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Article 5 by Kristen Simmons It's the near future, and after a devastating 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 - rules to live by with no exceptions. Practicing religions outside of Christianity is a punishable offense. Romance novels are outlawed. There are no luxuries.
Seventeen year old Ember comes home after school one day and finds soldiers from the Federal Bureau of Reformation on her doorstep. Ember's single mother is found of violating Article 5 - having a child out of wedlock - and she and Ember must be rehabilitated. The two are separated and Ember is taken to the equivalent of a prison camp, full of other girls just like her - illegitimate children and juvenile "article offenders" alike. Under the sadistic watch of a twisted headmistress who has the muscle of the Moral Militia soldiers behind her, Ember knows she must escape and find her mother. But when Chase, her ex-boyfriend (himself a Moral Militia soldier), comes to rescue Ember, their hardships are just beginning. Can she trust Chase, or is the boy she loved dead and gone? Article 5 is a frustrating book. One the one hand, I do enjoy the dystopian mindset. Article 5 is a terrifying glimpse at an entirely possible future America, ravaged by war and turning to religious zeal and militant patriotism. The love story between Chase and Ember held my interest too. But Ember's emotional angst drove me crazy! At two points in the story, Ember (idiotically) runs away from Chase - the boy that has risked his life, his reputation, his career solely to save her. Ember knows that Chase is trying to help her but she runs away from the him. TWICE. The motivations for her initial mistrust of Chase make sense, but what doesn't add up is the continued distrust. For the longest time, the two characters never even TALK about their feelings or relationship, making the romance between them feel like a prolonged plot device. There is a strong message in the end of the book that women are not always the weaker sex - that girls can be strong and independent - but it took ages for Ember to be that heroine. Her character spent much of the novel feeling sorry for herself, living with her head in the sand, and letting others take care of her. Thankfully she does redeem herself. Ultimately, there were things I liked about the book - notably the critique of sexism, religious zeal, and aggressive militarism - but these high points were dwarfed by the massive missteps in terms of plot and characterization. There are far better dystopian novels on the library shelves, but if this the the genre for you, it may still be worth your time.
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