Wednesday, September 28, 2011

ARC Review: My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

PLEASE READ THIS! MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

Okay, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit melodramatic at the moment.

Here’s the deal. My name is Brooklyn Pierce, I’m fifteen years old, and I am decisionally challenged. Seriously, I can’t remember the last good decision I made. I can remember plenty of crappy ones though. Including that party I threw when my parents were out of town that accidentally burned down a model home. Yeah, not my finest moment, for sure.

But see, that’s why I started a blog. To enlist readers to make my decisions for me. That’s right. I gave up. Threw in the towel. I let someone else be the one to decide which book I read for English. Or whether or not I accepted an invitation to join the debate team from that cute-in-a-dorky-sort-of-way guy who gave me the Heimlich Maneuver in the cafeteria. (Note to self: Chew the melon before swallowing it.) I even let them decide who I dated!

Well, it turns out there are some things in life you simply can’t choose or have chosen for you—like who you fall in love with. And now everything’s more screwed up than ever.

But don’t take my word for it, read the book and decide for yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream in frustration. Or maybe that’s just me. After all, it’s my life.

 
     If there ever was a unique concept, this would be it. I was instantly surprised at it and also quickly entranced. Brooklyn's voice was slow to start off, but then she got on a roll and I enjoyed her fascinating dialogue. Brooklyn was really prone to making bad and turned to blogging and her readers to make decisions for her. When I realized what she was going to do, I instantly thought it was the stupidest choice anyone could ever make. I also really wanted to find out what would happen. As I continue reading, I see that the blog is a good thing for her mostly and leads to a lot of good outcomes. Her hardest choice ended up being who to love. At that point, I realize that the blog wasn't the point at all. The point was that to make good decisions, you have to first make bad ones.
     I really enjoyed this book. Brooklyn was awesome and Hunter and Brian were wonderful. It was funny and extremely open to a 15-year-old's life. It shows how much society can influence a person's life and shows how sometimes, if you want to be happy, you have to ignore them.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Banned Books and My Opinion

     In case some people didn't know, this week is Banned Book Week. It is held every last week in September. I just recently discovered it myself about two years ago. I had no idea the banning of book was even possible, let alone, going on! When I heard about it. though, I instantly formed an opinion and here it is.

     Banning books is wrong and unconstitutional. It limits the freedom of speech and is flat-out censorship. I can't imagine a parent going in a requesting something, as wonderful as book, to be banned. I believe that life is about choices. It is my choice what I want to read and no one has the right to take it away from me, but my mom. :) She trusts that I am mature enough to handle the subjects I read in books. That's what I think banners need to step back and think about. Sure, you may think that this book is too mature for your kid. But who are you to stop somebody else's child from reading it? I read banned books. Twilight is a challenged book and it is what started me back to reading.
      Parents and banners try to ban books because they use profanity and have drug use in them. Sheltering your child from the world does nothing but hurt them in the long run. In this world, my generation is filled with sex and profanity on television and sometimes it seems that everything is associated with something undecent. Books with profanity and sex in them are like peer pressure. You have to trust that no matter what is thrown at your child that he/she has been taught enough by you to know right from wrong. If you have to ban books in order to insure that your child stays on the right track, then you have no confidence in yourself and even less in your child.
     So in conclusion, I say to the banners. Think about the consequences before you ban a book. Books are filled with opportunities and are you making children miss out on them because somebody's dad said "damn?" To the readers, I say, exercise your right. Read all the banned books you want. Because you know what they say, what's "bad" for you always has the sweetest taste.

Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley

Willow has spent most of her life as her mother's sidekick in a popular Las Vegas hypnotism show. So when she and her mom move back to their sleepy southern hometown to start over, she thinks she's in for a life of quiet normalcy. Except that her new life turns out to be anything but, when she kinda sorta hypnotizes Quinton, the hottest guy on the football team, to fall madly, deeply, head over heels in love with her. But what started out as an innocent way to make her best friend, Max, jealous soon gets way out of hand, and Willow begins to wonder if the mind - and more importantly, the heart - is something you can really control. (Goodreads)

      It's totally corny, but I was hypnotized by CRUSH CONTROL. It was interesting, funny and filled with fluff. It was also realistic because it dealt with topics I could relate to, too. My favorite character was Willow. She was so hilarious. Her life had definitely been unlike any other and she did pay for it's awesomeness. She was insecure after hiding behind her mom these past few years and understandably wanted it to be different this time back. She gets pulled into the spotlight and decides that she doesn't want to be without it. She makes a lot of bad decisions throughout the book and she doesn't realize them until she has to resolve them. She learned that most things aren't what they seem and to just accept others as they are.
Her and Max's relationship was sadly almost nonexistent until the end of book. I liked Max. He was sweet and unique. They had secret inside jokes and he just knew her. It would've been ridiculous of them to not even give each other a shot just once.
     Crush Control was a very memorable book and Willow was a n infinitely more memorable female character. From Willow's crazy eyes to her smushed-faced dog, it is because of this book that I will probably laugh every time I see the M&M commercial and smile every time I listen to Taylor Swift. Crush Control is a debut not to be missed.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Follow Friday & Blogger Hop (9/23/11)

Follow Friday & Blogger Hop (09/23/11) 

It's Follow Friday! This is my Follow Friday post, a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee!

This week's question: Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?

My Answer: I am a big rereader and I really hate that I don't have enough time to reread books like I want. There are a few series that I keep rereading and that is Twilight, of course, The Body Finder series, Strange Angel series and Vampire Academy series. No matter how many times I read them, they never seem to get old and I find new things I love every time I read them.

It is also time for the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy-For-Books! Today's Book Blogger Question:

Coming!!

My Answer: 

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle

Wealth, privilege, and way too many pastel-tinted opinions...that's Carly's life. And guess what? It's. Getting. On. Her. Nerves.

Carly wants to be real, and she's always counted on her little sister, Anna, to lover her and support her—and tell her how right she is. But when Anna turns "hot" over the course of a single summer, everything goes weird. Suddenly Anna's swimming in the deep end with the big girls—while Carly watches, hurt, from the kiddie pool. And of course there are boys involved, complicating things as boys always do.

With warmth, insight, and an unparalleled gift for finding humor even in stormy situations, beloved author Lauren Myracle dives into the tumultuous waters of sisterhood and shows that even very different sisters can learn to help each other stay afloat. (Goodreads)

Plot Opinion: I liked this plot and situation a lot and felt I could really relate to Carly. I hardly ever read or remember reading books that revolve so heavily around the South. Carly was an outdoorsy person that cam back to her baby sister Anna wearing bras bigger than hers. She has to figure out how to deal with things and still keep herself sane, which is harder than it sounds. I think Lauren portrayed Carly and Anna well and with this book, for a change, the intense realism was what made it awesome.

Characters: I have such bittersweet things that I liked and didn't like with Carly. Sometime I found her intelligent and mature. Other times....she was one of the stupidest people I'd ever read about. She didn't do well under stress, like dealing with Anna's growth and a boy not liking her. Some times she treated Anna like crap to make up for her own self-esteem issues.
Even though Carly was the main character, Anna was by far my favorite. I could understand her more because of Anna's insecurities. I admired her strength and sometimes felt sorry for how Carly treated her.

Overview: In its true and bittersweet characters, I loved this bookend was left with an invigorated feeling after I closed the cover. I felt as if I had learned something important and applicable. A feeling that comes with all truly good books.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Legacy (Legacy #1) by Cayla Kluver

     I noticed his eyes. They were blue, sharp and intense. Despite the youthful glows of his suntanned face, his eyes were cold and unfriendly, suggesting he had great experience in the world and was now expecting the worst.
In her seventeenth year, Princess Alera of Hytanica faces one duty: to marry the man who will be king. But her father's choice of suitor fills her with despair.
      When the palace guard captures and intruder—a boy her age with steel-blue eyes, hailing from her kingdom's greatest enemy—Alera is alarmed…and intrigued. But she could not have guessed that their clandestine meetings would unveil the dark legacy shadowing both their lands.
     In this mystical world of court conspiracies and blood magic, loyalties will be tested. Courage won't be enough. And as the battle begins for everything Alera holds dear, love may be the downfall of a kingdom. (Goodreads)


Legacy was nothing I expected it to be, but I found it to be even better. The environment and royalty setting was wonderful and the characters were icing on a delicious cake. I loved, loved, LOVED Alera, from her name to her strength and opinionated personality. Hytanica was such a stiff, man's world type of place and it needed a woman like Alera to shake it up.
     The male love interests made for a pretty awesome love triangle, too. Steldor is the king's only first choice for marriage to Alera and he is quite handsome, but his ego is so big that the might not fit. It seems, at first, that he has no chance with Alera until it becomes known that Alera is the only person who can disarm him. Narian is a Hytanica born who was kidnapped as a a child and returns as a dangerous Cokyrian. He is very quiet and has endured much harsh treatment as a child. He treats Alera like an equal and listens to her and makes her feel special.
     The romance of Legacy was my favorite part, but it certainly was not all that was going on. My sympathy for Alera grows throughout the book as she is forced to marry for duty and not love. As she battles her heart and carries the weight of her kingdom. The worst part of Legacy was no doubt, the ending. It is an awful, tortuous, cliffhanger and Allegiance, the next book, will be much awaited.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti

At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, more importantly, a boyfriend. So when the handsome and popular Derek asks her out, Marisa thinks her long wait for happiness is over. But several bumps in the road - including her parents' unexpected separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with Derek - test Marisa's ability to maintain her new outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose underground podcasts have the school's ear, seems to understand what Marisa is going through. But she has no idea who he is - or does she?

In this third romantic novel from Susane Colasanti, Marisa learns how to "be in the Now" and realizes that the love she's been waiting for has been right in front of her all along.
(Goodreads)


 Plot: I used to hardly ever read realistic fiction and a queen named Sarah Dessen snapped me out of my craziness. A few months later I came across another queen named Susane Colasanti and her book, When It Happens. I cannot tell a lie. There were life-changing moments between me and that book and with Waiting For you, it was the same if not more life-altering.
    Marissa is just your average teenage girl waiting for true love with her internet-love seeking best friend. The difference? Marisa has an anxiety disorder and has already found her true love and his name is Derek. Derek is a Surfer- California boy stuck in dank Connecticut and the star of Marisa's imagination. Also, there is another big problem, Derek has a girlfriend.
    Marisa's life has subtle changes right from the start when Derek smiles at her and she remeets Nash in chemistry. At home there are some strange changes with her parents and she is surprised when they separate doesn't really know how to handle it. Her journey in this book split between two boys and divorcing parents is surprisingly told in a way that is understandable and not at all confusing. It was a big part of my love for the book.

Characters: Marisa is my favorite character in the book. I love her voice. It is flowing and clear like real speech and made reading the book an awesome experience. I love her relativity and her retelling of how she felt during one her anxiety instances is so understandable that I could easily put myself in her place.
    The only thing I didn't like about Marisa was that she was so shallow when it came to Nash, like the idea of even being with him is disgusting. Unoriginally she has her heart set on the typical boy, who eventually breaks her heart, typically.
    Nash, the boy I was rooting for from the beginning, was just sweet. I love that Susane made him book smart and street smart. He was able to hold a conversation that was not only intelligent, but fun and interesting. He was the boy she wanted, but not necessarily the package. In the end, I realized that it was essential for them to part and come together again.

Overview: I loved this book. As I said, realistic fiction is usually not my thing, but it is wonderful books like this that are steadily increasing my interest. I would recommend this book to anybody. One of my most favorite quotes says that books are the most patient teachers and this book is a perfect example. I can't really explain what I learned, but I will remember it forever.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Teaser Tuesday: Dark Reflections (9/13/11)




TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

Dark Reflections (Dark Reflections #1-3) by Kai Meyer

Glitter Text Generator at TextSpace.net
"Slim, black-haired Dario was the leader of Arcimboldo"s apprentices. When the master was present, he always displayed very good behavior, but on his own he was still the same lout he'd been when he came from the orphanage two years ago."

LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own “Teaser Tuesdays” post, or share your “teaser” in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Monday, September 12, 2011

The Season by Sarah MacLean

     Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued — in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.
     When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

     THE SEASON was a wonderful historical fiction to read, filled with suspicious characters and beautiful dresses. I think this is one of my favorite reads of the year and that Alex is one of my favorite literary females. She was strong and had her own opinion of everything. She was determined to be different from other girl of the season and didn't throw herself at men and pretend to someone other than herself. She had learned to handle herself dealing with her three brothers and refused to stifle herself just to acquire a husband. Fortunately, she needn't worry about pretending to get herself a suitor. Gavin or Blackmoor, a long-time family friend is starting to make her confused about her feelings for him. I liked her and Gavin's relationship. Since it started out as friendship for several years, they knew a lot of each other and had a wonderful foundation. I though Gavin was the perfect mix of confident, sweet, and sarcastic. He was the perfect match for Alex and never backed down from her teasing comments. There were times in the book when I wanted to strangle Gavin for being so all obtuse with Alex, but I consider that perhaps he was struggling with his feelings like Alex.
     THE SEASON was mostly romance, which I liked, but also included a suspenseful mystery about the death of Gavin's father. It was interesting to follow and the ending is intense and climaxes well. THE SEASON was a lot of a tease. It made me want to wear beautiful dresses and dance with rakes. There were times I put the book down to imagine doing just that. I was very excited to read this book and I know now that the feeling was well warranted.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (9/12/11)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through the World of Books.
Finished
Currently Reading

I've been reading kinda of slow since I started high school. It seems like I've have more time on my hands because I have less work, but the work is very hard and so it takes all day. I am shocked to admit, though, that I love it. I don't love all my classes, but so far, the experience has been the best. I will just have to find some time in my day to read more if I am going to finish my challenge. Also, another major bummer is that my high school has a beautiful library full of unread books, but freshmen aren't allowed a free period, so on my transit to my seventh period class, all I can do is gaze in the windows. :(

What are you reading?

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Follow Friday & Blogger Hop (9/8/11)

Follow Friday & Blogger Hop (09/8/11)

It's Follow Friday! This is my Follow Friday post, a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee!

This week's question:Q. Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one?  

My Answer: No, No, No, No. Did I mention NO? I hate villains and almost never find any sympathy for them at the end of any book. So no I have never wanted a villain to win at the end of a book.

It is also time for the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy-For-Books! Today's Book Blogger Question:“Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?”  

My Answer: I really only read YA and I think I will always only read that forever! I would probably try to read other book, but if I couldn't get into any, I would have to quit reading! :( *cue bawling*

Book News & Bibliophilic Fun (8)

Ladybird, Ladybird by Abra Ebner Book Trailer Release and Giveaway!!! (9/18/11)
Here's the trailer and in honor of the early ebook release this week, Crimson Oak Publishing is having a giveaway HERE! Also while you are entering this wonderful giveaway, it would be most appreciated of you would mention the name of my little blog. Thanks!
Contest: Share Your Most Outrageous Story @ The Book Swarm HERE
Dreamland by Alyson Noel Audio Book Giveaway @ Elegantly Bound Books HERE (9/8/11)
Hades by Alexandra Adornetto Giveaway @ La Femme Readers HERE (9/20/11)
Win this or 4 other books @ Reading With Tequila HERE (9/20/11)
 Win All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin HERE, HERE, and HERE. (9/16/11)

Contest Craze @ Princess Bookie is almost here, but the date is not final. :) Know why??? The Princess needs help with shipping prices to ship the wonderful prizes, so please go help her out! HERE

TWO (2) winners will each be able to choose ONE (1) YA book under $12 from The Book Depository @ Refracted Light HERE
Little Brown Books Giveaway @ Addicted 2 Novels HERE
Win a pre-order of these book or others or a beautiful prize pack @ Books At Midnight HERE

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Blood Red Road (Dustlands #1) by Moira Young


Summary from Goodreads
Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.
Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.
Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.
Blood Red Road was the most original story I've read this year. Everything about it was surprising and exciting. Saba was an understandable character and unless you got where she was coming from, she could be unlikable. She is tough and strong-willed, but believes that her brother Luge comes first all the time and she always follows behind. She blames her sister Emmi for her mom's death and the downfall of her father. When her father is killed and Luge is taken by robed Tontons, Saba doesn't hesitate to start on her journey to get him back. What made Saba so understandable was that she was an angry and sad person. She has had so many downfalls in the past and when Luge, the only stable person in her life is taken, she doesn't know what to do without him. Honestly, Saba was a despicable person in the beginning and her treatment of Emmi was unbelievable. The journey of Saba growth is incredible and to me, the overall plot of the book. How with the help of strangers turned friends, a sister, and a silver-eyed Jack, Saba learns that not every person besides Lugh is trustworthy and that it is okay to care.
     I have to admit that there were some things about Blood Red Road that made me a bit weary. The lack of punctuation and correct grammar, for one. I am a total freak about this kind of stuff and when I saw that it was blatantly absent, I almost wanted to stop on the first page. I am glad I soldiered on and read and embraced this unique dialogue. By the middle of the story, I loved the lack of punctuation and correct grammar. I feel that it made me read deeper. That I read slower to fully get an understanding of the words and of Saba. Blood Red Road was action-packed and gruesome. It had vivid descriptions of fighting and suspenseful scenes that made you want to bite off your hand, but what will forever stick with me the most is Saba. She, over the course of one book, has become a loyal friend and truly shared with me all that is her.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Testing Networked Blogs ignore please!

Facebook, Facebook, Faceboooook!!!

Hey everybody, coming to you at 12:04 AM my time, screaming at my success at creating a Facebook page for the blog HEREEEEE!!! Please go check it out and like me. Because I just want to be liked. *gives biggest, brownest puppy dog eyes complete with quivering lip* Thanks!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Wondrous Words Wednesday (3)

Wondrous Words Wednesday is hosted by Bermudaonion’s Weblog.
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading.”
My word this week is from My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody.
Golden Doodle
Noun: A Goldendoodle is a mixed breed dog, a hybrid cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle.
Example of Use: "Golden retriever and poodle." The crinkles around her mouth soften just a fraction as she stares at her former companion.
"Oh, a golden doodle!" I say excited that I actually know the name of the breed thanks to Brian and his little Heimlich maneuver pinecone story."*
*This quote is from an ARC and subject to change.
Happy Wednesday!

Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1) by C.C. Hunter


Summary from Goodreads

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…
One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by
side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.
Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely
she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.
Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.
Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

     Born at midnight was a diverse start to a new series filled with cute Fae, werewolves, and shapeshifters. Kylie is girl sent to a "school for troubled teens" after being found at a party with drugs. She soon discovers that Shadow Falls and its attendees aren't what she thinks and she isn't what she thinks either. Kylie was going through a tough
time in the book with her parents divorcing and her boyfriend breaking up with her because she doesn't want to sleep with him. She has resentment for her parents and issues trusting people. She refuses to believe that she is not human and it irritated me that it took her most of the book to accept this fact. All in all, though, I liked Kylie. She
was a different kind of girl. She was quiet without being shy and usually went for what she wanted. I loved Kylie's friends, Miranda and Della. They were all so different and Miranda and Della argued a lot, but they were a tight group.
     My favorite parts of BORN AT MIDNIGHT
were the cute boys. Kylie is stuck between her feelings for Derek, a half Fae that reminds her of her ex and Lucas, who she knows from her childhood. I think that I am totally on team Lucas. He is so sweet and protective and has known Kylie since they were kids. I like Derek too, but just not as much as I like Lucas.
     BORN AT MIDNIGHT was an awesome read that hooked me from the first page and the sequel comes on in October, which just happens to be my birthday month...bet you can
guess what I getting. :)

Friday, September 2, 2011

Follow Friday & Blogger Hop (08/2/11)

It's Follow Friday! This is my Follow Friday post, a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee!

This week's question:Q. If you could change the ending of any book (or series), which book would you choose? Why and to what?

My Answer: One story ending I would love to change is Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I so wanted an Epilogue with Katsa's telling of their Lienid wedding while holding she and Po's first child. But alas it was not to be. I keep holding on to the hope that Kristin will release a sequel to their story.


It is also time for the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy-For-Books! Today's Book Blogger Question:Coming when I get home from school! My Answer:
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