Status
Checked out
Due 22-11-2023
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Blooomsbury (2009)
Description
In a future England where young people, or "Surpluses," are heavily regulated and everyone takes a drug called Longevity, a member of the Underground infiltrates the Pincent Pharma manufacturing plant, and uncovers horrific acts being committed in an attempt to create eternal youth.
User reviews
LibraryThing member kArLy_brwn
Really good book, very detailed and with scientific thought behind it. But where they find out the new Longevity is coming from, is disgusting. I found it really hard to finish after that point.
LibraryThing member lenoreva
THE DECLARATION and its sequel THE RESISTANCE are set in a world where a longevity drug has been developed that essentially lets people live forever. Sounds great at first - until you realize that if no one dies and people keep having children, population growth explodes and there just aren’t
THE DECLARATION followed the story of a 15 year old girl, Anna, who was born illegally to parents who signed the declaration, was caught and then sent to a surplus hall to work off her debt to society. It was a fascinating introduction to this dystopian world, and even though plotwise it didn't completely satisfy, it was thought provoking and introduced a couple of really well-rounded characters.
THE RESISTANCE seems to exist solely to make the dangers of immortality at a societal level excruciatingly clear. While a drug like Longevity is of course an amazing breakthrough for the individual, it is poised to be the ultimate destroyer of mankind, as society needs a continuous cycle of youth for its renewal. Without that renewal – a culture grows stagnant, the people brittle and egocentric.
While these are certainly interesting ideas to explore, the execution is very uneven. Every adult not in the resistance (with one notable exception) is portrayed as irredeemably selfish and heartless. The resistance claims that mankind’s only hope is in the few teens, like Anna and her friend Peter, who haven’t been seduced by Longevity – but the plot does these teens a great disservice by demanding that they do stupid things. Fortunately for them, the adults do stupid things too, and in the end it’s just luck and coincidence that determines everyone’s fate. I probably don’t have to tell you how frustrating that is at a narrative level.
A third book in the series THE REVELATION is set for an October 2010 release. I'm almost fed up enough not to even bother, except that the teaser summary is so enticing: "It appears Longevity isn't working and the drugs promising eternal youth are failing to live up to their promises. A virus is sweeping the country, killing in its wake, and Longevity is powerless to fight it." Maybe death is just the thing to bring new life to this concept.
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enough resources to go around. That’s why everyone who takes longevity drugs must sign a declaration saying that they will not have children. THE DECLARATION followed the story of a 15 year old girl, Anna, who was born illegally to parents who signed the declaration, was caught and then sent to a surplus hall to work off her debt to society. It was a fascinating introduction to this dystopian world, and even though plotwise it didn't completely satisfy, it was thought provoking and introduced a couple of really well-rounded characters.
THE RESISTANCE seems to exist solely to make the dangers of immortality at a societal level excruciatingly clear. While a drug like Longevity is of course an amazing breakthrough for the individual, it is poised to be the ultimate destroyer of mankind, as society needs a continuous cycle of youth for its renewal. Without that renewal – a culture grows stagnant, the people brittle and egocentric.
While these are certainly interesting ideas to explore, the execution is very uneven. Every adult not in the resistance (with one notable exception) is portrayed as irredeemably selfish and heartless. The resistance claims that mankind’s only hope is in the few teens, like Anna and her friend Peter, who haven’t been seduced by Longevity – but the plot does these teens a great disservice by demanding that they do stupid things. Fortunately for them, the adults do stupid things too, and in the end it’s just luck and coincidence that determines everyone’s fate. I probably don’t have to tell you how frustrating that is at a narrative level.
A third book in the series THE REVELATION is set for an October 2010 release. I'm almost fed up enough not to even bother, except that the teaser summary is so enticing: "It appears Longevity isn't working and the drugs promising eternal youth are failing to live up to their promises. A virus is sweeping the country, killing in its wake, and Longevity is powerless to fight it." Maybe death is just the thing to bring new life to this concept.
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LibraryThing member Cats_Critters
This is the sequel to The Declaration and starts out shortly afterwords. Amma and Peter are now no longer surplus but legals and taking care of Amma's brother Ben. Everyone sees them as outcasts or mistakes. But there is more challenges to come.
My rating for this book bounced around the whole book
My rating for this book bounced around the whole book
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at points it was going to be 2 stars, then 3 stars, then 4 stars, and then back again. It took me a bit to get a "feel" for the characters, which might be caused by me not reading Declaration resonantly. At times I wanted to yell at them at times for being so stupid and at times I was touched by their love for one another. So I went with the highest rating I had while reading it. Show Less
LibraryThing member emleemay
Look, I really enjoyed this book, probably even more than the first one when I got into it but the author went and did exactly the same thing again... created a happy ending.
It's annoying me. Both books follow the same format of Problem > Panic > Solution > The End. I finished the first book
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thinking "hey, that was a really original story" but I only half-heartedly purchased the second one because the first one had ended with both Anna and Peter alive, well and no longer on the run. There is no "oh my god, I must know what happens next" and Gemma Malley went and did it again with the second in the series.But, aside from that fact, I am completely in love with this dystopia that Gemma Malley has created. Anna was far more bearable in this book than the last, and I liked the twist in the story (that I'm obviously not going to give away and ruin for other readers). It employed some crazily good elements of mystery, horror and science-fiction; it also made me sure that I would be getting the next book in the series, even if the ending didn't call urgently for it.
So, yeah, overall it was a really good read. But next time, I demand cliffhangers.
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LibraryThing member Marlene-NL
Another good read but contrary to most reviewers I liked book 1 better. I did enjoy the story and do not understand why these books are not more known. Lots of action in book 2. I did question what happened to the good old doctor. All off a sudden he had a change of heart? but if you do not notice
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those little things you will enjoy this series. 3.5 Show Less
LibraryThing member Mirandalg14
I didn't like this one as much as the first, but maybe because it's been so long since I read the first one I was missing things that were happening.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2008-09-02
Physical description
5.08 inches
ISBN
0747587728 / 9780747587729