Author:Kristen Simmons
Series: Article 5, #1
Pages: 362
Challenge: A-Z Author Challenge/ Goodreads Challenge 2013
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Summary:
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The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.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:
This novel is about a girl and her quest through a dystopian United States to retrieve her arrested mother back from the government. The main character Ember Miller and her determination to find and get her mother back is inspirational. She never loses sight of her goal of finding her mother and wants nothing more than to be reunited with her. The other main character Chase Jennings was one of those characters that I connected with as the book progressed. I liked how he was determined to keep Ember safe and to live up to the promise that he told her mother. I also loved how he seemed to undermine his own safety to completely devote himself to Ember and her cause.
For most of the book, I was kept guessing and I really liked that. I couldn't really guess what would happen next to Ember and Chase on their journey and I really liked that. My favorite part was the creepy old lady scene in the woods. It was all very weird and creepy and I loved it. I also liked the scene at the rebel base, although it broke my heart, I still thought it was needed and appreciated how the author went about writing that scene.
Some things that frustrated me was the romance between Ember and Chase. I felt that I didn't care if the relationship fell apart and ended or if it survived and thrived, this bothered me a bit because I usually really care about the relationships between characters, whether it be romantic or a platonic friendship.
Also the world building... gets a 5/10. It was original with the idea of the Moral Statutes but I felt that it could have been taken further somehow. Now on the subject of character development... it was ok... I wasn't really invested in the characters. I did not care too much about them but the story was pretty interesting. On the side of annoyance.... EMBER....gah....! I felt that she was a very naive character. I thought her pinned up, confused feelings concerning Chase lasted too long. I was over her being mad then not mad at him... he is trying to help you find your mother... give him some credit!
This book is not exactly a tear-jerker kind of book, but it was gripping and kept me interested. The ending was both happy and sad. I went through a mini-spell of the feels at the ending. The book does end in a small cliffhanger and I was pleased at where the book ended.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book...despite some of my issues with it. As far a recommendations go...7/10 from me. I will be continuing this series because I really would like to know how things end and what will happen to Ember and Chase as they continue their lives in this world.
*****
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