The year is 2140. Having escaped the horrors of Grange Hall, Peter and Anna are living freely on the Outside, trying hard to lead normal lives, but unable to leave the terror of the Declaration — and their experiences as surpluses — completely behind them.
Peter is determined to infiltrate Pharma Corporation, which claims to have a new drug in the works; "Longevity+" will not just stop the ravages of old age, it is rumored to reverse the aging process. But what Peter and Anna discover behind the walls of Pharma is so nightmarish it makes the prison of their childhood seem like a sanctuary: for in order to supply Pharma with the building blocks for Longevity+, scientists will need to harvest it from the young.
Shocking, controversial, and frighteningly topical, this sequel to Gemma Malley’s stellar debut novel, The Declaration, will take the conversation about ethics and science to the next level.
Review:
I was very excited to read The Resistance as I enjoyed the first book, The Declaration. In The Resistance, Anna and Peter are finally in a position where they can enjoy some freedom as they have become legal through a tragic event at the end of the first book.
Though Anna and Peter are living together and are both legal now, Peter still wants change and is therefore still working for the Underground. For this reason, he works as a spy when he goes to work for his grandfather whom he hates. His grandfather, Richard Pincent, offers him the job at Pincent Pharma and wants to make amends with Peter.
Anna, meanwhile, is busy raising her baby brother in the hostile neighbourbood and finds it hard to make friends or acquaintances. No one seems to like the sight of the young. One day, a woman approaches her and they become friends. Anna believes that she is different.
The Resistance was an enjoyable book to read, but I found it slow and frustrating because of the lack of communication between Anna and Peter. The story is told in alternating viewpoints between Anna, Peter and a new character, Jude. Their seperate storylines come together very nicely for the finale.
Jude was an interesting new character but I found what he did on a day-to-day basis-hacking into big companies' networks- somewhat unbelievable as he was sixteen years old and self-taught.
Some aspects of the storyline and the characters' questions and dilemmas were repeated throughout the book. I thought a lot of the problems would have been solved if only Anna and Peter communicated with each other more. The honeymoon period was definitely over in this book.
The story picks up pace towards the end and there were some shocking truths revealed which I felt horrified by. Overall, I did enjoy The Resistance. Though it wasn't as strong as its predecessor- The Declaration, it was still a thought-provoking story.
The story definitely gets more interesting towards the end and I looked forward to reading the last book in the trilogy, The Legacy. If you enjoyed The Declaration, I would recommend you continue. Furthermore, if you enjoy the dystopian genre and questions on ethics, you should pick this one up.
(Okay, I read this about three months ago so forgive me if the review's not that good:)
(Okay, I read this about three months ago so forgive me if the review's not that good:)
Rating: 3.5/5
Concept: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Author: Gemma Malley
This review is part of Dystopian February at Presenting Lenore.
