Among the Impostors (Shadow Children, #2)

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Among the Impostors (Shadow Children #2)

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 13,143 ratings · 766 reviews

It was awful. All those eyes, all looking at him. It was straight out of Luke's worst nightmares. Panic rooted him to the spot, but every muscle in his body was screaming for him to run, to hide anywhere he could. For twelve years‹his entire life‹he'd had to hide. To be seen was death. "Don't!" he wanted to scream. "Don't look at me! Don't report me! Please!" But the muscl

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It was awful. All those eyes, all looking at him. It was straight out of Luke's worst nightmares. Panic rooted him to the spot, but every muscle in his body was screaming for him to run, to hide anywhere he could. For twelve years‹his entire life‹he'd had to hide. To be seen was death. "Don't!" he wanted to scream. "Don't look at me! Don't report me! Please!" But the muscles that controlled his mouth were as frozen as the rest of him. The tiny part of his mind that wasn't flooded with panic knew that that was good -- now that he had a fake I.D., the last thing he should do was act like a boy who's had to hide. But to act normal, he needed to move, to obey the man at the front and sit down. And he couldn't make his body do that, either. -- from Among the Impostors

Luke Garner is terrified.

Out of hiding for the first time in his life, he knows that any minute one of his new classmates at Hendricks School for Boys could discover his secret: that he's a third child passing as the recently deceased Lee Grant. And in a society where it's illegal for families to have more than two children, being a third child means certain death at the hands of the dreaded Population Police.

His first experience outside the safety of his home is bewildering. There's not a single window anywhere in the school; Luke can't tell his classmates apart (even as they subject him to brutal hazing); and the teachers seem oblivious to it all.

Desperate to fit in, Luke endures the confusion and teasing until he discovers an unlocked door to the outside, and a chance to understand what is really going on. But to take this chance -- to find out the secrets of Hendricks -- Luke will need to put aside his fears and discover a courage that a lifetime in hiding couldn't thwart.

Once again, best-selling author Margaret Peterson Haddix delights her fans with this spine-tingling account of an all-too-possible future. Among the Impostors is a worthy companion to Among the Hidden and a heart-stopping thriller in its own right.

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Paperback, 172 pages

Published October 1st 2002 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (first published June 1st 2001)

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Oct 10, 2008 Phoebe added it

Shelves: sciffy, kiddie-lit

Luke Garner has just surfaced from hiding for the first time in his life--as the third child in a society with a population limit of two, his childhood has previously been one of cloistered solitude. Unfortunately, he escapes to a mysterious and windowless boarding school that's as claustrophobic as the world he left behind. The Hendricks school--filled with menacing bullies, detached teachers, and a significant population of mentally unhinged students--is the spooky setting for Margaret Peterso...more

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Dec 22, 2008 Bubbles123 rated it 4 of 5 stars

you really have to read the first shadow children book to get this one. it follows through where Luke gets a new fake identity. He becomes lee grant, a former boy who died in a ski accident.Luke goes through the school trying to blend in,as he was told. if you want more information read the book.the writer really takes a whole paragraph to explains Lukes feelings which i like. it gives you a better understanding of how he truly feels.This book is not predictable like some others. I had no idea a...more

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Apr 03, 2009 Jorge rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Among the Hidden" is a book from the Shadow Children series of books by Margaret Peterson Haddix. It has lots of unexpected twists in the plot and it keeps readers hooked.
Luke Garner is an illegal third child who lives in a time where parents are allowed only two children due to famines. After receiving help from Jen Talbot's father, George Talbot, Luke is now going to Hendricks School for boys. Because he is an illegal third child, Luke gets a fake I.D. and is posing as Lee Grant, a boy from...more

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Feb 23, 2009 Talia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-sci-fi, j-fiction

The second book in the “Shadow Children” series picks up where Luke, aka Lee, has joined his new school. Adjusting to being around people is difficult, and Luke struggles to make sense of his classes, the schedule of the day, and his classmates, even as they cruelly bully him. One day, Luke finds a door to the outside, where he finds solace in the outdoors. Soon, he comes across a group of students who seem to be just like Luke- third children. But not everyone is as they seem.

I didn’t like the...more

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Jun 08, 2013 Steven Purgar rated it 4 of 5 stars

Among the Imposters is the second book in the Shadow Children series. Luke garner is out of hiding for the first time. He is now starting his new schooling at Hendricks School for Boys under his new alias, Lee grant. Luke is terrified that people in the school will find out that his was the illegal third child of his family and that the population police will come take him away and kill him. He does not want to do anything to make people in the school suspicious and because of this, lives every...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: reluctant readers, teens, boys and girls

Another quick read with our little friend, Luke.
I really like how the chapters in these books are quick, little snacks. I find myself turning pages, signing on for another chapter, turning more pages, and before I know it, the book is done! This especially helps because, so far, there is not a lot of action. Luke is coming out of a world where he has experienced so very little, and most of what needs to happen is in his head. Haddix has this exactly right, even though some readers might get a li...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Tiffany Cooke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, young-adult, children-s-books, science-fiction

Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix is the second book in the Shadow Children Sequence. I don't usually like sequels. This one is pretty good, but not as good as Among the Hidden. The story gets off to a slow start, but once you make it to the middle of the book, it is hard to put down.
In this book, Luke has taken on his new identity as Lee Grant and placed in a boy's boarding school. Luke is scared, lonely, and confused about everything in his life. During the day he wanders aiml...more

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May 13, 2012 05tylerk rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a very good book and I was very happy with the reading, because it was pretty easy and it was very interesting almost all of the time and I read it really fast because of the reason. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. But if you are planning on reading this book then you better prepare by reading the first one because it really does matter this time that you read the first book in order to know what is going on.

This book is about a kid who is a third child when they have the l...more This was a very good book and I was very happy with the reading, because it was pretty easy and it was very interesting almost all of the time and I read it really fast because of the reason. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. But if you are planning on reading this book then you better prepare by reading the first one because it really does matter this time that you read the first book in order to know what is going on.

This book is about a kid who is a third child when they have the law of only being able to only have two children in the household. And some kid dies so this man give him his identity instead of telling people he has died. Then he is able to go to school and learn new things go through stuff he has never ever gone through at his house, like meeting new people, doing homework, studying, what to do when a big problem comes your way. He has never had to go through those kinds of things but is suddenly force to go through it. Then he finds out a gigantic secret about someone that could have a major effect on a ton of people that go to that school later on. Then he decides to do something and then he finds out what the decision did and what would have happened if he didn't do that one thing that he did.

This book was interesting because you never knew what was going to be around the corner is a sort of way, so that was the main thing that made this book very fun, easy and interesting. I like the very ending because you think something is going to happen but then another thing happens instead. That was the sort of thing that went on a lot in this.

I think that this kind of book is sort of meant for usually teens and younger but I'm not too sure about that. But I think that it would be interesting for almost everybody. That's what it seems like to me.

I plan on reading the other books in the series because they are such page turners and are easy to read. That is good for me because I am slow and not the well of a reader. But it would be a good book and would be a good pleasure read for those of the older age. But I still recommend this to almost everybody.(less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Vicki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Luke a 3rd child in a future world where 3rd children are illegal, is hidden in a school where he find other "shadow" children

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Jan 25, 2012 David R rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Sometimes he whispered his real name in the dark, in the middle of the night. "Luke. My name is Luke."" This is what life is like, when third children are illegal. "Among the imposters" is a book about a time where third children were considered to be illegal. Luke Garner is the main character in this page turner written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Margaret has won the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults Award for her “Among the...” series. In this epic thriller, there is a...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Bryson S. added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Imagine a world that if you were the third child you would be never known about or would be taken away from your own family.I read Among the Betrayed by Margret Peterson Haddix. This book is the third book of the series. If you have not read the first two books, Among the Hidden and Among the Imposters I recommend you go back and read the first two before you read this book and the rest of this review. The book Among the Betrayed is a science fiction book because its not true and it takes place...more

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Jan 24, 2012 David K rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Among the Impostors” by Margaret Peterson Haddix was a mysterious book and had some twist and turns along the way. Margaret Haddix has many best-selling novels and her work has been honored with the International Reading Association Children’s Book Award. I liked this book because how the author told the story; I could connect with the main character, Luke. At one point Luke made a garden and when it got destroyed the author showed how Luke was first sad, then angry, and then forging. I connect...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Kamryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Luke Garner, an illegal third child living with a fake ID, is going by
Lee Grant at the Hendricks School for Boys. Lee Grant was killed while skiing down a mountain so no one knows that he was gone except for his family. He is at first confused and paranoid, as well as treated badly by his roommates, mainly the boy he comes to call "Jackal Boy". Eventually, Luke begins sneaking out of the school to do things, and tries to plant his own garden in the woods. This brings him great happiness and a...more

Luke Garner, an illegal third child living with a fake ID, is going by
Lee Grant at the Hendricks School for Boys. Lee Grant was killed while skiing down a mountain so no one knows that he was gone except for his family. He is at first confused and paranoid, as well as treated badly by his roommates, mainly the boy he comes to call "Jackal Boy". Eventually, Luke begins sneaking out of the school to do things, and tries to plant his own garden in the woods. This brings him great happiness and a sense that he belongs. When his garden is trampled, he realizes that other people are going outside, including Jackal Boy.

He reveals himself to them,and and finding out that they are other illegals as well. The leader, Scott Renault (real name is Jason Barstow) also known as Jackal Boy, is outwardly a huge admirer of Jen Talbot, Luke's only friend who died at a rally for third children's rights. Then the later part of the book reveals that he is a Population Police operative and is trying to get the group's real names only to betray them. Luke is accepted into Jason's group, but is still too frightened to give his real name.

He learns more and more about Hendricks School, but never learns what his schedule is until he is asked about "finals" by Jason. He then is told that he has to take his semester final tests, and that his results will be sent to his fake parents, the Grants, who happen to be Barons, and one of the richest and most powerful people in the country. When awoken one night, he realizes Jason is gone, and Luke while looking for him happens to overhear a phone conversation of Jason's, where he is talking to a Population Police officer.

Luke finally realizes who Jason really is and attacks him with a history book, causing the phone to get disconnected, and knocks Jason out. He comes up with a cover story for the Population Police officer at the other end and gets Jason down to the nurse's office. He calls Mr. Talbot, a double agent working with Population Police, and convinces him to come to Hendricks. When another officer comes, Mr. Talbot convinces them that Jason is lying about the third children and has Jason arrested along with Nina, his partial friend at the nearby Harlow's School for Girls, even though she has done nothing. Luke is later given the choice to leave the school, but he decides to stay at Hendricks and help the other third children.
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Mar 16, 2011 Cristy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-post-apocalyptic, series, thriller-suspense-mystery, young-teen-fiction

AMONG THE IMPOSTORS (Shadow Children #2) is just as strong a read as the first, maybe an even better one.

Picking up where AMONG THE HIDDEN leaves off, Luke Garner is off to start his new life as Lee Grant. Leaving his family (the only people he has every really known) to protect them from the Population Police, with the help of Jen’s dad, Mr. Talbert, Luke/Lee is enrolled in Hendricks School for Boys. Excited and terrified, Luke finds that the outside world is not at all what he had expected. He...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: series-teen, read-in-11, dystopia

This continues where Among the Hidden leaves off: Luke has just been given a chance to escape from his life of hiding when a neighbor (father of Luke's only friend, Jen, who also happens to work for the Population Police) gives him a fake I.D. and a new life. He is sent to live as Lee Grant in Hendricks School for Boys.

Besides Jen, Luke has never even met another human being outside his own immediate family. He is never even written about to their relatives. We follow him as he tries to get adju...more

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Apr 12, 2010 Lars Guthrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Second of seven in 'The Shadow Children Sequence.' It really helps to have read the first, because this one takes right off at full speed from 'Among the Hidden,' with little background exposition.

That increased the excitement level for me, and is an effective way to lure in series fans.

And the idea is just great--a boarding school without windows with a nearly autonomous student population (the teachers throw out meaningless demerits and don't seem to take attendance). Most of those students...more

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Apr 20, 2009 Steph Su rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, dystopian

All his life, Luke Garner has had to live in fear and hiding. He is a third child, an illegal by the passing of the Population Law. Knowledge of his existence spells his death and the death of all who tried to protect him.

Luke’s dead best friend Jen Talbot’s dad manages to get him a fake I.D. Suddenly he can be out in the world, mingling among others as Lee Grant, a Baron who had actually died in a skiing accident. At Hendricks School for Boys, a terrified Luke tries to adjust to life among othe...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Jana Irish rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the sequel to Among the Hidden, we follow Luke as he tries to blend in and act normal amongst other boys. It's a worthy follow-up to the first book, though I feel as if it could have done better. You could see that the author tried to make this book stand on its own, thereby erasing the need to read the first book to understand this, but to someone who's started the first book, the repeated information might sometimes feel like 'filler pages' and was only used to pump up the word-count.

Noneth...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought that this book was a great continuation of the shadow children series. In the previous book Luke Garner the main character was a quiet and secluded boy who could not go outside of his house because he was a third child, which is not allowed in the world they live in. He watched as his siblings went to school. He then met a neighbor Jen who was also a shadow child. The difference between Jen and Luke was that Jen was more aggressive. She went up and protested with other shadow children...more

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May 25, 2012 Jalen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the book Among the Imposters, Margaret Peterson Haddix continues her series on the shadow children. Among the imposters is another great book just like among the hidden. Among the imposters keeps your eyes glued to the pages and turns out to be a quick read. Among the imposters is another realistic fiction book which has earned a 5 star rating. This 176 page book is a very quick read. Any kind of adult or kid that enjoys reading would enjoy this book and I would personally recommend it.
Among...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: march-read-challenge

This book is the second in the series by Haddix, and I have to admit a good portion of the beginning didn’t hold my interest. Luke is given a fake ID and new identity (Lee), and Mr. Talbot drops him off at Hendricks school to live amongst other free boys. Throughout the first 1/3 of the book, Luke endures constant taunts, ridicule, and misery, to the point that I wanted to scream “get a backbone already!!” several times. When Luke/Lee finally has had enough and starts to make an effort to figure...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Gabe Newman rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: third-quarter

This is for my third quarter book

I would recommend this book to someone who likes mystery. I give this book 2/5 stars because it was too slow for me. It was slow but had a good plot. I thought the book could have added more mystery though. But over all I like the idea of the story line except I would have written it different.

The main character is Luke Gardener. He is a third child which are illegal in the U.S. because of population laws. Luke lives in his attic of is house for all his life. Fin...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Alec rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Readers of the first book in the series

This is the second book in the "Shadow Children" series. Luke Garner is going to school, protected under a false ID. He is constantly trying to "Blend In", but living with his family his whole life is making this very difficult. This is a huge change from the first book, where he is being sheltered, now hes in school, alone. This book has just as many twists as the firsts, and is just as dramatic. However, its not as good as Among the Hidden, but its still a very good read. The change in pase is...more

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Nov 20, 2008 Lora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book- Among the Impostors
By- Margaret Haddix
Review by- Lora

When you’re among impostors, it's hard to tell the difference between friends and frauds. You may have never have been in this situation, but Luke, a character in the book Among the Impostors was forced to be in this situation. Luke, an illegal third child, it forced to move from his home, which was his hiding spot, and into an unwelcoming school which he must now hide, live, and survive in. Being an illegal third child, he must take...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Ny'dea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Among The Imposter’s”, a fiction book written by Margaret Peterson Haddix , is about a boy named Luke who goes of to a boarding school with a fake identity after the population police becomes suspicious of his neighbor.

The author did not do a satisfactory job with explaining uncommon words. I was not able to figure out what they meant by the words exnay, lecker, and fonrol. When I read ahead and re-read before the words, I still could not figure out the words.

I know some readers might be wonder...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Aaron Price rated it 3 of 5 stars

1)lee Grant, also known as luke, is the third child in a world where the so called population police do not allow familys to have more that two children. Since Luke is a illegal child he gets a illigal I.D. so he can roam the free world and go to school with everyone else. so he is sent to a strict school where all the kids make fun of him. But later, as he goes to school he realizes he is not the only illigal third child. so he makes befriends them and meets a particular kid that goes by"Jackal...more

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Feb 22, 2010 Jack rated it 5 of 5 stars

Among The Imposters- Post 1/4

Luke Garner masked himself for the sake of his family, he masked himself from society. In a crumbling world, the third child in any family is meant to be cast away due to a government that can't sustain the population. His whole life has been spent running and hiding from the Population Police, and now in "Among The Impostors" by Margaret Paterson Haddix, he takes the importance of his family to full lengths by changing his name.

Change in Luke's life came when he w...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

This series continues to surprise me. As the plot presents itself, Luke being sent to a boarding school under the fake name of Lee Grant and facing the loneliness, the complete change of his life, it seems fairly straight-forward. It seems predictable. It seems like nothing really extraordinary.

But dang, this little book is filled with 100+ surprises and plot twists that aren't over-the-top or fake. Thank goodness I've got the next with me because these books are also pretty addicting.

Loved the...more

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Apr 23, 2010 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

The "Shadow Children" Series is growing on me. In this sequel to Among the Hidden, Luke starts anew at a boys' prep school. While his first few weeks there are lonely and depressing, he begins to make friends with several other boys. To his surprise, there are other third--and therefore, illegal--children living at the school. Feeling comforted by their presence, Luke begins to trust them. But the ring-leader of the group, Jason, gives Luke an eerie feeling. Something is unsettling about him, bu...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Jesus Lopez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Luke garner is an illegal third child but now for the first time he has come out of hiding to attend at Hendricks school for boys. All his life hes spent hiding from the population police, the population police spot out illegal third children all around the world and when they do they are either killed,imprisoned, or become slaves. In my opinion i couldn't believe this i mean what kind of sick people would kill or make slaves of these innocent children and what happen to the decoration of indep...more Luke garner is an illegal third child but now for the first time he has come out of hiding to attend at Hendricks school for boys. All his life hes spent hiding from the population police, the population police spot out illegal third children all around the world and when they do they are either killed,imprisoned, or become slaves. In my opinion i couldn't believe this i mean what kind of sick people would kill or make slaves of these innocent children and what happen to the decoration of independence its almost like it never even existed. However there is a way for "shadow children" to survive and that's with fake ids.

One day Luke finds a secret door leading to the outside and when i found this out i was so exited because now Luke could go home and stay safe with his family but the only problem was that Luke didn't know how to get home but i mean who would? Hiding there whole life then trying to find your way back home? Now Luke has no friends and no help but the question is who can he trust and who can he tell about his secret door. To really understand this book your have to read the first one "Among the hidden" this book left me with so much suspense and excitement and theirs 7 of them which is crazy and it keeps you wondering if they will finally be free or if these murders will keep happening? I'm only on the second book but i will be sure to read all of them. I will read all of them because they are very exiting and interesting, these books are very unique and i haven't read any other book out there like it.

Honestly i was a bit disappointed in the ending but it was still very good but i just thought it could have been way better you know leave us with more suspense but it leaves you with a warming feeling and i liked that. I would say there are a lot of questions unanswered but that why you have to read the next book and from what Ive read the next one is even more suspenseful. Overall the book is fantastic but if you are going to read it please read the first one but other than that its great the only reason i didn't give it five star was because i really didn't like the ending that much. This book is great and i encourage you to read it and all the shadow children books but thanks for taking the time to read my review and goodbye.(less)

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About Margaret Peterson Haddix

Margaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history. Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danvil...more

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Among the Betrayed (Shadow Children, #3)

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Among the Impostors (Shadow Children #2)

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