Nick Cook - Fractured Light: (Fractured Light Trilogy Bk1) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Review

THEY UNCOVERED A THREAT TO EVERY PERSON ON THE PLANET.

NOW AN INVISIBLE ENEMY IS HUNTING THEM DOWN.

What would you do if you started to see something lurking in the shadows of our everyday world? 

That's the reality that Jake Stevens has been pitched into and now he’s questioning his sanity.

Jake’s been an outsider in his hometown Stoneham, England, ever since his life was shattered when his father's experiment into dark energy exploded, killing himself and many others.

When Jake witnesses a satellite crash-landing and starts to receive garbled messages that hint at a conspiracy, a chain of events is unleashed that will threaten the very existence of all life on Earth in a dystopian nightmare.

Can Jake, and the best friend that he froze out of his life, Chloe Haze, a coding genius who’s heavily entrenched with the underground hacking network, figure out the connections of the mystery that link all the events before it’s too late?

This book comes with the following warning: Watch the DARKNESS because the SHADOWS are coming for you. This is the first book in the Fractured Light Trilogy that has been recently self-published (August 2018). The overall appearance of the book is brilliant. In fact, the cracking book cover illustration by Ryan Schwarz featured in this year's book cover wars. Sadly, I see no accreditation to the artist in the book. Nevertheless, in my opinion, he has done an amazing job by making the book appealing to all potential readers. 

The reading experience is an epic sci-fi story which has been written with intelligence and includes some fantastic detail. This surely is down to the research and the author's passion for the subjects he has written about within the novel. I was very impressed (and even slightly thrilled) to enjoy this book as much as I did. I was instantly hooked from the first page and when I had to put it down, I felt like I needed to pick it back up again to carry on reading. I have not felt like this about a book for some time within the YA/teenage genre. 

The book for me is set in the here and now. Ordinary lives are found to be caught up in an extraordinary situation which could be reflected in our future advancements of technology/sciences. The plot is extremely imaginative; I loved the Artificial Intelligence aspect to the well-worked plot. It really pulled me into the story and sucked me into the world of stars and beyond. I loved the Tesla car scene - this was very creative and captured the essence of the story. 

The characters are really well written, especially Jake and Chloe. They felt like real teenagers as you could certainly relate to them. Their personalities definitely shone through and each personal backstory made the adventure more realistic. I was certainly engaged in the ongoing plot. The book certainly has everything that I love in it - bumps, scrapes, near misses and plenty of immersive action sequences. 

This is pure five-star entertainment full of exhilarating and non-stop action. It is littered with factual references and heartwarming character relationships. The book has a great ending to a fabulous story which leaves you feeling satisfied. It will make you want to read the next book in the series .... which is exactly what I'm reading now! The next book, Fading Light, has already been published so you can track down a copy now. It will make a great Christmas present and, at the same time, you'll also be supporting a self-published author. 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's/Young Adult Book Picks September 2018 - US Post Two

Mary Downing Hahn - The Girl in the Locked Room: A Ghost Story - Published by Clarion Books (September 4, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1328850928 - Hardback 

Ghost story master Mary Downing Hahn unrolls the suspenseful, spine-chilling yarn of a girl imprisoned for more than a century, the terrifying events that put her there, and a friendship that crosses the boundary between past and present.

A family moves into an old, abandoned house. Jules's parents love the house, but Jules is frightened and feels a sense of foreboding. When she sees a pale face in an upstairs window, though, she can't stop wondering about the eerie presence on the top floor—in a room with a locked door. Could it be someone who lived in the house a century earlier?

Her fear replaced by fascination, Jules is determined to make contact with the mysterious figure and help unlock the door. Past and present intersect as she and her ghostly friend discover—and change—the fate of the family who lived in the house all those many years ago.

Kevin Sands Call of the Wraith (The Blackthorn Key) - Published by Aladdin (September 25, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1534428478 - Hardback 

Christopher Rowe is back and there are more puzzles, riddles, and secrets to uncover in this fourth novel of the award-winning Blackthorn Key series.

Christopher Rowe has no idea who he is. After being shipwrecked in Devonshire, he wakes up alone, his memories gone. Villagers tell him he was possessed by an unseen evil, and only became conscious after being visited by the local witch.

As Christopher tries to get his bearings, he realizes his current state may be far from coincidence. Dark events have been happening in this corner of Britain—village children are disappearing without a trace. There are whispers that the malevolent ghost of the White Lady has returned to steal the children away, one by one, and consume their souls.

Thankfully, friends Tom and Sally find Christopher and help him reconnect with his unique skills and talents, even as his memories elude him. But as motives and secrets are revealed, Christopher finds himself in a desperate race to reclaim his memories and discover the missing children before it’s too late.

Pete Hautman - Otherwood - Published by Candlewick (September 11, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0763690717 - Hardback 

What happened in the woods that day? Pete Hautman’s riveting middle-grade novel touches on secrets and mysteries — and the power of connections with family and friends.

“Hatred combined with lies and secrets can break the world.” Grandpa Zach used to say that before he died, but Stuey never really knew what he meant. It was kind of like how he used to talk about quantum physics or how he used to say ghosts haunted their overgrown golf course. But then one day, after Stuey and his best friend, Elly Rose, spend countless afternoons in the deadfall in the middle of the woods, something totally unbelievable happens. As Stuey and Elly Rose struggle to come to grips with their lives after that reality-splitting moment, all the things Grandpa Zach used to say start to make a lot more sense. This is a book about memory and loss and the destructive nature of secrets, but also about the way friendship, truth, and perseverance have the ability to knit a torn-apart world back together.

Daniel José Older - Dactyl Hill Squad - Published by Arthur A. Levine Books (September 11, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1338268812 - Hardback 

It's 1863 and dinosaurs roam the streets of New York as the Civil War rages between raptor-mounted armies down South. Magdalys Roca and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are on a field trip when the Draft Riots break out, and a number of their fellow orphans are kidnapped by an evil magistrate, Richard Riker. 

Magdalys and her friends flee to Brooklyn and settle in the Dactyl Hill neighborhood, where black and brown New Yorkers have set up an independent community--a safe haven from the threats of Manhattan. Together with the Vigilance Committee, they train to fly on dactylback, discover new friends and amazing dinosaurs, and plot to take down Riker. Can Magdalys and the squad rescue the rest of their friends before it's too late?

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's/Young Adult Book Picks September 2018 - US Post

Sean Easley - The Hotel Between - Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 4, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1534416970 - Hardback 

A magical hotel, a mysterious tree, and a cryptic story about their missing father leads twins Cam and Cass on a worldly adventure in this enchanting debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Wildwood. 

Twins Cam and Cass have never known their parents. They’ve been told their mother died, and Cass is certain their father abandoned them. Cam isn’t so sure. He wants to prove her wrong; he must.

Cam’s wish is soon granted in the form of a glistening, golden sign with elaborate flourishes that reads: The Hotel Between. With doors that open to countries all over the world, magical trollies, charmed corridors that can be altered on a whim, stone elephants that turn to life, sweets made from rocks; everything is possible in The Hotel. Cam has a hunch his father is somehow connected to this magical place, and may even be lost within its hidden halls.

Every journey has its risks, and The Hotel Between is full of dangerous secrets. If Cam’s not careful, his stay may be over before his vacation has even started.

Liesl Shurtliff - Time Castaways #1: The Mona Lisa Key - Published by Katherine Tegen Books (September 18, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0062568137 - Hardback 

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rump comes a thrilling new middle-grade trilogy about three city kids who get on the wrong subway train and wind up on a wild, magical mystery-adventure throughout time. Imaginative, daring, and packed with fun, Time Castaways is perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Libraryand Percy Jackson.

Mateo, Ruby, and Corey Hudson’s parents don’t have too many rules. It’s the usual stuff: Be good. Do your homework. And never ride the subway without an adult, EVER. But when the siblings wake up late for school, they have no choice but to break a rule. The Hudson siblings board the subway in Manhattan and end up on a frigate ship in Paris…in the year 1911.

As time does tell, the Hudson family has a lot of secrets. The past, present, and future are intertwined—and a time-traveling ship called the Vermillion is at the center. Racing to untangle the truth, the kids find themselves in the middle of one of the greatest art heists of all time.

And the adventure is just getting started.

Karsten Knight - Welcome to Doom Farms (Bonegarden) - Published by Independently published (September 4, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1718179325 - Paperback 

The first in a spooky new series perfect for fans of Goosebumps. 
When Kayla Dunn’s family moves from the city to the country town of Orchard Falls, she has one dream: to grow pumpkins big enough to compete in the annual Jack-o’-Lantern Festival. Desperate to win—and beat her next-door nemesis—she resorts to planting unusual, glowing seeds from a mysterious shopkeeper. 

Kayla should be overjoyed when her pumpkins grow faster and bigger than she ever imagined … but her first harvest is about to become a real nightmare. 

Because these pumpkins are blue and veiny. 

Because their vines seem to have a mind of their own. 

And because something terrifying inside them is longing to hatch.

Cherie Priest (Author), Tara O'Connor (Illustrator) - The Agony House - Published by Arthur A. Levine Books (September 25, 2018) - 

• ISBN-13: 978-0545934299 - Hardback 

Denise Farber has just moved back to New Orleans with her mom and step-dad. They left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and have finally returned, wagering the last of their family's money on fixing up an old, rundown house and converting it to a bed and breakfast. 

Nothing seems to work around the place, which doesn't seem too weird to Denise. The unexplained noises are a little more out of the ordinary, but again, nothing too unusual. But when floors collapse, deadly objects rain down, and she hears creepy voices, it's clear to Denise that something more sinister lurks hidden here.

Answers may lie in an old comic book Denise finds concealed in the attic: the lost, final project of a famous artist who disappeared in the 1950s. Denise isn't budging from her new home, so she must unravel the mystery-on the pages and off-if she and her family are to survive...

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's/Young Adult Book Picks August 2018 - US Published Post

Katherine Marsh - Nowhere Boy - Published by Roaring Brook Press (August 7, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1250307576 - Hardback 

An "important and riveting story, masterfully told" of family, sacrifice and the friendship between a young Syrian refugee and an American boy living in Brussels. Nowhere Boy is a "captivating book" that focuses on the "discourse around the refugee crisis." The Center for Children's Books calls it a "perilous journey, tempered by the striking realism of obstacles refugees face daily."

Fourteen-year-old Ahmed is stuck in a city that wants nothing to do with him. Newly arrived in Brussels, Belgium, Ahmed fled a life of uncertainty and suffering in Aleppo, Syria, only to lose his father on the perilous journey to the shores of Europe. Now Ahmed’s struggling to get by on his own, but with no one left to trust and nowhere to go, he’s starting to lose hope.

Then he meets Max, a thirteen-year-old American boy from Washington, D.C. Lonely and homesick, Max is struggling at his new school and just can’t seem to do anything right. But with one startling discovery, Max and Ahmed’s lives collide and a friendship begins to grow. Together, Max and Ahmed will defy the odds, learning from each other what it means to be brave and how hope can change your destiny. 

Set against the backdrop of the Syrian refugee crisis, award-winning author of Jepp, Who Defied the Stars Katherine Marsh delivers a gripping, heartwarming story of resilience, friendship and everyday heroes. Barbara O'Connor, author of Wish and Wonderland, says "Move Nowhere Boy to the top of your to-be-read pile immediately."

Ethan M. Aldridge - Estranged - Published by HarperCollins (August 7, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0062653864 - Paperback 

Rising star author-illustrator Ethan M. Aldridge delivers a fantasy adventure with all the makings of a classic. Illustrated with over two-hundred pages of watercolor paintings, this epic graphic novel is perfect for fans of Amulet.

Edmund and the Childe were swapped at birth. Now Edmund lives in secret as a changeling in the World Above, his fae powers hidden from his unsuspecting parents and his older sister, Alexis. The Childe lives among the fae in the World Below, where being a human makes him a curiosity at the royal palace.

But when the cruel sorceress Hawthorne seizes the throne, the Childe and Edmund must unite on a dangerous quest to save both worlds—even if they’re not sure which world they belong to.

Kristin O'Donnell Tubb (Author), Iacopo Bruno (Illustrator) - The Story Collector: A New York Public Library Book - Published by Henry Holt and Co. (August 28, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1250143808 - Hardback

"For every book lover who fantasized about getting locked in the library overnight,The Story Collector is a dream come true!" ―New York Times-bestselling author Alan Gratz

In the tradition of E. L. Konisburg, this middle-grade mystery adventure is inspired by the real life of Viviani Joffre Fedeler, born and raised in the New York Public Library. 

Eleven-year-old Viviani Fedeler has spent her whole life in the New York Public Library. She knows every room by heart, except the ones her father keeps locked. When Viviani becomes convinced that the library is haunted, new girl Merit Mubarak makes fun of her. So Viviani decides to play a harmless little prank, roping her older brothers and best friend Eva to help out.

But what begins as a joke quickly gets out of hand, and soon Viviani and her friends have to solve two big mysteries: Is the Library truly haunted? And what happened to the expensive new stamp collection? It's up to Viviani, Eva, and Merit (reluctantly) to findout.

Keir Graff - The Phantom Tower - Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (August 21, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1524739522 - Hardback

Twin brothers discover their new home is also a portal--for an hour a day--to a parallel dimension in this rollicking middle-grade adventure, perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society 

Colm and Mal are twins so identical their own mom can't tell them apart, but they're different in just about every other way. Mal's a pragmatist while Colm's a dreamer, and they bicker and battle constantly. Neither brother is excited to be moving to Chicago for a fresh start with their mom just after their dad's death. But nothing cures homesickness like intrigue--and their new home, Brunhild Tower, has plenty of it: mysterious elderly neighbors who warn against wandering the building at midday, strange sounds in the walls, and an elevator missing a button for the thirteenth floor. 

One day, that button appears--and when the doors open on the missing floor, the boys are greeted by the strangest puzzle yet: a twin building that is stuck in time and bustling with activity. All of Brunhild Tower's former residents live on in this phantom tower, where the rules of the real world don't apply. But when the brothers and their newfound friends discover they're all trapped by an ancient curse, they must band together to set everyone free before it's too late.

KR Alexander - The Collector - Published by Scholastic Press (August 28, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1338212242 - Paperback 

 

Josie always liked visiting her grandmother in the countryside. But when her mother loses her job in the city and they're forced to relocate along with Josie's sister, Annie, she realizes she doesn't like the country that much. Especially because Grandma Jeannie has some strange rules: Don't bring any dolls into the house. And never, ever go near the house in the woods behind their yard. Soon though, Josie manages to make friends with the most popular girl in the sixth grade, Vanessa. When Vanessa eventually invites Josie back to her house to hang out, Josie doesn't question it. Not even when Vanessa takes her into the woods, and down an old dirt road, toward the very house Grandma Jeannie had warned her about.

As Josie gets caught up in her illicit friendship with Vanessa, Annie is caught in the crossfire. What follows is a chilling tale of dark magic, friendship, and some verrrrrry creepy dolls. 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks August 2018 - UK Post Two

Victoria Schwab - City of Ghosts - Published by Scholastic Press (28 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1338111002 - Hardback

Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost. 

So things are already pretty strange. But they're about to get much stranger. 

When Cass's parents start hosting a TV show about the world's most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her "gift," she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil -- and herself. 

And she'll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Catherine Johnson - Freedom - Published by Scholastic (2 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1407185484 - Paperback

 

An action-packed and pacey story about slavery in Britain. Nathaniel doesn't want to move to England with his master's family, leaving behind his mother and sister on the Jamaican plantation. But then he remembers what his mother told him: once a slave sets foot on English soil, they're free. Perhaps he can earn his fortune and buy his family's freedom, too. When Nat arrives in London, he soon discovers that his mother was wrong. Nat refuses to live like a caged bird, and seizes the first opportunity to escape. Alone on the streets of London, he hears the story of a nightmare ship, the Zong, where over a hundred slaves were thrown overboard. Now, those responsible face a trial. Will the world continue to turn a blind eye to the horrors of slavery? And can Nat really evade his masters forever?

Candy Gourlay - Bone Talk - Published by David Fickling Books (2 Aug. 2018) -  ISBN-13: 978-1788450171 - Hardback (Book Review HERE - Mr Ripley's Book of the Month)

Samkad dreams of becoming a mighty headhunter like his father, carrying his own weapons and etching tattoos across his chest to proclaim his greatness as a warrior. His best friend is a girl his age, Little Luki and Little Luki wants to become a mighty warrior too ... except in their culture, girls don't grow up to become warriors. The two friends have no idea about the world outside their isolated mountain village until a boy from the Lowlands turns up ... a boy who can speak many tongues and who tells stories about the world outside that seem ridiculous and unbelievable especially the part about invaders called 'Americans' who are coming to take over the village.

Sally Nicholls (Author), Brett Helquist (Illustrator) - A Chase In Time (The Time-Seekers) - Published by Nosy Crow (2 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0857638984 - Paperback 

From multi-award-winning author Sally Nicholls, A Chase In Time is the first in a brilliant time-slip adventure series for 9+ readers, beautifully illustrated by Brett Hellquist.

The old gilt-edged mirror has hung in Alex's aunt's house for as long as he can remember. Alex hardly notices it, until the day he and his sister are pulled through the mirror, back into 1912. It's the same house, but a very different place to live, and the people they meet need their help. Soon they're caught up in car chases and treasure hunts as they race to find a priceless golden cup - but will they ever be able to return to their own time?

Vanessa Harbour - Flight - Published by Firefly Press (1 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1910080764 - Paperback 

Austria 1945. After losing his family, Jakob shelters with Herr Engel in a rural stable, where they hide the precious Lipizzanner stallions they know Hitler wants to steal. When a German officer comes looking for Jakob and finds the horses, Jakob and his guardian know they must get the stallions to safety, but the only way is straight through Nazi territory. Joined by Kizzy, an orphan Roma girl, the three must guide the horses across the perilous Austrian mountains. Will they reach safety? What will be waiting for them on the other side?

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks August 2018 - UK Post One

Jeremy Lachlan - The Cradle of All Worlds: The Jane Doe Chronicles - Published by Egmont (9 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1405291330 - Paperback 

Fourteen years ago, Jane Doe and her father arrived on the steps of the Manor – the entrance to a dangerous labyrinth connecting the island of Bluehaven to many other worlds. That was the same night the earthquakes started, and Jane and her silent, troubled father, John have been feared and despised ever since. When the strongest quake yet strikes and John disappears back into the Manor, Jane embarks on a perilous adventure to find her father and save her world – perhaps all worlds – from destruction . . .

Fans of Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials, Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson adventures, Frances Hardinge and the Netflix blockbuster Stranger Things will love this heart-pounding and spell-binding middle-grade adventure with its nod to the classic 80s movies The Goonies and Indiana Jones.

Jeremy Lachlan, a Sydney bookseller, has always been obsessed with the big epic adventures such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones and The Chronicles of Narnia – and was inspired to write The Cradle of All Worlds while lost in the Cairo Museum. The first book in a duology, this is his debut novel.

Katherine Woodfine (Author), Karl James Mountford (Illustrator) - Peril in Paris (Taylor and Rose Secret Agents) - Published by Egmont (9 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1405287043 - Paperback 

ALL ABOARD THE TRAIN TO PARIS!

It’s 1911, and the young detectives of TAYLOR & ROSE are turning their talents to ESPIONAGE. 

On a case for the mysterious SECRET SERVICE BUREAU, the daring MISS SOPHIE TAYLOR and MISS LILIAN ROSE must leave London for the boulevards and grand hotels of Paris.

But DANGER lurks beneath the bright lights of the city - and INTRIGUE and MURDER lie in store. As airplanes soar in the skies overhead, our heroines will need to put all their spy skills to the test to face the PERIL that awaits them...

Lindsay Galvin - The Secret Deep - Published by Chicken House (2 Aug. 2018) ISBN-13: 978-1911490029 - Paperback 

When Aster wakes alone on a tropical island, she has no idea what has happened, why she is there, or where to find her younger sister, Poppy. Meanwhile, Sam who once met the sisters on a plane makes links between the mystery of their disappearance and suspicious happenings in his own life. In a stunning dual narrative, the truth unravels with devastating effect - and the answer lies in the secret underwater world surrounding the desert island, populated by the beautiful and the impossible ...

Sam Hearn - Baker Street Academy: Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Curse - Published by Scholastic (2 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1407164069

Welcome to Baker Street Academy, where there's always a mystery to be solved! Told through Watson's diary, a top-secret detective dossier and energetic comic-strip illustrations, this introduction to Arthur Conan Doyle's classic characters will have every young super-sleuth hooked! Luckily Sherlock Holmes is on the case, with his friends John Watson and Martha Hudson. No crime is too big, no villain too cunning - especially if it's James Moriarty. This time, Sherlock and the gang are up against a centuries-old curse...

Candy Gourlay - Bone Talk - Book Review (Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books)

Amazing cover illustration by Philippine illustrator Kerby Rosanes

Samkad lives in a tribe deep in the Philippine jungle at the end of the nineteenth century, and has never encountered anyone from outside his own tribe before. He's about to become a man, and while he's desperate to grow up, he's worried that this will take him away from his best friend, Little Luki. However, Samkad's world is about to change utterly. A strange man with white skin arrives in his village, and Samkad discovers the brother he never knew he had. A brother who tells him of people called `Americans'. Americans who are bringing war, and burning, to Samuel's home...

The remarkable primitive culture of the Philipines, many years ago, has been brought to life by Candy Gourlay. Bone Talk is set around 1899, a period which is known as the Philippine-American War. It's a fantastic story that will be published on the 2nd August 2018 by David Fickling Books. This will be the author's third published book and, in my opinion, the best book to date. You are all definitely in for a great historical treat. 

Some books grab the attention of the reader well before you turn the first page. The idea for this book is very intriguing as you are instantly transported back in time to 1899, Bontok. Like small ripples in a pond, this book will reach out to the fantasy brain and stay with you for some time. The story is told from a Filipino perspective, which I really loved and depicts the beating heart of tribal life in the Philipines around that time. It is brilliantly written, weaving historical facts and research together to deliver a plot that, hopefully, reflects the time as authentically possible.  

It's a fantasy story that itches at the skin through the brutal reality of life and will ask many questions of the reader along the way. It is a reflection of a time that many people will be very unfamiliar with. However, it makes the reader want to know more. In fact, I became really emotionally involved with the story. I wanted, on so many occasions, to be able to climb up the nearest tree and experience what was going to happen first hand. Pure armchair fantasy! Nevertheless, it's a very hard-hitting book that combines a basic way of life with a dark and macabre reality from death and war.

You will love one of the main characters called Luki. She is very well written and dances off the page with a playful charm and cheekiness. She will make you chuckle as her character really does deliver a lighter-side to the plot. 

I loved this book in so many ways. It's diverse, very challenging and really made me think. I feel as if I have lived every moment of the story. You set off on a mundane ramble and end in an explosive narrative that finds the Philippine tribes move beyond the village into an unknown world. This is a great young-adult read that strikes away from the norm. It certainly shook me from my reading perch as it was enjoyable on so many levels.