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.

Article 5 Review

 Review: Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

TITLE: Article 5
AUTHOR: Kristen Simmons 
PAGES: 384
PUBLISHER: Tor Teen
RELEASE DATE: January 31, 2012
BUY THE BOOK AT: Amazon / Kobo / Chapters.Indigo

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.

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book.  I read it in a single day and cursed the distractions around me everytime I had to put it down. I was sucked in almost immediately and felt I was there every step of the way with Ember & Chase on their race against time.  The story is very fast paced, which makes the book un-put-down-able, but its not overwhelming at all.  The memories Ember has that are dispersed throughout the novel of the growing romance between her and Chase are the perfect "catch your breath moments". Kristen Simmons transitions perfectly from the present story to the memories of the past, and they fit in seamlessly.  A few times throughout the novel, I must admit, that Embers self blaming did begin to grate on my nerves a bit, but I will forgiver her because she was a pretty kick ass chick! Chase was a totally swoon-worthy character in my eyes. The love that he had for Ember and the lengths that he would go to to protect her definitely gave me the warm and fuzzies.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good thrill ride with a great romance mixed in.