Review : Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Breaking Point (Article 5 Series #2)
Author : Kristen Simmons
Publication Date : February 12th 2013
Publisher : Tor Teen
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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?


Personal Thoughts

Kristen Simmons' Article 5 was one of my first dystopian novels. It was bleak, dark and left me emotionally scarred. I was a little hesitant to start the second installment of the series in fear of it suffering from middle book syndrome, but Breaking Point turned out to be even better than the first book and it's like Kristen Simmons doesn't even know what middle-book syndrome is.

Both main characters, Ember and Chase, went through hell in the first book and all that was taking a toll on them. In Breaking Point, you see how battered these two characters were and although they both refused to show the world how they truly felt on the inside, it was there in their actions. Ember, especially, was still battling with so much grief that my heart actually hurt for her. All she wanted to do was give up, in a sense and her feelings of despair seeped out of her thoughts. It hurt to see her go through so much pain, but Ember wasn't a weak girl by any means. She might have been a little soft at the beginning of the series, but her experiences had hardened her. When she had to, she channeled all her grief into saving the people that she loves and cares for. Despite that, Ember wasn't flawless. She made mistakes, especially because she was a little impulsive, but her intentions behind every action of hers were good. Over the course of the book, with the help of Chase, she realized that she wasn't alone and that she hadn't lost everything, but it did take some time for her to grow, which was completely acceptable to me. Chase, too, was fighting with sorrow and pain, but at the same time, he was also facing strong feelings of guilt from the events in the first book. He was one of those guys who was reserved and mostly kept his emotions to himself, but through Ember's eyes we realize how broken he truly was. Every single time something bad would happen to these characters, my heart would break. These two were so courageous and handled every hurdle with. They never crumbled to pieces when they faced obstacle after obstacle. If I were in their place, I would give up, because let's face it, I'm far from strong. The secondary characters, more specifically Sean and Tucker, were as well-fleshed out as the main characters. Sean was the sweet guy fighting to get back his girlfriend from the evil hands of the government and his determination and willpower made him stand out among these characters. He was one of those supporting characters you can't help but love. Now, Tucker, on the other hand, was a mystery to me throughout the entire series for me. The reader did get glimpses at his character throughout this book, but he was cloaked in so many secrets and mysteries, it was hard for me to determine whether he was a good guy or not. This air of mystery surrounding him was what made him a fascinatingly complex character that I wanted to figure out.

Through Ember and Chase's adventures in Breaking Point, the world-building became clearer. The haze surrounding the FBR and the Resistance slowly started to evaporate and I felt like I gained a better understanding of it and I realized how somber this oppressive the world in this series is. The plot was full of action from the first page to the last. It was full of running and chasing and it pretty much left me breathless. I will admit that it took me some time to fully get into the book because I couldn't remember much of the events from Article 5. (I personally think every sequel needs an introduction with a recap of the main events that happened in the first book, especially if the book takes a year to come out. It would be helpful to the readers, in my opinion) Once I slowly started to remember what happened though, I was completely immersed in the book. The romance in Breaking Point is also worth mentioning. No love triangle, no unnecessary drama. It only consisted of two people who loved each other so much that they were living for each other. Ember and Chase were pillars to each other and they always supported each other no matter what. Although the book was for the most part, depressing, the tender moments between Chase and Ember brought some light into this dark world. Simmons took me on a ride with this book and her writing was as stunning as ever. Just when I thought there might be some hope for Chase and Ember, she crushed those feelings. I was emotionally drained after this book and if you think you'll have even a small moment to sigh in relief, you're wrong. I can't wait to see what she has in store for readers in the next book although I have to say, it's with a heavy heart.

Breaking Point was one fantastic sequel that's worth the read. The introduction to some major revelations in this book will have you itching for the next book, which is scheduled to be released in February 2014. If you haven't started this series yet, trust me when I say that you're truly missing out!

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 5/5
Writing : 5/5

**Overall Rating : 4.5/5**