Discussions & Confessions is a feature at Deadly Darlings where we share a discussion topic as well as a bookish confession.
I’m seriously curious about this one: How do you feel when you’re the “Black Sheep?”
Some people get really disappointed when they dislike a book that everyone else likes. Sometimes, if they love a book everyone disliked, they feel the need to defend the book. But some people don’t really give a crap about having different opinions on books. They even love it when their opinions clash with most other peoples’!
Okay. This is going to be a short post so I’m going to be honest when I say: I both love and hate being the black sheep, depending on the book. I mean, there have been plenty of incidents where I’ve been the black sheep, like:
And sometimes I like it. Sometimes I don’t. Like, I really enjoy giving people a different perspective of a book, a different opinion on a review or rating so that they really know what they’re getting into. I usually read a few positive and at least one negative review of a book before going into it, to make sure I won’t get my expectations too high.
But I also really hate expecting to love a book as much as everyone else and end up hating it. It’s one of the most disappointing feelings there is for a bookworm, right?
What about you? Are you used to being a black sheep, or are okay with it? Or are you easily disappointed with not liking a book as much as everyone else?
I Adork You 
Wow, what a great discussion topic! I sometimes like disagreeing with people, as you said. I can also be really disappointed if I don’t like a book people have raved about – hype is a dangerous thing! But loving a book is great because often there are whole communities rising up around them :)
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When it’s in person, actually, I love disagreeing with people and defending my opinions, lol! But for some reason I can’t do debates. The hype is dangerous, definitely! Thanks for sharing, Emily! <3
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Hype works both ways for me– sometimes it make me pick up my next OMGOSH LOVELOVELOVE favourite book, sometimes the high expectations squash out all life in the book. When I don’t like a book everyone else LOVES (most probably due to hype), I’ll just explain myself in the review though I’d definitely wished there wasn’t the hype to mislead me. Disappointed… Maybe not so much!
Alicia @ Summer Next Top Story
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Same here, Alicia! Although when I write a review for a book I disliked that everyone loved, I really enjoy writing my rant and defending my opinions, haha! Of course, I’m a little disappointed, but we can’t all love the same books! :)
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I do agree with you, Aimee. I like being a black sheep when I can give people a different perspective–mainly when I love a book and everyone else hates it. But I think I hate it more because I find myself getting hyped up for a book everyone has loved, yet I hate it.
Lovely post, girl! <33
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Yup! It gives others a chance to know that they might love the book as well. :) But the hype always comes with a bit of disappointment. ;(
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I donät like being the black sheep when I have high expectations from a book and really want to love it! For example I really want to love the mortal instruments, but I just can’t! I don’t hate it, but I don’t see what everyone else is seeing…
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Ooh, The Mortal Instruments! The first three books were pretty entertaining, but the 4th and 5th books went downhill for me, so don’t worry, you’re not alone in that one, lol!
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Well, I have been the black sheep for several novels, but I think that’s okay! :) Different people have different opinions so it’s completely natural that you didn’t enjoy a novel that someone else did! I actually really liked Throne Of Glass and Of Poseidon, but I also know that a lot of people didn’t enjoy it :D But I guess when you see there’s a lot of hype, you go into the story with very high expectations, and when they don’t match up, you feel a little disappointed… :( This has happened to me as well! *whispers* now this is the problem with hype…
Thank you for sharing Aimee!! :D I love that adorable signature by the way ;)
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Of course, haha! I really try not to expect much from overhyped books, but the expectations just get higher and higher every time I see a raving review or a high rating! D: Definitely a hype-y problem!
Thanks so much, Emily. :D
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We’re the same with Sweet Evil. I was so excited to read it since a lot of people are raving about it, but I end up cringing every now and then to the point I DNF it. I have to agree that sometimes I really have the slightest urge to defend the books I love that others really don’t like, but I keep it at bay because in the end we all have different opinion and preference.
Being a black sheep isn’t that bad, but sometimes I kinda am bothered while others are spazzing over a book that I really didn’t like HAHA I feel a twinge of envy then I remember how disappointed I was with that book so I just scroll down. Greattttt post, Aimee! :D
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Yes! God the pacing in that one was all wrong and everything felt so stereotypical. -_- The need to defend my opinions will always be with me, but I try to tone it down because, honestly, I’m easy to respect the opinions of others!
Haha! Totally! Everyone be like, “This was totally awesome! Remember when–” and then I’ll be like, “Yeah, yeah. Awesome.” Sarcastically, of course. ;) But then it’s just sad that I can’t relate. D; Thanks so much for sharing, Abby :D
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I feel guilty when I’m being a black sheep. o.O Which is silly to feel, but it’s true! I WANT to love all the books!! But sometimes, eh, I just don’t get it. Like, I enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss and Eleanor & Park, but I didn’t think either of them were worth a tremendous hype. *shrugs* I love follow hypes though because it’s really exciting. :)
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Me too! I’m jealous of those people who never give a rating lower than 3. :/ Anna was a really cute book for me, but yeah, I guess Eleanor & Park was pretty overhyped! I go with the flow with hype books and it’s definitely exciting to find out what you’ll think of them! :D
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I have been the black sheep a few times, and I don’t really mind so much. I like giving a different opinion to what people have mainly seen floating around the blogosphere.
But then there’s also a little sense of trepidation. What if someone gets really fiery in a mean way? granted, this has only happened once and it wasn’t a blogger who did it. But it has forever made me a bit scared to be the black sheep. What if it happens again? When it did happen, I felt really hurt, so I know I don’t want to feel that way again.
On the other hand, though, I’m not afraid to share my opinions with the world. I mean, that’s what book blogging is all about, right? And if we all loved the same books, I think it would get a bit boring. I know it’s kind of monotonous when i see 1000 five star reviews for a book. I stop reading them after a while because they all say the same thing. It’s refreshing coming across a review that says something different!
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Definitely. One of my favorite hobbies is defending my opinions, haha! I love giving other people a different perspective of things.
Right!? Sometimes, I understand that other people might think differently from me, but when there are those comments that kind of make it a point to say my opinion is wrong, I just want to asdfghjkl. There are no wrong opinions.
Yes, yes, haha! “I know it’s kind of monotonous when i see 1000 five star reviews for a book.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. =)
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I don’t mind being the black sheep but it does suck because you start to see a lot of other peopple raving about it and you just don’t get it. But you can’t force yourself to like a book you don’t so nothing really you can do!
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Yeah. It makes me feel out of everyone’s little circle. :( But of course, everyone thinks differently of things. ;)
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I usually don’t really care about being the black sheep, but sometimes I really hate it. It’s a shame you didn’t like Throne of Glass though. :P
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It’s disappointing when you don’t love the books other people did. D: Haha! Yeah, I really wanted to love it. ;(
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I don’t mind being the black sheep every now and then. I get a little sad when people say “aw that’s a shame” or “you hated it?” because I feel so bad! It really does suck as bookworms. Usually though, I’m on the other end. I love books that most people hate, haha! It’s happened so many times now! I totally think it’s okay for us to all have different opinions though. ;)
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Right!? I just want to ask them to stop making me feel so guilty, haha! That’s great, Laura! I’m a pretty nitpicky reader though, so I’m one of those that dislike some popular novels, sadly. ;(
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It’s so funny that two of the books you posted up there are my all time favorites. It just shows that we have different tastes. Some will work, some will not, it’s fact of life. I mean look at me, I extremely detest Divergent but I don’t fault anyone who loves it. It just didn’t work for me. And me not liking it doesn’t take away the fact you like it. ;)
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Hahaha to Divergent! It wasn’t bad, per se, but definitely overhyped. Thanks for sharing, Mitchii :)
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I’ve been a black sheep for Of Poseidon and Sweet Evil as well. It’s kind of upsetting sometimes, but there’s nothing you can really do to change your opinion is there? Plus, everyone has their own opinions. I love it when I’m a black sheep in the case where I love the book and others hated it. That’s always awesome. :)
Great post, Aimee!
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It’s really disappointing, but like you said, we all have our own opinions. ^_^ The one where I love a book that others didn’t doesn’t happen to me a lot, sadly. D:
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I have trouble being the black sheep, honestly. I think I feel like I must be missing something, or that I read it wrong (if that’s even possible) when everyone else loves something, and I just don’t. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I’m more of a fan of contemporary stuff, rather than sci-fi or fantasy. And dystopia is hit or miss. I think fantasy has a HUGE fan base, but it really takes a lot for me to enjoy a fantasy book. Great discussion post! :)
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That’s true. And sometimes I question why I have to be so nitpicky, haha! Oh, while I do love contemporary, fantasy’s still my favorite genre. :) I feel the same way about dystopia, though!
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I really don’t mind being the black sheep – it’s bound to happen, at least occasionally! I just get so frustrated with myself, when I can’t see what it is that everyone else loved!
It’s funny, because it’s often the case that when I really like something that most other people disliked, I can see why other people would dislike it. But when I hate something that everyone else loved? I can’t think of why they would feel so passionately about it! Haha
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Agh, I know the feeling! XD Other people usually explain really well why they don’t enjoy a book, but when they explain why they love something you disliked, you feel all, “Are you effing serious!?” Haha! :)
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I feel pretty much the same way. I think it was the weirdest with Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It seems to me that everyone loved that book AND her writing, but I found it to be pretty, but emotionally sterile.
I’m used to being the odd one out by now. It doesn’t bother me, usually. :)
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Right? I actually try to read it again, just to see if I missed anything. The first time I read it though, it felt so bland and nearly made me fall asleep. :(
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Yeah being the black sheep is no fun! I like to love all the books, but if there is one book that I love and others didn’t, it almost feels like I’m missing out on something. And in a way I feel like some books are objectively great. With great stories or characters and even if someone subjectively can’t get behind it, the majority is usually good at pinpointing something that is objectively great. And I want to be able to enjoy all books that are really good. Hmm, I’m confusing myself. I guess I just feel like having an opinion about a book that is similar to the majority validates my opinion. And that’s probably not the best way to feel about it!
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Yeah. Sometimes, it’s a good book, but there’s just something about it that won’t click with you. D; I really want to enjoy everything I read, but where would be the fun in that? XD I guess so. I think it makes us feel like we’re “in,” no? It’s nice to feel like we all love the same books, but there won’t be any point in reviewing books if that’s the case, right? ^_^ Thanks for sharing, Charlene!
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This is such an interesting topic. On most books, I can see different points of view when I read other people’s reviews. Even if something bothered them it might not have bothered me, or vice versa. It is a weird experience to dislike a book that everyone else seems to love or to love a book that everyone seems to dislike. You feel like: am I missing something? Are they crazy?
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Exactly! Sometimes I want to ask everyone what’s so good/bad about something and why I can’t see it. Makes me feel like there’s something wrong with me, sometimes. ;( Thanks for sharing, Jen!
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I personally don’t really care. I like what I like, and that’s all there is to it. I always give authors a second chance that way I know for sure whether their writing just isn’t for me, or if it was a fluke.
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That’s great, Carmel! And also that you give authors second chances. I usually give authors as many chances as possible — after all, authors improve over time! :)
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I just rated Half Bad a 2 and everyone seems to love it. I was bored most of the time and hated the way it was written. I felt like a total black sheep giving it that rating!
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
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I actually tried reading Half Bad then got confused really easily, so I put it off for a while. :( Aw, don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find some other books to love, Missie. :D
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Wonderful post Aimee, I’ve been the black sheep a few times and it’s the best feeling when someone agrees with you! Just shows that they haven’t spoken up against the crowd because it takes courage. I hated Of Poseidon, Hush, Hush and all those types of books lol. It feels bad being a black sheep but also empowering at the same time.
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Right!? If your opinion is different and you find that ONE PERSON who shares your opinion–totally awesome. Of Poseidon… *shudders* haha! And Nora was an annoying twat. :/ I get that feeling a lot, too. Like you’re the only one awesome enough to have noticed things that others didn’t! XD
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It really depends on the book for me. For example I really didn’t like Reboot and I could list exactly why I didn’t like it from. This was enough for me to be confident about my opinion and thus be totally fine as a black sheep. But other times I look forward to a really popular book and can’t wait to join the conversation. But when it disappoints me I’m just left confused. Awesome discussion!
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Reboot! Totally didn’t like that one, either. But I do enjoy knowing that I have legit reasons when disliking a book. But still, the feeling of kind of being “out” of the circles of love for a book… ouch! Thanks, Mari!
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I don’t mind being a black sheep at all but as a habit, I usually delay reading books that seem to receive lots of positive or negative reviews. Thanks for sharing your view, Aimee!
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Ah, I see. I usually read them ASAP after a lot of positive reviews, and hold them off if they’re negative. Thanks for sharing as well! =)
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I haven’t read any of the books you mentioned, so I’m not sure if it’s good or not. My co-blogger, Kate, didn’t like Throne of Glass. I didn’t like Shadows by Ilsa J Bick, gave it a 2. I didn’t read the last book of the trilogy. I think every reader is unique. Some may like a certain book, some won’t. It may feel like you’re being a black sheep, but some books just fail to connect to a reader. I’ve seen a lot of low-star-raters in Goodreads, and it felt like a trend to them. I was like, Doesn’t this person ever enjoy a book?. I believe in reading for pleasure, and those people feel like they’re reading to torture themselves by nitpicking everything they think is negative about the book. Man, this comment is getting really long! But I think reading a book and hating it sometimes has to do with the mood you were in, or you just really found nothing from it that you can with you. I really loves this topic, Aimee! This makes my weekly roundup!
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I do see those low-raters around as well, with hardly any 4-5 star ratings! I was pretty surprised that most of my ratings were 3-4 stars, actually. My mood definitely affects my reading. I easily dislike a book if I’m in a bored mood, or if I’m sleepy. ;( Thanks so much, Dre! :D
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I also both like and hate it depending on the book. There are a couple of books that everyone was fangirling over, so when I read them (especially one in particular) and felt sick from the romanticized abuse, I was perfectly fine being the black sheep. I think I’m mostly disappointed when I expect it to be good and it sucks. I feel like I wasted my time.
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And what book is that? *curious* I definitely get the point, though. I don’t understand why a lot of people enjoy those male characters who are “bad boys” and are really possessive. Nope, just nope. ;(
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I’ve asked myself if there was something wrong with me for not liking the same books everyone has! Or for having a different opinion. But I think that’s okay. My point is to enjoy my reading life anyway, not to conform. :)
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Right? It feels like you’re not included in this circle of people who love a particular book! But of course our own opinions are still what matter. Thanks for sharing, Goldie!
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I understand your reasons. I don’t think being a black sheep is too bad. In fact, when I love a book, I find it refreshing when someone else dislikes it. I read a lot of reviews and I think the most eye-catching are those who are different and meaningful. All of the books you featured I actually liked. Though I haven’t read Throne of Glass yet :D
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I really love reading those “different” reviews as well, Jules! They’re actually much more helpful than the common ones, if you think about it. :) Haha! I guess we have different tastes, then! :)
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OMFG OF POSEIDON WAS SO BAD. SAME WITH STARCROSSED. It was the opposite for me haha Starcrossed was a DNF (which is one star for me- I only rate DNF books one star) and Of Poseidon was two stars (which pretty much means I hated it lol). Seriously don’t understand how those books got such high ratings…
But yeah, I don’t mind being a black sheep. You can’t like every single book you read, I guess, and some of those would just happen to be books that other people really enjoy.
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Of Poseidon just makes me want to pull my hair off and go bald! X( I thought it was much worse than Starcrossed, haha! xD
I don’t mind, either. Sometimes it’s just sad that other people talk about a book they loved and you can’t join in since you disliked it! D:
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I’m the same as you. I love or hate it depending on the book, like recently with Side Effects May Vary (which, I actually liked) and most people didn’t. I love reading contrasting reviews because while I did like it, I did agree with those on the other side, but we all have different opinions and understandings of it. It is really disappointing though when you have the hype, and you really just don’t see it. I’m hoping to read Cinder soon, and I really don’t want to be disappointed, because I’d be more disappointed that I’m disappointed rather than disappointed with the book. Totally agree with you with Starcrossed, I think I read 15 pages and gave up. So at least you finished the first book. I haven’t read Throne of Glass yet, but I’m seriously hoping that I’m not the black sheep with that, because it’s one I’ve been avoiding because I really do want to like it. Ugh, see, it’s so hard for you to actually want to read hyped books because of it sometimes. :(
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I’m glad you enjoyed Side Effects May Vary, although I’ll have to say I’m one of those who did not, ha! Sometimes, even if you know the bad/good things about a book and totally agree with them, something just doesn’t click and your opinion’s still different! Cinder was great–for me, at least! ^_^ Haha! I DNFed Starcrossed the first time, but someone convinced me to try again and I finished it! :) Although I love the hype because it introduces new books to me, I hate the disappointment it could possibly bring. :( Thanks for sharing, Kirsty!
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This is a really interesting, informative post! I definitely agree…it’s always horrible when you’re a black sheep with such a hyped book. Naturally, you want to like every book you read, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. As for your “black sheep” chart / graphic, I agree with all three – strangely enough! Thanks so much for sharing Aimee, and brilliant post! :D
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Yeah! And it wouldn’t be fun if we all loved the same books! :D Haha–I’m glad you agree with me, Zoe. :D
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I really don’t care if I’m a black sheep. If I like a book, I like it. If I hate it, I hate it. There is no one who can change that for me :) The only thing I hate about being the black sheep is the disappointment. When everyone is raving about a book and I end up think it’s just okay (or even bad) I just wish I could have enjoyed it too. And when other people dislike a book I love, I wish they could see the awesomeness like I do :p
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I get so defensive with my opinions, whether they’re positive or negative! XD I want someone to understand me when I’m the black sheep, haha! I really hate that disappointed feeling. *sigh* D:
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I don’t really care if I’m a black sheep either. But I feel like I stand out more if I’m liking a book other people disliked. Which doesn’t really happen often so… Most of the time I hate books that others like (cough cough John Green cough cough) and in that case, I have no problem telling it like it is. Which sounds bad… But anyway, even though I’m pretty aware when I am the black sheep, it doesn’t usually bug me too much because I feel like everyone has been the black sheep once or twice themselves so know that you can’t always be in the majority with your opinion.
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John Green? *high five* Well, I don’t really hate his books or anything like that, but they aren’t really amazing for me. I just like the angst, basically. And yeah, although I hate being disappointed in something everyone loved, it’s still pretty easy for me to defend myself! I almost always have a legit reason for disliking a book. :)
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Great discussion Aimee! I totally get your perspective…I hate the feeling of getting disappointed, of being that one opinion that’s different from the herd when everyone, even people you know loved. At the same time, giving potential readers a different perspective is good too :)
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I love giving different opinions on things, but that disappointment… T_T Thanks for sharing, Amir!
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