Book Blog #57: Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Title: Article 5
Author: Kristen Simmons
# of Pages: 362 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: 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 The Bill of Rights has been revoked and replaced with the Moral Statutes.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. 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.

Review: My faith in dystopian books has officially been restored.

I almost gave this book five stars. That's how good it was. I'm not sure why, but I kept thinking that this book was going to be about zombies. But after close examination, the cover clearly shows that it's just two normal kids looking at a destructed city.

It still could have been about zombies.

At first, I didn't think I would give this book anymore than three stars; the beginning was confusing. But by about page 95, the story began to get interesting.

Sometimes, Iwas really confused of what exactly Chase and Ember's relationship was. One moment they're fighting and the next they're kissing... And this back-and-forth-ness almost lost the book it's fourth star.

"'We can't go. Not now.'
'Don't be sorry! Let's just go!'
'Ember!' He punched his own leg. The move was so violent it stopped me cold. 'She's dead.'"

The excerpt above was just the beginning of the scene that won me over. I literally almost cried when reading about Ember finding out that her mother was dead. Even though I might have suspected that her mom might've died after she was arrested, I completely forgot the idea once Chase said that she was at the safe house. So when the truth came out, I was blown away. It was a huge shock.

I think the ending could have been better. I don't like how Ember accidently get captured. It just seems a little too careless, even if her mind was clouded with grief for her mother.

This is probably one of the best dystopian books I've read recently. I defiantly recommend it.