If first impressions were everything, I would tell you that I knew that this book was going to win me over just based on the cover. I know. I know. You should never judge a book by its cover. I can’t help myself. Look at it… The Firefly Code has one of those covers just feels magical and sparked a wonder in my heart.

Actually, the whole truth is that I initially sought out The Firefly Code because I had the awesome opportunity to read an advanced copy of its sequel Daybreak Bond. And yes, Daybreak Bond also struck my curiosity with its own beautiful cover. But really, I didn’t want to be at a disadvantage with a continuing story. So, what’s a girl to do? That’s right. I started at the beginning.

So, we know I love the cover. But did the book really win me over?
In a word – Yes.

The Firefly Code is a middle-grade, science fiction story written from the perspective of a 12 year old girl named Mori. Immediately, Mori and the rest of her friends are very like-able. They have the normal amount of banter but there is a special kind of closeness that is unmistakeable. Our protagonist, Mori, has the purest sense of eagerness about her but she is also careful and kind. I loved reading from her perspective! Mori and her close-knit group of friends live on Firefly Lane and their little world is just perfect. Utopian. And though they are kept separate from the outside world, there is very little that Mori and her friends question about their lives on Firefly Lane. Why would they? They are perfectly safe just as they are…

All is fine until… Enter the new girl on Firefly Lane. Ilana.

When Ilana moves in, Mori and her friends have an immediate curiosity about her. Ilana is a beautiful girl, almost too perfect but she also tends to act a bit peculiar at times. As the children spend more time with Ilana, they begin to question her strange behavior and the odd effect that she has on Firefly Lane. As secrets more revealed, more questions are raised but not just about Ilana.

The Firefly Code is a fun and easy read. The story moves at a nice even pace that never bores you and the world that Megan Frazer Blakemore has created is wonderfully fascinating. You will want to know the secrets of Firefly Lane, just the same as Mori and her friends – the Firefly Five. And the end? Well, lets just say that I’ve already started Daybreak Bond… I just couldn’t wait!

I’m giving this book 4 very curious stars! ( )

Readers of The Giver will enjoy this story of a group of young friends. The text is set in a corporate utopian community where every facet of life is controlled and parents select their children’s genetic traits. The believable young characters allow the reader to explore the power of friendship, individuality, and imperfection.

FROM AMAZON: Mori and her friends live a normal life on Firefly Lane in their utopian community, Old Harmonie. In a world this safe and perfect, they've never had to question anything . . . never had to wonder about how their lives came to be. Until a new girl named Ilana moves in. She's so perfect that Mori and her friends are curious . . . Where exactly did Ilana come from, and why does she act so strange sometimes? When Ilana's secret is revealed, the kids on Firefly Lane must decide: is it finally time to start questioning the only world they've ever known?

Great near future sci-fi for middle grades. Talks about the morals of AI, whether an android who thinks she's human should be treated as such. The characters were all great and the book itself was beautiful. ( )

This book is a true dystopian novel in the same vein as [b: The Giver|3636|The Giver (The Giver, #1)|Lois Lowry|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1342493368s/3636.jpg|2543234]. It's set in the future in a utopian town called Old Harmonie. The characters live in a planned community on a street named Firefly Lane. Everything is cookie cutter and hints at perfection like [b: The Stepford Wives|52350|The Stepford Wives|Ira Levin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403404262s/52350.jpg|1534281] which is an adult book. This book is an introductory look at the dystopian science-fiction genre. It doesn't have all the teen drama that YA dystopian books have.

The gist is this. Everyone appreciates living in a perfect utopia. There's no disease. Everyone eats healthy. All houses are the same. Everyone is environmentally conscience. Helicopter parenting is the norm. Kid’s brains can be tweaked at any time to make them closer to an ideal. In short, everything that society is aspiring to today, happens in the future. At age 13, kids learn their "latency.” They take a skills test to determine their talents and then get a surgical procedure to further enhance that part of their brains. This solves the problem of talents that never get discovered due to lack of exposure. For physical imperfections, they can be enhanced up to, but no more than, 30%. Whoa! That’s a lot to process.

Main character, Mori, senses a loss in all this structure and perfection. She dreads having to choose her latency. She secretly hopes there is an undiscovered artistic talent, but so far nothing points to that possibility. She is instinctively drawn to nature and loves spending time alone in the woods. Then a new, mysterious girl, Ilana, moves to town and has the same interest in nature. Mori is thrilled with Ilana, but her other friends aren’t so sure about her. The truth is revealed when they sneak into the abandoned house of Old Harmonie’s founding scientist. Mori is torn over how to react to this information, but eventually realizes that friends help each other at all costs…and that’s the Firefly code.

The topics in this book are a direct hit at what's going on in the world today. Helicopter parenting is rampant. Parent's push their kids to be perfect. People sanitize everything. They live in suburban homes with 5 floorpans and know which floorpan it is as soon as they walk into a neighbor's house. There's a race to be the first to clone a human. I get the sense this author is mocking all of that. I also detected a hint of a discussion about the haves vs. the have-nots. This would be a great book for a nontraditional middle school teacher to use to lead into a unit on debate. Many topics to debate here. ( )