Mini Review: Article 5

Author: Kristin Simmons
Edition: Tor Teen Paperback
Released: 31st January 2012
Series: Article 5 #1
Pages: 359 approx.
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Buy the book!

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 The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.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 behaviour—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.

This book had been a highly-awaited wishlist read of mine for ages, so I was unbelievably overjoyed when I finally managed to get my hands on a copy. The synopsis of Article 5 created a promising premise that instantly drew me in from the get go. Not to mention the numerous glowing reviews and heavy hype surrounding it at the time of it's release. So I had high hopes going into this book. Unfortunately, I ended up not feeling much of anything whilst reading it. The dystopian story didn't really offer anything new and unusual for me to work with.

The one major highlight in this novel for me was Chase. He was a really likeable and complex character. It's just a shame I didn't get along with the main character, Ember. She was just way too selfish and self-absorbed for me to empathise with. Never stopping to think about how her actions could affect other people and put them in danger... It irked me a great deal. She was also excessively mean to Chase. Which I did not like one bit.

However, there was just something about this book that made me keep reading. Undoubtedly, Chase was the highlight for me in this novel. It's just a pity I didn't really think much of anything else. The dystopian world wasn't new and exciting enough, and the main character was too wrapped up in her own problems. So, it's tricky for me to rate this book. Though I sound really negative, I did still enjoy certain parts of the book and a few of the characters. I just wish it wasn't as forgettable. To end on a more positive note, here's my favourite quote:

"I could not fall back in love with Chase Jennings. Doing so was like falling in love with a thunderstorm. Exciting and powerful, yes. Even beautiful. But violently tempered, unpredictable, and ultimately, short-lived."

THREE STARS FOR ARTICLE 5!



Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo