Review: Article 5

Article 5

by Kristen Simmons

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Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Tor Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopian
Source: Requested from Publicist
Special: 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

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The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.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

Beth and Ryan were holding hands. It was enough to risk a formal citation for indecency, and they knew better, but I didn't say anything...

Kristen Simmons gifts us a tale full of heart and insight; the emotion in Article 5 is so incredibly palpable! Simmons gradually and skillfully invites us into her characters' minds and feelings so that they feel beautifully human, spinning this connection that is overwhelming and genuine. The world of Article 5 instantly becomes our own, inciting fear in us for what may happen down the road to our own country. Is it possible that the United States could morph into such a terrible place as the one described in the book? There are so many well-written ties to history, a play at what might have been had the events of our ancestors' time unfolded differently. A harsh alternative universe is portrayed in this story, in which women must be subservient men, children born of wedlock need to be rehabilitated, and young men are ripped and pulled apart to create a new terrifying, heartless soldier. As we enter this redesigned U.S., we evidently see how rapidly reforms and fresh statutes are created, punishing the most miniscule error and no one is left unscathed. Article 5 brings back the horrors of old and exposes us to them so that they no longer seem like flat, inaccessible stories found in a heartless textbook.

Immediately the action kicks up, taking us first into the bleak reality of Ember's life, where teenage couples can't even hold hands without seeming reckless, then shoving us into the jarring arrest of her rebellious, though sweet mother. Reading as Ember is brutally torn away from the other half of what makes up her family sparks throat-clogging sympathy in us, leaving us devastated for a relatively newly introduced character. Matters only continue to worsen as the boy she once loved is forced to take part in the arrest. The sense of crushing betrayal engulfs us as Ember is shockingly turned against by the one other person she had always believed she could trust.

What stands out about Ember is her driving desperation. The frantic need to escape her consequent prison, to free her mother from wherever the cruel 'Moral Militia' has taken this woman so crucial to her life. Although she makes almost impulsive decisions to reach her goals, getting back to her mother is priority. As she progresses through the story, however, it becomes clear that she realizes her mother isn't the only important one, that her poorly thought-out methods can cause inifinitely more damaging effects, and it was a painful, though necessary internal journey to witness. As if that alone isn't enough for her to deal with, she must now also face the inescapable feelings constantly fighting to surface whenever she is near Chase, the boy she loved and lost. Not knowing what Chase's motives are was a tough thing to endure, but as we receive vital flashbacks into Ember's memory of him, he proves, between his actions of then and now, that he can be trusted. And rekindling their heartachingly lovely relationship isn't a distant possibility any longer, especially when faced with this changed Chase who goes to extraordinary measures to protect her, who wants her to return to him but is endearingly unsure of how to make that happen.

Article 5 would especially appeal to fans of Delirium and Shatter Me, not only through their shared threads of dystopian world-building but through the remarkable actions of the characters and their urgency in escaping these crooked worlds they find themselves in. I will have my ear firmly glued to the ground, on the lookout for any news of the sequel, which is deeply desired despite the wonderful non-cliffhanger ending. There is such heartbreaking beauty in the Simmons' words, her world, but most exceptionally the lovable characters she masterfully established in this fast-paced, gripping novel!

"He's not really a monster, anyway," I said [in reference to Frankenstein]. "It's everyone else that makes him that way because he's different. It's sad, you know? How people can tear you down like that. How you try to do the right thing but you just can't."
[Chase] tilted his head, eyes peering deep inside of me in a way that made me feel exposed, like I'd never really been seen before, yet the same time safe, like he'd never tell a soul what he'd found. His fingers laced with mine.
"It sounds lonely," he said. (234)

Review: The Faerie Ring

The Faerie Ring

by Kiki Hamilton

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Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Tor Teen/Macmillan
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Library Check-Out
Rating: Sud-Kissed
About the Book:

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty...

"You wouldn’t be here pickin’ pockets, would you?" Tiki jumped as the dark figure loomed over the corner where she sat, pretending to be half-asleep.

I would label The Faerie Ring as intricate, with so many pieces being interwoven into this dark, suspenseful story. Some of those pieces worked for me and others didn't. I had two major reasons for being excited for this book: the first, FAERIES. In my list of Favorite Paranormals, faeries are located at the top of the list. And there's a reason for that. No, it's not just because these ethereally beautiful people sparkle. These magical creatures are tricky bastards, forever looking out for number one. I've yet to encounter a totally benevolent faerie in YA fiction, most inclining toward wonderfully dark and devious, and in that respect Hamilton definitely delivers. And what really had me jumping up and down in anticipation for this book was the setting. I can't get enough of Victorian London! While Hamilton clearly knew old London well by the time she started writing, I was disappointed because I was only exposed to a few key places. Nowhere eye-popping is invited into the book, sadly.

The Faerie Ring isn't nearly as mind-numbingly epic as I wanted it to be. The story is trapped in that in-between place where you're like, Oh, this is good! followed shortly after by, But... *blank* could've been better. I liked Hamilton's take on faeries, but I wanted them to have more of an appearance in the book! Especially since they are pretty much the main antagonists. Yet, the story focused elsewhere for a substantial chunk of it. The setting is well-written, but mostly portrays either London's "gritty" slums or the grand Buckingham Palace. I wanted much more! The rag-tag street orphans? They flitted between cute and worthy of sympathy to distant and dull. Small Review mentions that they are pretty much "stock cute orphan," and so it's hard to find any depth in these characters. What is there to like? I think, seriously, the only one that that didn't apply to was baby Clara, and it's because I'm a sucker for sickly little girls.

Tiki as a mother hen worked... to a point. On the one hand her protectiveness of her band of friends is endearing and likable, but... she's so confusing! One minute she's this Bad-Ass Thief and then the next minute she's doting on these kids as if they were her own. I liked one side of her personality more than the other. Aside from dressing up with her for the Grand Ball, my feelings toward Tiki flipped as much as her personality did. Rieker, on the other hand, as cheesy as it sounds, had me at "You wouldn’t be here pickin’ pockets, would you?" He's weirdly charming, laidback, with a perfect touch of the enigmatic. His mysterious past doesn't crush the plot, but instead makes you want to know more about him. If Hamilton had written this book as a dual perspective, Rieker's narrative would've so been my favorite.

By the end of the story I was thankful for the lack of instalove and cliffhangers, because, really? Aren't there enough out there already? Plus there's only a handful of authors I can think of who I know execute well what are now trite plot devices. However, this book didn't knock my socks off. There isn't anything remarkable about The Faerie Ring, nothing to cry over, SCREAM at, just plain no emotional response to dish out at all. A sweet closing and yummy simmering romance are obvious bonuses, but the fact that I couldn't conjure a single ounce of emotional distress or brimming joy after reading this book indicates that it isn't a very immersive or completely enjoyable read. I need more thrill, more edginess, just more, more, more, in order to be blown away with any of Hamilton's ensuing works.

"...And that they would attack those that matter most to me.” His eyes fell on hers, and Tiki once again felt as though he had embraced her. “At the time, I didn’t realize there would be anyone else they could take from me that would matter."
He reached up and ran a finger along her jaw, his eyes dark. "I can’t bear to lose anyone else," he whispered.