Article 5: The Review

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The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.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.


Goodreads


Article 5 showed up in my mailbox one day and boy am I glad it did. Dystopian novels are fast becoming one of my favorite genres. The plot is steady and unpredictable and I couldn't wait to get to the next page. The main characters are flawed, which makes them all the more believable. The descriptions of some of the experiences were so real, I could hear the action in my head, just like a movie. In fact, I found myself yelling at the book when a character did something I thought was crazy, or breathing fast when they were running for their lives.


What I liked:


The fast paced action, plot, characters that were flawed enough to make them real.


What I didn't:


Not a thing. 


Overall:


I think this book is up there with my favorite dystopian books that I have read recently. It would be a great candidate for a movie and if you like The Hunger Games you will love this book. The characters are interesting, the question of whether or not the government has the right to take over your life with extreme moral codes is super compelling and the harrowing adventures will keep you on the edge of your seat. Make sure you put this one on your to be read list.


4.5/5