не могут люди быть настолько тупыми. Что, ни одного фильма-катастрофы на ту же тему не смотрели? Как-то нереалистично это.
Да и вообще реалистичностью тут даже без учета сай-фая не пахнет, так что… Как-то вот так.
Итоговая оценка: 5/10
Read
July 14, 2022The new boy Jack is winning everyone over with his charm, wit and influence. Everyone bar Zoe … for now at least.
The introduction is very immersive and you feel the need to understand what has lead to the characters finding themselves in this position. I also really liked that the named male character is not the ‘new boy’ referenced in the title and blurb adding to the mystery and need to read on.
It may have been nice for the 2 on the roof in the intro to not be named as it means that you see Ethan and Zoes relationship differently during the book. However, this is also good as as a reader you want to warn Zoe of her future. Or maybe there is more of a link between Jack and Ethan’s actions as the blurb says “falling in love can be dangerous when you don’t know who is pulling the strings.”
Just a warning (not one i ever thought I’d have to give) if a guy says that jumping off a roof is the only way to prove your love … get a different guy.
I love that it’s set in the UK books are often set in the US so it is a nice change.
The whole book has been superbly formatted and written by Paula so that you never know who to trust and what is real. Once reading the ending I recognised the hints throughout the book.
10/10 I have no criticisms and loved reading it around the pool in France on holiday. Yet another brilliant book by Paula with a great social commentary.
The introduction is very immersive and you feel the need to understand what has lead to the characters finding themselves in this position. I also really liked that the named male character is not the ‘new boy’ referenced in the title and blurb adding to the mystery and need to read on.
It may have been nice for the 2 on the roof in the intro to not be named as it means that you see Ethan and Zoes relationship differently during the book. However, this is also good as as a reader you want to warn Zoe of her future. Or maybe there is more of a link between Jack and Ethan’s actions as the blurb says “falling in love can be dangerous when you don’t know who is pulling the strings.”
Just a warning (not one i ever thought I’d have to give) if a guy says that jumping off a roof is the only way to prove your love … get a different guy.
I love that it’s set in the UK books are often set in the US so it is a nice change.
The whole book has been superbly formatted and written by Paula so that you never know who to trust and what is real. Once reading the ending I recognised the hints throughout the book.
10/10 I have no criticisms and loved reading it around the pool in France on holiday. Yet another brilliant book by Paula with a great social commentary.
January 20, 2025
Omg!!! That plot twist was crazy.. I can't believe the whole book was basically a lie! I knew there was something wrong with Jack or whatever his name was but him turning out to be AI was like the next level twist!!! Man I don't think I'm ever gonna get over this. The way it was written was so good, Paula made it seem so real. I genuinely thought Zoe and Jack's love and connection was real! That's just crazy😭😭... I'm actually speechless what the actual hell??! Man I feel so bad for Ethan, I basically thought he killed Bullseye as well! I knew from when Ethan figured out that everyone from the school that Jack allegedly went to and no one knew him basically just made me feel like if he even was a real person or he was just fake! My god I'm not gonna get over this omds!!! This was so fun to read!!!
February 7, 2022
Took me quite a while to read, and I was rather underwhelmed with the ending but that could be down to my own personal taste, I think the story just could of been developed better rather than the amazing jack turning out to be a Robert, as I was interested to why he was doing this things and the way he was acting but when I found out it was because of social experiment it was simply underwhelming, they was Also a few lose ties to the book, like for example was it jack or jacks “dad” who spiked ethan things like this were never cleared up really, it was more me presuming it was the “dad”
I feel like this might be a good book for people who are into this but personally i am not.
I feel like this might be a good book for people who are into this but personally i am not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2019
Ok. So I am confused about my feeling for this book. I will try to not spoil anyones potential fun for reading this.
Firstly, I will point out that the writing is actually pretty decent. I enjoyed it surprisingly a lot. The story started very nicely and I was pretty sure I was going to see some character development.
That was only in my head!!! The plot twist ruined all the book. I will not say what was it, but hell no!!! You don't go and do that. It's the most idiotic thing I have ever read!!
Those 3 stars are only for the writing up until the half of the book.
Firstly, I will point out that the writing is actually pretty decent. I enjoyed it surprisingly a lot. The story started very nicely and I was pretty sure I was going to see some character development.
That was only in my head!!! The plot twist ruined all the book. I will not say what was it, but hell no!!! You don't go and do that. It's the most idiotic thing I have ever read!!
Those 3 stars are only for the writing up until the half of the book.
November 11, 2020
3/5
Książkę czytałam nic o niej nie wiedząc. Chyba był to błąd, bo chciałam romansu a dostałam w sumie dziwne coś, z tak samo dziwnym zakończeniem. Nie spodziewałam się co prawda tego, w jaki sposób historia się rozwiąże ale nadal mnie to rozczarowało. Mam raczej mieszane uczucia. Oceniam ją na 3 bo jednak była wciągająca i do połowy lekko mi się ją czytało. Od początku było wiadomo, że z głównym bohaterem było coś nie tak, tak czy inaczej rozwiązanie wydaje mi się po prostu absurdalne i głupie.
Książkę czytałam nic o niej nie wiedząc. Chyba był to błąd, bo chciałam romansu a dostałam w sumie dziwne coś, z tak samo dziwnym zakończeniem. Nie spodziewałam się co prawda tego, w jaki sposób historia się rozwiąże ale nadal mnie to rozczarowało. Mam raczej mieszane uczucia. Oceniam ją na 3 bo jednak była wciągająca i do połowy lekko mi się ją czytało. Od początku było wiadomo, że z głównym bohaterem było coś nie tak, tak czy inaczej rozwiązanie wydaje mi się po prostu absurdalne i głupie.
August 1, 2022
I started this book on the first day of my holiday just as a nice peaceful read but I read the first few chapters and I was hooked. I didn’t stop reading it all day and brought it with me everywhere, I ended up reading it all in one day. I absolutely loved The New Boy but I am only rating it 4 stars because the ending didn’t big reveal of Jack didn’t really live up to my expectations but all in all I was really impressed by by the character development and how well I related to it in total. Definitely would read again.
January 11, 2025
Its about a small town kids who go to a college. Nothing usually happens in this small town. The new guy shows up and everything changes. Everyone wants to be like him and starts to dress and act like him. Zoe isn’t easily enthralled she thinks something isn’t right. Then he starts to show interest in her, but at the same time a lot of bad things happen. Her friend Ethan is onto him as well. When she starts to dig deeper finding out everything is a lie. But the truth is also out of this world.
July 31, 2019
To be honest I read this book and loved it so much I thought the story was so good however at the last three chapters i was so disappointed and thought it was a bit ridiculous the way the book ended and it ruined the whole book for me. I know I won’t be reading this book for a second time due to the conclusion of the overall book.
April 26, 2020
My mum gave me this book as a quick read whilst I was waiting on ordered books to arrive and thankfully it was just that. As an older teenager I wouldn’t reccomend, I personally didn’t really get in to it at all and just wanted to finish it. Definitely targeted for a younger audience who may enjoy but personally I thought the ending was a bit ridiculous.
July 17, 2025
the only thing that kept me going was because of the prologue. i wanted to know who or what Jack is. when they mentioned jack's bottle was empty but he kept "drinking" i knew he was a robot. but because in the prologue they mention ethan's name, i kept going. the book is mid but still enjoyable to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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