{"product_id":"as-it-always-was-9798992905311","title":"As It Always Was","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"A fascinating dive into what it means to be human-the good and the bad-and how life is still worth living in spite of it all.\"\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003ci\u003eBookLife\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn Palpine, emotion is considered a disease-and sixteen-year-old Damon Baxter may be the most dangerous boy alive. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eComparable to \u003ci\u003eThe Giver \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eDivergent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAs It Always Was\u003c\/i\u003e is a thought-provoking story about the cost of a painless world. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBranded an outsider with the highest genetic variation in his class, Damon is watched closely by officials who fear he'll spiral into the same mysterious condition that claimed his mother's life. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWithin humanity's last city after a devastating global war, every day is the same: tasteless meals, monochrome clothing, and emotionless interactions. But when a mysterious book marked with a strange Eye symbol appears in his locker, Damon makes a choice that shatters his gray reality. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNow he must live a double life-pretending all is usual while secretly awakening to a vivid and sensational new world with Kayla, the red-haired girl who stirs more than just his senses. When officials schedule him for \"Alignment\"-a surgical procedure that will permanently strip away his newfound humanity-the clock begins to tick. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTo survive, Damon must decide: sacrifice the very thing that makes him human, or risk everything for the person he loves most. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eTo feel \u003ci\u003eanything \u003c\/i\u003eis to feel \u003ci\u003eeverything\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Mystery Theater Works","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52057954025746,"sku":"9798992905311","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_27e353ae-3b3d-4426-b184-8db87f046696.jpg?v=1772018152","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/as-it-always-was-9798992905311","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}