What do you think?
Rate this book
Deadgirl #4
Daybreak
The final year of high school approaches, and Lucy is ready to break.Too many of her friends have died. Too many monsters have taken their bite. And now Lucy must face her greatest challenge of the end of everything she knows. With high school disappearing and the world before her, Lucy must make her choice on what's to come.But with the rise of an old enemy who's been stalking her for three years–and a rapidly dwindling supply of allies–can Lucy even make it to graduation? And more importantly, does she want to?Senior year. No going back. No coming back.
361 pages, Paperback
Published February 20, 2024
About the author
B.C. Johnson
12 books59 followersB.C. Johnson lives in Southern California with his beautiful wife Gina, his fluffy/angry Corgi-mix Luna, and his destructive Viking sons Dash and Wyatt. He writes about snarky characters being snarky while supernatural things try to eat them. When he’s not playing video games, watching Marvel movies, or just generally being a ninth-level dork, he’s thinking about doing all that stuff. All of his books, blogs, essays, and manifestos can be read at bc-johnson.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 22, 2024
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Imaginative plot. Unique, mind-blowing afterlife concept/visuals. Flawed yet lovable characters who manage to feel realistic in the middle of mayhem.
Cons: Very dark in places (though tempered with funny dialogue/inner monologue). More of a slow-burn than the previous installments. Features some questionable characters' choices.
WARNING! Horror, gore and heartbreak (both for the characters and the readers). Underage drinking. A couple of nudity/underage sex scenes (though not graphic/detailed, mostly happening offscreen). An instance of infidelity. An animal sacrifice. Lots of language.
Will appeal to: Those who love afterlife scenarios. Those who enjoy a mix of laughters and tears, action and strong feelings. Those who like brave, resourceful teens who don't pose as heroes.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. And the author being B.C. Johnson, you all know I've been campaigning for his first Deadgirl book with all my might since 2013, when I read the original version. Also, B.C. Johnson and me have stayed in touch, if sporadically, for the whole time. I'm not what you would call a friend of his though, only a fan of his work. And an unbiased one. As usual, this review is the love child of my penchant for quirky, uniquely worded books and B.C. Johnson's ability to deliver them.
THE LONG GAME
Seven years have passed since the last Deadgirl installment (or six, if you count the Daphne novella in 2018...not like one year makes a huge difference), but B.C. Johnson hasn't lost his touch. It's funny, because Daybreak is a bit of a slow burn compared to the other books in the series, especially since the first 100 pages include lots of domestic scenes (if a funeral can be considered "domestic", but you know what I mean) and the main plot seems to revolve around the protagonists' alliance with a certain faction, which isn't my favourite thing to read about. But all this turns out to be a necessary premise to the most exciting (and heartbreaking...and heartwarming - usually, with Johnson, the two go hand in hand) part of the story. Which is why, upon turning the last page, I went back and reread the whole thing, and enjoyed the hell out of it. It doesn't hurt that the afterlife where Lucy has been spending lots of her time since becoming a (still very human) phantom is everything I - the afterlife junk - crave for in a story and more. The Grey is imaginative, visually stunning, almost videogame-like at times, teeming with danger yet interspersed with pockets of love (literally) and beauty. Plus, hands down home to the best scenes in the book - and the most poignant. [...]
Whole review here.
Pros: Imaginative plot. Unique, mind-blowing afterlife concept/visuals. Flawed yet lovable characters who manage to feel realistic in the middle of mayhem.
Cons: Very dark in places (though tempered with funny dialogue/inner monologue). More of a slow-burn than the previous installments. Features some questionable characters' choices.
WARNING! Horror, gore and heartbreak (both for the characters and the readers). Underage drinking. A couple of nudity/underage sex scenes (though not graphic/detailed, mostly happening offscreen). An instance of infidelity. An animal sacrifice. Lots of language.
Will appeal to: Those who love afterlife scenarios. Those who enjoy a mix of laughters and tears, action and strong feelings. Those who like brave, resourceful teens who don't pose as heroes.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. And the author being B.C. Johnson, you all know I've been campaigning for his first Deadgirl book with all my might since 2013, when I read the original version. Also, B.C. Johnson and me have stayed in touch, if sporadically, for the whole time. I'm not what you would call a friend of his though, only a fan of his work. And an unbiased one. As usual, this review is the love child of my penchant for quirky, uniquely worded books and B.C. Johnson's ability to deliver them.
THE LONG GAME
Seven years have passed since the last Deadgirl installment (or six, if you count the Daphne novella in 2018...not like one year makes a huge difference), but B.C. Johnson hasn't lost his touch. It's funny, because Daybreak is a bit of a slow burn compared to the other books in the series, especially since the first 100 pages include lots of domestic scenes (if a funeral can be considered "domestic", but you know what I mean) and the main plot seems to revolve around the protagonists' alliance with a certain faction, which isn't my favourite thing to read about. But all this turns out to be a necessary premise to the most exciting (and heartbreaking...and heartwarming - usually, with Johnson, the two go hand in hand) part of the story. Which is why, upon turning the last page, I went back and reread the whole thing, and enjoyed the hell out of it. It doesn't hurt that the afterlife where Lucy has been spending lots of her time since becoming a (still very human) phantom is everything I - the afterlife junk - crave for in a story and more. The Grey is imaginative, visually stunning, almost videogame-like at times, teeming with danger yet interspersed with pockets of love (literally) and beauty. Plus, hands down home to the best scenes in the book - and the most poignant. [...]
Whole review here.
June 9, 2024
Loved this series from book 1! B.C. continues to captivate with a great storyline. Character development is outstanding. This series it’s a must! Counting the days for the final book!
March 5, 2024
I’ve been following Mr. Johnson’s career for a long time now, too long some might say, and I’ve been dying (haha) for this book for ages. Fortunately (for him), it does not disappoint.
This book begins with a funeral, and I feel confident saying that if you picked this book up without touching the ones that preceded it, you would still be emotional. Confused, but emotional.
Daybreak is a good title for this installment, because even though it is not the final installment in the series after all (that will be out this August), it doesn’t feel quite as dark as the last book. Don’t get me wrong, nothing goes right for our intrepid heroes basically ever, but there’s light on the horizon. Things are taking shape for them, and they’re beginning to understand what they need to do. Only took a couple years and a lot of dead bodies, but as they say, every day is a school day.
What this series does best is combine normal teenage struggles like dating, public reputation, and the looming threat of college with more existential questions like, what is life? What is death? What happens when we die? Is there anything that can withstand that divide? What does it all mean? Is any of it worth it? The kind of things that can fit easily into fewer than 400 pages.
After reading this book, I must admit that there is a very small part of me that is glad this isn’t the last book after all, and I’ll get the chance to spend a little more time in this world with these characters. I can only hope at least a couple of them will get happy endings.
This book begins with a funeral, and I feel confident saying that if you picked this book up without touching the ones that preceded it, you would still be emotional. Confused, but emotional.
Daybreak is a good title for this installment, because even though it is not the final installment in the series after all (that will be out this August), it doesn’t feel quite as dark as the last book. Don’t get me wrong, nothing goes right for our intrepid heroes basically ever, but there’s light on the horizon. Things are taking shape for them, and they’re beginning to understand what they need to do. Only took a couple years and a lot of dead bodies, but as they say, every day is a school day.
What this series does best is combine normal teenage struggles like dating, public reputation, and the looming threat of college with more existential questions like, what is life? What is death? What happens when we die? Is there anything that can withstand that divide? What does it all mean? Is any of it worth it? The kind of things that can fit easily into fewer than 400 pages.
After reading this book, I must admit that there is a very small part of me that is glad this isn’t the last book after all, and I’ll get the chance to spend a little more time in this world with these characters. I can only hope at least a couple of them will get happy endings.
February 18, 2024
The 4th installment of BC Johnson’s universe is just as captivating as the previous books of the series. Protagonist Lucy manages to stay relatable(and witty, badass, and engagingly flawed) while going through mysterious, awe inspiring realms of the afterlife. Her delightful friends have in depth character development despite being side characters and it’s wonderful to visit the gang all together again!
If you like Buffy, Stephen King, or Stranger Things you should definitely check out Deadgirl!
If you like Buffy, Stephen King, or Stranger Things you should definitely check out Deadgirl!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews