The Daybreak Bond

Written by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Narrated by Cassandra Morris

Five friends leave their community and embark on an adventure that will change their lives forever in this fascinating utopian saga. Mori and her friends Julia, Benji, and Theo have never seen the world beyond the walls of their utopian community, Old Harmonie. That changes when their new friend Ilana is threatened by the rules that are supposed to keep them all safe. Together they escape, hoping to find help in Boston with Dr. Agatha Varden, one of Old Harmonie's pioneering founders. But as they encounter kids from the outside and face challenges they never expected, Mori and her friends begin to understand the complicated reality of their supposedly perfect world. With the help of these new friends, they just might be able to save Ilana, but at what cost? This thought-provoking sequel to Megan Frazer Blakemore's stunningly imaginative novel, The Firefly Code, gives readers a chance to see our world in a brand new light.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781501963926

Megan Frazer Blakemore

Megan Frazer Blakemoregrew up in a college town in New Hampshire much like the one in her book Very in Pieces. She attended Columbia University, where she earned a degree in English. After brief stints in the Peace Corps and the television industry, she pursued a master's in library science at Simmons School of Library and Information Science. She has over ten years' experience as a librarian and has taught writing to students in elementary through graduate school. She lives in Maine with her husband, two children, a cat, and two hives of bees. She is the author of books for teens and young readers, including Secrets of Truth & Beauty, an Indie Next Kids' Pick; The Water Castle, which was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year; The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill; and Good and Gone.

Reviews for The Daybreak Bond

[stardust_fiddle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.