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| Epic! |
Summary: New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC 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The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.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 don’t usually come back.
17-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 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.
In the three years since the war ended, 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 Federal Bureau of Reformation. 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 what’s worse, one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.
Review:
There are only a few books that managed to keep me up at night this year, when I think about it only 5 books managed that and ARTICLE 5 is one of them. I expected a lot when I requested that book and I have to admit that it met and even exceeded my expectations. I’m very honored to have had the chance to receive an ARC for Article 5.
I don’t really know what I can say about that book except that I loved absolutely everything.
The storyline is fantastic, it’s not just another dystopian novel as some of you might think, Ember, our main character remember how our world used to be.
The plot is very consistent and so well written that Kristen managed to convey feelings that literally made my chest ache.
This story made me ache, made me cry, made me long, made me angry….I felt so many strong things while reading the book once again proving the quality of the story along with the quality of the writing.
The dynamic between Ember and Chase is bittersweet. You love them, you want them together and yet you wonder if, with everything that have happened and will happen through the novel, there is a possible future for them. What I like is how Kristen also bring forward some of Ember memories concerning Chase. You can see the relationship they had before he joined the MM which makes you ache even more on the way they are now and help you understand Ember confused feelings toward him.
You somehow suspect one of the plot line but it doesn’t matter the story is a seamless read and I really had to talk myself out of reading well past midnight.
The Characters Chase and Ember are not perfect. They both have flaws and make mistakes making them all more ‘real’. Ember is a very lovable protagonist, brave…you can’t help but root for her.
The song that for me is perfect for the books and the characters Ember and Chase is “Reason to Hope” by Ron Pope…Insanely perfect for that book “When all the things I need feel just like a dream
And every breath I breathe is so hard Well I just want a reason to hope A reason to know that I should till be here”
The book doesn’t end with a cruel cliffhanger even if you have questions left. Now I’m dying for book two and continue Ember adventure!!
In conclusion I adored that book. It’s definitely making my top 5 of this year reads. A MUST read for any fan of the dystopian genre…even if you are not, it’s a must read anyways.
Teaser quote: I thought that using one quote would not been enough to show the dynamics of the charaters, I decided to use a small scene from the present and one from Ember memories…
Present: I blocked his path back to the van. He shoved part.
“There’s no time to explain, trust me. we’ve got to move out.”
“Trust you?” I Asked incuriously. “After you arrested me?”
“ I followed orders.”
I was shocked at how cold he sounded. I had rationalized that maybe there was still some humanity left within him - he had promised my mother he’d get me out - but I realized now that his actions were in no way altruistic. They were full of resentment.
Past (Ember memory): “Losing your family….it puts fear in a different perspective,” he said. “Besides, I got by all right. I stayed on the fringe around Chicago, hoped around tent cities and Red Cross camps. Worked for some people who didn’t ask questions. Avoided case-workers and foster care. And thought about you.”
“Me?” I huffed, completely unsettled. In awe at how vanilla my life seemed. In awe of what he’d endured, He turned then, meeting my eyes for the first time. When he spoke, his voice was gentle, and unashamed.
“You. The only thing in my life that doesn’t change. When everything went to hell, you were all I had.”
