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Killer VHS #2
Candy Cain Kills
Oh what fun it is to DIE!
When Austin’s parents drag him and his little sister Fiona to a remote cottage for Christmas, he’s less than thrilled about the forced bonding exercise. But after learning that their holiday getaway was the site of a horrific crime, this family on the rocks will have to fight for their lives against a legendary killer… because Candy Cain is slashing through the snow with a very long naughty list.
When Austin’s parents drag him and his little sister Fiona to a remote cottage for Christmas, he’s less than thrilled about the forced bonding exercise. But after learning that their holiday getaway was the site of a horrific crime, this family on the rocks will have to fight for their lives against a legendary killer… because Candy Cain is slashing through the snow with a very long naughty list.
140 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2023
53 people are currently reading
3330 people want to read
About the author
Brian McAuley
8 books445 followersBrian McAuley’s debut novel Curse of the Reaper was named one of the Best Horror Books of 2022 by Esquire. His holiday slasher novella Candy Cain Kills earned praise from Booklist, Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews. The sequel Candy Cain Kills Again: The Second Slaying will be published in Winter 2024. His short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Dark Matter, Nightmare, Shortwave, and Monstrous Magazines. Brian is also a WGA screenwriter who has written everything from family sitcoms (Fuller House) to psychological thriller films (Dismissed). He teaches as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Screenwriting at ASU’s Sidney Poitier New American Film School. Connect with him on social media @BrianMcWriter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 596 reviews
December 22, 2023
Candy Cain Kills reads exactly like how a slasher horror movie would play out on screen. Full of gruesome moments and very fast paced, I read this in one sitting!
If you’re looking for a festive-holiday slasher for the run up to Christmas - then I recommend this one! There was even an unexpected teenage queer romance thrown in as a subplot which I wasn’t expecting 😱
The story is set in 2005 and there are some fun references here!
Can one family survive Christmas in a remote cottage when the legendary Candy Cain killer is out for blood? 💀🔪🩸
If you’re looking for a festive-holiday slasher for the run up to Christmas - then I recommend this one! There was even an unexpected teenage queer romance thrown in as a subplot which I wasn’t expecting 😱
The story is set in 2005 and there are some fun references here!
Can one family survive Christmas in a remote cottage when the legendary Candy Cain killer is out for blood? 💀🔪🩸
Read
December 15, 2023This little holiday horror is so much fun.
Right around 150 pages it's a high stakes slasher you can read in one sitting.
McAuley does not miss a beat. The story is just like watching an old VHS tape of some seasonal slasher film.
The kills are gruesome and unflinching.
The characters are easy to invest in and it actually tugs at you a little when bad stuff happens to good people. I love the family dynamics, the small town religion, the kooky humor and the backstory on the legend of the Candy Cane K*ller
Easily a new festive favorite and should be added to your holiday horror traditions.
Get your copy at @shortwavebooks unless you got one from your favorite subscription box
Right around 150 pages it's a high stakes slasher you can read in one sitting.
McAuley does not miss a beat. The story is just like watching an old VHS tape of some seasonal slasher film.
The kills are gruesome and unflinching.
The characters are easy to invest in and it actually tugs at you a little when bad stuff happens to good people. I love the family dynamics, the small town religion, the kooky humor and the backstory on the legend of the Candy Cane K*ller
Easily a new festive favorite and should be added to your holiday horror traditions.
Get your copy at @shortwavebooks unless you got one from your favorite subscription box
December 14, 2023
This was a fun, campy, gorey Christmas slasher! Major emphasis on the camp, this played out like a B-Slasher movie and I was able to knock it out in like two hours.
August 19, 2023
Deck the halls with blood and gutssss fa la la la laaa laaa laaa laaa LAAAA 🤶 this was so much fun! A blood soaked nostalgic trip of a book that reads like a late 90s horror flick. The plot was the usual slasher blueprint we are accustomed too but what stands out is Brians ability to kill people off in the most incredibly imaginative ways, the three G's, gory, grisly and gruesome, the character's were likeable and felt well developed, there is also disability and queer representation which was awesome, a fast paced ferocious festive frolic, Brian certainly gives you a christmas to remember!
December 2, 2024
'The claw end of the hammer arcs down and finds a home in Rick’s fractured skull, punctuating the final thought in his punctured brain.
Candy Cain is real.' 🍭🔪🩸
⚠️ Graphic content, murder, carnage, extreme violence
-a brutal, seemingly unstoppable killer who sings carols when she kills.
-Can't sleep on this one! A fun seasonal treat / holiday-themed slasher .
-a wild slay ride with nostalgic VHS throwback vibe and plays out like a classic slasher movie in your head. Also described as Goosebumps for adults. And the cool cover art 👌
5 /5 - 🔪🍭🔪🍭🔪
Candy Cain is real.' 🍭🔪🩸
⚠️ Graphic content, murder, carnage, extreme violence
-a brutal, seemingly unstoppable killer who sings carols when she kills.
-Can't sleep on this one! A fun seasonal treat / holiday-themed slasher .
-a wild slay ride with nostalgic VHS throwback vibe and plays out like a classic slasher movie in your head. Also described as Goosebumps for adults. And the cool cover art 👌
5 /5 - 🔪🍭🔪🍭🔪
March 26, 2024
Sadly this wasn't for me, I just prefer my slashers to be more then just fun gorey kills. I feel like once the killing began it was just kill kill kill with no breathing room or room for character movements
December 14, 2025
A very fun Christmas slasher novella. I appreciate how it starts right away and really keeps the momentum going! The family dynamics, and the family members themselves, felt realistic as well. My only complaint is that I think this could have been a fun full-length novel if we got more from the town and its inhabitants and how they had a hand in everything.
Candy Cain is going down as an iconic Christmas villain for sure. This whole story was like Black Christmas meets Silent Hill, with top notch Christmas vibes, and I was here. for. it.
What a fun slasher - and if you like this one, I definitely recommend checking out McAuley's Breathe In, Bleed Out, which I read this summer and also loved!
Candy Cain is going down as an iconic Christmas villain for sure. This whole story was like Black Christmas meets Silent Hill, with top notch Christmas vibes, and I was here. for. it.
What a fun slasher - and if you like this one, I definitely recommend checking out McAuley's Breathe In, Bleed Out, which I read this summer and also loved!
December 20, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up to 5!
This was such a gruesomely fun and festive time and reminded me of why I love holiday horror/slashers so much. Candy Cain Kills was the perfect combination of gory kills, creepy folklore, and characters that make you care about what happens to them. Highly recommend picking this one up for a bloody good Christmas time!
This was such a gruesomely fun and festive time and reminded me of why I love holiday horror/slashers so much. Candy Cain Kills was the perfect combination of gory kills, creepy folklore, and characters that make you care about what happens to them. Highly recommend picking this one up for a bloody good Christmas time!
December 8, 2023
It’s the most wonderful kill of the year.
What a fun fast paced slasher to read during the Christmas season. This novella leans into the tropes of the genre and to its advantage because the author knows what he is doing.
A renovated cottage ready to receive a family that is looking to reconnect during the holiday season. A small town with secrets and a cottage with a very dark history.
A mystery to solve, a dark secret and some gory kills to satisfy the need for a good bloody slasher this Christmas season.
A must read for fans of slashers.
What a fun fast paced slasher to read during the Christmas season. This novella leans into the tropes of the genre and to its advantage because the author knows what he is doing.
A renovated cottage ready to receive a family that is looking to reconnect during the holiday season. A small town with secrets and a cottage with a very dark history.
A mystery to solve, a dark secret and some gory kills to satisfy the need for a good bloody slasher this Christmas season.
A must read for fans of slashers.
December 4, 2024
This book is SO fun. If you love slashers, please read this.
December 25, 2025
TW/CW: Language, blood, gory scenes, drinking, violence, underage drinking, weed use, toxic family relationships, child abuse, vomit, fighting
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Oh what fun it is to DIE!When Austin’s parents drag him and his little sister Fiona to a remote cottage for Christmas, he’s less than thrilled about the forced bonding exercise. But after learning that their holiday getaway was the site of a horrific crime, this family on the rocks will have to fight for their lives against a legendary killer… because Candy Cain is slashing through the snow with a very long naughty list.
Release Date: November 14th, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 140
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
What I Liked:
1. Enjoyed the writing style
2. Story is very campy horror
3. Short chapters
4. Reads fast
What I Didn't Like:
1. Lots of plot holes
2. Characters are annoying
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
It's so odd that Dana is mad at Greg for not getting groceries and making them eat out for Christmas eve, but how did she not notice there wasn't groceries in the car? Did they not have a talk before hand about this trip?
So they still have no food for Christmas... They didn't stop for anything to eat the next day. I doubt that diner is open in this small town on Christmas day.
His friends show up on Christmas eve in a snow storm to drink alcohol and smoke weed in a cabin he has with his family. Yeah, okay. A 2.5 hour drive on a good day but during a snow storm...
Hard to believe that Candace could kill father so fast with a string of lights and the father doesn't fight back nor does the mother help. Plus she killed her sister that fast too without anyone stopping her. Also also how did an eight year old drag a grown dead woman from a hole in the ground and up the stairs? A man would struggle. Dead weight is very difficult to move. I also don't get how she had time to move her mother's body upstairs while a fire was going on and not totally burn the place down but also that there was enough of the house left the fire department saved. In a cabin it would go up so fast.
How has no one found this camcorder in the basement before? After 10 years of sitting in the basement. Plus how is the battery still working? Unless someone's been charging it and watching it themselves I can't see how this battery would still be good.
Love I thought the sheriff says that Candace probably just skipped town after the murders... she's eight years old what are you talking about??
Five people in the cabin and not one person comes out to help Ethan. They just scream through the window. That's insane. It's one person but they couldn't help him?? So stupid.
What is with the victims in this book not being able to defend themselves against Candace? Ethan doesn't even fight back. He doesn't try to buck her off of him and push her (book says she straddled his torso but not his arms) off of him. He just lays there and dies. Wth.
Candace somehow learned how to use pepper spray, a teaser, and drive a car while living in the woods and no one seeing her. How has she never been seen? Killed anyone else? Got food? No frostbite running in just pj's through snow and cold? Some might argue she's been stealing from other cabins to get what she needs but why wouldn't she get different clothes that fit? I just don't buy that she's been wearing the same clothes for 10 years and they haven't dissolved at this point.
These kills are stupid. The people dying are doing things to put them in positions where they are killed. Candace barely does anything because they cut their arm and make themselves weak or throw themselves at her and break the ornaments.
Not surprised Abby is really the one that survived and killed her twin.
What an odd ending.
Final Thoughts:
There are zero surprises in this book. If you've seen a horror movie than you know how this will go. I knew the cop knew about the murders. I also knew that Abby was the one that actually survived the fire.
Book was good and had some great gore and creepy moments.
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Oh what fun it is to DIE!When Austin’s parents drag him and his little sister Fiona to a remote cottage for Christmas, he’s less than thrilled about the forced bonding exercise. But after learning that their holiday getaway was the site of a horrific crime, this family on the rocks will have to fight for their lives against a legendary killer… because Candy Cain is slashing through the snow with a very long naughty list.
Release Date: November 14th, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 140
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
What I Liked:
1. Enjoyed the writing style
2. Story is very campy horror
3. Short chapters
4. Reads fast
What I Didn't Like:
1. Lots of plot holes
2. Characters are annoying
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
It's so odd that Dana is mad at Greg for not getting groceries and making them eat out for Christmas eve, but how did she not notice there wasn't groceries in the car? Did they not have a talk before hand about this trip?
So they still have no food for Christmas... They didn't stop for anything to eat the next day. I doubt that diner is open in this small town on Christmas day.
His friends show up on Christmas eve in a snow storm to drink alcohol and smoke weed in a cabin he has with his family. Yeah, okay. A 2.5 hour drive on a good day but during a snow storm...
Hard to believe that Candace could kill father so fast with a string of lights and the father doesn't fight back nor does the mother help. Plus she killed her sister that fast too without anyone stopping her. Also also how did an eight year old drag a grown dead woman from a hole in the ground and up the stairs? A man would struggle. Dead weight is very difficult to move. I also don't get how she had time to move her mother's body upstairs while a fire was going on and not totally burn the place down but also that there was enough of the house left the fire department saved. In a cabin it would go up so fast.
How has no one found this camcorder in the basement before? After 10 years of sitting in the basement. Plus how is the battery still working? Unless someone's been charging it and watching it themselves I can't see how this battery would still be good.
Love I thought the sheriff says that Candace probably just skipped town after the murders... she's eight years old what are you talking about??
Five people in the cabin and not one person comes out to help Ethan. They just scream through the window. That's insane. It's one person but they couldn't help him?? So stupid.
What is with the victims in this book not being able to defend themselves against Candace? Ethan doesn't even fight back. He doesn't try to buck her off of him and push her (book says she straddled his torso but not his arms) off of him. He just lays there and dies. Wth.
Candace somehow learned how to use pepper spray, a teaser, and drive a car while living in the woods and no one seeing her. How has she never been seen? Killed anyone else? Got food? No frostbite running in just pj's through snow and cold? Some might argue she's been stealing from other cabins to get what she needs but why wouldn't she get different clothes that fit? I just don't buy that she's been wearing the same clothes for 10 years and they haven't dissolved at this point.
These kills are stupid. The people dying are doing things to put them in positions where they are killed. Candace barely does anything because they cut their arm and make themselves weak or throw themselves at her and break the ornaments.
Not surprised Abby is really the one that survived and killed her twin.
What an odd ending.
Final Thoughts:
There are zero surprises in this book. If you've seen a horror movie than you know how this will go. I knew the cop knew about the murders. I also knew that Abby was the one that actually survived the fire.
Book was good and had some great gore and creepy moments.
IG | Blog
December 21, 2025
Such a fun and entertaining holiday horror slasher! It was fast-paced and gory, which I loved, and I also appreciated the diverse cast of characters.
When Austin’s parents force him and his younger sister to spend Christmas at a remote cottage in hopes of mending their strained family relationships, he’s anything but thrilled. After learning about the horrific murders that took place there ten years earlier, the family soon discovers they’ll have to fight for their lives against the small town’s urban legend Candy Cain.
When Austin’s parents force him and his younger sister to spend Christmas at a remote cottage in hopes of mending their strained family relationships, he’s anything but thrilled. After learning about the horrific murders that took place there ten years earlier, the family soon discovers they’ll have to fight for their lives against the small town’s urban legend Candy Cain.
December 10, 2023
Well that was one dark and messed up Christmas story… loved it!!
December 17, 2025
Jesus christ.... these people really need to get their priorities straight...
December 12, 2024
Fun and quick book read with a little plot twist at the end.
November 26, 2023
Candy Cain Kills is a fun slasher story that has plenty of action and kill scenes but doesn't neglect getting to know the characters and making you feel for them. I had a lot of fun reading this one and would definitely recommend it for the festive season!
November 22, 2023
Candy Cain kills is such an entertaining Christmas slasher! I loved the small town cottage setting with a dark history, and the unsuspecting family who stay there on Christmas Eve. The story feels very cinematic and I could definitely picture it as a movie. The kills are fun, brutal and creative. The backstory of the villain is bonkers and silly - and I loved it! It gave me Black Xmas vibes, which is a remake I love. There are also some sweet moments mixed in between the carnage. If you’re looking for a horror slasher to get you in the holiday spirit, I highly recommend picking this one up!
December 7, 2023
I absolutely LOVED this book! Slashers and holiday horror are my favorite, and you can tell when an author has a passion for them, too. CANDY CAIN KILLS has slasher, coming of age, urban legend, and all the things! Queer relationships, disabled rep, childhood religious trauma (light), bad cop in a small town, home movies, sibling relationships, marital problems and growth, and just so much. I tore through this one and needed every single scene that was given to me. I laughed at some scenes, felt bad for some characters, cringed at the gory deaths, and finished the book with an even more cozy love and appreciation for the season. I also love how the author made a reference to his prior book, Curse of the Reaper, and that makes this a UNIVERSE he has created now. And I hope we get even more books in this universe from Brian McAuley!
December 19, 2025
If you are looking for a holiday read that feels like sipping cocoa laced with arsenic, Cady Cain Kills is exactly the twisted little gift you want waiting under the tree. This book is pure candy-coated carnage. Cady is a walking peppermint nightmare, carving her way through the season with the kind of energy that would make even Krampus step back. The story moves fast, the humor hits dark and crisp, and the kills land with just enough flair to keep you turning pages.
There is a surprising amount of heart buried beneath the body count, too. Cady has claws, but she also has charm and watching her navigate both chaos and connection kept me glued to every page. Cady is messy, fierce, and strangely endearing, making her journey just as compelling as the carnage she leaves behind.
If your ideal holiday read smells like gingerbread and gunpowder, Cady Cain Kills deserves a bloody little spot in your December stack. Merry mayhem.
There is a surprising amount of heart buried beneath the body count, too. Cady has claws, but she also has charm and watching her navigate both chaos and connection kept me glued to every page. Cady is messy, fierce, and strangely endearing, making her journey just as compelling as the carnage she leaves behind.
If your ideal holiday read smells like gingerbread and gunpowder, Cady Cain Kills deserves a bloody little spot in your December stack. Merry mayhem.
December 21, 2024
A fun festive slasher for to get you in the Christmas spirit 🎄🔪
I really enjoyed this and read it in one sitting
I really enjoyed this and read it in one sitting
December 9, 2024
Second read, same slay
December 3, 2025
This was even better than I thought it was going to be! I didn't read what it was about before going in, but I didn't realize (or think) that we would be getting religious horror here...which I love. Yes, it is definitely a fun holiday slasher, but we sure touch upon religious horror as well! A small town, cabin with a dark history, and a family that unknowingly books a stay. It is quick, but so good and super creepy! Kids are always creepy, especially when they sing holiday and/or religious songs. I don't often read holiday-themed books, but I wanted to add a few horror/thrillers in this season and this started me off so strong! Loved it!
November 28, 2024
”She holds up a Bible. "What would Jesus do?" A silent pause as the child considers her answer. "Weep."
Dashing through the gore, with a severed head in my lap, over the bodies we go, slashing all the way. Ha! Ha!Ha!
This was a wicked holiday treat!!
RTC
Dashing through the gore, with a severed head in my lap, over the bodies we go, slashing all the way. Ha! Ha!Ha!
This was a wicked holiday treat!!
RTC
November 28, 2024
Slashers are all about pacing. It’s the anticipation that something will happen that is exciting and puts us on edge. I feel like in book form, slasher stories can forget that and end up caught up in their plot.
Candy Cain Kills, thankfully, does not have this problem! It knows exactly when and how to hit the reader with its gory details, how to setup payoffs for later, and even make us care for some of the characters that we sadly know will likely not make it to the end of the book.
This book has everything a slasher needs - a tragic backstory, unsuspecting victims too caught up in their lives to realize what’s happening until it’s too late, and an isolated place where no one can quickly help.
On top of that are some fun surprises that you don’t really expect but fit perfectly for the kind of story being told.
Candy Cain Kills, thankfully, does not have this problem! It knows exactly when and how to hit the reader with its gory details, how to setup payoffs for later, and even make us care for some of the characters that we sadly know will likely not make it to the end of the book.
This book has everything a slasher needs - a tragic backstory, unsuspecting victims too caught up in their lives to realize what’s happening until it’s too late, and an isolated place where no one can quickly help.
On top of that are some fun surprises that you don’t really expect but fit perfectly for the kind of story being told.
September 15, 2023
I finished this in one sitting, what more can I say?
There’s a stream of consciousness style written in close third that I really loved, along with the flawlessly executed setup of family dynamics, relationships, and character development arcs. There’s also something comforting and heartening about the imperfection and snarkiness of all the characters.
In CANDY CAIN KILLS, everything that can go wrong, does, yet feels perfectly right for the story. It is absurd, hilarious, comedic, darkly witty, and I’m often torn between wanting to scream, cry, and laugh simultaneously.
One side note, there are a few things that unsettle me most: dolls, clowns, and children singing eerily, or in the case of this book, the child is no longer a child. I’ll leave it at that.
There’s a stream of consciousness style written in close third that I really loved, along with the flawlessly executed setup of family dynamics, relationships, and character development arcs. There’s also something comforting and heartening about the imperfection and snarkiness of all the characters.
In CANDY CAIN KILLS, everything that can go wrong, does, yet feels perfectly right for the story. It is absurd, hilarious, comedic, darkly witty, and I’m often torn between wanting to scream, cry, and laugh simultaneously.
One side note, there are a few things that unsettle me most: dolls, clowns, and children singing eerily, or in the case of this book, the child is no longer a child. I’ll leave it at that.
December 15, 2023
This was a really fun little Christmas read. It's very brutal but fun.
Loved the Reaper mention, love to see the Brian McAuley "cinematic" universe expand.
"Candace..please..." Mother is crying as she holds up a bible. "What would Jesus do?" A silent pause as the child considers her answer. "Weep."
That's some cold ass shit.
My nitpicking brain hated MCR being referred to as a screamo band, though. 😆
Loved the Reaper mention, love to see the Brian McAuley "cinematic" universe expand.
"Candace..please..." Mother is crying as she holds up a bible. "What would Jesus do?" A silent pause as the child considers her answer. "Weep."
That's some cold ass shit.
My nitpicking brain hated MCR being referred to as a screamo band, though. 😆
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2024
Such a fun holiday read! I really enjoyed all the characters and the little twist at the end. Perfect slasher vibes with Christmas cheer. Most certainly Goosebumps for adults! 5/5!🎄❄️🔪
December 9, 2025
What a great horror book for Christmas time! I had such a blast with this slasher! Candy Cain is such an interesting character in the killersphere and I couldn’t get enough of the fun kills.
This book is campy in all the ways you want a slasher to be, with plenty of characters to make up for a disposable cast without sacrificing character depth where it mattered most. There are memorable kills on the pages and I can’t wait to read the sequel to this next!
This book is campy in all the ways you want a slasher to be, with plenty of characters to make up for a disposable cast without sacrificing character depth where it mattered most. There are memorable kills on the pages and I can’t wait to read the sequel to this next!
December 6, 2025
Little newborn baby Jesus H Christ, what a book! I think Brian McAuley is my newest favorite slasher writer.
November 14, 2023
McAuley once again delivers all the Horror goods in the form of a fun, campy and gory novella set in the early 2000s. Have you also noticed that KILLER cover art?! I love when a good cover matches a good book. That alone is a great reason to own a physical copy.
I DEVOURED this 145pg novella and the short chapters is what kept the momentum going for me. Just “one more chapter” turned into “The End” all in one sitting. I already knew from the first chapter that I’d have a good time with the story, I was immediately hooked! I needed to know more about the Urban Legend of Candy Cain and how everything unfolds with Austin and his dysfunctional family who’s staying in the same cottage where “The Candy Cain Killings” are rumored to have happened. It’s highly addicting and I enjoyed the nice blend of horror and humor as well as the creepy chapters that cut to an old camcorder footage of a tragedy from 1995. Can’t forget about the villain! Loved this fresh take on a slasher who’s totally deranged and sees potential victims as their new “presents” to unwrap and have a bloody good time with.
I won’t say anymore since it’s a short read but I if you’re like me and choose “Naughty” over “Nice” any day, then I highly recommend checking this out and adding it to your December TBRs!
4.5/5 stars.
I DEVOURED this 145pg novella and the short chapters is what kept the momentum going for me. Just “one more chapter” turned into “The End” all in one sitting. I already knew from the first chapter that I’d have a good time with the story, I was immediately hooked! I needed to know more about the Urban Legend of Candy Cain and how everything unfolds with Austin and his dysfunctional family who’s staying in the same cottage where “The Candy Cain Killings” are rumored to have happened. It’s highly addicting and I enjoyed the nice blend of horror and humor as well as the creepy chapters that cut to an old camcorder footage of a tragedy from 1995. Can’t forget about the villain! Loved this fresh take on a slasher who’s totally deranged and sees potential victims as their new “presents” to unwrap and have a bloody good time with.
I won’t say anymore since it’s a short read but I if you’re like me and choose “Naughty” over “Nice” any day, then I highly recommend checking this out and adding it to your December TBRs!
4.5/5 stars.
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