Review: Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons

Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons

Article 5 #2

Release Date: February 12^th, 2013

Number of Pages: 400

Publisher: Tor Teen

Source: ARC from Raincoast Books

GR - Amazon - BD - Chapters

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?

When I got my hands on Breaking Point, I was really excited to be able to sink back into the world Kristen Simmons had created. I have to say, it was extremely easy to get back into the story started in Article 5. I felt like I had read Article 5 minutes before starting Breaking Point, even if I had actually read it last year. The way it is written, it is easy to be reminded of what happened before.

One of my favorite things about this series was seriously the world in which the story takes place. In Article 5, we learned a lot about the world, about the past, and about the articles controlling the life of the characters. In Breaking Point, we learn more about what really happens in the world, and this is something I really appreciated, especially since it was well included in the story. I never felt like the information was forced on us. It was always nicely included in the story. Dystopian novels are one of kind of novels you can never have enough background information.

In Breaking Point, we follow once again Ember and Chase. The relationship between those two isn’t getting easier, and have to say there is little romance in this one, which I liked, despite loving those two together. After all, romance isn’t the priority when you’re fighting for your life. Ember is getting stronger each novel, and she isn’t afraid to fight for herself and those she cares about. She wants to do her part, even if Chase is often overprotective and would rather have her stay safe behind. We also see Chase under a different light in this book, as he is haunted by his past. This showed how much those two need each other. Their interaction was really one of my favorite parts of the novel, with the world.

Article 5 and Breaking Point are books I definitely would recommend to fans of dystopian. It’s a series I think deserve a lot more love than it has received. Those who have read and loved Article 5 will be more than please with its sequel. Breaking Point was a strong sequel that will leave you wanting more. I already can’t wait to read what will happen next.

About The Author

From NetGalley

Kristen Simmons has a master’s degree in social work and is an advocate for mental health. She loves Jazzercise, her husband, and her precious greyhound, Rudy. Also chocolate. She currently lives in Tampa, Florida.

Her Website

Her Twitter

The Trailer