How far would you to go for a friend? That is the question that Mori finds herself facing when her new friend Ilana is caught up in trouble.
The Firefly Code by Megan Frazer Blakemore is the first book in The Firefly Five series. Blakemore weaves a fascinating world in which an ensemble of characters lives. In contrast to the popular dystopian fiction movement, Old Harmonie is a functioning utopian society nestled within the “real world.” Operated by the tech giant Kritacorp, the inhabitants live as close to a perfect life as possible while pursuing cutting-edge science. Because of this, Blakemore is able to spin a wonderfully unique coming-of-age story. The ringleader of our ensemble is Mori, a bright and curious young girl, who loves nature and questions the world around her. Rounding out the cast is the overly competitive Julia, logical Theo, brilliant skater boy Benji, and the mysterious Ilana. With this diverse group of characters, the reader is not lacking for likable and relatable characters.
The Firefly Code is a beautifully engaging tale–blending character development, science, and a bit of mystery into a story you won’t want to put down.
Review of an Advanced Reader’s Copy
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bloomsbury USA
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: Reference to a measles outbreak; reference to a grandparent’s death; character states she will throw herself in front of truck (dramatically); character suffers headaches after surgery; character references a boy ripping his heart out (dramatically); character falls out of a tree; character has a severe reaction to bee stings; community is locked down due to a potential outbreak; character is hit by a cell phone; boy flicks another boys shoulder; multiple girls fall off treadmills; character scrapes her knee; character blacks out in a pool; girl squeezes another girls arm painfully; hail storm breaks windows; a building catches fire; several references to brain surgery; character’s life is threatened.
Sex/Nudity: Girls hug/hold hands in friendship; girl talks about her crush; girl touches boys arm comfortingly; vague reference to possible homosexual relationship.
Mature Subject Matter:
Friendship, science and genetic engineering, ethics, family, death.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
