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Firefly

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As decreed by the State, the Citizens of Ebrus are not allowed to:

Visit the ocean surrounding the Walled City.
Ignore curfew and stay out after seven.
Call in sick more than three times a year.
Sing.

A short, dystopian story about the spirit of Christmas.

30 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 7, 2014

86 people want to read

About the author

Jen Minkman

87 books505 followers
Jen Minkman (1978) writes YA paranormal romance, dystopian fiction and poetry. She is from the Netherlands and self-publishes her work in English. Her works are available in paperback & digital format (ebook and audio).
You can subscribe to her newsletter here > http://eepurl.com/bTXSWv

Jen was born in the Netherlands and lived in Austria, Belgium and the UK during her studies. She learned how to read at the age of three and has never stopped reading since. Her favourite books to read are (YA) paranormal/fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian and romance, and this is reflected in the stories she writes. In her home country, she is a trade-published author of paranormal romance and chicklit. Across the border, she is a self-published author of poetry, paranormal romance and dystopian fiction. Her books are already available in English, Dutch, Chinese, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and Afrikaans.

She currently resides in The Hague where she works and lives with her husband and two noisy zebra finches.

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5 stars
17 (21%)
4 stars
31 (39%)
3 stars
26 (33%)
2 stars
2 (2%)
1 star
2 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Marcia.
1,124 reviews118 followers
August 15, 2016
Dat ik fan ben van Jen Minkman is geloof ik geen geheim. Zowel Het Boek van Voorheen als Exodus wisten mij aangenaam te verrassen. Nu was het de beurt aan Vuurvlieg , een dystopisch kerstverhaal. Ondanks dat dit ebook slechts 30 pagina's telt, zie je de wereld waarin Zlata leeft goed voor je. Het kerstverhaal voelt wel een beetje als een inleiding op een groter geheel - hopelijk komt er ooit een compleet boek over de Staat van Ebrus!

Mijn complete recensie vind je op Oog op de Toekomst.
Profile Image for Nicole.
832 reviews60 followers
January 10, 2016
Firefly!!! I got this book for free when I signed up for Jen Minkman's mailing list.
 
As short as it was that story is a five star book for me.
 
The writing was amazing. In those few pages I already felt really connected to Zlata, the main character in this story. I loved her relationship with her grandfather.
 
The world building in this, was also really great without just dumping the information on me, how the world works in Ebrus. A world where there are no books and music aloud (a world that I couldn't survive in, cause reading books and listening to music is as important to me as breathing air.) But of course there are a few rebels (so I could probably live in this world. I'd just be breaking the law every day.)
 
I love how this story wasn't just about christmas but about every holiday that gets celebrated around this time by all the religions. Major points for that.
 
I have a few more books of Jen Minkman on my kindle app and after reading this, I'm even more excited.
 
Profile Image for Jen Minkman.
Author 87 books505 followers
Read
December 8, 2014
Done! :) Will be available everywhere this week.
Profile Image for Rowan.
564 reviews34 followers
December 19, 2017
Een superleuk dystopisch Kerstverhaal, maar zoo jammer dat het maar zo kort is, want ik had heel graag gelezen hoe het verder ging met Zlata en haar grootvader!!
Profile Image for Mehsi.
15.3k reviews457 followers
February 13, 2016
First of all thanks to Jen Minkman for writing this story and for giving it as a present to your readers. :) Books as presents = <3 <3

4.5 stars!

The book is short (around 30 pages), but I felt that it shouldn't have been longer. Sure I am kind of curious as to what will happen that evening, and I am still curious about the world that our main character is in, but I am also satisfied. Getting closer to the ending I was worried it would end up to be an inconclusive ending/open ending. Lucky everything was said and done, and I loved the decision that our main character took. I hope it won't cost her though.

The world that our main character lives in is one that is truly Dystopian. We got a flood, a world threatened by water (hey, sounds like my country!), and a city/world trying to do its best, and I think failing at that. You have the differences in housing. Higher ups, people who have money live highest in the towers, and will thus probably have a higher chance to survive a flood should it come and break the walls of the city. Then we have the really weird work that people do. You either are lucky and have real work, or you will work until your death on the treadmills and such. It is an interesting touch, however I do want to know why.
Oh, did I mention curfew? Did I mention: no singing, music making or reading books (because, oh dear, people might think for themselves).
As you can see we got a whole messed up world, and I loved it.
So I am also kind of hoping we will get an extra book (or maybe a series) about this world. Like how it came to exist, how everything got stricter and less filled with freedom and then ending up with our current main character.

I loved the main character, she is strong and she tries her best to survive in a world without much freedom. She finds out about singing (I loved her reaction to it, I had no clue what she was doing until that grandpa of hers said she was singing, I was thinking she was making weird noises) and finds a big secret, a wonderful secret that promises warmth, freedom and happiness.

All in all, I adored this book. It was fun, it was lovely and I just couldn't stop reading. I would really recommend this book. It is perfect for this season, so if you are searching for a holiday book, read this one!

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Profile Image for L.J. Bus.
198 reviews13 followers
November 13, 2017
Dit is een klein maar fijn verhaal over de 19 jarige Zlata, die samen met haar broertje en ouders in Ebrus wonen. Ebrus is het enige stukje menselijke beschaving dat nog over is na de ‘Grote Overstroming’. Nadat het water steeg, hadden mensen hun toevlucht gezocht op de berg die de Staat Ebrus zou vormen. De hoge muren rond Ebrus geeft een gevoel van opsluiting data uiteraard dan voor strengere regels zorgde. Zo is het bijvoorbeeld verboden om muziek te maken of te zingen. Dit om de mensen hun gevoelens te beperken, aangezien muziek vaak verschillende gevoelens opwekt en gevoelens vaak de orde in de weg staan.
Als Zlata op een dag na haar werk onderweg naar huis een raar maar intrigerend geluid hoort, kan ze dit niet plaatsen. Eenmaal thuis probeert ze dat rare geluid na te bootsen. Ze kan nooit kunnen denken dat haar grootvader zo schokkend en geëmotioneerd zou reageren als hij dit hoort. Volgend opa is dat ‘zingen’ wat ze deed.
Na deze vreemde gewaarwording en de uitleg van opa, gaat ze op onderzoek uit. Ondanks haar belofte aan haar opa om dat biet te doen. En zo begint het hartverwarmende verhaal over de kracht van muziek en de hoop dat die met zich mee brengt.
Verwacht geen heel verhaal vol muziek, dit gaat enkel over de (her)ontdekking er van maar wel mooi en de moeite waard.
Profile Image for Bren.
122 reviews
June 5, 2015
TL;DR summary: NOT A WASTE OF TIME.

I am such a huge fan of Jen Minkman, she is one of my favorite indie authors (well, she's indie in the US, anyway). Her strength is very much creating worlds for her characters to inhabit, but her characters seem to need time to breathe and expand and become themselves. Her worlds are the strongest characters she creates - but I don't hate that. I give a 3 star review mainly because the writing has a few weaker points, and the characters don't expand enough - but I did still thoroughly enjoy this read because her setting and concept are as strong and intriguing as ever.

I think these strengths and weaknesses are clear in Firefly. The world is one I want to know SO MUCH MORE about - if Jen writes a novel or novella set in Ebrus, I will be ALL. OVER. IT - but Zlata is not as compelling a character as she could be. The choices she makes may be coming from a place within her, a strength or a curiosity, but we don't get to know her well enough through the prose to see that well enough. Instead we are told some vague ideas that she is "like her grandfather", and there is a spirit within her of some sort, guiding her toward what she discovers. (Sorry guys, trying to keep this spoiler free).

Plot wise, I think Firefly was passably strong. With a more compelling, well-shown main character it would be even more successful! This was a Christmas short story, and at first I was confused how a holiday would be tied in - and I was SO pleasantly surprised by how it happened, and even more pleased by the representation of diverse winter celebrations.

Overall, despite the weaknesses I describe above, I truly enjoyed the unfolding of this dystopian world, and hope Jen allows us to return to Ebrus soon!
Profile Image for Robert Zimmermann.
Author 6 books166 followers
September 1, 2016
Firefly is the second Minkman work of fiction I've read. The first was The Island , and like that novella, this short story incorporates some cultural elements from our world into a dystopian society far in the future where our society has been long forgotten. I enjoyed the way Minkman worked these into this story.

The author was able to build up a great world for this not being too long of a story. But with that, I feel it didn't leave much room for the story itself. It was paced well, and was building up for a good conclusion, but then it just ended. It was this ending that dropped my rating down a bit. It wasn't that this is a cliff-hanger for another story, either. It felt as if another scene or two were cut off the end, considering where the story was headed. There was room for expansion on the underlying conflict if it had kept going.

All in all, I enjoyed the story mostly. Minkman's writing still has the ability to draw me in. It was just lacking near the end.
Profile Image for Léatitia Brière.
Author 2 books19 followers
December 14, 2014
I loved this story ! As always, it was beautiful and well written. But I can't help wanting more ! I love dysopian books and this one has powerful and interesting topics. It's a fast read and it's really perfect for Christmas. Thank you Jen ! :)
Profile Image for Jen Martin.
38 reviews3 followers
December 15, 2014
Very quick read! Great to get you in the mood for the holidays. What would it be like with no music, no festivities, no religion. Makes you appreciate for what you believe in...
Profile Image for Sanleest.
36 reviews3 followers
December 29, 2020
~ Het verhaal: ~

Ebrus is de staat waarin Zlata leeft met haar familie. Een staat die zich afspeelt in de verre toekomst. Een tijd waarin je niet veel ziek mag zijn, niet meer buiten na spertijd en 7u ’s avonds. Maar dan ontdekt Zlata iets wat eigenlijk ook verboden is. Haar hart hunkert er naar om het mysterie op te lossen van de verboden muziek. Zal ze er aan toegeven? Of speelt ze liever op veilig?

~ Mijn mening over het boek: ~

Een kort dystopisch kerst verhaal waarin we het hoofd personage toch al heel goed leren kennen. Ik vond Zlata zo een sterk personage. Een verhaal dat je hoop en licht tegelijkertijd geeft. Ik moest echt glimlachen van dit boek. Jen weet je te ontroeren op haar eigen stijlvolle manier.

Kortverhaal:

Jen Minkman heeft een vlot boek geschreven dat helaas niet zoveel pagina’s telt. Van mij mocht het boek zeker nog wat dikker zijn. Ik hoop stiekem dat er nog een deel 2 komt. Je weet maar nooit…
~ Conclusie: ~ ☆☆☆☆ sterren.

Dit boek krijgt van mij 4 prachtige sterren. Het tovert automatisch een glimlach op je gezicht als je dit leest. Echt een aanrader als je houdt van een dystopisch verhaal met een vleugje magisch kerstgevoel er in verwerkt.
Profile Image for Sue  .
326 reviews28 followers
December 28, 2016
I quite enjoyed reading this short story, it only took half an hour or so. I liked Jen Minkman’s style of writing, it was interesting and easy to read. I also liked the dystopian world depicted in this story and the ending that shows promises of hope in a bleak world. Overall, a nice quick read that ended all too soon.
Profile Image for Eloisa.
24 reviews20 followers
December 10, 2019
Es una muy corta historia de navidad en un mundo distópico.

Se me hizo interesante el mundo que nos plantea, sin embargo, la historia se corta repentinamente. Hubiera estado bien que la autora nos contara más sobre esa noche de Navidad.

Además la traducción al español deja mucho que desear.
Profile Image for Sandra "Jeanz".
1,265 reviews177 followers
December 15, 2014
INITIAL THOUGHTS
As I made it a bit of a mission to read more Christmassey titles this year and the fact I do enjoy Jen Minkman's writing style this novella was an easy and natural choice to add to my Want-To-Read List. I was also told that this was a dystopian novella which most people now know is one of my favourite genres to read.

MY REVIEW
I heard about this novella in Jen Minkman's newsletter and I purchased it from Amazon UK.
The cover pictures a woman dancing in a gown that is on fire, which reminded me a little of the "girl on fire" scene in the Hunger Games! I like the bright orange colour which makes the cover stand out. The byline in the cover "Follow The Star" is intriguing enough for you want to know the relevance of it. The phrase is a major part within the book.
Would the cover of this book make me pick this one up in a book store? Yes, I would certainly feel drawn to this cover and want to learn more about the book.
So the society is dystopian. The State governs everyone and gives the rules that have to be adhered to and lived by. You are not allowed outside of the walls that protect the city from the ocean. You have to stick to the curfew that the State insists upon and work regularly. It is extremely frowned upon to call in sick to your job,. Everyone must do their duty and work for the greater good. No one is permitted to sing either, as it is thought that doing so is a waste and would lead to rebellion. All the rules make for quite a dreary and monotonous life.
The main character is trudging home from her work when she hears a beautiful sound that she has never heard before, as it's close to curfew, she cannot investigate the sound as she rushes home. She cannot break the curfew as her father has an important job for the State, so she has to "behave" even more. It is the girls grandfather who reveals the sound she heard is called singing but swears her to secrecy as she could get into serious trouble if she were ever caught singing. The girl has now had a taste of something new, a type of freedom so she goes ahead and does the unthinkable and heavily frowned upon, she rings her job and tells them she is sick. They believe her as she has worked a whole year without a day sick. The girl retraces her steps to the alley that she heard the music and see's a sign. . . . . and I really cannot reveal anymore.
In my opinion this novella could have gone on and been a full dystopian novel. In fact the only real criticism's are that it ended too soon and I would have loved the singing to be something other than the specific Christmas Carols, but then I guess the novella wouldn't have been catorgorised as a Christmassey Novella.
So did I enjoy the novella? Yes it was a quick Christmas themed read, though I would have loved more content too. Would I recommend the novella? For a quick read yes. Would I want to read more about these characters? Yes I think this could be an introduction to the dystopic society. I would want to read more about this society. Would I read other titles by Jen Minkman? I already have!
Author 11 books55 followers
February 15, 2017
Very short dystopian. It was good writing, a little "new age" for me in the worldview. Based on a society where the government has outlawed music, art, and religion. Good, short read. I give it three stars. I liked it. No swearing, sexual content, or violence. I can recommend for teens and up.
Profile Image for Beth Cutwright.
378 reviews9 followers
January 11, 2015
A dystopian Christmas tale....a very unique concept in my humble opinion. The story was only 30 pages long, but it was a refreshing tale and full of hope; just like Christmas. Dystopians are bleak reads where people have been over governed and basic freedoms are a thing of the past. However, as in every historical event of atrocity, there remains a flicker of hope and the rumor of a better tomorrow.

I enjoy Minkman's stories as she has a very thought provoking way of telling them. I find them refreshing and enjoyable. Firefly was no exception.
Profile Image for Maari.
478 reviews
October 30, 2015
A wonderfully, distinctive book!! This novel, albeit short, was the perfect length! Jen held everything together & explained it all, by the end! She didn't leave us hanging, however, did leave me wanting more.. I am wondering if there will be a possible series or another book, perhaps? It would be nice to learn more about the background, how/why the world became the way it is, etc. Although, I must say, I am perfectly fine with it how it is.
Profile Image for Marjolein Van meel.
107 reviews
March 24, 2016
i am not sure what to think of this book because it felt unfinished. It was definately fun to read but I felt like there might be a lot more material in the author's mind to support a full lenght book. I want to know more about what happens next! I hope jen will give us some answers next christmas.
Profile Image for Ursula Visser.
Author 23 books80 followers
August 17, 2016
Leuk kort verhaal. Mooie cover ook, hoewel de hoofdpersoon jonger was in mijn beleving. Knap dat Jen met zo weinig pagina's (30 totaal) een geloofwaardige wereld neer kan zetten. Ieder karakter heeft een eigen gezicht.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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