New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.
Article 5 was a pretty awesome book. With the exception of the MC, I really loved the setting, characters, and plot. Kristin Simmons has certainly written a really good addition to the dystopian genre. I can't wait for Breaking Point!
The main character, Ember Miller, wasn't a
bad character. In fact, I did like seeing the story through her eyes. She was a remarkably clear, caring narrater. If only I felt like she sorta stood out. I mean, we don't know much about her other than she has a mother, two best friends, and likes to read Frankenstein. Also, sometimes she fails to notice fairly obvious things. Hopefully we come to know her more in Breaking Point.
You know, the more I am thinking about it... I really did think Ember was a good character. *Sighs*. Wow, this is hard. She is realistic and smart (most of the time). Oh...I think I know how to say this... The thing that bugged me most about Ember is her lack of past. Sure, there is plenty of it included. But, like,
all of it is about Chase. I need to know a little more about her than that peeps. In that aspect Ember seemed kind of flat.
The plot is killer. I was always on the edge of my seat. Fake IDs, nightmarish schools, and daring escapes. The Soldiers and Articles in our new terrifying america are particularity disturbing and cruel. This dystopian world and rule will now be on my list of most well done.
There are a lot of interesting characters. Chase, Sean, Ember's mom, Rebecca, and many more. I am mostly character oriented when I read and I definitely loved (or at least felt some sort of feeling) for all the characters. Little note: I especially hope we see this certain character, Sean, in the second book. He seems like one genuinely good person. And by the end he was on a hunt to find another real cool character I liked. I want to know if he succeeds!
Of course, in Article 5, there is a lot of drama, drama, drama. Which is something most book lovers like and expect once in a while. But, just a tip, read this book when you are in the mood for it or the plot and characters could get annoying pretty fast.
I really, really liked Article 5. I recommend it to everyone, particularly dystopian lovers.
4/5 bookcases.
