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Absorbed
Allison has been with Owen since university. She's given up on writing her novel and is working a dull office job at the local council – now it feels like the only interesting thing about her is that she's Owen's girlfriend. But he's slipping away from her, and Allison has no idea who she'll be without him.
Panicking, she absorbs him...
Soon Allison begins taking on Owen's best qualities, becoming the person she always thought she should be. But is Owen all she needs to complete herself? Will Allison ever be a whole person?
Absorbed is the original and timely debut novel from Kylie Whitehead; a darkly comic story of female insecurity, body horror and modern relationships.
Panicking, she absorbs him...
Soon Allison begins taking on Owen's best qualities, becoming the person she always thought she should be. But is Owen all she needs to complete herself? Will Allison ever be a whole person?
Absorbed is the original and timely debut novel from Kylie Whitehead; a darkly comic story of female insecurity, body horror and modern relationships.
246 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
September 24, 2025
the obsession aspects are so well done, and there are a number of relatable quotes. it's unhinged in a slow, quiet way, and overall a fun time being in Allison's head.
if you liked Open Wide by Jessica Gross or the movie Together, definitely try this one out!
if you liked Open Wide by Jessica Gross or the movie Together, definitely try this one out!
August 20, 2021
My review is on my website www.bookread2day.wordpress.com
Absorbed is the original and timely debut novel from Kylie Whitehead a darkly comic story of female insecurity, body horror and modern relationship.
As soon as I started reading the first page I knew I was going to enjoy this book.
Absorbed traces a young girl Allison who has insecurities about herself, just like some of us do. For Allison insecurities digs much deeper.
When her boyfriend Owen was kissing her she loved it so much that Allison didn’t want it to end. Then Owen stops kissing Allison, because he see another girl Helena.
To Allison when Helena starts talking to Owen, his face lit up. Helena was making Allison feel very insecure. It made Allison think Owen wanted her to be more friendly, funnier, more open and more like Helena. She begins to wonder if Owen is disappointed with her by the conventional person that she was and if he would rather her be more creative, more artistic.
Then Allison sees that Helena couldn’t keep her hands off her Owen. She thinks that it would be easier if they just kissed. It may seem weird, but Allison absorbed her boyfriend Owen, and this is what gave the story an unique edgy feel to it.
I recommend reading Absorbed as this is just the beginning of what happened, the story heads on gets a bit darker like your not expecting it to.
Absorbed is the original and timely debut novel from Kylie Whitehead a darkly comic story of female insecurity, body horror and modern relationship.
As soon as I started reading the first page I knew I was going to enjoy this book.
Absorbed traces a young girl Allison who has insecurities about herself, just like some of us do. For Allison insecurities digs much deeper.
When her boyfriend Owen was kissing her she loved it so much that Allison didn’t want it to end. Then Owen stops kissing Allison, because he see another girl Helena.
To Allison when Helena starts talking to Owen, his face lit up. Helena was making Allison feel very insecure. It made Allison think Owen wanted her to be more friendly, funnier, more open and more like Helena. She begins to wonder if Owen is disappointed with her by the conventional person that she was and if he would rather her be more creative, more artistic.
Then Allison sees that Helena couldn’t keep her hands off her Owen. She thinks that it would be easier if they just kissed. It may seem weird, but Allison absorbed her boyfriend Owen, and this is what gave the story an unique edgy feel to it.
I recommend reading Absorbed as this is just the beginning of what happened, the story heads on gets a bit darker like your not expecting it to.
April 17, 2021
Absorbed is the first offering from New Ruins; a collaboration between indie publishers Dead Ink and Influx , two presses whose output is consistently great and innovative. According to the about section New Ruins ‘publishes books that are comfortable sitting across, within, or outside of genre labels, for readers unafraid of transgressing boundaries‘. Judging by Absorbed, they have definitely kept their word.
Allison has problems. Her constant fear of her long term partner, Owen leaving her is worsening, she does not like her job at the local council, her writing career has stalled and she is slowly losing her closest friend. On New Year’s eve, Owen and Allison have sex and Owen disappears. Allison believes that she absorbed him.
As the book proceeds, we readers then get glimpses of Allison and Owen’s relationship, which is built on anxiety, jealousy, constant break ups and lack of communication – from both parties. In the process Allison drops bits and pieces about her past, which is a contributing factor to her anxiety.
I saw absorbed as a book about relationship dynamics and mental health. How can a relationship cope with challenges? what happens if communication is not strong enough? does taking on a partner’s traits help strengthen a relationship or keep it going? Absorbed poses and answers these questions.
At times the book has a body horror aspect and there are supernatural elements. I was reminded of the deadpan style which is seen in Otessa Moshfegh’s characters (no nose picking or bum scratching with Absorbed , although there is some detail over a particular nasty cramp). What I liked most is the eerie atmosphere that Kylie Whitehead conjures. There were times I felt a mounting tension when Allison starts dabbling into the supernatural world. Absorbed is a book that plays with your emotions, from suspense to intrigue. Clichés such as gripping and unputdownable were made for this book.
Absorbed is excellent. Its cleverness lies in the fact that there are deeper and serious topics in the book and yet it can be taken as a horror novel albeit more creepy than scream out loud. Kylie Whitehead writes convincing characters and an unpredictable story. This all leads to a novel that will keep the reader up all night until it’s over. This all bodes well for a bright (or maybe it’s better if I say dark) future.
Many thanks to New Ruins for providing a copy of Absorbed
Allison has problems. Her constant fear of her long term partner, Owen leaving her is worsening, she does not like her job at the local council, her writing career has stalled and she is slowly losing her closest friend. On New Year’s eve, Owen and Allison have sex and Owen disappears. Allison believes that she absorbed him.
As the book proceeds, we readers then get glimpses of Allison and Owen’s relationship, which is built on anxiety, jealousy, constant break ups and lack of communication – from both parties. In the process Allison drops bits and pieces about her past, which is a contributing factor to her anxiety.
I saw absorbed as a book about relationship dynamics and mental health. How can a relationship cope with challenges? what happens if communication is not strong enough? does taking on a partner’s traits help strengthen a relationship or keep it going? Absorbed poses and answers these questions.
At times the book has a body horror aspect and there are supernatural elements. I was reminded of the deadpan style which is seen in Otessa Moshfegh’s characters (no nose picking or bum scratching with Absorbed , although there is some detail over a particular nasty cramp). What I liked most is the eerie atmosphere that Kylie Whitehead conjures. There were times I felt a mounting tension when Allison starts dabbling into the supernatural world. Absorbed is a book that plays with your emotions, from suspense to intrigue. Clichés such as gripping and unputdownable were made for this book.
Absorbed is excellent. Its cleverness lies in the fact that there are deeper and serious topics in the book and yet it can be taken as a horror novel albeit more creepy than scream out loud. Kylie Whitehead writes convincing characters and an unpredictable story. This all leads to a novel that will keep the reader up all night until it’s over. This all bodes well for a bright (or maybe it’s better if I say dark) future.
Many thanks to New Ruins for providing a copy of Absorbed
June 25, 2023
This is the weirdest book I have ever read and probably will ever read in my entire life. Somehow I got to the end but there was no resolution whatsoever. I could tell Whitehead tried to formulate one but it added up to nothingness really.
The character’s childhood mysteries unresolved, her secrets not told, her condition not altered or cured. I would’ve been fine with it being longer if it meant there was an actual ending.
I also think nearing the last quarter, all the specific naming of the body parts was really unnecessary and not a good descriptive method.
The language was quite simple and the storyline was sound, I still found myself intrigued to keep on reading till the end. if you are into really border-crossing modern attempt at supernatural humorous vibes then this is the perfect book for you:)
The character’s childhood mysteries unresolved, her secrets not told, her condition not altered or cured. I would’ve been fine with it being longer if it meant there was an actual ending.
I also think nearing the last quarter, all the specific naming of the body parts was really unnecessary and not a good descriptive method.
The language was quite simple and the storyline was sound, I still found myself intrigued to keep on reading till the end. if you are into really border-crossing modern attempt at supernatural humorous vibes then this is the perfect book for you:)
August 15, 2021
I had a tooth out this week; the day after that I started my period, a particularly nasty one; something about that combo annoyed my (already constantly-aching) back to the point where I'm hobbling about and having trouble sleeping. So I've been kind of miserable. Because of that, though, I bought this book that I've fancied for a while and I just read it, straightaway, in two days; I haven't done that in FOREVER. As context, that's probably relevant to how much I loved this book.
I don't want to misrepresent this novel, because the main character, Allison, is self-involved, unlikeable, unreliable, and very self-aware, and the whole narrative is her talking endlessly about all of that - and about having physically and fully absorbed her boyfriend. There's some excellently done body horror, but it's actually quite light on that. It's weird, sharp, awful; it's a vivid portrait of how isolating depression and anxiety can be, even if you're never alone, and how simultaneously disassociated and desperate for affection childhood trauma can make you. I may have over-related to her, I'll be honest. That's also relevant to how much I loved this, I'm sure, but I think it's a solid recommendation for anyone who likes the sound of the premise.
This is apparently the debut release from the publishing imprint New Ruins, who say they want to focus on "the porous and uncanny boundary between the edge-lands of literary and genre fiction", "for readers unafraid of trangressing boundaries". Yes please.
I don't want to misrepresent this novel, because the main character, Allison, is self-involved, unlikeable, unreliable, and very self-aware, and the whole narrative is her talking endlessly about all of that - and about having physically and fully absorbed her boyfriend. There's some excellently done body horror, but it's actually quite light on that. It's weird, sharp, awful; it's a vivid portrait of how isolating depression and anxiety can be, even if you're never alone, and how simultaneously disassociated and desperate for affection childhood trauma can make you. I may have over-related to her, I'll be honest. That's also relevant to how much I loved this, I'm sure, but I think it's a solid recommendation for anyone who likes the sound of the premise.
This is apparently the debut release from the publishing imprint New Ruins, who say they want to focus on "the porous and uncanny boundary between the edge-lands of literary and genre fiction", "for readers unafraid of trangressing boundaries". Yes please.
May 21, 2021
If you have never reached the end of a novel and thought to yourself "Well, that was a bit weird..." then, dear reader, you have really missed out, because sometimes the wackiest of concepts can really get to the heart of what it means to be human. I am here for all the wonderful weirdness that makes you think when it comes to books, and so I bring you the fabulous debut from Kylie Whitehead, Absorbed.
Absorbed is about a young woman called Allison, whose insecurities have led to her a place where she has given up on her hopes and dreams and clings desperately to her identity as Owen's girlfriend -worried that if he leaves her she will be nothing. Terrified that Owen is distancing himself from her after ten years together, as his life seems to be going upward and onward while she stagnates, she panics and... absorbs him.
Once Owen has become part of her, Allison begins a painful transformation that has her taking on his finer qualities in an attempt to become a better person and escape the darkness inside her - but will this assimilation be enough for her to be the person she wants to be?
Okay, so it's an unusual concept, but to be honest it doesn't really matter if you take Allison's absorbing habit literally or metaphorically. What you actually have here is an unusual coming of age story that explores female insecurity; unhealthy relationships; the painful act of self-discovery; and a coming to terms with the legacy of a disturbed childhood - and it imparts its message by pushing the boundaries with style.
There were times when I was reminded of the eerie bleakness of How Pale The Winter Has Made Us by Adam Scovell, the blackest humour and unravelling of the psyche of Boy Parts by Eliza Clark, and the way Naomi Booth explores the frozen human heart in her incredible Exit Management, by way of the insidious menace of Ira Levin's classic Rosemary's Baby, in the slick way it mixes original literary fiction with an underlying feel of delicious surreal horror. It's completely compulsive reading and I absorbed the whole lovely lot in a single sitting in much the same way Allison draws in Owen, unable to look away even for a minute.
As the inaugural publication from New Ruins, a band new collaboration between two of my absolute favourite indie publishers Influx and Dead Ink, it is something of a gem that promises a treasure trove of delights in the future. Embrace the weird and wonderful and give yourself a treat!
Absorbed is about a young woman called Allison, whose insecurities have led to her a place where she has given up on her hopes and dreams and clings desperately to her identity as Owen's girlfriend -worried that if he leaves her she will be nothing. Terrified that Owen is distancing himself from her after ten years together, as his life seems to be going upward and onward while she stagnates, she panics and... absorbs him.
Once Owen has become part of her, Allison begins a painful transformation that has her taking on his finer qualities in an attempt to become a better person and escape the darkness inside her - but will this assimilation be enough for her to be the person she wants to be?
Okay, so it's an unusual concept, but to be honest it doesn't really matter if you take Allison's absorbing habit literally or metaphorically. What you actually have here is an unusual coming of age story that explores female insecurity; unhealthy relationships; the painful act of self-discovery; and a coming to terms with the legacy of a disturbed childhood - and it imparts its message by pushing the boundaries with style.
There were times when I was reminded of the eerie bleakness of How Pale The Winter Has Made Us by Adam Scovell, the blackest humour and unravelling of the psyche of Boy Parts by Eliza Clark, and the way Naomi Booth explores the frozen human heart in her incredible Exit Management, by way of the insidious menace of Ira Levin's classic Rosemary's Baby, in the slick way it mixes original literary fiction with an underlying feel of delicious surreal horror. It's completely compulsive reading and I absorbed the whole lovely lot in a single sitting in much the same way Allison draws in Owen, unable to look away even for a minute.
As the inaugural publication from New Ruins, a band new collaboration between two of my absolute favourite indie publishers Influx and Dead Ink, it is something of a gem that promises a treasure trove of delights in the future. Embrace the weird and wonderful and give yourself a treat!
January 3, 2023
Would rather watch paint dry than try read this again. Extremely boring and repetitive after 15 or so chapters. Started skimming it around halfway so that’s probably why I didn’t understand the ending but I don’t care. I genuinely did not enjoy this book except for the one chapter where she, yknow, absorbs her boyfriend.
I understand she’s supposed to be unlikable and plain annoying but good lord I cannot stand Allison so I suppose Kylie Whitehead did something right.
Id recommend this to people who try to hard to be edgy and mysterious with their taste in books
I understand she’s supposed to be unlikable and plain annoying but good lord I cannot stand Allison so I suppose Kylie Whitehead did something right.
Id recommend this to people who try to hard to be edgy and mysterious with their taste in books
November 24, 2023
i'm either not as smart as i thought i was or this book was sadly kinda boring
January 12, 2021
Well that was something else, New Ruins have set to break the genre boundaries and this book certainly does that and more. Whitehead has written a book which is so compulsive as the protagonist Allison absorbs her boyfriend and takes on his best qualities as she is fed up of her mundane life. She didn't want to lose Owen so the only way to keep him was to absorb him otherwise she would be nothing, as the novel develops she becomes the person she wants to be as she begins to be her better self she worries if she'll ever be happy with who she is. Allison is constantly looking for validation so in order to be accepted she becomes someone else however her past comes back to haunt her and she begins to feel lost again. I couldn't help but indulging in this book as I had so many questions as the main character was struggling to understand the difference between love and jealousy.
November 29, 2021
(3.5 out of 5 rounded up)
What a wonderful, peculiar book this is. I’m so glad I picked it up and gave it a try, even if it isn’t one of my favourite books I’ve read.
There were countless quotes and observations I loved, which made this a really enjoyable experience. Being in our main character’s head was engaging and fascinating, although just slightly tiring at times given the repetitive nature of her thoughts. The concept of her ‘absorbing’ her boyfriend is explored in an interesting but vague way, and wasn’t quite as satisfying as I hoped it might be on the whole. I think this one of those ‘if you get it you get it, you don’t you don’t’ situations - and unfortunately I didn’t 100% get it.
If this sounds like it might be for you, I recommend giving it a go!
What a wonderful, peculiar book this is. I’m so glad I picked it up and gave it a try, even if it isn’t one of my favourite books I’ve read.
There were countless quotes and observations I loved, which made this a really enjoyable experience. Being in our main character’s head was engaging and fascinating, although just slightly tiring at times given the repetitive nature of her thoughts. The concept of her ‘absorbing’ her boyfriend is explored in an interesting but vague way, and wasn’t quite as satisfying as I hoped it might be on the whole. I think this one of those ‘if you get it you get it, you don’t you don’t’ situations - and unfortunately I didn’t 100% get it.
If this sounds like it might be for you, I recommend giving it a go!
January 23, 2022
really enjoyed this !!! a great exploration of female insecurity and relationships in form of a paranormal/ horror novel. i will always support an unhinged girl <3
the writing wasn’t always my style but the author still had me hooked.
the writing wasn’t always my style but the author still had me hooked.
Read
July 9, 20214.5
July 15, 2024
"Perhaps my birth parents had put a spell on me, and perhaps they had not. Maybe I was empty, but weren't we all? Whatever I was now, I was the product of all that had happened to me, of everyone I had known."
Dark, insightful and filled with genuine horror. I devoured it...
More thoughts to come at a later time.
Dark, insightful and filled with genuine horror. I devoured it...
More thoughts to come at a later time.
November 19, 2022
allison is so me. 3.5!
June 21, 2025
I thought the themes and idea at the core of the book was good but I got bored with the character development and the pacing. It was so mundane and could have been much snappier. I waited for the horror to be more pronounced but it just seemed to be an idea that hadn’t been fully formed or realised.
February 12, 2025
*3.5
Mostly intriguing, and insightful at times, but if you can't stand an open ending, this is not the book for you.
Mostly intriguing, and insightful at times, but if you can't stand an open ending, this is not the book for you.
June 15, 2021
How do you carry an entire book on a hook like this? Well, Kylie has nailed it - went a bunch of places I didn't expect, refused to go anywhere obvious, made me reflect a lot more on myself than I anticipated. A great first title from New Ruins and I can't wait to read what Kylie writes next.
May 7, 2021
Absorbed is a bit of a strange one to review! It’s unique & original & quirky, and when I read a book like this, I always think that I’ve failed to see an obvious metaphor staring me in the face. Or can it not just be that it is unique & original & quirky, and that be the end of that?
Despite its strangeness (afraid of losing her boyfriend, Allison absorbs him into herself & takes on his qualities), it is fabulously written & utterly intriguing.
What exactly went on? I don’t know. But I liked it!
Despite its strangeness (afraid of losing her boyfriend, Allison absorbs him into herself & takes on his qualities), it is fabulously written & utterly intriguing.
What exactly went on? I don’t know. But I liked it!
January 7, 2023
“To me, love had always seemed slippery and hot, something exciting that was always trying to escape my grasp, something that would eventually slow and calm and crackle with warmth when it was settled.”
I like stories where women have weird obsessive attachments to their boyfriends. Makes an interesting read (she’s losing her mind and absorbing people). Homegirl is def a lesbian tho.
I like stories where women have weird obsessive attachments to their boyfriends. Makes an interesting read (she’s losing her mind and absorbing people). Homegirl is def a lesbian tho.
September 3, 2023
this was weird. i loved it.
July 28, 2021
4 Stars
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
“If only you could get deeper into him, if only you could sneak a little more of yourself into his consciousness. You want to inhabit him or have him inhabit you.” - Absorbed.
Allison has been with Owen since university. She’s given up on writing her novel and is working a dull office job at the local council—now it feels like the only interesting thing about her is that she’s Owen’s girlfriend. But he’s slipping away from her, and Allison has no idea who she’ll be without him. Panicking, she absorbs him. Soon Allison begins taking on Owen’s best qualities, becoming the person she always thought she should be. But is Owen all she needs to complete herself? Will Allison ever be a whole person?
This was such a great debut! This novel follows Allison who is a little uncertain about her mundane life and feels like her boyfriend is slipping away from her. Not wanting to be without him, one night she absorbs him and begins to take on his qualities. Soon she feels different and things start to change, but it leaves her wondering about what is going on with herself and if Owen is actually gone. This story explores modern relationships and insecurity in such a unique way. The story is definitely a bit abstract and speculative but it is very thought provoking. Even though I finished this book last week, I keep thinking about the ending and definitely want to discuss this with someone else. If any of these topics interest you, pick this up and then let’s chat!
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
“If only you could get deeper into him, if only you could sneak a little more of yourself into his consciousness. You want to inhabit him or have him inhabit you.” - Absorbed.
Allison has been with Owen since university. She’s given up on writing her novel and is working a dull office job at the local council—now it feels like the only interesting thing about her is that she’s Owen’s girlfriend. But he’s slipping away from her, and Allison has no idea who she’ll be without him. Panicking, she absorbs him. Soon Allison begins taking on Owen’s best qualities, becoming the person she always thought she should be. But is Owen all she needs to complete herself? Will Allison ever be a whole person?
This was such a great debut! This novel follows Allison who is a little uncertain about her mundane life and feels like her boyfriend is slipping away from her. Not wanting to be without him, one night she absorbs him and begins to take on his qualities. Soon she feels different and things start to change, but it leaves her wondering about what is going on with herself and if Owen is actually gone. This story explores modern relationships and insecurity in such a unique way. The story is definitely a bit abstract and speculative but it is very thought provoking. Even though I finished this book last week, I keep thinking about the ending and definitely want to discuss this with someone else. If any of these topics interest you, pick this up and then let’s chat!
June 17, 2024
I absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect weird girl book - it was full of WTF moments perfectly balanced out by serious themes around insecurities, trauma and the anxieties of being a young woman in today’s world. I really liked the writing style and the dark humour worked for me. Allison was an interesting character to follow: at times she was unlikeable and selfish but also deeply relatable. I actually think she did grow throughout the book but in a very strange way. Her childhood and her trauma added another layer to her character and made me feel bad for her. The plot was so bizarre that I don’t think I would be able to describe it to anyone but I loved whatever was going on. It was dark and it got crazier right up until the end. I enjoyed the occult, possession and almost supernatural elements. It really absorbed me (haha) and I couldn’t put it down - I never would have guessed the direction it went in and the ending surprised me. I loved the ambiguity and all the questions it left me with. It was a really clever book that was full of horror and deeper topics that made me think. I adored it.
July 15, 2021
Really thought this was going to be my favourite book of the year so far! I loved the deep character study and related to many of the narrators emotions, which made me more invested in her and the story. Just didn’t love the ending - I would have preferred a few more answers instead of leaving things so open ended (also thought all the absorbing was a bit much - it would have been more meaningful if only the bf was absorbed imo). Overall really really enjoyed it though and gave me lots to think about, also wish I’d have annotated it as had lots of good quotes I wish I’d marked to come back to!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2023
Lots to mull over here. I wish I had someone to discuss it with!
At times it dragged, thus my 4 stars instead of 5. But this was incredibly reflective and thoughtful. This tackles being so insecure you hurt those around you as well as internalized misogyny in terms of seeing other women as competition. Allison has some crystal clear realizations about that, but intellectualizing her issues is clearly not enough. 🙃
I’m not sure what to make of Odeline? Was she helping or hurting?
At times it dragged, thus my 4 stars instead of 5. But this was incredibly reflective and thoughtful. This tackles being so insecure you hurt those around you as well as internalized misogyny in terms of seeing other women as competition. Allison has some crystal clear realizations about that, but intellectualizing her issues is clearly not enough. 🙃
I’m not sure what to make of Odeline? Was she helping or hurting?
November 14, 2023
“I was always frightened by the notion that I would never truly know someone, and I would never truly be known. Because what if you gave away too much in return for too little? What if they didn’t need you as much as you needed them? What if the balance of my life was well and truly fucked? What if I had got it all wrong? And perhaps even more frightening was the thought that if I was getting it all wrong, I wouldn’t even realise. I would have nothing to compare it with. I had no idea what right looked like.”
March 12, 2024
At first I thought it was going to be something else, then it turned into something else different and somehow it became more weird. I am not sure if I loved this book or not but the story had me hooked so there's that. I felt like it had more potential to be honest. A well rounded 3.5 stars.
May 7, 2024
God I loved this, what a great debut. I feel like this started off so sad but lowkey becomes more light-hearted as the book goes on, much like the feelings one has after a relationship has ended. Absolutely brilliant, chef's kiss.
August 23, 2024
‘I had spent my whole life running away from myself. I had never paused to consider what happiness meant outside of pure survival.’
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What an odd little story that examines the all-consuming nature of childhood trauma.
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What an odd little story that examines the all-consuming nature of childhood trauma.
October 17, 2022
3.5/5 i think?
literally don't know what happened, but it was a vibe
literally don't know what happened, but it was a vibe
March 29, 2024
Lovely and weird.
3.5 rounded up
3.5 rounded up
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