Article 5 by: Kristen Simmons

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The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.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

Thoughts: Wow, wow, and oh yes WOW. So much betrayal. So much darkness. So much torture. Yet, so much love. For a little while now, I have been in what I’d call a “semi-book slump” but, Article 5 has changed all of that. I started this book at night, and didn’t go to bed until about 3am so I could finish it. I could not put it down. It completely entrapped me and I adored every single terrifying moment.

We start off with Ember Miller who lives in a small town with her mother. Life isn’t how it used to be, it’s a dangerous world now, one where the citizens live in fear of following the “Moral Statutes”. One day her life turns upside down… her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5. Not only that, but one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings. The boy she’s always been in love with. She hasn’t seen Chase in a long time, but the Chase who is there for her mother is not the Chase she loved. And now, even worse, Ember is carted off to a world more terrifying than she could have ever imagined.

I loved every single thing about this story. It’s a 100% survival story that completely captures you in every line. Even the horrible parts, I found myself full of emotion having to know what happens next. The new United States has become a dark world. Haunting almost. You can hardly trust any one. You live in constant fear of what would happen if you step out of line. And the leaders are cruel, harsh, and ruthless. It’s a beautiful, but somber story.

First off with Ember… I LOVE that name. Has always been a favorite of mine. Ember is what you’d call a girl with strength. No matter what happens to her, she keeps going. She’s seen horrible things and terrible places, yet she’s still herself. She fights for what she believes in and doesn’t give up, even when she thinks there’s no hope left.

Then, the boys. Lets start of with Sean. I absolutely adored his character and his role. He’s a good looking, trained to be deadly soldier, yet he still has a kind heart and I loved him throughout the whole story. Now, lets skip to the villain side shall we? Tucker Morris… he’s one of the bad ones you just love. No matter how horrible he can be, or what he’s done, there are just some sexy villains that you cannot help but love and Tucker has become one of those to me.

And finally, Chase Jennings. Chase has been torn down time after time. He’s been hurt, tortured, strengthened, but most importantly loved. Meeting Chase and seeing the flashbacks, you can tell how different of a guy he really was and what the FDR has turned him into. When we first meet Chase and he’s closed off and harsh, there was something about him that enticed me anyway. I wanted to reach inside him and love him and make into the boy I knew he could be. Even through his betrayals, I was yet still in love with this kid. He’s so protective. So caring. And when he loves, you can tell he loves with his whole heart. I honestly cannot WAIT to get more of him in the next book. He’s sexy, strong, protective, and I absolutely adored his character.

I’m not sure how many more words I could pull out to describe this book. It’s thrilling, brutal, fierce yet there’s this deep love at the same time. It’s beautifully written yet scary to think the world could actually become like this. Article 5 is completely stunning. I honestly don’t think I could say enough about it. It was my perfect type of world. There’s something so alluring to me about a super dark story, with a delicate and amazing romance. It pulls me in with every word. It’s easy to say, you should all go buy this one and read it. And, I hope it pulls you in as much as it did to me.