Derek Landy’s sequel to Demon Road, Desolation, is out now. It’s a darker, bloodier, more violent follow-up. You can read my review here on the blog.
Thanks to HarperCollins NZ I have a copy of Desolation to give away.
Thanks to everyone who entered. The winner is Christine.
In the first book of his Demon Road Trilogy Derek Landy took us to a darker place than the world of Skulduggery Pleasant. This was a world of demons, serial killers, vampires and witches and set on a completely different continent, America. We met our new heroine, Amber, her mysterious companion/bodyguard Milo, and plenty of other creepy individuals. Derek left us with a sense of foreboding, with a promise that something really bad was coming. Desolation drops you right back into the action.
Reeling from their bloody encounter in New York City at the end of Demon Road, Amber and Milo flee north. On their trail are the Hounds of Hell – five demonic bikers who will stop at nothing to drag their quarries back to their unholy master.Amber and Milo’s only hope lies within Desolation Hill – a small town with a big secret; a town with a darkness to it, where evil seeps through the very floorboards. Until, on one night every year, it spills over onto the streets and all hell breaks loose. And that night is coming.
Desolation is a darker, bloodier and more violent follow-up to Demon Road. Throats get ripped out, heads roll, demons get eaten, and there are some incredible fight scenes. Overall I enjoyed this sequel but there were times that I felt the story lagged. It’s a big book that maybe could have been a little shorter to help the story move faster. Unlike the first book, where Amber and Milo were on the run the whole time, the action of Desolation is focused in a strange little town in Alaska called Desolation Hill. Amber is being chased by the Hounds of Hell and she has been told that she will be safe from the Hounds in Desolation Hill. Amber and Milo get to their destination and what they have been told is correct – the Hounds are kept out of Desolation Hill by an invisible barrier. Their main problem now though is that the people of Desolation Hill don’t want them there and try everything to get them to leave. Something weird is going on in this town and it’s up to Amber and Milo to find out what. Things go from bad to worse, and just when you think it can’t get any worse Amber’s family turns up.
There are several strands to the story that all eventually come together. Of course, we follow Amber and Milo, but we also meet Virgil and Javier (two old TV stars who live in Desolation Hill and want to relive their glory days), and Ronnie, Kelly, Linda, Warrick and Two (a group of teens and their do who travel the Dark Highway to fight monsters). Ronnie and the gang travel the Dark Highway in their van and I thought of them as the Scooby Doo gang traveling in the Mystery Machine. You wonder which of these characters are going to make it to the end of the book alive. There are demons everyone so you just don’t know.
I think the one thing I missed while reading Desolation was Derek Landy’s humour. Sure, it’s a dark story and people are being killed left, right and centre, but there is always room for Derek’s humour. There are some funny parts that made me laugh, usually involving bumbling, idiotic serial killers. My favourite part involved the interactions of four serial killers when they had trapped Ronnie and the gang.
Although I didn’t enjoy Desolation as much as Demon Road I’m still looking forward to finding out how it all ends. The end of Desolation leaves you with plenty of questions which I need to know the answers to. The final book in the trilogy, American Monsters, is released on 25 August.
Bestselling YA author Michael Grant is in Australia and New Zealand this May to promote Front Lines, the first book in his blockbuster new YA series, Soldier Girl. I’m very excited to be part of Michael Grant’s Australia and NZ blog tour to promote his new book, Front Lines. Join me on Thursday 12 May for a special guest post from Michael Grant and a review of Front Lines. Here are the other awesome blogs and bloggers that are part of the blog tour:
Monday 9th May – Diva Booknerd
Tuesday 10th May – Reading Time
Wednesday 11th May – Paper Fury
Friday 13th May – Stay Bookish
Check out the cover, blurb and book trailer for Front Lines below:
It’s 1942. The fate of the world rests on a knife’s edge. And the soldiers who can tip the balance . . . are girls.
A court decision makes women subject to the draft and eligible for service. The unproven American army is going up against the greatest fighting force ever assembled, the armed forces of Nazi Germany. Three girls sign up to fight. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, girls with dreams and aspirations, at the start of their lives, at the start of their loves. Each has her own reasons for volunteering: Rio fights to honor her sister; Frangie needs money for her family; Rainy wants to kill Germans. For the first time they leave behind their homes and families—to go to war. These three daring young women will play their parts in the war to defeat evil and save the human race.
As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, they will discover the roles that define them on the front lines. They will fight the greatest war the world has ever known. But not everyone believes that the girls should be on the front lines of war.
Now Rio and her friends must fight not only to survive, but to prove their courage and ingenuity to a sceptical world.
Ruined by Amy Tintera
Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war; her parents were killed and her sister was kidnapped. Even though Em is only a useless Ruined – completely lacking any magic – she is determined to get revenge.
Her plan is simple: She will infiltrate the enemy’s kingdom, posing as the crown prince’s betrothed. She will lead an ambush. She will kill the king and everyone he holds dear, including his son.
The closer Em gets to the prince, though, the more she questions her mission. Her rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life – and her family – on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.
The Dog, Ray by Linda Coggin
Twelve-year-old Daisy has just died in a car crash. But in a twist of fate, and through a heavenly bureaucratic mistake, Daisy ends up not where she is supposed to be – but in the body of a dog. Daisy may now be inhabiting a dog’s body, but inside she is still very much Daisy, and is as bouncy, loyal, positive and energetic as she ever was.
Daisy’s only thought is to somehow be reunited with her parents, whom she knows will be missing her. This is how she meets Pip, a boy who is homeless and on his own journey, and a lasting, tender and very moving friendship between boy and dog/girl is formed.
The Girl from Every Where by Heidi Heilig
Sixteen-year-old Nix Song is a time-traveller. She, her father and their crew of time refugees travel the world aboard The Temptation, a glorious pirate ship stuffed with treasures both typical and mythical. Old maps allow Nix and her father to navigate not just to distant lands, but distant times – although a map will only take you somewhere once. And Nix’s father is only interested in one time, and one place: Honolulu 1868. A time before Nix was born, and her mother was alive. Something that puts Nix’s existence rather dangerously in question . . .
Nix has grown used to her father’s obsession, but only because she’s convinced it can’t work. But then a map falls into her father’s lap that changes everything. And when Nix refuses to help, her father threatens to maroon Kashmir, her only friend (and perhaps, only love) in a time where Nix will never be able to find him. And if Nix has learned one thing, it’s that losing the person you love is a torment that no one can withstand. Nix must work out what she wants, who she is, and where she really belongs before time runs out on her forever.
The Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brian Conaghan
Fourteen-year-old Charlie Law has lived in Little Town, on the border with Old Country, all his life. He knows the rules: no going out after dark; no drinking; no litter; no fighting. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of the people who run Little Town. When he meets Pavel Duda, a refugee from Old Country, the rules start to get broken. Then the bombs come, and the soldiers from Old Country, and Little Town changes for ever.
Sometimes, to keep the people you love safe, you have to do bad things. As Little Town’s rules crumble, Charlie is sucked into a dangerous game. There’s a gun, and a bad man, and his closest friend, and his dearest enemy.
Charlie Law wants to keep everyone happy, even if it kills him. And maybe it will.
Are You Sitting Comfortably? by Leigh Hodgkinson
Hello there! Are you sitting comfortably? Are you sure?
Have you found the perfect snuggle-up-and-lose-yourself-in-a-book place?
Somewhere comfy, NOT itchy-fuzzy? Somewhere quiet, NOT buzz-buzzy?
You have? Great!
Unfortunately the little chap in this book isn’t having quite as much luck as you are.
The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat by Paul Tobin
Every Friday the 13th, 6th-grade genius Nate Bannister does three not-so-smart things to keep life interesting. This time, he taught a caterpillar to read, mailed a love letter, and super-sized his cat Proton before turning him invisible. Now Proton is on the loose, and Nate and his new friend Delphine must reverse the experiment before the cat crushes everything and everybody in town.
As if that’s not enough, the Red Death Tea Society, known for its criminal activity, killer tactics, and tea brewing skills, is plotting against Nate and Delphine. The dynamic duo must use their creativity, courage and friendship to save the day.
Tickle My Ears by Jorg Muhle
It’s getting late and Little Rabbit must go to bed. Can you help him?
When Little Rabbit asks “Tickle My Ears?” a wonderful new bedtime ritual begins:
Clap your hands, fluff the pillow, give Little Rabbit’s ears a tickle, stroke his back, pull up the covers and a goodnight kiss. And don’t forget to turn out the light: here’s the switch!
Olive of Groves and the Great Slurp of Time by Katrina Nannestad, illustrated by Lucia Masciullo
Olive is gobsmacked. Basil Heffenhuffenheimer has just hiked out of the Black Forest in 1857 and into Mrs Groves’ Boarding School for Naughty Boys, Talking Animals and Circus Performers. When he offers to take Olive into the past, she cannot resist a time-travelling adventure. After all, what could possibly go wrong?
Plenty, dear reader. Plenty!
When Olive and her friends return to the present with a hungry dinosaur, an Elizabethan pirate and a scissor-happy servant boy, strange and disturbing things start to happen at Groves. Furthermore, ‘new’ student, Pigg McKenzie, is taking an uncomfortable interest in the dangers and disasters of time travel. Can Basil and Olive keep control of their adventures, or will the Time Slurp and a certain villainous pig have their wicked way?
Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
Dinah is a princess, the future Queen of Hearts, who will one day reign over Wonderland. Unaware of the dark depths of her kingdom; she longs only for her father’s approval and to reign with the boy she loves. But when a betrayal breaks her heart and threatens her throne, Dinah is launched into the dangers of Wonderland. She must stay one step ahead of her enemies or she’ll lose not just the crown, it will be off with her head! Evil is brewing in Wonderland, and maybe, most frighteningly, in Dinah herself. The first in an epic, imaginative series tells the origin of one of the most infamous villains – the Queen of Hearts.
The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight
Imagine if you could see inside the minds of everyone around you – your best friend, your boyfriend, your enemies…? Imagine how valuable you’d be… Imagine how much danger you’d be in… Imagine being an Outlier. It all starts with a text: Please Wylie, I need your help. Wylie hasn’t heard from her one time best friend, Cassie, in over a week. Not since their last fight. But that doesn’t matter. Cassie’s in trouble, and it’s up to Wylie to do what she does best, save her best friend from herself. This time it’s different though – Cassie’s texts are increasingly cryptic and scary. And instead of having Wylie come by herself, Jasper shows up saying Cassie asked him to help. Trusting the super-hot boy who sent Cassie off the rails doesn’t feel right, but Wylie has no choice. But as Wylie and Jasper follow Cassie’s bizarre trail, Wylie has a growing sense that something is REALLY wrong. What isn’t Cassie telling them? Who is she with and what do they want from her? And could finding her be just the beginning…?
Book adaptations can be pretty hit and miss, so when a movie is made of one of your favourite books it’s always a difficult decision whether or not to see it. The movie of Patrick Ness’ A Monster Calls is being released later this year and the first full trailer for the movie has just been released. It looks absolutely amazing! It looks like it will be true to the book and have the same tone. Patrick Ness actually wrote the screenplay so that should help with the authenticity of the movie. If you haven’t read the book I highly recommend it, but then I’m a huge Patrick Ness fan so I may be biased.
A Monster Calls is my most anticipated book adaptation of 2016. I got all choked up watching the trailer so I will probably need to take tissues.
Check out the full trailer below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAheNjylHjM
Cecelia Ahern has just released her debut YA novel, Flawed. It is a tense, action-packed, edge-of-your-seat read and I absolutely loved it! You can read my review of Flawed here on the blog.
Thanks to the lovely people at HarperCollins NZ I have a copy of Flawed to give away. All you have to do to get in the draw is email bestfriendsrbooks@gmail.com with the subject line ‘Flawed,’ along with your name and address.
Thanks to everyone who entered. The winner is Jeanna.
Em Bailey is an award-winning Australian author. Her previous book, Shift was the winner of the 2012 Gold Inky Award for best Australian YA novel and was selected as a notable book by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Em’s new YA novel, The Special Ones is an incredibly exciting, twisty, nail-biting read. You can read my review of The Special Ones here on the blog.
The Special Ones is one of those books that I can’t get out of my head. I had a few questions that I was dying to ask Em and she has very kindly answered them for me. Read on to find out her inspiration for the book, what it was like to go inside the head of a psychopath and what draws her to writing for teens.
I’ve always been interested in the psychology of cults: what sort of person becomes a cult leader, the people who are drawn to them, what happens when someone attempts to leave. I knew I wanted to write something about this theme and I started thinking about how modern technology might affect the way a traditional commune-style cult operated. I began imagining a situation where someone was able to control and manipulate a group, in the way that cult leaders traditionally always have, but without needing to be physically present.
‘Him’? No, not really! I don’t think I’m very much like any of the girls, although I guess certain aspects of Esther’s personality are like mine but she is much tougher and far more determined than I am. I like to write about characters who make mistakes and do dumb things – sometimes even really bad things – because I think it’s still completely possible to have empathy for them. A number of people have told me that they really dislike Lucille in The Special Ones, but I must admit to having a soft spot for her. She’s put through a very traumatic series of events after all, and a lot of her complaints about Esther seem justified to me.
The farmhouse isn’t based on a particular building, it’s more a composite of many. I started planning The Special Ones while driving through South Australia with my family. I spent a lot of time looking out the window at the dry landscape and noticing the abandoned, ramshackle old stone farmhouses here and there. It’s that kind of environment that I picture for The Special Ones and I imagined the girls being imprisoned in one of those solid old buildings.
It was difficult, and exhausting, to be in ‘his’ head. I would be working on a passage and realise that I was writing it from a normal person’s perspective, with typical, human reactions to things. I would then have to stop myself and think ‘but how would a psychopath view this situation?’ I read Jon Ronson’s book The Psychopath Test book as part of my research and I had a list of psychopathic characteristics stuck up beside my desk which I used to refer to as a way of keeping myself on track. It wasn’t very pleasant. I would often find myself frowning or clenching my teeth as I was writing from his viewpoint. It was always such a relief to flip back into ‘Esther-mode’.
I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to scary books and movies (yes, it’s ironic I know) so I’m probably not the best person to answer this. I did however read a lot of non-fiction accounts of cults while preparing for this book and it was amazing to notice the similarity between the various cult leaders. They share such an unswerving belief in their own greatness and a complete disregard for the rights of anyone else. Because they lack the ability to feel empathy the suffering they inflict on others has no effect on them whatsoever. It’s chilling to read about people like this because it’s clear they genuinely don’t realise they’re doing anything wrong.
Nutting out the plot was a very long process. I knew basically how I wanted to resolve things, but it took a lot of work to get the details right. I think I re-wrote the entire second half at least four times. It was painful at the time, but ultimately it was necessary for getting the storyline to follow a course that felt right to me.
Writing for teens is great because there’s so much scope. The YA genre is so broad now that you can really go in any direction you want and explore a wide variety of themes. I’m drawn to writing plot-dense stories and this works well with teen literature. I think of my books as being escapist but hopefully also reasonably substantial, theme-wise. Teens read a lot more widely and with a greater level of sophistication than they did in my day, so there is also the challenge of writing something which will meet with their approval.
Often a blurb hooks me in and the story is exactly what the blurb promises. Very rarely though the story can be so much more than what the blurb promises. The Special Ones by Em Bailey is one of these rare books. It took me by surprise and was so much more than what I expected.
He keeps us here because we’re Special.
Esther is one of the Special Ones – four people who live under his protection in a remote farmhouse. The Special Ones are not allowed to leave, but why would they want to? Here, they are safe from toxic modern life, safe from a meaningless existence, safe in their endless work. He watches them every moment of every day, ready to punish them if they forget who they are – all while broadcasting their lives to eager followers on the outside.
Esther knows he will renew her if she stops being Special, and that renewal almost certainly means death. Yet she also knows she’s a fake. She has no ancient wisdom, no genuine advice to offer her followers. But like an actor caught up in an endless play, she must keep up the performance–if she wants to survive long enough to escape.
The Special Ones completely blew me away! This is one incredibly exciting, twisty, nail-biting read. It’s one of those books that, just when you think you know where the story is going, it takes a sharp turn and you have to take a moment for it to sink in. You don’t want to put the book down because you have to know what happens next, but there are times that you just have to close it for a moment to breath. There are so many twists that I had no idea how the book was going to end!
I don’t want to say too much about the story for fear of spoiling the story, but here goes. It’s told from Esther’s point of view. Esther, Harry, Felicity and Lucille are The Special Ones. They have been ‘chosen’ by him to live in a cottage on a farm, living a simple life, but regularly communicating with their followers on the outside via the Internet. They must live the life that he has laid out for them, and if they act in the wrong way they will be punished or even ‘renewed.’ Esther has lived like this for two years, but the life she has come to know changes dramatically when Lucille is renewed.
Em Bailey’s writing is very slick. She keeps the tension throughout the story, building it towards the nerve-wracking finale. Em makes you feel for the characters and the scary situation that they are in. The story is told in the first person from Esther’s point of view so we know everything that she’s thinking and feeling.
The Special Ones is an addictive YA thriller and one of my favourite books of 2016.
Demon Road: Desolation by Derek Landy
Reeling from their bloody encounter in New York City at the end of Demon Road, Amber and Milo flee north. On their trail are the Hounds of Hell – five demonic bikers who will stop at nothing to drag their quarries back to their unholy master.Amber and Milo’s only hope lies within Desolation Hill – a small town with a big secret; a town with a darkness to it, where evil seeps through the very floorboards. Until, on one night every year, it spills over onto the streets and all hell breaks loose. And that night is coming.
Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
Celestine North lives a perfect life. She’s a model daughter and sister, she’s well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she’s dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.
But then Celestine encounters a situation in which she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.
Micah and Janie, Janie and Micah. That’s how it’s been ever since elementary school, when Janie Vivian moved in next door to Micah. Janie says Micah is everything she is not. Where Micah is shy, Janie is outgoing. Where Micah loves music, Janie loves art. The way Janie sees it, Micah and Janie share a soul. They’ll be best friends forever – as long as no one at school knows about it.
Janie and Micah are secret friends. They spend their free time together at the quarry, a pile of rocks Janie dubs the ‘Metaphor for Our Lives.’ At school, Janie pretends she and Micah are only neighbors and barely acquaintances. But when Janie is date raped by the most popular guy in school – the boy she has had a crush on for years – she finds herself ostracised by all the people she called her friends. Now only Micah seems to believe she’s telling the truth. But when even Micah expresses doubts about Janie’s honesty, it leads to disastrous consequences, and Janie Vivian goes missing.
It started with an appearance, not a disappearance.
Gloria is tired of her ordinary life. She barely recognises the free-spirited girl she used to be in the unadventurous teenager she has become. So when a mysterious boy bent on breaking the rules strolls into her classroom, Gloria is ready to fall under his spell. Uman is funny, confident and smart. He does whatever he likes and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him. The only people for him are the mad ones, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing but burn, burn, burn. He is everything Gloria wishes to be. He can whisk her away from the life she loathes and show her a more daring, more exciting one, in which the only limits are the boundaries of her own boldness. But Uman in not all he seems and by the time she learns the truth about him, she is a long way from home and everyone wants to know, where’s Gloria?
The Haters by Jesse Andrews
Wes and Corey are convinced nothing cool can come of their lame summer at jazz camp, when along comes Ash – all blonde hair and brash words – and cracks their world wide open. Finally, something they can’t seem to hate. When Ash convinces them that a great musician is made on the road, the three friends flee camp and begin an epic, hilarious road trip: The Haters 2016 Summer of Hate Tour.
Amid sneaking into seedy bars, evading their parents and the police, and spending every minute together in a makeshift tour bus, romance blossoms and bursts, and hygiene takes a back seat. Wes begins to realise the limitations of hating everything: it keeps you at a convenient distance from something, or someone, you just might love.
When you can find something to hate about every band, how do you make a sound you love?
Let’s Play by Herve Tullet
Hi there, do you want to play?
Join the yellow dot on an adventure of colour and movement, surprise and imagination.
A fantastic companion to Press Here and Mix it Up!
Dave’s Cave by Frann Preston-Gannon
Dave loves his cave. Inside is decorated EXACTLY the way he likes it. Outside there is a lovely spot for a fire and the grass is always lovely and green. But, Dave is unhappy. What if there might be an even better cave out there? And off he sets in search of a new home. But it turns out that good caves are hard to find. They’re either too small, or too big, or too full of bats, until he finds one that looks MUCH more promising. Outside has the perfect space for a fire and the grass is greener than any he’s ever seen… But why does it look so familiar?
Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend by Alan Cumyn
Sheils is very happy with her perfectly controlled life. She’s smart, powerful, the Student Body Chair, and has a doting boyfriend. What more could a girl ask for? But everything changes when the first-ever interspecies transfer student, a pterodactyl named Pyke, enrolls at her school. There’s something about him – something primal – that causes the students to lose control whenever he’s around.
When Pyke’s band plays at the Autumn Whirl dance, his music sends the whole school into a literal frenzy. The next day no one can even remember what happened at the dance, but Shiels learns that she danced far too long with Pyke, her nose has turned purple, and she may have done … something that she shouldn’t have. Who is this winged boy, with incredible pecs and rock star talent that has swooped in on her carefully constructed life?
The Special Ones by Em Bailey
When Wolf finds a fact-filled book in the library, he thinks he will at last outsmart his clever friend, Dog.
The two friends spar as they learn all about mummies and skeletons; robots, knights, and pirates; dinosaurs and dragons; rockets and the moon. As always with Wolf and Dog, there is just as much to learn about getting along together; about friends and enemies, food and fleas.
With some of the larger publishers moving offshore there have been some wonderful independent publishers set up, one of these being Mākaro Press. They have a commitment to publishing books for children and young adults and are helping to ensure local authors can still get their stories published. Their most recent publication for young adults is Sylvie the Second by debut author Kaeli Baker.
It’s another hospital trip in the witching hours for Sylvie, as part of the support crew for her crazy sister, Calamity Cate. An overdose, this time. As usual, it seems like the family is so caught up in all of Cate’s drama that Sylvie goes unnoticed.
Invisible. Always coming in second.
Not anymore.
After a makeover, a friendship breakdown, and a whole lot of pizza, Sylvie starts to get noticed, but by the wrong people. That’s when things unravel with painful consequences. Visibility, Sylvie discovers, is not about how other people see you, but how you see yourself.
Sylvie the Second tells the story of Sylvie’s journey of discovery. It is a story of identity, family, friendships both good and bad, and choices that can affect the rest of your life. The story is told in the first person, so we go on this journey with Sylvie and know everything that she is thinking and feeling. There were times that I wanted to yell at Sylvie in frustration and moments that I wanted to hug her. She has a strong voice that teen readers will be able to relate to.
Sylvie feels invisible. Her parents don’t pay her any attention because they’re always wrapped up in what is happening with her crazy sister Calamity Cate. Cate has tried to commit suicide several times, without success, and so she is in and out of psychiatric care. Sylvie’s parents are rarely home, and when they are they don’t seem interested in Sylvie and what is happening in her life. Sylvie becomes so sick of going unnoticed that she changes her clothes and her look to stand out more. This certainly seems to get the attention she desires, particularly from Chris, the hot guy at school. However, things take an unexpected turn at a party and Sylvie’s world is turned upside down. When she needs support the most Sylvie discovers who her real friends are and that she stands out more than she thought.
My favourite character is Belle (or Bookish Belle as Sylvie calls her). She is the voice of reason in the story and helps to pick Sylvie up. She’s an incredible friend (nothing like Sylvie’s so-called friends at the start of the book) and if it wasn’t for Belle I don’t know what might have happened to Sylvie. I also really like Adam but I wanted to know more about him.
I loved the way that the story is wrapped up. Kaeli leaves you with a sense of hope, while also realising that Sylvie’s life will be tough and still have its challenges.
Sylvie the Second is a stand-out debut novel from a wonderful new local author.
I’m very excited to be part of the blog tour to promote Sylvie the Second. Make sure you check out the blog on Friday 18 March to read Kaeli’s post about her Top 5 Sisters in Fiction and enter the competition to win a copy of Sylvie the Second.
My Best Friends Are Books 