A Predator and a Psychopath

A Dark and Twisted Psychological Thriller

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Pub Date 13 Aug 2019 | Archive Date 23 Sep 2019

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Description

Trigger warning: caution is advised, the book contains graphic content. Do not read this if you are a survivor of abuse, or are at all sensitive to descriptions of pedophilia, stalking, violence, or incest.

After Jason is committed to a mental institution, he begins to uncover things he never knew before or things his mind shut out to protect him. He finds himself questioning what's real and what's not. What happened to his wife, Lisa? Where is Lea? Why can't he remember what happened?

Meanwhile, Jerry is dangerous and unpredictable. He envisions a world where boundaries are broken down and he is free to enforce his narcissistic belief that he has a divine mission.

An explosive ending that is anything but expected, forgive yourself for shuddering throughout and after you close the book.

Drawing inspiration from real cases, and with well-researched, realistic characters, this thriller is not for the soft-hearted.

Trigger warning: caution is advised, the book contains graphic content. Do not read this if you are a survivor of abuse, or are at all sensitive to descriptions of pedophilia, stalking, violence...


Advance Praise

"The character at the heart of the novel is both terrifying and realistic. For fans of dark thrillers and crime fiction, this novel will not disappoint."

Self-Publishing Review


"The characters are expertly drawn. The story builds toward an explosive conclusion."

Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Every now and again you stumble upon a rare find in anovel. And I'm happy to say that I've found that diamond in the rough."The Sexy Nerd 'Revue'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"A visceral hard-boiled thriller, A Predator and A Psychopath is certainly not for the faint of heart, as the character at the heart of the novel is both terrifying and realistic. Jay Kerk vividly paints the mind of a psychopath with no moral compass and a tenuous hold on reality where you begin to see the world through his corrupt lens, which is a testament to the strength of Kerk's writing. For fans of dark thrillers and crime fiction, this novel will not disappoint." Self-Publishing Review ★★★★½

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from Readers' Favorite Book Review

"A gripping psychological thriller with a compelling protagonist, a novel with a strong appeal to readers who enjoy dark and complex psychological themes." Readers' Favorite Book Review ★★★★★

"Great potential to entertain readers. It feels like a story coming straight from the mind of a seasoned psychologist, filled with drama and interesting dialogues." Readers' Favorite Book Review ★★★★★

"Brilliantly narrated, a cunningly plotted novel that immerses the reader in a twisted mind and the complicated world of psychiatric medicine. I loved every bit of it." Readers' Favorite Book Review ★★★★★

"This masterful work of character studies breaks narrative convention to focus on the workings of the mind itself." Readers' Favorite Book Review ★★★★★

"The plot is graphic and unapologetic....a novel for those who really have the stomach for the dark truth of what a broken mind can do to a human being." Readers' Favorite Book Review ★★★★★

"This is a harsh reminder of the horrors that the human mind is capable of." Readers' Favorite Book Review


Readers speaking about A Predator and A Psychopath:

"A must read thriller that will have your head spinning.I'd definitely read another by this author, his imagination is wild, impressive, and addictive." Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"It is a very intense book that will raise your curiosity." Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Excellent thriller, in a creepy way. Well written with a vivid description of the attacker's motive and devices. I will remember this novel often, especially when a stranger knocks on my door." Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"This author is brilliant at what he does and certainly kept me guessing." Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read more reviews here. https://www.amazon.com/Predator-Psychopath-Twisted-Psychological-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07V4NL6R8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1566457735&sr=8-1

"The character at the heart of the novel is both terrifying and realistic. For fans of dark thrillers and crime fiction, this novel will not disappoint."

Self-Publishing Review


"The characters are...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781543976380
PRICE $14.99 (USD)
PAGES 282

Average rating from 66 members


Featured Reviews

A Predator and a Psychopath by Jay Kerk is a good book! Liked the character and overall story was interesting!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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A Predator and a Psychopath is a good thriller that will keep you entertained. The story flowed well and the characters were interesting.

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Dark and twisted, this book is exactly what I hope for every time I start a new thriller. This book grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let go until the very last page. Highly recommend!!

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** Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review **
Si eres un fan de los thrillers, y sobe todo de los no del todo tradicionales, te recomiendo este libro. Es entretenido, y la lectura fluye, te mantiene leyendo y expectante, ademas tratando de sacar conclusiones hasta el final. Tiene un interesante desarrollo de los personajes, la tensión ademas te hace querer avanzar y avanzar en la lectura. El cierre de la historia es interesante y sorpresivo. No es mi genero predilecto, pero este libro ha aumentado mi interés en el y en el autor.

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Every now and again you stumble upon a rare find in a novel. And I’m happy to say that I’ve found that diamond in the rough.

Jason Stankovic is living a lie. Or what he perceives to be a lie. He’s been committed to a mental facility for reasons unknown to him. Of course, you aren’t just locked up in that type of facility for the hell of it, so why on earth was he committed there?

On the other side of town, take Jerry, who is a building handyman of sorts. His job isn’t that hard to do—in fact he finds what he does to be quite lucrative, but not in the money sense. Oh no, what Jerry does is find single mothers who are down on their luck to move into his building, and strange occurrences begin to happen. What strange occurrences, you ask? The sniffing of one’s underwear. Installing cameras and bugs throughout the apartment so someone can watch and listen to unsuspecting tenant’s every move. And as an added benefit, single mother’s daughters—quite ripe and ready for the picking!

Jason finally discovers the reason he’s been put into a mental facility and is now granted release. He’s been healed of what ailed him mentally, right? Once he gets out, his paranoia begins to get the best of him or is he being paranoid? His entire family is gone and he has no way of knowing where they are without any leads. The police don’t take him seriously, but there is one such person who shares Jason’s pain.

Are you confused? Well…you’ll have to read this very quirky and interesting read to find out more. Reader beware, though, this is not the type of story for the squeamish! Ooh no, quite the opposite. This story is for a very mature reader and one that can handle a grotesque subject matter. I have to say I enjoyed this story a great deal. Not exactly sure what that says about my taste in subject matters, but when an author can write such a good story and spin a tale so horrible, you’ve got to give your props!

As I mentioned at the top of my review that every now and again you stumble upon a rare novel, and this most definitely was one of them. I put this novel in the same class as some other greats such as Greg Levin’s In Wolves’ Clothing; Secondhand Smoke by Patty Friedman; Peter Hodges’ What’s Eating Gilbert Grape; and How I’m Spending My Afterlife by Spencer Fleury. Kerk is in great company! A story this horrible was that good and I couldn’t get enough! I kept tapping my Kindle waiting to find out what Jason and/or Jerry were going to do.

The ending wasn’t exactly what I expected, but I suppose as crazy as this story was, it was fitting. Overall, this was a weird ass story. There isn’t any other way to put it other than to say it just as I stated. If you’re the type of reader that is ‘open minded’ and willing to receive something a little different and read outside the box, if you will, then I say this book is most definitely for you. Not every story you read is going to be presented in a perfect box adorned with a bow. In fact, for me, I look for new voices in the literary game that can take it up a notch, and Kerk did the damn thing! However, having said that, his story is not for everybody and some may find the story line to be vulgar and insensitive. But not this reader! I loved it!

The Sexy Nerd gives A Predator and a Psychopath five zany stars out of this world! This was one of those reads that I will never ever forget because Kerk’s choice in subject matter is one that most don’t like to touch. He executed the story well. There’s some real life’s lessons to be learned dealing with those types of shady characters. Way to go, Kerk! I’m a fan!

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Jason is in a psychiatric hospital because of the murder of his wife and daughter. He doesn't remember killing them and believes that he's innocent because he loved them and would never hurt them. He eventually remembers that he has a son through countless therapy lessons. What happened to his son? Did he kill him also?

Jerry is a sexual predator, a "hunter" of young children. To him the younger the better. He is obsessed with sex and needs a release MANY times a day. He stalks his victims, watches them in their own homes via cameras he's set up and then manipulates his way into their lives. He's always looking for that perfect Alpha partner.

How do these two souls get intertwined in each others lives. Are they one in the same? What happened to Mathew? Who killed Lisa and Lea?

I experience so many emotions reading this book. I felt sympathy, sadness, anger and disgust. That is result of great writing. I was never bored or felt like the story was dragging. I was consumed in the story and finding out what really happened and putting closure to all the horrible things that had happened throughout. As much as I had to say it, I loved this book up until the very end. I needed more. I was left with so many questions that I had hoped would be answered.

I will definitely look for more books by Jay Kerk.

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Jason finds himself confined to a psychiatric institution. he has lost memory of the past months. Soon, he finds out that his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Lea, have been killed. His doctor leads him to the conclusion that he (Jason) has been more aware of what has been going on than he thinks. Also, Jason and Lea may have been having an intimate relationship...

Then we meet Jerry - a "hypersexual" misfit who likes his girls young. Jerry uses the dark web for a number of things - among them talking to a shrink who lost her license and a nutter that tells him to stop selling his sperm. Better yet, to become the father of 15-16 children - a tribe of sorts.

How are the two of them linked? Or are they?
Who killed Jason's wife and daughter?
Where is Jason's son, Mathew?

Does Jason suffer from multiple personalities?

A quick trip downward to alcohol, sex crimes and (of course) psychiatric problems.

I just want to know if Jay Kerk is planning a next book. There are too many questionable (unresolved?) areas that the reader wants answered.

A good start, Jay! The only thing I would suggest is a bit less time on Jerry...

Many Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for a rather poignant story.

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This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

I've been reading some light, frothy romances leading up to this - this was dark and twisty turny - absolutely loved it !!

I found it engrossing and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout

Its one of those books you see in the book store at the airport and think - 'that'll be a good one for the flight' - and it would !!

A fantastic summer read

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This book was good and kept me turning the pages. However, i was disappointed with the ending which left me with unanswered questions. I am not going to write what the story is about, as i prefer one to read the book for themselves, but it may not suit all due to the graphic content. This included rape and child molestation.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have freely given.

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What a gritty, intense, gripping novel.

I was hooked within minutes! This book evokes real raw emotion, I'm not sure whether it's because I'm a mother and theres always that underlying fear of the dark side of the internet or whether Jay Kerk writes so brilliantly that you feel that you are there beside each character watching it unravel.

This book covers every worst nightmare and everything relevant in today's society.. mental illness, grooming/pedophilia, violence, drug abuse, stalking, murder...

There is definitely a unique style to the authors writing and they write with clear experience or understanding of mental illness and treatment.

Not for the faint hearted! I could not put this down even at times where emotions overtook me and I felt anger, despair and even disgust.

Sadly the ending for me was a disappointment, it left me with too many questions so 4* rating because of that BUT I would recommend this over and over.

Massive thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

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Excellent psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! Well-developed characters and plot. Highly recommend!

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Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review. What a read! This isn't your average psychological thriller it's very dark and contains some disturbing insights into the mind of a pedophile and explores the disturbing topics of child sex abuse, incest, domestic abuse and invasions of trust. Whilst these are all disturbing topics they are what makes the book so spellbinding from the very beginning. Jason finds himself in a psychiatric facility under suspicion of killing his wife and having a sexual relationship with his daughter...meanwhile Jerry the other main character is stalking for his next prey whilst invading people's most private moments. Captivatingly written this book will have the hairs on your arms sticking up. Not for the fainthearted but a read I highly recommend if you like dark, sinister psychological thrillers. #jaykerk #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #litsy #netgalley #kindle #amazon #apredatorandapsychopath

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I received a free ARC of A Predator and a Psychopath by Jay Kerk from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
WOW!! WOAH!! This book with grab you with amazing force and keep you holding on to the very end. Just when you think you have started to figure out what is real and what is not, you get thrown another loop. I loved this story. If you like thrillers with plenty of twists, but well developed characters, then this is your book. I look forward to reading more by Jay Kerk in the future.

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I've wondered for decades as I've studied psychology and metaphysics and read psychological fiction about the ability of the Mind to recognize Reality, to determine its own Sanity and Stability, and to resist (or to be vulnerable to) Mind Control and/or manipulation. How does one KNOW one is sane? If one suffers amnesia, how to recover memories, and how to discern what one is informed by others is fact, accurate, or is gaslighting? What is Fact and what is manipulative Mind Control?


Such an existential dilemma is the crux of current reality for Psychiatric Rehabilitation inmate/patient Jason, a man who can't or won't Remember, vis a vis a psychiatrist who claims to hold all the answers. As Pontius Pilate said, What is Truth? Apropos queries in our contemporary culture of "faux news" and "media spin."

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Thank you to NetGalley and to the author for providing this e-book ARC to read and review.

This was one of those reads that I will never ever forget because Kerk’s choice in subject matter is one that most don’t like to touch. This book evokes real raw emotion, I'm not sure whether it's because I'm a mother and there's always that underlying fear of the dark side of the internet and who to trust.

WARNING: This book is NOT for the faint-hearted. It is filled with disturbing imagery and is basically a look into the mind of a psychopath.

I experience so many emotions reading this book and that is the result of great writing. I was never bored or felt like the story was dragging. I was consumed in the story and finding out what really happened and putting closure to all the horrible things that had happened throughout.
A Predator and A Psychopath isn’t written about something we enjoy thinking about, a predator within our company, but it shows how persuasive someone can be to harm a trusting person.

Sadly the ending for me was a disappointment, it left me with too many questions so 4* rating because of that.

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THE BEST MIND FUCK BOOK I HAVE READ IN A WHILE!!!

I didn't know where to start with this review, because I didn't know in what state was my mind after I read it. 

I knew I needed some time before I sat down and write my thoughts. I needed some time to think what I will write and how I will write it so I don't give anything away. I always try my reviews to be spoiler free so here, again I will try and do my best. 

I gave myself a day to calm down my mind from what I read. All day my thoughts revolved around the plot of the book and I rethought everything I read again and again.

This book was so unbelievable good and fucked up with my mind in a way I could never imagined. 

It was dark, intense, shocking psychological thriller with lots of twists. 

This is not a read for the faint of hearts, because contains lots of triggers some my find very disturbing. Like child molesting, abuse and pedophilia. 

I swear there were moments I was so angry and mad about I just wanted to throw my kindle to the wall. 

Imagine what is to be in the head of a psychopat, a pedophil and you can see what he thinks about. Why he loves children and want to have sexual intercorse with them. This was so sick. I felt like I was him. All his actions he did I felt it through me. I WAS HIM. 

I could not stop reading it even though I wanted to put it down coz I couldn't take it much, but I still kept reading. The author connect so good with you, that you feel you are in the skin of this psychopat, and you see everything through his eyes, and that fact itself says a lot.  This without a doubt is one of the best books I have read so far. 

I love psychological thrillers that fuck up with my mind in such a good way. And this was one of those books. 

I found myself even talking about it with my husband and I never talk about books with him. Then we went out for dinner with friends and I could not stop talk about this story. A story that probably will stay in my head for a long time. 

When the author contacted me and asked me if I would be interested to read his book I almost sayd No. He said it was available to read on NetGalley so I went to check it out. 

I saw the cover and read the blurb and I got really intrigued so I downloaded it. 

I didn't mean to read it stright away coz I had so many more on my list before this one, but every time I opened my kindle something was just pulling me to this book. My gut was telling me to read it. I am so glad I have listen to it now. 

A very captivating novel with tone of mystery that only resolves itself at the end of the book. 

If you are not scared to go into the very very dark place of your mind...read this book. It will open your eyes for so many things. I swear I feel so clever after reading it. 

I would read anything by this author. This is his first book but you can't tell at all. Masterpiece in this genre. Hands down. Well done. 5 stars from me and much more. 
Thank you NetGalley for this copy. I loved it.

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I received a complimentary copy of A Predator and a Psychopath from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was likely disturbing accurate as far as insight into the minds of predators and psychopaths! Some parts are definitely difficult to stomach, which overall created a hauntingly good read (that may not be for everyone).
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

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Dark and twisted. It was what I expected.
I found it to be a macabre-ly enjoyable read.
The questioning back and forth that plays out in your head while reading this can be intense.

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While I enjoy books like this normally, and the dark/twisted nature of it didn't bother me, there was a jarring issue with the style that bothered me and made me struggle when reading it. It was well written, but something just didn't mesh with me. For that reason, I've struggled to decide how to rate it, so have given it 3.5 stars.
I'll discuss it on my blog later, with other true crime books.

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This is a tough book to read because of the subject matter. I am one of those people that love watching all the Discovery ID shows and anything that has to do with killers, etc. It is completely different to actually see it from the psychopaths point of view. Jerry is that a psychopath and being in his mind is hard to read. I am still confused about Jason and his story. This book will suck you in even with the subject matter. It is a hard read so if the subject matter is something you can't stomach don't read this book.


*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

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Buckle up this book is a great ride! This psychology thriller will keep you wondering throughout the book. Did Jason kill his family? Are the allegations against him true. Did he have a relationship with his daughter? Where is his son? I felt many emotions reading this book-sympathy, grief, and anger.
This novel, A Predator and a Physopath by Jay Kerk does contain sensitive topics, including incest, abuse, and sexual topics. Readers who like reading thrillers will not be disappointed. This book will stay with you long after the last page is read.

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Dark and twisted thriller....it was a quick, nice flowing read that gives you the a look into the criminal mind.

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you will meet Jason a man who is in a psych hospital for killing his wife, who after supposedly finding out he is sleeping with his daughter she kills her in a fit of rage only problem Jason remembers nothing....
The book follows two men, Jason and Jerry.
Some parts of this book can be extremely gruesome but it all ties together.
The book was an an excellent insight into the mind of a predator.

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The novel starts in first-person narrative with Jason, who wakes up in a mental hospital with absuluttno idea how he got there, alongside a therapist who appears to doubt a lot more than just his sanity. Gently, this time Jason is guided into recognising the terrible truth: his family is dead by his own hand, and it appears that he had molested his own daughter.
Jason's therapist, however, believes he is innocent. But if that is so, who is the real wrongdoer? The task of clearing his name and reuniting with another long-lost son are all that motivate Jason once he is outside.
Now, the narrator switches to Jerry. It is soon apparent that this character is not one any parent would wish to have a there near their children: he likes his girlfriends young. Underage, in fact. He also gets his kicks from spying on his landlord's tenants' sex lives. He is finally encouraged by another like-minded soul on the dark web to make the ultimate gesture of Nietzschean superiority and murder. But what is the link between Jerry and Jason's family?
Every good crime reader needs to be able to depict evil - this novel is no exception, it is just that this novel include true-to-life graphic and explicit details about how a psychopath like Jerry would behave.
Overall, this was a good read, though not without a loose end here and there plot wise. Just as in real life, of course.

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Lovely sad read. Pulled at the heart strings. But it was well written and flowed very well. Not the time ype of book I usually read due to the sensitive nature.

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Very dark and twisted book about two different people. One who’s sanity is lost after he kills his family. Another who is a very disturbing individual who is a pedophile. Some things are very detailed and disturbing to read. I don’t think this is made for everyone since it is pretty graphic but I love how the author seemed to do a lot of research prior to writing. This was fast paced and suspenseful throughout. Enjoyed reading it

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While this book was nothing short of dark and disturbing , I thought it was very well written and it sucked me in from page one as the characters were so intense and interesting. While the subject matter may not be what I normally read, it was so compelling I couldn't put it down. While it won't be a book I could recommend to all my reading friends, there is definitely a few who will enjoy this thriller!

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This book is amazing. It is so scary and real but I absolutely loved it. This needs to be a Netflix series asap!!

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Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the chance to read and review
I had a hard time finishing this book. The pace was up and down and up and down, but It was creepy and disturbing and thats what i was promised!

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This is one intense, twisted, dark and addictive novel! Not only is this a very well-written book with wonderfully-interesting characters, but the suspense builds at just the right pace as the story unfolds. Compulsive, gripping and horrifying! Will keep you on the edge of your seat!

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This book was extremely difficult to read. They do have a trigger warning which is extremely important to listen to! I have worked in the mental health field for years and this book was like being in the mind of a real psychopath!

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A twisted novel that I read in a day. Would have liked a more complete ending but still kept my interest

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This was a very dark, gripping read. You will feel absolutely repulsed by the MCs, as Kerk gives us a deep dive into their minds. Do not go in expecting them to have any redeeming qualities, this story lays bare some of the darker sides of humanity. It absolutely had my stomach twisting at times, Kerk's descriptions are so vivid. I'm rating this at a 4 because it was very well-written, even if the subject was horrifying. Definitely not for everyone.

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