The Firefly Five are back in this quick-paced, exciting sequel to The Firefly Code. The Daybreak Bond picks up seamlessly from where our previous tale left off and I absolutely love it for that. Mori and her friends are back to seek new truths, save their friend and to prove that there are some things that just can not be taken away - no matter what.

The Daybreak Bond, while still an honest-to-goodness sequel, reads much differently than The Firefly Code. Depending on how much you loved the first book, this could be a good thing or a bad thing. Personally speaking, this did not bother me - but was just a fact that did not go unnoticed. I loved the feel of the first book. This second book was much more adventurous. What is most important to me is that Megan Frazer-Blakemore stays true to the world she created and the mission of The Firefly Five.

Some notable differences you will encounter in The Daybreak Bond is that the kids are much bolder, they are taking considerable risks and they are introduced to bigger dangers. Everything around them is strange, unfamiliar and forbidden. As the five friends encounter new children, new bonds are forged, while others are tested.

There were so many questions and possibilities left to explore when we finished The Firefly Code. What was the outside world like? What are the people like on the other side of the fences of Old Harmonie? Would Mori, Benji, Theo, and Julia be able to get Ilana to Dr. Varden? If they did make it, would Dr. Varden be able to help Ilana? Everything you've been dying to know is all here in The Daybreak Bond.

I gave this adventurous tale, 4 brave stars!

I want to thank NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

p.s. Some points to ponder... At what point does Science begin to overreach? Where do we draw the lines in what we allow Science to change, improve, and correct in what is simply "the human condition"? What is necessary and when does it become dangerous? ( )

Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Good
Recommended: Yes
Level: Middle School

Mori and her friends escaped from their gated community called Old Harmonie. They discovered in the first book the Firefly Code that their community had a secret. They run away to find out the secret. The kids find out that their community is causing issues to surrounding ecosystems.

I liked this book. I did not read the the first book the Firefly Code and that caused some confusion at first. I was not attached to the characters because there wasn't very much character development but it probably happened in the first book. I would still recommend this series to a middle school aged child that likes science fiction. ( )

Since I won this from Goodreads and it is a sequel, I first read book one, “The Firefly Code.” I didn’t know much about the story going in, and this was also the first book I’ve read by this author. I was surprised at the rather heavy subject matter and at how skillfully it was handled, especially for a middle-grade book; the duology is definitely as applicable to adults as to older kids and teens, and it is particularly germane to contemporary social issues and concerns despite being set a few generations in the future.

Picking up where “The Firefly Code” left off, Megan Frazer Blakemore’s “The Daybreak Bond” details the journey of the Firefly Five on their mission to save their friend Ilana from being scuttled. The two books coalesce together seamlessly, as if they were one long novel, although there are some subtle reminders peppered throughout the narrative to keep readers up to speed in case it has been a while since they read book one. “The Daybreak Bond” is even more intense than its predecessor, taking on the moral and ethical considerations that come with genetic engineering and being natural or designed. The Firefly Five, and particularly the main character Mori—from whose point of view the story unfolds—begin to understand the implications of their utopic existence in Old Harmonie and that the control of Krita stretches farther than they realized and impacts many beyond their own city. The repercussions of privilege and the failure to take responsibility when things go wrong become more evident when they interact with a trio of kids from “outside”, underscoring the ripple effect that results from power and supremacy. Ultimately, the story focuses on challenging the status quo and on remaining true to oneself in a society that emphasizes conformity, despite the consequences. ( )