Kristen Simmons’ “Article 5“ couldn’t satisfy us with a happy colorful bloom of a plot that ended sweetly, or grant us a plot that spiraled down a dark path to a tragic, bitter ending. Instead it rolls along a boundless insipid road of white noise. Transparent language, perpetual repetition, originality and predictability were far too apparent in this novel.“Article 5” is appropriate for a more juvenile age group than High school Juniors, due to Simmons’ use of finite vocabulary. Given the novel’s lack of cultivated sentence structure and word choice, I disfavor having it as a required read for the English 363 curriculum. Often times when a book’s story revolves around a dystopian government and the quandary that arises from it, the novel may be chosen to be read in a U.S History course. However, Simmons doesn't care to tie in the dystopias of our government in anyway for it to be of educational value in the curriculum of that course either. Repetitive language consumed the majority of what I read was highly repetitive; the narratorand character the novel focuses on, Ember Miller, recapitulated the same general ideas each time the reader came across a description of her thoughts. Simmons’ plot is exceedingly typical and predictable. Reading this novel, the resemblance it has to the Young Adult Series “The Hunger Games” was hard to overlook. 2012 Teen Book Choice Award winner, Suzanne Collins, wrote this action-permeated series that has a similar plot to “Article 5“. Despite their affinity, Collins managed to keep the plot beguiling enough to captivate people of all ages. Both works have two main characters who are in love with each other and together they rebel against the abominated dystopian government. Simmons has difficulty to swaying from predictability whilst using this plot. Still, Collins put a twist to this potentially humdrum plot by bringing Katniss and Peeta’s suspenseful journey to protecting each other through the Hunger Games. Simmons didn’t put a successful spin on this plot-- instead she prolonged Ember and Chase’s monotonous adventure down the insipid road of white noise.Despite Simmons’s horrendous plot in “Article 5“, some aspects of the novel presents a sharpened side to her writing. Simmons successfully used three strategies in her writing: character development, change in typography, and to use sensory details. List,Simmons’ character development strategy was successful; giving the reader a thorough description of each character as their first impression of them. Our class discussed how providing the reader with a memorable first impression of characters can keep their interest. These descriptions brought a detailed picture of the character into my mind, allowing for an overall successful reading experience. Change in typography adds drama, tension,and suspense to a piece of writing. Rebecca explains to Ember what took effect when Katelyn tried to escape the rehab center. “One girl did, right after I got here. She made it over the fence and into the woods, but it was snowing so badly she died of hypothermia. Brock made the soldiers bring her body into the cafeteria to show us what would happen if we tried to run away. She was all black and blue and…” (Pg. 79). In this case, the typography Simmons used is an ellipsis. Simmons used the ellipsis to exemplify the discomfort Ember felt towards the scene she saw, and the resistance to accepting what she saw. Simmons’ use of the ellipsis made “Article 5” into a more dynamic piece. Simmons also used events that changed the relationship between two characters, Rebecca and Ember. These two characters always clashed, however, they became more accustomed to each other as their connection to a soldier grew. Simmons’ decision to make connections between characters and furnish the reader with a surprise as we enter the rising action of this story was crafty, and motivated me to continue reading in hopes to find another surprise. This moment is captured when Ember is explaining to the reader what this connection with Rebecca is like. “On the fifth night, I even told her about Chase. I don’t know why. Maybe because she too loved a soldier, or maybe because I felt the need to reciprocate some private piece of my life to her” (Pg. 83).Lastly, Simmons used remarkable sensory details to enhance her readers’ reading experience. Ember was being punished for lying to the authority, doubling over in pain. “I’d fallen to my knees, my tingling hands still pinned to the table. I tried to speak but no words came out. I gaped at the faces of the girls around the room, who refused to meet my eyes. Even Rebecca was now staring into her lap” (pg. 62). The sensory details “Article 5” is comprised with brings the reader into the perspective of Simmons’ characters at a new level. I could almost feel the excruciating everlasting pain the soldiers brought upon Ember. The plot takes place in the United States of America with the Bill of Rights revoked and replaced with the Moral Statutes. The main character Ember, who is only 17, describes her life after the war and the capture of her rebellious single mother. Ember has always taken care of her mother and now she does things that she can hardly believe in order to rescue her. What makes things worse is her boyfriend has joined the Moral Militia and was the driver of the van who came to her house where the soldiers arrested her mother for violation of the Moral Statutes, Section 2, Article 5, Part A revised, pertaining to children conceived out of wedlock. Should Ember be worried about being arrested as well, or can she stay out of the reach of the Moral Militia? The plot thickens and takes twist and turns. This is a thought provoking book that will make you wonder how you would react is our Bill of Rights was revoked.
What do You think about Artikel 5 (2013)?
Yes, another dystopian novel, but so, so good. It's a twist I haven't seen.
—Chesslover2000
Great YA book! Will definitely read the next in series
—graciem2001
