Saturday, March 23, 2013

Breaking Point

Breaking Point (Article 5, #2)Simmons, Kristen. Breaking Point (Article 5 #2)
12 February 2013,  Tor Teen

After escaping the Federal Bureau of Reformation (or the Moral Militia), Ember and Chase have been taken in by the Resistance and are staying in a rundown hotel in Knoxville. They are trying to reunite with some of their friends and attack the MM whenever they can, but after Ember gets identified as a sniper and can be shot by anyone, she has to be careful. She does manage to go on some mission dressed in Sisters of Salvation uniforms, and rescues Sarah, who is pregnant by a MM member, from a Tent City. When Tucker shows up, Ember is not happy, since she still blames him for her mother's death. The hotel is attached, but Chase and Ember escape and head to Greenville. At one point, Ember thinks her mother may be alive, but it turns out to be an old friend using her mother's name. Chase and Ember continue to wander about, trying to locate people, help the Resistance, and try to decide what the future of their relationship is after a safe house they plan to use is destroyed and they are forced to go south.
Strengths: Decent world building for a dystopia, and some good characters. LOTS of action. Article 5 has been really popular at my school and has appealed to a number of students who don't normally read a lot. I think it's the militaristic feel to the society and all of the running about.
Weaknesses:  I found it a little hard to believe that there would be this much moving from place to place in a fractured society. It seems like Ember has uncanny luck in finding people even when most communication has broken down. I'll buy a copy because students will read it, but it wasn't quite my thing. Another book is surely in the works.


3 comments:

  1. A few friends and I have started a YA book club, and our first book is Article 5. I haven't read it yet. I didn't know there was a sequel--will be ordering it for the library.

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  2. I really enjoyed Article 5. I hope this sequel is just as good!

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  3. I enjoyed Article 5 very much. I hope the sequel lives up to the first one.

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