Breaking Point Review

TITLE Breaking Point (Article 5 #2)
AUTHOR Kristen Simmons
PUBLICATION February 2nd 2013 by Tor Teen
READ January 10 to 13, 2013
SOURCE Raincoast Books for review

The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?

I have a special place in my heart for this series. The first book that I ever reviewed here on Alluring Reads was Article 5, I am not going to be linking to that review because it’s terrible and reading Breaking Point made me go and look at how far my reviews have come since I started. But anyway, after reading Article 5 I had high expectations for its follow-up. In order for it to stand up to its predecessor there had to be a lot of action and some great romance, and was there ever!

In true form Kristen Simmons starts Breaking Point off with a bang and the action never really lets up throughout the story. When there would be a touching moment between Ember and Chase I would feel like I could finally breathe because at all other times I was so wrapped up in the fast moving pace of the story. Now that they are in the heart of the resistance the stakes are a lot higher and I loved getting into the heart of everything & finding out just how twisted this dystopian world is. Ember and Chase know exactly what they are up against and it really created an atmosphere in which you had no idea who you could trust. With a sniper on the loose and the FBR hot on their trail I was questioning everybody, it was actually really fun!

As I loved where Kristen went with the blossoming of the resistance, I also really loved the romance here. I have to say that the love story here is probably my favorite in YA to date. There is not one page of this story where you doubt Ember and Chase’s love for one another and there is not even a hint of a smidgeon of a love triangle. It is so perfect and it really made me believe in the romance dearly. With the heavy weight that is resting on their shoulders there isn’t much time for them to be alone but I think that made the stolen moments that they did get that much more special.

Of course there are other characters that grace these pages and they felt just as important as our main characters. Sean’s hunt to find the girl he loves, Rebecca, was intense and so sweet. Then there is Tucker, I really didn’t know how to read him throughout the story and I’m not even sure I know how to upon finishing and that is so perfect. He is the antagonist who could possibly be worming his evil way into our hearts, but I am just not sure. I think the great side characters definitely added to my enjoyment of this novel, I was just as invested in their side plots as I was in the main one.

I think this was definitely a worthy follow up to one of my favorites of last year and right when you think you’re off the hook it kicks you down and leaves you pining for more, again! It will be a sore wait for the third book in this series but one I am happy to be part of.