Book Title: Breaking Point
Author: Kristen Simmons
Series: Article 5 #2
Series: Article 5 #2
Date Started: August 20th 2013
Date Completed: August 22nd 2013
Genres: Dystopian, Thriller, Action, Romance, Mystery, Adventure
Rating: Four stars
Review:
I really love Kristen Simmon's dystopian world, and I think the characters and story work wonderfully in it. But to be honest I'm a little indifferent about the progress and development of the plot in Breaking Point. It was perfectly good and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as exciting as the first book, and I don't feel like an awful lot happened.
Breaking Point continues Ember and Chase's story now that they're with the Resistance. But even after being accepted into the ranks of the rebels, Ember still feels unwelcome in this strange new place, and the rule that she stays inside is starting to become to much for her to handle. But when a sniper starts shootings all over the country, and suspicion turns towards her, she and Chase realise that their safety is questionable even with their supposed allies. They have two options: stay and help the Resistance despite their wavering loyalty; or escape and leave Ember's old friend at the hands of the MM after promising to save her...
I get along well with Simmons' writing. It's easy to read, and I can get through it quickly. It's also got a great narrative that I can connect with, and Ember's character is easily believable and a generally interesting point of view. The action is always great and engaging, and the description is good enough for the purposes of the book.
There's nothing that stands out for me about the writing style really, which puzzles me because I recall finding something special in Article 5. Maybe my preferences have changed, or perhaps Breaking Point just isn't on the same level as her first novel. (I still enjoyed it, so I can't really complain.)
The story was okay. I don't think it was as good as the first book because, although the characters definitely went on a journey, facing various complications at each stage, the variety wasn't really there in what happened and where they went. I understand that after joining the Resistance, Ember and Chase's options were slightly narrowed as to where they could go and what they could do, but this unfortunately meant I wasn't as engaged for a lot of the book. (For example, they basically travelled from one 'safe house' - none of which were in the least bit safe - and then got attacked, or bombed, or threatened etc etc.)
However. I thought the long-runnning plot twist of having to rescue Rebecca from the MM was very good, and really needed to keep the whole story together. There needed to be a goal for Ember - otherwise she really would have just been running from one place to another for no purpose. I admit, I wasn't exactly thrilled with this, because I hadn't connected with Rebecca well in the first book, but at least it was this ending target that kept something for them to do when they'd finished their latest brush with death.
The characters were good, but I only felt close to the ones that stuck around - as is to be expected - but there weren't exactly that many of them...
I really like Ember. She's a good female protagonist. Again, I feel like she was slightly better in the first book, but she was still realistic enough to me, and I think she's a very brave and clever girl. I really like the relationships she builds up with people, even though she can be reckless and mean sometimes. She's a nice variation (not individual, mind) of the typical female lead. (Ember can also actually look after herself, which always gets my approval.)
Chase is a great male interest. I loved him the first book, still love him now. I think he had a little less flare this time, but he was still great. I think, just because we know him a little bit more already in this book, his mysterious appeal lowered a bit - if you know a lot about someone they aren't as mysterious, are they? But he was still great.
I love Sean. I think he kind of took over Chase's role for me, because I constantly wanted to know more about him. This happens a lot with me and series': I like one character, pay them loads of attention and then, by the next book, I have to switch to a different character because I've found out everything there is to know about the first one.
I love Billy to death. He's adorable, and his relationship with Ember is really sweet. He was very realistic for me, and I'm glad someone a lot younger than the other characters was included, so we could see the different effects it had. (Spoiler - kind of) I think of him as Ember and Chase's adopted son.
I actually really like Tucker. I know he's the bad guy and everything, but I think he's a great character and he's really good in this book, especially. I loved his role in the novel, but I felt like he could have been made out as more of a hero by the end. Instead he gets a small nod and then kind of fades into the background. Maybe he'll turn up in the next book to kick some ass, I don't know.
I really don't like Cara. I have a feeling she's supposed to be one of those characters that grows on you or turns out to be nicer behind their walls or whatever, but I don't really feel like that happened. I didn't like her at any point, and frankly she pissed me off for the majority of her screen time.
I can't remember being particularly overwhelmed by Rebecca's character in the second book, which did make it harder to want the group to do well and find her. This uncertain feeling was definitely present again here, but I don't really hate her. I just don't really like her too much either.
Marco and Polo just have awesome names and were a really good duo. I want them to reappear in the last book please.
The pace was a little weak for me. Ironically because it never really stopped. There were points of down-time, but they didn't last very long and they were usually interrupted, or very closely followed, by really fast action or dangerous scenes. There's not a whole lot wrong with this, but due to the story type, I would have liked the quieter moments to have been given a little more detail.
At the end of the day, Breaking Point is an action thriller, so I can't really criticise it for never stopping. It just took some of the effect out of the climaxes and made the slower, more meaningful bits a little more insignificant.
I would recommend Breaking Point to anyone who likes action thrillers, dystopians, romance, crime. It's a really good read, and enjoyable, just not as great as the first one in my opinion. Definitely read Article 5 first, or very little will make sense and loads of spoilers will be revealed if you decide to then go back to the first book.
Image Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13188615-breaking-point?from_search=true
I really love Kristen Simmon's dystopian world, and I think the characters and story work wonderfully in it. But to be honest I'm a little indifferent about the progress and development of the plot in Breaking Point. It was perfectly good and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as exciting as the first book, and I don't feel like an awful lot happened.
Breaking Point continues Ember and Chase's story now that they're with the Resistance. But even after being accepted into the ranks of the rebels, Ember still feels unwelcome in this strange new place, and the rule that she stays inside is starting to become to much for her to handle. But when a sniper starts shootings all over the country, and suspicion turns towards her, she and Chase realise that their safety is questionable even with their supposed allies. They have two options: stay and help the Resistance despite their wavering loyalty; or escape and leave Ember's old friend at the hands of the MM after promising to save her...
I get along well with Simmons' writing. It's easy to read, and I can get through it quickly. It's also got a great narrative that I can connect with, and Ember's character is easily believable and a generally interesting point of view. The action is always great and engaging, and the description is good enough for the purposes of the book.
There's nothing that stands out for me about the writing style really, which puzzles me because I recall finding something special in Article 5. Maybe my preferences have changed, or perhaps Breaking Point just isn't on the same level as her first novel. (I still enjoyed it, so I can't really complain.)
The story was okay. I don't think it was as good as the first book because, although the characters definitely went on a journey, facing various complications at each stage, the variety wasn't really there in what happened and where they went. I understand that after joining the Resistance, Ember and Chase's options were slightly narrowed as to where they could go and what they could do, but this unfortunately meant I wasn't as engaged for a lot of the book. (For example, they basically travelled from one 'safe house' - none of which were in the least bit safe - and then got attacked, or bombed, or threatened etc etc.)
However. I thought the long-runnning plot twist of having to rescue Rebecca from the MM was very good, and really needed to keep the whole story together. There needed to be a goal for Ember - otherwise she really would have just been running from one place to another for no purpose. I admit, I wasn't exactly thrilled with this, because I hadn't connected with Rebecca well in the first book, but at least it was this ending target that kept something for them to do when they'd finished their latest brush with death.
The characters were good, but I only felt close to the ones that stuck around - as is to be expected - but there weren't exactly that many of them...
I really like Ember. She's a good female protagonist. Again, I feel like she was slightly better in the first book, but she was still realistic enough to me, and I think she's a very brave and clever girl. I really like the relationships she builds up with people, even though she can be reckless and mean sometimes. She's a nice variation (not individual, mind) of the typical female lead. (Ember can also actually look after herself, which always gets my approval.)
Chase is a great male interest. I loved him the first book, still love him now. I think he had a little less flare this time, but he was still great. I think, just because we know him a little bit more already in this book, his mysterious appeal lowered a bit - if you know a lot about someone they aren't as mysterious, are they? But he was still great.
I love Sean. I think he kind of took over Chase's role for me, because I constantly wanted to know more about him. This happens a lot with me and series': I like one character, pay them loads of attention and then, by the next book, I have to switch to a different character because I've found out everything there is to know about the first one.
I love Billy to death. He's adorable, and his relationship with Ember is really sweet. He was very realistic for me, and I'm glad someone a lot younger than the other characters was included, so we could see the different effects it had. (Spoiler - kind of) I think of him as Ember and Chase's adopted son.
I actually really like Tucker. I know he's the bad guy and everything, but I think he's a great character and he's really good in this book, especially. I loved his role in the novel, but I felt like he could have been made out as more of a hero by the end. Instead he gets a small nod and then kind of fades into the background. Maybe he'll turn up in the next book to kick some ass, I don't know.
I really don't like Cara. I have a feeling she's supposed to be one of those characters that grows on you or turns out to be nicer behind their walls or whatever, but I don't really feel like that happened. I didn't like her at any point, and frankly she pissed me off for the majority of her screen time.
I can't remember being particularly overwhelmed by Rebecca's character in the second book, which did make it harder to want the group to do well and find her. This uncertain feeling was definitely present again here, but I don't really hate her. I just don't really like her too much either.
Marco and Polo just have awesome names and were a really good duo. I want them to reappear in the last book please.
The pace was a little weak for me. Ironically because it never really stopped. There were points of down-time, but they didn't last very long and they were usually interrupted, or very closely followed, by really fast action or dangerous scenes. There's not a whole lot wrong with this, but due to the story type, I would have liked the quieter moments to have been given a little more detail.
At the end of the day, Breaking Point is an action thriller, so I can't really criticise it for never stopping. It just took some of the effect out of the climaxes and made the slower, more meaningful bits a little more insignificant.
I would recommend Breaking Point to anyone who likes action thrillers, dystopians, romance, crime. It's a really good read, and enjoyable, just not as great as the first one in my opinion. Definitely read Article 5 first, or very little will make sense and loads of spoilers will be revealed if you decide to then go back to the first book.
Image Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13188615-breaking-point?from_search=true
No comments:
Post a Comment