Three by Kristen
Simmons
I first started reading the Article 5 series by Kristen Simmons because my dear friend Hannah
recommended it. At that point, only the first book was published. Since then, I
have read each book as it came out. I recently finished the third novel in the
trilogy, Three.
The Article 5 series
is yet another in the long line of recent dystopian trilogies (Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.) to swamp
the market. While the book does belong in my category of guilty
pleasure/non-intellectual reading, I think it is very good (and I would remind
friends that I place Austen, Bronte, and Arthur Conan Doyle in the same
category).
The basic plot of the series is that the United States
survived some war and the new government has taken over in such a way that
limits and endangers the rights of most citizens (as in all dystopian novels of
late). This particular new government is set up to mimic the old US government
that we know and love, but in reality has very little in common. The government
has taken on a religious identity, using moral codes (the articles referenced
in the title) to control the population. Of course, like all such regimes, the
religious quality is a sham and the leaders of the government care little for
morality.
The articles take our Christian moral codes to an extreme
that fly in the face of anything Christians should want to stand for. All those
who do not follow the moral codes are either murdered (in the case of adults)
or taken to a reform school (as Ember is when she is found to be a child
conceived out of wedlock). There seems to be no justice in this new government.
In Three, Ember
finds out much more about the rebel movement she learned about in the second
novel, Breaking Point. The reader
also finally is given some idea and background to understand what happened to
make this government able to take over. Some might say that this last novel was
Simmons’ way of saving her series (many critics said her world lacked substance
because there was no history given to explain the current state of things). I,
however, enjoyed the series thoroughly.
I would recommend that readers who find Article 5 less than satisfactory continue reading the rest of the
series. Simmons’ writing might have been wanting in the first of the series,
but by Three she has learned more
about her craft. And, the most annoying part of Article 5 (the incessant whining and love-sickness of the young
couple, Chase and Ember) has transformed into something that resembles a
healthy relationship.
As with other dystopian novels, the criticisms of society
found in the Article 5 series are well
placed. Simmons reminds us that good things when taken to an extreme turn bad
quite quickly.
I give both Three and
the series as a whole a 3. I definitely recommend this series when you are
looking for something that is interesting and a page-turner, but not overly
taxing on the brain (the emotions are another story). I don’t recommend it when
you are looking for something happy and simple! Like all dystopian novels,
there is no way for a truly happy ending.
Kaitlyn’s Star Guide:
0 stars: Don’t
read it. A waste of your time. Worse than Twilight.
1 star: Read only
if you’re very tired and desperate for something to read. Will probably rot
your brain if you read it too much.
2 stars: Good for what it is or not my taste.
3 stars: Decent
book and worth reading, but not earth-shaking, much less earth-shattering.
4 stars: Really
good, definitely something I will re-read sometime. Earth Shaking.
5 stars: Earth
Shattering. Every single human being should read this. It should be required
for citizenship of the world. Seriously. Why aren’t you reading it yet? LIFE
CHANGING.