Leather Bound & Lovely home about reviews contact policy

4.06.2012

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons


Title: Article 5
Author: Kristen Simmons
Pages: 364
Release: January 31st, 2012
Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)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The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.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.

My Thoughts:
Article 5 is a book that I probably would not have picked up on my own. I was not a big fan of the cover, but one day I turned on my nook to find it was in the library. Only to find out later that my dad thought it looked good and bought it.(Yeah, my Dad reads YA books! He’s just that awesome!) It turned out that my dad had the better judgement this time around because Article 5 was great!

Article 5 is a dystopian set in several different states in the US. One thing I immediately loved was that the main character Ember was from Louisville, KY, so she’s from the same state as me. I don’t know why but I always feel very proud when books are set in my state because we are generally not a popular setting for a book. Speaking of Ember, she is a really interesting character. Half of the time I really love her but most of the time I am saying “EMBER! Y U NO LISTEN?!?!” because she NEVER listens and makes very impulsive decisions. That also makes her character very realistic in my opinion. There’s also Chase who I won’t say much about cause I feel like he’s one of the best aspects of the book, but he is the kind of character that breaks your heart and then re-mends it several times throughout the book.

I was a little slow to warm up to Article 5 but once I got past the first 50 pages I was hooked. It’s a great story that kept me wanting more and was very hard to put down. It also appears that it will be a series, although it could totally be a standalone book and is summed up in the end very nicely.

In Short:
Rating: 4/5
Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase
Would I read it again?: Yes


7 comments:

  1. Amazing review, Darlene! Your dad sounds really cool! I found my dad reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore a few months ago and really shocked LOL! Especially when he said he liked it! xD I love the premise of this book, it sounds like a real keeper! I think I might end up loving Ember's character, though I usually prefer more thoughtful character! But it's great that it makes her more real! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I LOVE ARTICLE 5 a lot too!! It was so AWESOME. Chase and Ember's story, the world building, the dystopian theme in the book was just AMAZING.

    Awesome review, Darlene! ♥ So glad you enjoyed it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I *heart* Article 5! it is definitely one of my favorite books of 2012. love that you eventually read it, and so agree with your review! the cover isn't that great, but I like it. :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am still waiting to get my hands on a copy of Article 5!I am glad you enjoyed it Awesome review, Darlene

    Gabby~
    Bookmarks & Bookshelves

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ha, I love that your dad reads YA books! This book wouldn't really be in my radar either if my co-blogger didn't love it. I've been meaning to read it ever since. Ahh, Ember sounds a little bit frustrating but that's the price of being realistic, I guess. I'm glad it can also be a standalone! I'm a bit tired of always waiting for the sequel and cliffhangers. Wonderful review, Darlene!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love it when a character is frustrating ... well that's quite the oxymoron, but flaws draw me into a character. I've been seeing dystopian book reviews everywhere. I should check one out.

    If you get a minute, would you mind giving my blog a glance? It would mean a lot.
    www.dogeardeandcoffeestained.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Awesome review, Darlene! I can't wait to read this! It's been in my bookshelf for quite sometime! Ember sounds like a difficult but great character and Chase sounds GORGEOUS. I love characters that remend your heart <3 And your dad sounds awesome, haha :D

    ReplyDelete