I am very sorry if I gave anyone false hope with my earlier updates on this but I was also misled by the beginning of the book. What seemed like a potentially interesting dystopian world became little more than a roadtrip filled with teen romance and angst. It seems that dystopia is the hottest new setting for romance novels, because really, that's exactly what the author was writing. It was only made into a dystopia because of the current trending of this genre.I mean, let us ask one of the ver [...]

uh-ohis book has crazy-high ratings and here i come in like a monster to muck it all up for everyone.i just think this book iscking. it is another example of what happens when something gets overexposed. do we need another YA dystopian novel? well, i love them, so i would have to say "yes," but the problem is that when the market is flooded, some of the books are going to be waterlogged. and this one just doesn't measure up to the so-many-better ones out there. too many dystopias! leave them to [...]

It really says something about a Dystopian novel where when you finish it, you still have no idea how their society even got that way in the first place. And that kinda confuses me because I thought building a world of discord was the point of the genre. Throwing two characters in a screwed up world without any further explanation besides, "Hey, there was a war!" doesn't work for me. Because it makes it incredibly hard to the reader to picture it in their mind. I'm no expert, but my favorite dy [...]

Imagine a world where Hitler would have won. A world where if you don't follow the right religion, you won't ever be seen again. A world where its against the law to hang out with the opposite sex after curfew unless you're married. A world where being born from an unwed mother can get you killed - or worse. This is life in Kristen Simmons' Article 5. It's a truly frightening world where everyone is helpless against this corrupt government and their inconceivable rules. There is barely any room [...]

Here I am, about to dish out a scathing review on this book, and I made the mistake of looking at the author's profile picture. Darn you, Kristen Simmons-- why do you have to look so unbearably *nice*?? Now I don't want to hurt your feelings! Augh, shouldn't have put a face to the name; shouldn't have humanized the enemy! Rats.Ok, back to the scathing. And here it is: this book is a mess. From the setup to the characters to the dialogue to the plot, this was a disaster on so many levels. I mean, [...]

I couldn't continue. I really, really wanted to but the book was really driving me crazy. I made it to 63% so I really tried. Review coming soon. I just need to read something else before I review this so I'm not so irritated in my review.Ok I just wrote this in comments and I figure it can hold me over until I write a review later.The majority of the reviews on this book are outstanding. I just found Ember, the lead female character, whiny, self-absorbed, hypocritical, dumb and unworthy of any [...]

HOLY WOW. If all dystopian books were like this one, I don't think there would be any complaints in the world! Article 5 was everything I expected and more: brilliantly written, complexly crafted, and containing characters that made my heart ache constantly. This is one of those books you love so much that writing a review for it is scary because you don't want to let it down. Article 5 is so packed with action and twists and turns that it's sometimes hard to breathe. The dystopian world, filled [...]

Well, well, wellhello cliche dystopian book, starring a heroine who can't save herself, and a roadtrip that was about as interesting as watching a peanut tree grow. SIGH. I've had this on my TBR for nine million years and I thought I'd just jump up and tackle it. BAD DECISION. I wish to nap now.But LUCKY YOU, I shall write a list of aaaaall the (many) ways this book went wrong for me:• It's set in this dystopic society where everything is like SUPER strict a religious sense? Like women have no [...]

1.5 star.I could not finish this book, and that's a big deal, because I always finish books. The story just didn't grip me from the start and though it seemed to have a lot of potential to be amazing, it just didn't work. I think my main problem was with the protagonist. I could not stand her. She was whiny, annoying, and a complete airhead. She was incapable of rational thought and it grated on every single one of my nerves. I had to put the book down. I had such high expectations because it ha [...]

In a market flooded with heroines possessing super-powers/mind-bullets/martial prowess beyond the ken of mere mortals, it is so INCREDIBLY REFRESHING to read a story about an average girl who, through cruel turns of fate, is forced to live through extraordinary events. Is Ember perfect? No. Does she always have the answers? No. THAT'S what makes her so utterly convincing and compelling as a protagonist. There were passages in this book so intimate and beautifully written that I actually felt lik [...]

“Dystomance” doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon, and the appetite for YA romance playing out against a backdrop of government oppression remains healthy, judging by the titles storming my feed. I’ve had varying degrees of success with this particular subgenre, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I prefer those where the romance takes a back seat to the plot and worldbuilding. It’s a personal preference, but I find that the opposite scenario, with the romance centre stage and [...]

Article 5 was a pretty awesome book. With the exception of the MC, I really loved the setting, characters, and plot. Kristin Simmons has certainly written a really good addition to the dystopian genre. I can't wait for Breaking Point!The main character, Ember Miller, wasn't a bad character. In fact, I did like seeing the story through her eyes. She was a remarkably clear, caring narrater. If only I felt like she sorta stood out. I mean, we don't know much about her other than she has a mother, t [...]

ARTICLE 5. I didn't know what that was going into the book, obviously. But now that I do, I'm irritated just looking at the words! The injustices described in this novel are horrifying. Gut-wrenching. Tragic. They elicit reaction. After Simmons settles you into the unfair world of Ember Miller, she takes you on a crazy, world-widening survival ride. If you like post-apocalyptic survival stories, this book is for you. There was a scene in a trailer house that was so isolated, and the scene was so [...]

Don't you just hate it when books you'd been looking forward to with drooling mouths turn out to be disappointments?Article 5 was one such book (another example is Divergent).I was expecting action! And awesomesauce fights! All I got were two bickering teenagers in love. I can go to high school for that.What sets me off most about this book iswait. Forget I said that. Everything about this book sets me off.1) The CharactersEmber MillerThroughout most of the novel, our dear protagonist remains, w [...]

My emotions. MY EMOOOOTIONS!I don'tI don't even know what to call this feeling I have right now.A mixture of happiness, a bit of girly squealing, and pure rage The Good- The plot was full of excitement and intensity. I was always kept on my toes. As soon as I ended a chapter, I just HAD to know what happens next (this is why I ended up staying up until 4 in the morning to finish this book). The concept isn't all that different from other dystopian novels - an over-controlling government in a pos [...]

The audio:Jenny Ikeda was fantastic reading Article 5. She just has a voice for audio, if that makes sense. She doesn't exactly sound like a teenager, which I know bothers some when listening to YA, but I don't think she sounds old either, more like early 20's. Sometimes that bugs me, but it really didn't at all with Article 5. It almost read like someone who was telling a story about what happened to her in the past, and so I thought the voice really fit. Her voice was soothing, yet engaging. S [...]

I’ve read so many excellent books recently, I’d forgotten what it was like to read a less than mediocre book.This was a less than mediocre book.I had high hopes for it given the many 5* reviews of it on . What a disappointment. Let me be clear: this is not the new ‘Hunger Games’. This isn’t even THG’s inferior cousin.Where to start?What caused the War? Who’s in charge? Why did things change? These are all questions that need to be answered to give a “realistic” dystopian settin [...]

Article 5 is set in a future America where citizens have little to no rights, every religion other than Christianity is forbidden, girls and boys cannot date, pregnancy outside of a marriage is against the law and 'immoral' books and materials are banned. Seventeen year old Ember is mortified when her mother is arrested and sent to trial for having a child outside of marraige. Ember is sent to a reform school complete with guards, locked gates and a cruel headmistress. Ember is terrified for her [...]

I am so burnt out on Dystopia books. It seriously feels like out of the 10 I have read so far 9 of them have been dystopia. I know that isn’t true but I it sure feels that way. I enjoy dystopia but I really need a break. I had to read this one for review purposes and even with my burnt out state this one stood out like a shining star. I am so glad that I picked it up!The story is the same set up as with most dystopias nowadays. The Government runs the country and it is not for the better. I am [...]

Article 5joins the pile of few books in my life that make me want to scream, “Why the hype? Is my copy missing a couple hundred pages or something?” In all honesty, I was unable to understand just what was so great about this book. Not only was there a severe and disappointing lack of world-building, I found the protagonist to be far too annoying for my liking as well. In fact, I’m surprised I even made it through this novel! I think Article 5 had a lot of potential, but ultimately, it sim [...]

Wow! Article 5 is undoubtedly one of my favourite reads of 2012 because it had everything I could have wanted from a book and MORE! From page one, I was sucked into the cruel and harsh world that Kristen Simmons has created and was taken on a thrilling and heart-stomping journey – one that only made me want more!Ever since the soldiers took over parts of America, Ember Millers life has changed drastically. She now lives in a world where being compliant is mandatory and civilians have to follow [...]

Remember when there seemed to be very few vampire novels filling the bookshelves, then a certain vampire/werewolf/human love triangle novel was published and suddenly every second book on the shelves was a take on the vampire romance genre*. Well, unfortunately, it seems that this is the direction the dystopian/post-apocalyptic genre is heading. Thanks to Reynje I now have a name for that genre: Dystomance. What was the point of that little story? Well, that is exactly how I would classify Artic [...]

See more reviews at YA Midnight ReadsMini review: Currently, the only way I think I can describe what I felt about Article 5 is by introducingMelanie's life story at high school *cue groaning and sighs of boredom* Okay, I admit, my school life is boring but I live in it and I survived so hopefully no one dies of boredom. In Drama class today we were analysing comedy. And we were watching this DVD on what makes us laugh; one of them being to overstate or understate the matter of something. (i. e. [...]

Forget my boyfriend, I think I'm gonna spend Valentine's Day reading this.

Wow, this book was not what I expected!! It had action, a scary and disturbing setting, characters with depth, and a romance that broke my heart over and over again. I love that the story starts out with the heroine, Ember, already in distress. There was no grace period where we got to see her world before the action happened. No slow-to-develop plot where you have to wait for the action to pick up or the proverbial shoe to drop. No, Article 5 pretty much starts from the get-go with Ember and he [...]

And so my dystopian/apocalyptic/postapocalyptic marathon has to end on a horrible, off-pitch, just plain bad note.Synopsis Three years ago, the War ended. Don't ask what this War was about. It just happened, and it was big enough to need a capitalization. Major cities are abandoned, and the Bill of Rights has been revoked and replaced with the Moral Statues. Ember Miller fell in love with her next door neighbor named Chase, but then he joined the army or whatever, and now he's arrested Ember's m [...]

This is the first review I've written on here. What made me do it? Two things: 1) I'm at work, and I'm bored and 2) I just can't keep quiet about this book. Why does everyone love it other than a handful of people? If you read the one and two star reviews, you'll see that their gripes match my own. Someone (who loved this book) in another review said that there is non-stop action. Really? I could barely find it. I listened to this book and it took me almost two weeks to finish it, when I'm norma [...]

1 star. This is one of those dystopias entirely made up of romance, and it's one of the worst romances I've ever read. Let's address my first point. Article Five tries to build up a world where women are oppressed by an evil government of conservatives. I like the idea, but it doesn't work out for a few reasons. First, we get no idea how the world got this way. I think in most cases, that could've been a forgettable detail– “world where women are oppressed” is a fairly typical idea. Unfort [...]

I'm going to get personal here for just a second. Back in my late teens/early 20's I had this recurring dream. Bare with me here. I was at home hiding under my bed and the KKK would bust into my house and try to take me. The always found me. Yes, I know I am a white girl. But, in my dreams it didn't matter. They were after me and it was horrible. I would pretty much always wake up when they looked under the bed and found me. Needless to say, I am completely terrified of these organizations. I ca [...]

Originally reviewed on The Book SmugglersIt's the near future, and after a devastating, frightening war on American soil, civil liberties have been eliminated. The Bill of Rights is a thing of the past, and the nation is in a constantly militarized state. The Moral Statutes have been instituted and are absolute - nothing lavish or lascivious is allowed. Practicing religions outside of Christianity are punishable offenses. Romance novels are outlawed. Unchaste women are hauled away, never to be s [...]