Review - Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons

by Kristen Simmons
publisher: Tor Teen
date of publication: February 12, 2013
format: hardcover
pages: 400
source: publisher
series: Article 5

From Goodreads:

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?

Article 5 introduced us to Ember Miller, a girl at the mercy of the totalitarian government that has gained power in what was once the United States.  Being guilty only of the crime of circumstance, Ember finds herself the victim of a horrific reform school and the adults that run it.  Not knowing exactly whom to trust, Ember escapes and must do all she can to reunite with her mother and make it to a safe haven where she has the chance to live her life as she was meant to.  As it turns out, this is not going to be at all easy as several things have already gone wrong.  As we find out in Breaking Point, Ember is struggling even more with both her circumstances and the actions of both the government and the resistance.  On the surface, Breaking Point is the continuation of Ember's journey toward safety.  There is more to it than that, however.  At its heart, Breaking Point is a closer look at Ember's heartbreak, fear, and inner struggle with her own feelings of guilt.

You really have to feel for Ember at this juncture.  As if her world hadn't been shaken enough in Article 5, things just keep getting worse for her in Breaking Point.  Her inner turmoil is evident as she struggles with her trust of those around her as well as her trust in herself.  You can really get the sense that she is on the edge and is barely hanging on.  The one issue I had with Ember this time around, however, was a certain sense of wishy-washy behavior that, after a time, just began to give me a headache.  There's struggling and then there's lack of commitment to one's decisions.  It often seemed that Ember would make up her mind about something only to immediately thereafter do a 180 and go right back to her surly, introspective ways.  I kept waiting for her to find the fire within and fully commit to doing something.  Alas, I never quite saw this from her.  Sure, she went through the motions of fighting back, but it didn't feel like her heart was all the way in it.  I truly hope to see more spirit from her in book 3.

The settings for Breaking Point are superb as ever.  Taking place in Knoxville, TN; Louisville, KY; and Chicago, IL, Breaking Point exhibits some really vivid places with a great sense of desolation.  If you are familiar with any of these cities and are able to compare them with their counterparts in Breaking Point, it truly hits home just how drastic the events that led to things be the way they are were.  Reading about the version of Knoxville seen in Article 5 and Breaking Point is especially striking for me since I grew up a mere 45 minutes from there and even lived there for a while.  Imagining walking through these damaged, more deserted versions of the places I know was nothing short of sobering.  It definitely helped to be able to fully visualize what was going on as I read.

Overall, Breaking Point was a great follow-up to Article 5 and, judging by the last chapter, book 3 is going to be absolutely intense.  Even though I wasn't able to connect with Ember as well, I definitely connected with the intensity of the situation at hand.  Breaking Point is a book chock full of action, thrills, and tension and would make a great read for fans of action-adventure books and movies.  I must reiterate that if you haven't started this series yet, you should.  That the events are so utterly realistic and plausible give this series an edge of horror that is hard to deny.  Breaking Point is a definite recommendation that I can stand behind.

Buy Breaking Point at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This finished review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

 

Author Event Recap - Kristen Simmons at Union Avenue Books

Last night I made my first trip to Knoxville's Union Avenue Books for an author event.  It was so nice to be back in Knoxville again and made me regret not having visited the downtown area more often when I lived there.  Union Avenue Books is a cozy bookstore with a great atmosphere located just a few blocks off Henley Street.  It made for a comfortable setting for meeting such a fantastic author as Kristen Simmons.

The event was conducted in the front of the store, where several chairs were placed in a circle, which meant face-to-face time with the author was possible.  It made for a very interactive setting, as the event felt more conversational.  There were some great questions put forth by various attendees, so we all learned a lot about both the book-writing process and the ideas behind Article 5. 

When asked as to what inspired her to write Article 5, Kristen said that both she and her husband enjoy survivor stories.  She cited several examples, including Man vs. Wild and The Walking Dead.  She also said she drew inspiration from a book banning that took place in Louisville at the time she lived there.  She said that she wondered what would happen of such events ran rampant.  Where does it end?  My question was, "Why did you choose Knoxville for one of the primary settings?"  She stated that since the coastal areas had to be evacuated in her book, everyone needed to move inland.  She researched several cities and said that Knoxville appealed to her.  She had been there before and says that it looks like it would withstand such cataclysmic events well.

Kristen also filled us in on her road to publication.  She told us that it took several manuscripts and several query letters, but she did eventually have the right manuscript and the right query letter reached the right agent at the right time.  She said that a lot of things had to fall into alignment, but that she did find the perfect agent for her.

I had a great time at this event.  Not only did I get to meet Kristen Simmons, I also had the pleasure of meeting Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic.  Getting recruited to Team Simmons was also a highlight :-P.  If you, too, would like to attend one of Kristen Simmons tour stops, I encourage you to keep your eyes peeled!  The most current tour ended yesterday, but you should definitely try to make it to a stop when next she goes out on tour.

   

Review - Article 5

by Kristen Simmons
publisher: Tor Teen
date of publication: January 31, 2012
format: hardcover
pages: 364
source: from the publisher for review
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

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.

What I Thought

Little did I know that Article 5 was about to treat me to one of the most disturbing dystopian reading experiences I have ever had.  What was so disturbing, you may ask?  The sheer plausibility of the plot was enough to give me chills from the very start.  Even more intriguing is the variety of locations in which the story takes place.  When you add great characters to that mix you have a recipe for an amazing read that will suck you in and consume every bit of your attention.  I, for one, can attest to just how engrossing Article 5 is and am definitely happy to share my opinions on this fantastic novel.

The totalitarian regime that governs what remains of the United States in this book absolutely frightening.  Everything from the murky nature of their agenda to the ways in which they have corrupted religion was disturbing enough that I found myself cringing on more than one occasion while I followed Ember's plight.  Her flight through the south as she tries to outrun the "Moral Militia" is both harrowing and well-described.  Ember herself is such a dynamic character that exhibits such a full range of emotions that she comes off very well as a main character.  Both her flaws and her strengths allow for a great amount of character development throughout the story.  She interacted so well with her surroundings that I felt as though I was seeing everything through her eyes.  As far as surroundings go, I was very surprised to find that much of the last half of the book takes place in Knoxville, TN, a city that I grew up a mere 1 1/2 hours from and even lived in for a while.  Seeing a place with which I am so familiar depicted in such a thrilling and well-written novel was a nice bonus that made seeing the story in my mind's eye all the more easy to do.

Kristen Simmons has written a fabulous novel and has most definitely piqued my interest.  I will be following this series for however long it lasts and can not wait to read the next installment.  Fans of dystopian fiction should pick this one up ASAP.  Article 5 has so much to offer for those looking for a danger-filled, thrilling, and emotional read.  This is a series to watch out for.

Obligatory legal statement: This finished copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. Many thanks to Tor Teen for the opportunity of reviewing this book.  

Author Event Alert!

Photo from the author's website.

If you are a Tennessee blogger and/or reader or live near the east TN border, do I have news for you!  Kristen Simmons, author of Article 5 (released January 31, 2012 from Tor Teen), will be appearing at Union Ave. Books in Knoxville, TN on March 7, 2012 at 6 PM EST.  If you have already read Article 5, you may recall that part of the book takes place in Knoxville.  Having grown up an hour and a half from Knoxville and even living there for a short time, I was pleasantly surprised to find such a familiar place featured in a book I was enjoying so very much.

Are you going to be there?  Be sure to leave a comment and let me know!

Correction: For some reason, I entered the wrong date.  Kristen Simmons will be appearing on March 7th, not the 6th.  That'll teach me to write posts after a migraine.  In any case, the date has now been corrected.

Image & description from Goodreads.

About the Book:

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.