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    Article 5
    Article 5
    Article 5
    Audiobook10 hours

    Article 5

    Written by Kristen Simmons

    Narrated by Jennifer Ikeda

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Kristen Simmons' thrilling debut novel Article 5 is the first in an eagerly anticipated dystopian trilogy. In a world where soldiers have replaced police, arrests are made for minor infractions, and the Bill of Rights has been replaced with the Moral Statutes, 17-year-old Ember Miller longs for the days when things were different. But when her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 by the only boy Ember has ever loved, her peaceful, low-profile life is thrown into chaos.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 24, 2012
    ISBN9781464029189
    Author

    Kristen Simmons

    Kristen Simmons is the critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series, The Glass Arrow, Metaltown, Pacifica, and The Deceivers. She has worked with survivors of abuse and trauma as a mental health therapist, taught Jazzercise in five states, and is forever in search of the next best cupcake. Currently she lives in Cincinnati, OH, with her husband, where she spends her days supporting the caffeine industry and chasing her rambunctious son. You can visit her online at www.kristensimmonsbooks.com.

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    Reviews for Article 5

    3.5/5

    282 ratings41 reviews

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    • 2/5
      The heroine was as stupid as a sack of hair.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      My absolute favorite book. Ember & Chase forever! Must read!
    • 2/5
      More like 2 1/2 stars for me. I probably wouldn't have finished this book if not for the fact that i out it on my classroom Kindle. I really was not that fond of the characters and have read much better dystopian books. It wasn't terrible but the story was constantly pulling me out of the flow when the characters did something not so smart.

    • 4/5
      4.5 stars. I would have given it 5 but I just couldn't. Let me tell you why...

      The story was great, the writing well done, and the concept extremely interesting. I liked the characters and saw how they grew, but the main character, Ember, annoyed me half the time. I may be old, but I do remember the rashness of youth, but even that doesn't explain some of the stupid decisions Ember makes. It was annoying.

      That was one reason I couldn't give Article 5 a 5 star review. The other reason was the lack of explanation regarding the world. The author never fully explains WHY people live as they do or what exactly happened. It's hinted at, skimmed over, somewhat, but I'm still in the dark. I kept wanting more backstory about the world and less memories about Ember and Chase.

      I also wanted more information about the mom. There was no hint about her lifestyle or about why article 5 would relate to them until the 'incident' (hope I'm not giving spoilers). I liked how the book jumped immediately into action, yet more information throughout would have been nice.

      Still, Ms. Simmons did a great job with and interesting concept and I hope she goes into more detailing in the following books (the end was obviously set up for more books). I'll definitely read them.
    • 4/5

      There were no more words as they loaded my mother in the back of the van. When she disappeared inside, I felt something tear within me, loosing what felt like acid into my chest. It scalded my insides. It made my breath come faster, made my throat burn.
      -from the book

      Ember Miller is a high school student. She goes to school, hangs out with her friends. She doesn't realize how much the world around her has changed since the war. Oh, she knows about President Scarboro and his Moral Statutes, but she thinks she and her mom are safe. The Federal Bureau of Reformation's (FBR) soldiers are in charge of enforcing compliance with the Moral Statutes. Ember and her friends refer to them as the MM (Moral Militia). Violators of the statutes disappear but most people have no idea where they go. Ember is about to find out. A revision of Article 5, pertains to children conceived out of wedlock and Ember and her mother are both found in violation and taken prisoner. Ember is sent to a rehabilitation facility and her mom is sent....? Ember doesn't know where her mom is, but she is determined to find her.

      This is a great dystopian adventure. Ember is naive and has some issues but she is basically likable. Chase is hard to figure out, but from the beginning we have a feeling, as readers, that there is more to him than Ember thinks. Ember and Chase have a troubled relationship but they aren't in the best situation either. Being a soldier in the Moral Militia doesn't help his case.

      I'm enjoying this series and am already on the third book. The books are fun, easy to read and hard to put down. Oh and no love triangle. :)

      Recommended to:
      Young adult and adult fans of dystopian fiction.
    • 1/5
      Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele

      Die Moralstatuten der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika

      Artikel 1
      Die Vereinigten Staaten erkennen die Amerikanische Kirche als offizielle Religion an.

      Artikel 2
      Literatur und andere unmoralische Medien sind verboten. Ihr Besitz, Erwerb und Verkauf ist strengstens untersagt.

      Artikel 3
      Eine vollständige Familie besteht aus einem Mann, einer Frau und mindestens einem Kind.

      Artikel 4
      Die traditionellen Geschlechterrollen müssen eingehalten werden.

      Artikel 5
      Als vollwertiger Staatsbürger wird nur anerkannt, wer als Kind eines verheirateten Paares auf die Welt kommt.

      Klingt das nicht spannend und nach einer wirklich guten Voraussetzung für eine gelungene Dystopie? Besonders wenn man dazu dann die Ausgangssituation des Buchs nimmt, nämlich, dass die 17-jährige Ember und ihre Mutter Artikel 5 zum Opfer fallen, die Mutter verschleppt wird und Ember in eine Besserungsanstalt kommt. Und soweit ist es auch tatsächlich verdammt spannend. Bis Ember dann beschließt, dass sie mit der Hilfe ihrer großen Liebe, Chase, dem Mann, der ihre Mutter verhaftet hat, fliehen und ihre Mutter retten muss. Von da an geht die Geschichte einfach nur noch den Bach runter.

      Denn spannend ist anders. Gut konstruiert ist ebenfalls anders und auch sonst ist wenig an dieser Geschichte noch realistisch oder eben logisch.

      1. Die Welt: Wir befinden uns in einer zukünftigen Version der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, die, gezeichnet von Kriegen, nun einer fanatischen moralisch-religiösen Diktatur unterstehen. Leider merkt man davon in diesem Buch einfach so gar nichts. Man erfährt, einmal abgesehen von den aller grundlegendsten Informationen, z.B. den oben genannten “Moralstatuten”, quasi überhaupt nichts über diese Gesellschaft, was ich unglaublich schade finde, da ich mich auf den ersten Seiten so sehr über diese Welt gefreut habe, da sie einfach eine unglaublich spannende und faszinierende Perspektive bietet. Oder wohl eher bieten könnte, denn genutzt wird das Potential dieses Settings hier nicht einmal ansatzweise.

      2. Die Protagonistin: Um Gottes Willen… Nicht nur ist Ember absolut unverzeihlich naiv, etwas was für einen Menschen in ihrer Situation eigentlich gar nicht möglich sein sollte, nein, sie wirkte auf mich auch völlig hohl, um es mal so zu sagen. Im Grunde genommen kann sie sich nur Sorgen machen. Und zwar um zwei bzw. drei Dinge: Zum einen ihre Mutter, die zu Beginn die treibende Kraft hinter ihren Handlungen ist, wobei Embers Motivation dabei genauso wenig überzeugend wirkte, wie sonst irgendwelche ihrer Emotionen. Und das zweite: Chase! Zum einen ist sie völlig unfähig, sich auch nur ansatzweise auf ein Gespräch mit ihm einzulassen und scheint hinter allem eine Gefahr für ihre sexuelle Integrität zu vermuten, sodass die beiden bis zur letzten Seite nicht eine einzige wirkliche Unterhaltung führen. Und außerdem stellt sie die gesamte Zeit über den Fakt in Frage, ob sie Chase vertrauen kann. Nicht, dass der Kerl ihr im Laufe der Geschichte mehrfach das Leben rettet oder sie ohne ihn schon längst verloren gewesen wäre, nein, warum also sollte sie ihm vertrauen?

      3. Die Handlung: Wie man aus den ersten beiden Punkten, gerade dem zweiten, vielleicht schon ableiten kann, ist hier keine allzu beachtliche Handlung vorhanden. Im Grunde genommen besteht die gesamte Handlung daraus, dass Ember sich völlig unnötig, und meist auch unsinnig, in irgendwelche Gefahren bringt und Chase sie rettet. Viel mehr passiert das gesamte Buch über nicht und da Embers Handlungen bestenfalls unberechenbar sind, macht das ganze auch herzlich wenig Spaß, von Spannung ganz zu schweigen.

      Alles in allem kann ich zu „Artikel 5“ nur sagen, dass es für mich eine einzige, riesengroße Enttäuschung war, bei der, abgesehen von der absoluten Grundidee, so gar nichts passt.
    • 4/5
      I think this book is awesome because of how realistic it could be. The new rights and rules being forced upon the people restrict their freedoms and choices. The government takes so much control that if your family doesn't consist of a man and a women, you have a child out of wedlock, have a book that is on the banned list, or do something as simple as miss school for a religious holiday it can result in being sentenced to jail or worse. Since the police and people in charge have basically been replaced by the military you can only imagine the kind of punishments they could implement. Naturally, whenever there is an oppressive government there are also insurgents. So watching these character's go from being compliant to being against the government, but not quite insurgents, is great. It shows how all it takes is one final push to send someone off the edge.
    • 2/5
      When Ember's mother is arrested for noncompliance with the moral statutes, Ember is sent off to a camp/institute. In comes Chase, a boy from her childhood to rescue her.I really did not like this book. I thought Ember was self-righteous, close minded and just plain annoying. She constantly worried about others taking lives, which seemed very hypocritical and out of place in a post-apocalyptic world. Overall, a bust.
    • 3/5
      I liked the premise. But found myself putting this down as the relationship between the two main characters grew tedious-does she hate him or love him on this page? However, it finished strong. Worth the time if you are a dystopian fan.
    • 1/5
      could not get into the characters. Most of the action felt forced as though it was needed to keep the story from being plain boring. I was not impressed with the lack of development for good vs. evil. I almost feel as though this story tried to jump on the bandwagon of dystopia and just fell flat in the dirt.
    • 3/5
      This is along the lines of Delirium and Hunger Games where the government has control of everything and tells its citizens what to think and how to behave. I enjoyed this, but it didn't feel "complete" in an emotional sense for me. I know it is a trilogy, so I'm hoping to get to that end goal by the last book.
    • 2/5
      Nope. Couldn't make myself download it after the sample. The premise sounded interesting, but it was like reading something a teenager wrote. Bleh.
    • 2/5
      I'm getting sick of reading mediocre dystopian novels ruined by sappy romance. All in all, that's all this book is about. Teenagers madly in love. When and why did this become trope for this genre?Basic idea is its pretty soon after some sort of War and the world as collapsed. To keep order, the government has instituted rules known as Articles that everyone must follow or face punishment. The Articles are things like Christianity is the one and only religion acceptable, families are considered one man, one woman and children only conceived in legal wedlock, women are to be subservient to men, etc.Ember is our lead character, and we're told off the bat how in love she is with former boyfriend, Chase, who has joined the military and become a complete hardass toolbag now. Ember arrives home from school where her single mother is promptly arrested, I'm slightly confused as to how. From what I understood, the MM/FBR (people in charge) have issued a new rule that single parents are somehow violating the articles given that they're no longer married even though the children were conceived in wedlock. Ember's mother is arrested and Ember is sent to a reformatory school. No mention of Ember's father here or ever during the book.Ember gets abused at the school by a sadistic teacher, and then before being tortured by the same teacher is rescued by Chase, which becomes the one and only way that Ember survives anything. Chase is there even if it makes no sense.So, Chase is being all silent and brooding, making Ember wonder how she could ever love someone so cold, and how he wasn't like this before, and what had the FBR done to him to break him down and make him like this, etc.Chase tells Ember he's acting on request of her mother who is waiting in a safe house for her daughter, Ember seems to blindly accept this with no proof. The pair sneak around for awhile bypassing soldiers and checkpoints and all kinds of crap, Ember is repeatedly sexually assaulted, Chase moans a lot, Ember likes to stare at him and remember how he was, blah, blah, blah.The pair stumble upon some sort of scene where a guy is trying to steal another guy's dead cow, Chase easily diffuses the situation and he and Ember have a place to stay for the night with the cow's owner. Or the guy who was stealing it. I forget who they sided with. Ember is simply screaming Chase's name a lot in this whole scene and hugs him when she thinks he's been shot; which he hasn't.Whilst in the house of these new friends, Ember overhears the owner talking to his wife about how much money they'll get for Chase and Ember (both wanted criminals now) and so Ember does the only thing she can think of, which is turn off the generator and run while Chase fights his way out and then meets Ember outside.They go running off again and find some random resistance group who know Chase somehow, Chase reveals to Ember that her mother is actually dead and he was ordered to kill her but couldn't. Ember wanders off in a trance and gets herself arrested and thrown into jail where she awaits trial in three days. Chase lets himself get arrested to save her, they get out and make it to another gang of resistance people.So that's the basic story. To its credit, its a fast paced novel. But its too fast. Way too much happens way too quickly to have any lasting impact. For example, Ember often thinks about her friends from school whom we saw only in Chapter 1 and never again. Ember is only in the reform school for a chapter or 2 and then on the run with Chase, yet a girl she met there, Rebecca, becomes some sort of symbol to her. The whole thing with the cow only takes a chapter or so, meeting with the resistance groups is only two or so chapters.One instance that bugged me was Ember's time in prison. Three days. That's all. Three days. They tell her three days until her trial and then she'll be moved to an actual prison, so she has three days in this one containment place and the first thing they do is let her wander around with some crazy old woman (entrusted with a key that seems to open ever door) and clean cells and stuff. Ember then thinks she will gain enough trust in those three days (despite being a wanted criminal) to be allowed to clean on her own and orchestrate an escape. In three days? Really? What kind of dodgy containment centre lets prisoners out of their cells before a trial? Seems to just be asking for trouble. But we're not given a lot of time to think about this because Ember is soon somewhere else.It's just sooooo much stuff crammed into one. And yet there are pages and pages of waffle of Chase/Ember going on about how they do/don't care about each other and I seriously couldn't care less. Ember, by herself, would be a good character but she's absolutely insufferable when around Chase. When she's with him, he is all she sees - a fact she seems to happily acknowledge. She has no desires when she's with Chase other than to be with Chase. He comes to her rescue constantly, even when she doesn't need it, and she is quite happy to take a back seat while he does all the work. Now, I get that this is the society this author has created, but considering the way Ember started out she's seen as some sort of social rebel who only goes along with the laws because she has to and not because she believes them. But with Chase, Ember is utterly hopeless.Even when there is a chance for Ember to do something on her own, no need to fear if she fails because Chase is right there. Whilst in the containment facility, Ember hits on a guard to steal his gun, manages to hide the gun in her bra and plans to take the key from her crazy cleaning friend and feign taking a body to the crematorium herself and then running off. Good plan, no chance to execute it because Chase is in the way.Ember manages to separate herself from crazy cleaning lady by saying she will go and clean up after a suicide in a cell that happened the night before, and wouldn't you know it the person who committed suicide is Chase. Accept he didn't commit suicide, and I was actually quite annoyed that he didn't. I started thinking "Great, he's gonna die! This will be awesome, then Ember will be a angsty mess and be all dark now that she has no one. I'd actually like to see her without Chase." But no, Chase isn't dead. He just cut his wrists for some reason and they sent a cleaning team in there. So, so much for Ember's escape plan, now she has to deal with Chase who admits he let himself get arrested so he could rescue her. Clearly he has absolutely no faith that she is able to do anything herself, which is annoying because she does seem to be self-assured but happily falls into an annoying, waif role when Chase is there.All in all, it's mediocre. There's way too much information that's not explained, new information is given all the time at varying points of the novel. Not that I think the author should bulk out the first three chapters setting the scene, but she doles out information that would seemingly be vital to know beforehand only after the time has past for it to be useful, if that makes sense. For example, turning criminals over to the authorities for money only comes up after Ember overhears this is what's about to happen to her.Maybe I'm nitpicking, maybe the whole Ember/Chase mess was so frustrating it just made everything else annoying.I don't really recommend this one unless you're into teen angst love stories, because that's what this one is.
    • 5/5
      I personally loved this book. The plot didn't seem completely far fetched. It was enjoyable to read and imagine how the United States came to be the way it was. I do hope we get more answers in the last book as to what happened to the current government and how the setting of Article 5 came to be.I enjoyed the romance between Ember and Chase. It didn't feel forced, as romances sometimes do in dystopian novels.I liked the fact that they grew up together and had history.I know Ember's character annoyed some readers, but I found her very relatable.Overall, this is one of my favorite books that I have read in awhile, and I can't wait for the 3rd book to come out.
    • 2/5
      I gave this one until page 210, which is about 50 pages more than I normally give a book. I waited longer to see if it would get better because Simmons sets up a disturbingly plausible dystopia. Like Atwood, Simmons' concept of the type of religious fascism that could develop is dead on the money. The problem with the book, though, is that Ember is one of the least likable protagonists I have met in recent history. She's not a critical thinker, she's just...well...the B word. While it may be realistic that someone jailed and later on the run would be at turns whiny and viscous to others, Ember doesn't have much substance other than needing to be rescued and being vicious to her rescuer. I really really wanted to like this book, but...
    • 1/5
      Full Review to be posted soon:

      I really struggled to finish this book, everytime the heroine did something stupid or moaned and there was many many instances of this in the book - I just wanted to give up on the book. The book had a fantastic premise, which is similar in vein to The Handmaid's Tale of a facist/theocratic government who takes over the US. However despite the setting and premise, the setup and world-building was very very weak and vague. Descriptions were also problematic and there was a few times, I felt lost because things were cut out or missed. I also wished there was more on the background on the war and how the country fell to this government because the time-frame on how this happened was also vague and it was way to rapid as well.
      But the real issue was the characterisation of the narrator, and oh did she get on my nerves with her constant whining, and judgemental attitude about her situation. I can understand some instances where a character can be naive or innocent, but she was too stupid to live by making impetuous and short sighted decisions without any thought of repercussions.
      There isn't much I can say of the good things in this book other than the premise and even that wasn't explored very well and other books have done a better job.
    • 3/5
      Read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale--similar plot line, much better written.
    • 2/5
      UMMM....I really tried to find some kind of connection to this story but it failed me. It ,for me, was just so random in it's writing. Now they are doing this and now they are doing that but the two have no explanation nor do they tie together until a chapter later and then you understand why they did this and that. No world building either which really bothered me. Do not even get me started on Ember I couldn't stand her. I will read the 2nd book but only to follow Chase, whose character I did like. But if Ember doesn't straighten up and Chase still takes her shit... me and this series will have to part ways.
    • 3/5
      I was originally interested in this book as a litter circle book for my freshmen for a dystopian/government unit but after listening to it, I decided to go with a different option. This being said, it's not a bad book. In fact, I did enjoy the premis of the story but there were some parts of the romance story that I didn't want to deal with in a freshmen class. While this wasn't one of my favorite dystopian novels, it is action packed. However, it took awhile to really get to know the characters and to start to care about them. However, once that happened, I didn't want the story to end. And lucky for me it doesn't have to as this is apart of a series. I will eventually move onto the next book but not anytime soon.
    • 3/5
      This was an okay book, but I had expected it to be a hell lot better. It had an interesting premise and a possibility to be a 5 star book but it turned out to be just another cliched dystopian with the notion: society bad, people good, lovers doomed... bleh. It was too damn predictable and too much like any other dystopia on the shelf. It was a big disappointment because I had high expectations.

      I would've given 2 stars to the story but I liked Kristen Simmons' writing. Looking forward to reading the sequel now.
    • 5/5
      Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.

      You know what's awesome? When a book totally grips you from the beginning to the end. There was seriously not a moment of Article 5 where I was not totally into the story. Kristen Simmons definitely had me right where she wanted me. Article 5 has tons of action, as well as world building that I can totally get behind AND a rocking heroine. Hell to the yes.

      Article 5 falls into the vein of dystopias that clearly stem from our modern society. The direct correlation to forces at play in current politics makes this a great read-a-like for Cory Doctorow's Little Brother. In Simmons' horrific future, the fundamentalists have taken over, after various factors caused problems. The country is policed by the FBR, also known as the MM (Moral Militia). Women are being forced back into a subservient role: wives and mothers. There is talk of no longer allowing women to take math, for example, because what use is that to ladies? Women must wear appropriate clothing. All sorts of reading materials (ex. romance novels) and actions (ex. doing anything romantic outside of marriage) are prohibited.

      Even more horrifying, the military now has such power that trials for crimes are becoming a thing of the past. Even if a trial is planned, nobody looks to closely if a 'criminal' dies in an 'escape attempt' or something of that sort. Not only that, but you can now be held responsible for something done years before. Take, for example, our heroine's mother, arrested at the beginning of the book for having a child out of wedlock. Note that the child she had is 17 year old Ember. The law didn't exist when Ember was born, but it's written now, so off to jail you go.

      Ember was a wonderful heroine. She has so much personality and I really felt like I knew her. Told in the first person from her perspective, I just loved the way Ember thought and phrased things. She has a sarcastic and occasionally off-the-wall humor that I really appreciate. I thought the storytelling was effective, and that, though I knew Ember best, I did get a hint of depths to some of the other more minor characters.

      What I really love about Ember as a heroine is how ordinary she is. Now, she is cleverer than average and definitely braver, but she has no special physical skills or powers to aid her in her quest to save her mother from prison. Despite that, Ember is a force to be reckoned with. She fights back, even when that is really not the advisable action. Ember cannot NOT act when someone does something to her. She does not take abuse quietly. She stands up for herself first and foremost, and sometimes or others. The selfishness underlying most of her actions I really liked too, because, let's be honest, that's how she's going to have a chance of surviving.

      Plus, her personality made the romance stand out from the ordinary YA relationships. Though on the surface, we have an obvious match with Chase and Ember, childhood sweethearts torn apart by his induction into the MM. Whereas most YA heroines when reunited with the strong, tall, gorgeous Chase would forgive him his trespasses and do whatever he asked, like good girls do, Ember does not trust him at all. Any trust he gets from her has to be EARNED. She knows well that just because she loved him before does not mean he is the same person now.

      Chase and Ember's relationship appeals so much more to me because of the realistic way in which she views it. Though she's drawn to him, she can resist him. She can think logically in the face of his presence. She can use him to get what she needs. She listens to him when it's in her benefit, but also will disobey his orders if she feels that necessary. Despite his training and strength, she always does what she can to fight and comes up with great ideas, rather than expecting him to protect her.

      Article 5 is chock full of action, awesome characters, sassy writing and a horrifying dystopian society that I dearly hope never comes to pass. Book two, Breaking Point, should probably make its way to my hands immediately; I want it like BURNING.
    • 2/5
      started off a strong dystopian with an interesting premise. the us has turned into a 'moral' country with rights turned backwards. women are only valued for their men and home skills. I initially picked it up because of today's political drama- I can easily see a version of this happening if the election goes the wrong way. about 2/3 of the way through it gets hard to finish though. the story begins to focus on a dysfunctional relationship between the two teen leads, and it lost most of my interest.
    • 4/5
      Plot: 4 stars
      Characters: 3 stars
      Style: 3 stars
      Pace: 4 stars
      Erring on the side of an extra star here, as it's really a 3 1/2 star sort of book. Great premise, very believable.
    • 5/5
      This book seemed like a cross between The Handmaid's Tale and The Hunger Games. It wasn't incredibly original, but it was interesting and well written.
    • 3/5
      I was really enjoying the book. When Ember was sent to the camp with the other girls and they took her mother, the story was intense and interesting. But, after Chase took Ember away, the story became too slow and just trudged along. I saw the big reveal coming, from the beginning. Chase and Ember were just not that interesting to me, if the story line would have continued at the camp I think it would have held my interest. I may read the second book, I may not.
    • 2/5
      predictable  storyline, but still pretty good.
    • 5/5
      I have read a lot of books this summer, but this book is by far, one of the best. I could not put this book down once I started it. I began reading it last night and finally made myself go to bed sometime after midnight. Then, I spent the entire morning finishing it, because I had to know what happened.In a (hopefully) distant future, The Bill of Rights have been replaced by The Moral Statutes (see below). These Moral Statutes are enforced by The Federal Bureau of Reform, known to civilians as the Moral Militia. At first, if you are not compliant, you receive a citation and you are required to pay a fine. Now, the rules are becoming more strict and the punishment is getting worse. Now, if you are not compliant, then the government comes in and makes you disappear. Seventeen year old Ember's existence is enough to condemn her mother. She was born out of wedlock, which means that her mother is arrested and Ember is sent to a reform school. She is not even considered a legal citizen. What hurts Ember the most is that her boyfriend, who was drafted into the Moral Militia, is present when she is arrested. She feels betrayed, but she knows she must find a way to escape and help her mother. The Moral Statutes of the United States of AmericaARTICLE 1 - The United States embraces the Church of America as her official religion."Article 1 denied individuals the right to practice or 'display propaganda' associated with an alternative religion to Church of America" (53).ARTICLE 2 - Literature and other media considered immoral are hereby banned and shall not be owned, bought, sold or traded in any capacity.ARTICLE 3 - Whole families are to be considered one man, one woman and child(ren).ARTICLE 4 - Traditional male and female roles shall be observed."Traditional male and femal roles were outlined in Article 4. The importance of a woman's subservience. The necessity for her to respect her maile partner while he, in turn, supported the famil as the provider and spiritual leader....when I searched for some clause prohibiting domestic violence, I found no mention of it" (53).ARTICLE 5 - "Children are considered valid citizens only when conceived by a married man and wife. All other children are to be removed from the home and subjected to rehabilitation procedures" (53).
    • 5/5
      OHMABOOGERS. I swear, this is probably one of the best books I've ever read in my life. Since it was on my to-read list since forever, I decided that I couldn't wait to get the book and that getting the ebook would be better. Oh, how right I was.There are no more Bill of Rights. Instead, America is run by the motto "One Whole Country, One Whole Family" -- the Moral Statutes. There isn't anymore police reinforcements, now there are soldiers nicknamed the Moral Militia.Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller had nothing to do with the new government of the United States, called the Federal Bereau of Reformation, until they arrived at her doorstep claiming that her mother had violated Article Five of the Moral Statues. In a frenzy of moments, Ember finds herself in a rehabilitation center away from her mother. She then makes friends and escapes, but is soon reunited with her lost love, Chase Jennings, whom she realizes is another one of many heartless and emotionless FBR soldiers. They soon embark on a series of dangerous adventures, but once Ember realizes that her government is not what it seems, will she ever be the same?Firstly, I am so surprised that this book is not even a full 4 stars. Secondly, I love this book. And third, the characters were beautifully crafted and so real.Ember Miller is just so respectful. You cant help but look up towards her; she's strong and never falters. She might cry a few times, but she's a girl, isn't she? If I was in her situation I would most definitely not be able to make it.Anyway, she's really very attached to her mother. It was why she embarked on so many dangerous journeys -- just to get close to her mother. The only thing I probably didn't like about her was that she was a pessimist. Chase Jennings.OHMAGOD. Tall. Dark. Mysterious. 6' 3" . Forebording. Tortured. Black hair. Wolf-like milky eyes.What more could you ask for?He's a poor tortured soul through the whole book, and you realize why at the end of the book. And it's a good reason.So. Back to what I was saying.He's dark and mysterious, but not heartless. He may appear so, but he's saying more than he lets on. That's why I love him -- he's dark, but caring. He changes so much from the beginning of the book to the end that you fall in love with him even more. And wish you were Ember. ;__;Let us now look at the writing style/plotline.It was in first-person. I have to admit, I'm jealous. Whenever I try to write write FP, I sound like a first grader. .__.Plotline! Such adrenaline and suspense! And really great descriptive fighting scenes! Chase fighting is like watching Lee Min Ho from City Hunter. Fo shizzles, man.Okay, I'm tired now. I shall update this when I'm not tired. .__.[This review was posted on Goodreads.]
    • 5/5
      In the midst of the dystopian explosion in YA, this is one of the books that really stand out. Article 5 deals with the possibility of Government gone sour, which is scary, but I can absolutely see the scenario playing out. The eerie realism of the world was bone-chilling.Kristin Simmons did a great job of laying the world out for us. The book was full of adventure, and one of the reasons it stands out is because of the romance in it. The tension and electricity between the two characters was more than compelling. The twists and turns in the plot were wickedly well placed so that the romance was always hanging from a thread. I also love books when you don't have to "meet" the love interest but rather, they already have a past that they need to deal with.And most of all, I loved Chase. Ember was our typical naive main character that always takes too long to figure things out and over-analyzes all her "bad" actions, but Chase was mysterious and secretive while still being nice and showing. I simply loved him and I want more and more Chase. Great character development and compelling prose, make this a fabulous debut. I'll be on the lookout not only for the sequel but for anything else Simmons writes. If you can pull off a steamy romance for me while setting up a believable world around it, you can be sure I will read anything you write.Perfect for dystopian fans and romance geeks. Highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      I really wanted to like Article 5. As soon as I came across it in a bookstore I knew it was a book that I wanted to read. And I was really, really hoping that it would help me make some important points to my pre-teen children. Unfortunatley, the book that Krisen Simmons wrote was not the book I wanted to read. The dust jacket suggested that I was going to read a book about what our country might look like if a far-right Christian government were to come to power and amend the Constitution and laws to reflect their beliefs. I wanted to see what life in that environment might be like and to hear the characters talk about the oppressive nature of religiously-imposed laws. But that isn't what Article 5 is about. In fact, while the dust jacket of the book talked about the new "moral laws" in detail, the book didn't really even describe them. The protagonist hadn't really even paid enough attention to the new laws to tell the readers about them in any great detail. And, as a result of the "on the run" nature of the story and the viewpoint it's told from, we never really get a feel for what the broader country is like. There is no information at all about how people reacted to the new laws or much detail at all about the "War" that allowed this new government to take power.Apparently Simmons' interest was in writing a teen romance set in a dystopian future; sort of a Hunger Games placed 15 years in the future instead of a few hundred ... and a Hunger Games that focuses less on the games and more on the relationship between the protagonist and her ... well, does she love him or hate him? And that's fine. Many people will enjoy that story. But it wasn't the story that I wanted to read. And maybe it's just that I'm a 46-year-old male, but I found the 17-year-old female protagonist to be whiny, whiny, whiny. You thought Bella from Twilight whined a lot? She's got nothing on Ember Miller.Oh, well. It was an easy and quick read. But I doubt I'll be on board for the second book in the series unless I learn that the focus of the story changes dramatically.