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The Resistance (The Declaration #2)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 3,078 ratings · 259 reviews

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...more

Hardcover, 323 pages

Published September 2nd 2008 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens (first published September 1st 2008)

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Nov 17, 2012 Maree rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-the-bookshelf, ya-future-dystopian, 2012-read, favourites-2012

“Your grandfather is doing his best to become the most fearsome deity that the world has ever known. A deity that feeds on nothing but power and greed. A deity that must be stopped, for all our sakes.”

The Resistance follows on from where The Declaration left off: Anna and Peter are living together, officially Legal, The Underground are working hard to bring down Pincent Pharma and Richard Picent is developing an even more terrifying plan to keep people young forever.

I spoke a lot about the world...more “Your grandfather is doing his best to become the most fearsome deity that the world has ever known. A deity that feeds on nothing but power and greed. A deity that must be stopped, for all our sakes.”

The Resistance follows on from where The Declaration left off: Anna and Peter are living together, officially Legal, The Underground are working hard to bring down Pincent Pharma and Richard Picent is developing an even more terrifying plan to keep people young forever.

I spoke a lot about the world-building in my review of The Declaration; this novel reinforces that suffocating atmosphere and amplifies it through Peter’s experiences inside Pincent Pharma. It was fascinating to see the inner workings of the company and was the perfect setting for some shocking revelations. It will be interesting to see how these revelations affect Peter and Anna in the final installment of the series.

Although multiple points of view weren’t used extensively throughout the first novel, they were used very effectively. I really enjoyed seeing the points of view expanded in this novel, as the audience is introduced to more and more characters who will play an important part in the final book.

The Resistance was another, fast-paced, mysterious and thrilling read, as was its predecessor, The Declaration. The second novel allows for greater character development and world building, introducing some fascinating new characters. While not ending on a cliffhanger as such, it does raise several questions about the future of Peter and Anna, Pincent Pharma and Longevity drugs.

“What didn’t matter was people like him and Anna. New people. New life. Like Noah’s Ark, the Authorities had pulled up the gangplank many years before and set sail defiantly, not caring what they might be leaving behind, or to what horrific world they might be sailing.”

“People have always been fearful of youth. Children and young people are threatening – they challenge things, they reject the status quo.”

This review and many more can be found at Maree's Musings.(less)

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Sep 10, 2008 Karin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: youngadult, 2008-reads

THE RESISTANCE is the much anticipated sequel to THE DECLARATION. It picks up where THE DECLARATION leaves off and is told through Peter’s eyes. He and Anna live together with Ben, Anna’s brother, in a run down house trying to keep out of the way. Peter and Anna aren’t comfortable being Legal yet and find the stares and nasty comments coming from the other citizens unsettling.

Peter and Anna work for the Underground whenever they can. They both want to see the Declaration a thing of the past. Pe...more

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May 01, 2013 Big Book Little Book rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Helen for www.bigbooklittlebook.com
Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

The story continues from not long after the point where we left it in The Declaration (read my review here). Peter and Anna are living legally on the outside, trying to cope with their new life and looking after little Ben, Anna’s brother. Anna is enjoying being a mother to Ben but is struggling with living in the world so different from the Surplus Hall. Both she and Peter feel alien from this societ...more Helen for www.bigbooklittlebook.com
Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

The story continues from not long after the point where we left it in The Declaration (read my review here). Peter and Anna are living legally on the outside, trying to cope with their new life and looking after little Ben, Anna’s brother. Anna is enjoying being a mother to Ben but is struggling with living in the world so different from the Surplus Hall. Both she and Peter feel alien from this society and Anna particularly feels the stares of those who disapprove of her youth and her status. Neither Anna nor Peter have signed the declaration and neither want to take the wonder drug Longevity that will keep them alive for ever, but at the expense of not being able to have children and create new life. As they are refusing the drug and because of their background a close eye is being kept on them by the authorities.

Unsurprisingly, after all their experiences, Peter and Anna want to help the resistance movement in its fight against Longevity and its producer Pincent Pharma, Peter’s Grandfather’s company. Peter agrees to go and work for the company to feed information back to the Resistance, but he finds this a difficult task as his Grandfather starts to pressurise and then manipulate Peter to get what he wants, which is for Peter to sign up to the Declaration. For the reader though, the insight into Pincent Pharma and the whole operation is interesting, as well as watching the development of Peter’s relationship with his Grandfather, Pincent himself

Meanwhile Anna is also being manipulated , for the same reason, and to try and catch her out, getting her into trouble. Anna still has much of the naivety and innocence from her life shut way and inexperience of the real world. Anna is desperate to do her bit to help and her desire to help other children who have been abandoned by their parents, or taken from their parents, causes problems. As this novel is told from Peter’s voice I did miss Anna’s voice from the first book. Peter has a fresh perspective though that adds a new dimension.

I enjoyed the development of Peter and Anna’s relationship. It was so easy to see how they have become like a normal couple with arguments, insecurities and ups and downs and yet they are a couple like no other in the world that they live in. The pressure and insecurities this brings really tests them.

There are new characters too from the Resistance and other places. Peter and Anna have to work out where to put their trust. One of the most interesting new characters is Jude who has another unique perspective as he is Peter’s age but having been a legal all his life. He is a computer whizz kid, but his life shows us how the worlds resources have been stretched by immortality. On top of that he is Peter’s half-brother and takes us deeper into the back story.

The on-going story continues to provoke, raising issues about our desire to live longer, the price we pay for immortality, the cost to the world as we use our resources carelessly and so on. In particular it made me think about our priorities as we encourage everyone to work more and not necessarily be at home with children and families. This really made me feel that the right to be a mother is precious and not to be taken for granted.

Verdict: This is a brilliant follow on from The Declaration and is another gripping and challenging read.
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Dec 04, 2012 Encruzilhadas Literárias rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: editorial-presença, catarina

Depois da aventura mirabolante na qual Peter e Anna conquistaram o seu direito a viver de uma maneira bastante dolorosa, o jovem casal casal enfrenta agora os olhares de um mundo que está envelhecido e que teme tudo o que é novo.
Encarregados de educar e criar o irmão mais novo de Anna, Peter decide enfrentar o seu avó, criador dos produtos de Longevidade e tentar descobrir o que se passa ao certo dentro do programa enquanto ganha dinheiro para os sustentar. Já Anna tem de lidar com uma escolha...more Depois da aventura mirabolante na qual Peter e Anna conquistaram o seu direito a viver de uma maneira bastante dolorosa, o jovem casal casal enfrenta agora os olhares de um mundo que está envelhecido e que teme tudo o que é novo.
Encarregados de educar e criar o irmão mais novo de Anna, Peter decide enfrentar o seu avó, criador dos produtos de Longevidade e tentar descobrir o que se passa ao certo dentro do programa enquanto ganha dinheiro para os sustentar. Já Anna tem de lidar com uma escolha que até aí lhe parecia completamente impensável.
No mesmo tom de voz cruel e esperançoso com o qual escreveu O Pacto, Gemma Malley traz-nos agora A Resistência, um livro que vai abordar o grupo de resistentes que não tomam os comprimidos de Longevidade e que está contra o mesmos. Este é um livro também que falará de resistência pessoal e do que fazemos quando a tentação nos bate à porta. Afinal, quem não gostaria de viver para sempre? E para mais, livre de doença? Tudo só por assinar um papel a dizer que jamais se teria filhos.
Mas a teoria é muita bonita quando não há uma verdadeira opção, enquanto estavam presos, Anna e Peter sabiam o que queriam mas agora que a opção é verdadeira, que eles podem mesmo escolher será que esta se mantém? Além do mais, o jovem casal vai enfrentar vários problemas e até re-encontrar antigas personagens assim como novas. Diferentes pontos de vista lutam para chegar a um equilíbrio neste livro e a verdade, é que a vida de Anna e Peter nunca mais será a mesma.
Tal como o primeiro livro, este livro é uma leitura compulsiva, sendo quase impossível de pousar (mais uma vez fazendo jus ao nome da colecção) e à medida que as peças se vão encaixando o leitor quer saber o final desta história e como todo o problema se irá resolver.
Creio que esta saga é, como maior parte das distopias, uma óptima saga para obrigar as pessoas a pensar, discutir e partilhar ideias. Afinal, quem não gostaria de ser imortal? Mas será que isso está correcto? Impedir novas gerações de nascer e matar lentamente o planeta? Até que ponto seria a população sustentável? Será que passado uns anos, até os Imortais teriam de começar a desaparecer por já não haver comida e aquecimento?
O planeta Terra é limitado, não durará eternamente mas todos podemos fazer um esforço para tentar mantê-lo o máximo possível. No Pacto descobrimos através de Anna que até mesmo os Imortais estão sujeitos a senhas de racionamento para comida, gás, combustível, etc. O mundo está a acabar mas terá a Longevidade a ver com isso? Apesar de viverem para sempre, estes Imortais não são novos para sempre, muitos já não podem trabalhar, as poucas pessoas que podem trabalhar são jovens, filhos de altos cargos do governo, que ainda estão autorizados a ter filhos. Estes jovens não conseguirão sozinhos, manter o planeta ou manter os Imortais, parte destes jovens, são Peter, Anna, os resistentes e os excedentes.
Assustador, real e genial, A Resistência acaba por ser melhor que o primeiro volume, onde o enredo era previsível, e cresce um pouco mais dando pequenas twists no enredo e tornando as coisas menos preto e branca e mais cinzentas. Para completar esta trilogia temos o livro The Legacy, que ainda não saiu em Portugal e que, espero eu, nos mostre as consequências desastrosas da Longevidade.
Um livro que sem dúvida recomendo aos amantes de distopias. - Catarina
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Dec 03, 2012 Valeria Diaz rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: young,olders,adults

The Resistance is the second part of the trilogy of the declaration.
*A bit of spoilers*

It tells about what happen after Ana and Peter are declared as Legals, tells about whether they will Opt Out or not, how easy is to get tempted to take Longevity pills, and how they deal with a world who fears them, how's afraid of changes and so... while I read it, it made me change my opinion of Peter, we get to see his weakness, he's no longer the hero who went to Grange Hall to save his princess, and the p...more The Resistance is the second part of the trilogy of the declaration.
*A bit of spoilers*

It tells about what happen after Ana and Peter are declared as Legals, tells about whether they will Opt Out or not, how easy is to get tempted to take Longevity pills, and how they deal with a world who fears them, how's afraid of changes and so... while I read it, it made me change my opinion of Peter, we get to see his weakness, he's no longer the hero who went to Grange Hall to save his princess, and the princess is no longer a coward, she tries hard to get rid of her fear, and the feeling of inferiority she gained in Grange Hall. If I was Ana it would be twice harder, but it's sweet how Ben and Peter make her stronger, and when her love for Peter is doubt we get to see how willing she is to give everything for him.

I like too the fact that we get to know Jude, Peter's half brother, I was curious in the first book, I liked him very much, more than I like Peter in the second book (maybe) in the second book many things are reveal, although I was expecting to know more about Mrs Pincent, cause I really got to love her after the first book, totally understand why she did as she did, I was expecting maybe Peter will forgive her, but I guess he stills a kid in that way, and he lacks maturity. Well the book was longer than the first and i like that, I think they should be even longer.

At last i would like to recommend this book, to everyone even if you don't like the first one, well you get many answers, and not everything is Blak or White, this book really shows the Grey colors, even I was tempted about Longevity, it's a hard decision, will you life forever if you could? Well, I probably would like to live longer, but not forever, but i would be afraid of dying. It's a hard decision our character go through in the Resistance. I'd like to say that the ending was a bit frustrating, but if it didn't end that way it would have been unrealistic, because you can't change a society that's been ruled that way over a hundred years, but the step it's just to small compared to the punishment Mr Pincent got in the end.(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Hikari rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Resistance ist der zweite Band der Trilogie, einer sehr spannenden Dystopie (Band 1: The Declaration). Dieser Roman steht dem ersten in nichts nach in Spannung und Handlung, wenn er auch diesmal mehr in Peters Perspektive geschildert wird und Anna erstmal ein wenig in den Hintergrund tritt. Dafür bekommen wir dadurch aber viele neue Eindrücke - vom Untergrund und von Pincent Pharma, die mit ihrer alles verändernden Droge das Altern aufgehoben hat. Und was im ersten Band über die Machenschaft...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Amanda Faul rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really enjoyed the first book in this series (The Declaration)and think that Gemma Malley's concept is incredibly thought provoking, but I found myself unable to really get into The Resistance. The series tells the story of a future where Longevity drugs have wiped out disease and death, resulting in a population that lives forever. To prevent the population from growing too large, you have to sign a declaration promising not to have children. Any children that do occur are illegal, referred t...more I really enjoyed the first book in this series (The Declaration)and think that Gemma Malley's concept is incredibly thought provoking, but I found myself unable to really get into The Resistance. The series tells the story of a future where Longevity drugs have wiped out disease and death, resulting in a population that lives forever. To prevent the population from growing too large, you have to sign a declaration promising not to have children. Any children that do occur are illegal, referred to as surpluses, and are basically trained to be slaves.

In The Resistance, Peter and Anna have become legal and have began settling into their new lives away from the surplus hall. Both are determined to aid the resistance movement and to opt-out of signing the Declaration. Peter begins working at Pincent Pharma (his grandfather's company) where Longevity drugs are created in order to help the resistance.

Gemma Malley's concept is magnificent and really made me think. Why do we have children? Is it just a biological need to pass on our DNA or would we still want to have children in a world where we could never die? In a world where no one had children how long would it take for kids to become the "other" and demonized as such? This concept was truly one that I couldn't get out of my head. I did not, however, really like Malley's execution of the concept.

Here were my main problems with the book:

1) I really wish she had made Anna and Peter older. Even knowing the kind of world that they live in I found it hard to not be disturbed by a 16 year old (I'm assuming she was 16 since she received her declaration) caring for a one year old and pregnant with her first baby.
2) This book switched the main narrator from Anna to Peter (probably because Peter's role in this book was far more exciting than Anna's role of babysitter) and I found Peter's voice to be less fresh than Anna's brainwashed point of view in book 1.
3) Almost every character in the book was either 100% good or 100% bad. The characters almost seemed like caricatures instead of fully developed, realistic individuals. There was really no way to relate to the other side in this book.
4) This book was so action packed that it just didn't seem very realistic. The previous book had seemed much more subtle.

I finished reading this book, and finished reading it quickly, but I found myself constantly looking ahead to see how many pages I had left and then hoping to finish quickly. I just wasn't really in to this book, which is a shame because I loved the premise and really enjoyed the first book. (less)

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Feb 07, 2012 Tia rated it 3 of 5 stars

The second book of this series I find deals more with Peter than anything else. He begins posing at his grandfathers company where they make Longevity. Peter is trying to find any information to help the Underground. The Underground is a group resistance, they go against everything the Authority and the declaration stand for.

Anna, in what little we see in this book, gets herself into some trouble by being forced into a trap, which the people of the Underground with Peter's help; gets her out of....more

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Jun 29, 2011 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, owned-kindle

Anna and Peter are now Legal's but the new status hasn't changed their minds about the Longevity drug and the consequences of people taking it. The Underground has asked Peter to accept a job working for his grandfather, the owner of the pharmaceutical company responsible for creating Longevity. Peter jumps at the opportunity but soon realises what a dangerous and complicated situation he has got himself into - especially when his grandfather begins to put pressure on him to sign the Declaration...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Librarysteph rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, dystopian

Gemma Malley’s The Resistance is an incredible piece of literature. I think this should be studied in school, it has the potential to be the next Brave New World or 1984. The novel deals with a lot of social issues, and critiques society in a way that will have young people thinking. I have several ideas for essays I could write about this book, and it would not be difficult for a high school English teacher to create lesson plans for it.

This is the second book in the series, but I read this one...more

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Jul 21, 2009 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the sequel to The Declaration. I don’t think there will be a third… but who knows. I may have to look into it. But The Resistance ends fine, and while not everything is wrapped up, it’s pretty much settled. So really, there’s no need for a third, but it would be interesting.

So The Resistance is set in the same world as The Declaration. We’ve got Anna and Peter together, with baby Ben, a few months after The Declaration left off. A new character is thrown in- a young Legal, just a little...more This is the sequel to The Declaration. I don’t think there will be a third… but who knows. I may have to look into it. But The Resistance ends fine, and while not everything is wrapped up, it’s pretty much settled. So really, there’s no need for a third, but it would be interesting.

So The Resistance is set in the same world as The Declaration. We’ve got Anna and Peter together, with baby Ben, a few months after The Declaration left off. A new character is thrown in- a young Legal, just a little older than Peter. As in, the son from the mistress who made Peter a Surplus by taking his Legal status. This makes Peter and the boy, Jude, half brothers.

Once again, the book is in third person, skipping from person to person. Mostly, the focus is on Anna, Peter, and Jude, with occasional glimpses into Richard Pincent, Peter’s grandfather and leader of Pincent Pharma, and also Pip, leader of the Underground, the group sworn to take down Longevity and all that it stands for.

Each of the young lives are actually quite separate. Peter and Anna live together with Ben. (Which I find a bit weird- they’re so young! Like, my age… I can’t imagine living with a boy now. Plus, they’re young in their world too, compared to all the Legals, all over 100 or whatever. Crazy.) But they don’t actually interact much it seems, since Peter is busy with his new job at Pincent Pharma. Jude doesn’t actually meet either Peter or Anna until later.

I felt the characters were kind of lacking. They were more just like figurines to play out the plot and deliver the theme and messages, which really are the two focus points. There’s nothing much new about the characters so much and I don’t find them all that interesting. But the themes… hoo boy. There’s so much to think about.

It reminded me in ways of The House of Scorpions by Nancy Farmer, which I read a few weeks ago. Old people must rely on young ones to keep them alive. In The House of Scorpions, powerful people make clones of themselves to take organs from when needed. In The Resistance… well I won’t say. It’s pretty terrible though.

Also, I've been thinking... In the post-apocalypse books I've read (really, this means The Chrysalids and The Forest of Hands and Teeth), both societies revert back to religion. Like, it's religion all the way. And then, in The Resistance, there's no religion whatesoever. There's a bit of talk about the lack of religion actually, but no one is actually religious. Why is it that science and religion are always on the opposite sides of the river? I mean, I get it, and in some ways, I wonder why they can't be together... alright ignore me. Now I'm rambling and off pondering.

All in all, great read. It really gets one thinking: about all that stuff that could happen, about social status, about what it means to live, about how to live, and about what it would be like to live in a world like that. The whole thing’s a bit disturbing, and as a young person, I find some of the stuff horrifying, but also extremely interesting, and really worth the read. :)(less)

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May 28, 2012 Rachel Fisher rated it 4 of 5 stars

For more of my reviews go to www.rachelefisher.com

Title: The Resistance (The Declaration Trilogy)
Author: Gemma Malley
Rating: 4 Stars

My Review

I stand corrected. I “resisted” reading the rest of this trilogy despite enjoying the first book (The Declaration) and I’m not sure why. I guess I wasn’t entranced enough to put it higher on my TBR list. However, it floated to the top eventually and I finished it off with satisfaction and chagrin that I waited so long. I liked it better than the first.

The f...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Anthony Eaton rated it 4 of 5 stars

The sequel to Malley's The Declaration, The Resistance takes the reader deeper into the warped future England and into the world of 'Renewal' - where drug driven eternity is available to anyone who signs up for it, and children are considered 'Surplus', and used for menial labour, and much worse.

The pace of this second book is a little faster than the first, which does it no harm at all. There are a couple of action sequences which feel, perhaps, just a little 'set piece' - as though written fo...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought this book was good but not as enjoyable as the first in the series - 'The Declaration'. It's main protagonist was Peter which is a change from Anna in the first. Although I didn't mind Peter, I didn't find him the most likeable character and I preferred seeing things from Anna's viewpoint.
I found it took quite a long time to get into the book although the last few chapters were much more exciting and I couldn't put the book down as I neared the end. I can't imagine it happening in real...more

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Dec 20, 2011 Elise rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Elise by: Spencer

This second book in the series is told from Peter's perspective. I found it interesting and refreshing. A bit of a slow start. An interesting landscape of a dystopian future. Although, I found both Anna and Peter naive and somewhat easy to manipulate and too easy to trust. Perhaps this makes the characters relatable, but I found it easy to be one or two steps ahead of the plot, which lost some of the punch. I most enjoyed the character of Jude and hope he will be a bigger part in the next book....more

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Mar 15, 2013 Bibi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I want to state first there are a few things not entirely great. Such as, that you often don't go "Omg, surprise" but more "I knew it." The writing style is quite an easy one. Nonetheless, the story is what's outstanding and interesting. That youth is considered a bad thing is the theme within the story and therefore definitely a great read for older people like me. It reminds one that we all were young and crazy at some point and that, that isn't a wrong or bad. That we need the hormone driven...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Kimberly rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ugh. This book was awful.

This book is the sequel to The Declaration, and picks up pretty much right after it. Peter and Anna are living together, taking care of Anna's one-year-old brother, Ben. Yes, the 15- and 14-year-old are playing house, including all the grown-up aspects of that. How does Anna even know how to do anything? She said in the last book that she only knew that babies cried. Now she's taking care of a baby and cooking nice meals and acting like a regular ol' Legal?

The first 200...more Ugh. This book was awful.

This book is the sequel to The Declaration, and picks up pretty much right after it. Peter and Anna are living together, taking care of Anna's one-year-old brother, Ben. Yes, the 15- and 14-year-old are playing house, including all the grown-up aspects of that. How does Anna even know how to do anything? She said in the last book that she only knew that babies cried. Now she's taking care of a baby and cooking nice meals and acting like a regular ol' Legal?

The first 200 pages could be summed up as "should we or should we not sign the Declaration?" That's it. 200 pages about signing a paper. Riveting stuff. Why did the pair have their Declarations, anyway? Peter is a year older than Anna, so he was the one turning 16; Anna would only be 14 or 15. She shouldn't have her Declaration anyway. But I digress, I was so relieved when Anna signed it so that the story could move on!!!

The last 100 pages got really graphic and voyeuristic. Okay, I get it--the Surpluses aren't really human, so we can experiment on them. Great. But I found that the author's choice of using Sheila to be a little manipulative. We already felt bad that she got left behind in the last book, so now the author has to drag poor Sheila out and have her impregnated with 12 fetuses?!? What. the. hell. We get it; Pincent Pharma is evil.

While we're on the subject of pregnancy, Anna is stupid. If all the Surpluses were sterilized, then why the hell were the girls having periods back at Grange Hall? Why were the nights of sleeping on the floor during menstruation not mentioned? Then we find out that Anna is pregnant and everyone is so happy and excited for her. Hello? The 14-year-old girl is pregnant and we're excited about this? Have we gone back to the Middle Ages?

Anyway, the first 2/3 was boring, then it got a little messed up, then it got boring again. I should have stopped with book one. I had book three on hand, but I don't think I'm going to bother. I can already guess where it's going to go ("forever people" are dying!). No thanks.

I hate it when series are ruined.

PS...The kid on the cover reminds me of Zachary Ty Bryan.(less)

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Jun 26, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I struggled to rate this book. Wavering between 4 stars, because I couldn't put it down and consumed it in one night and 3 stars because I didn't enjoy it as much as the first and felt that it lacked the original spark. But anyway, in a nutshell, here are my issues with this book:

1. The switch up in protagonist. I like Peter but I missed Anna and didn't slot so easily into his mentality. Anna herself seemed devoid of her original personality. Which brings me to..
2. Anna's transformation. The fa...more

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Mar 31, 2013 CraftyO1 rated it 1 of 5 stars

Who ever decided that this book was a good idea to publish is either A. high on something or B. has a mental disorder. There are several things that I had issues with in this book, but I'll name my top two.

My first problem was that the story line would have worked loads better with twenty-somthing years old, as an adult book. An example would be that the two main characters, Peter and Anna hooked up. That's okay except for the fact that they are only 16 and 14/15. That is SO not alright in my bo...more

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May 31, 2011 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'The Resistance' is just as good as 'The Declaration', if not better, it is more exciting and the tension builds up nicely, which was great to read, there was so many twists and turns, that set you up for the next book. The main character Anna is different in 'The Resistance', she is stronger but she still carries the effects of her time in Grange Hall, she strives to become part of a society where adults are suspicious of children, especially teenagers (which I felt mirrors life at the moment i...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Valerie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, dystopian, young-adult, sci-fi-and-fantasy, read-in-2012

Second book in the Declaration Trilogy. Gemma Malley's setting is a future world with drugs that wipe out disease and death. This being the case, no one dies, therefore, to avoid overpopulation, children are not allowed. If people want to take the Longevity drugs, they are required to sign "The Declaration" stating they will not have children. Any children that are born are illegal, and are treated as slaves. Quite a thought-provoking premise. If we could all live forever, would we still want to...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, ed-presença, distopias

Li o primeiro volume desta trilogia, O Pacto, em 2009 e lembro-me perfeitamente de, apesar da trama ser muito simples (afinal é um livro dirigido para um público YA), ter ficado muito tempo a pensar nas questões que eram levantadas ao longo da narrativa. Eram sobretudo questões ligadas à preservação da natureza e de cariz mais ambientalista, fundadas nos alertas feitos relativamente ao desenvolvimento cientifico e tecnológico que nos deixam tão confiantes de nós mesmos que até nos esquecemos que...more Li o primeiro volume desta trilogia, O Pacto, em 2009 e lembro-me perfeitamente de, apesar da trama ser muito simples (afinal é um livro dirigido para um público YA), ter ficado muito tempo a pensar nas questões que eram levantadas ao longo da narrativa. Eram sobretudo questões ligadas à preservação da natureza e de cariz mais ambientalista, fundadas nos alertas feitos relativamente ao desenvolvimento cientifico e tecnológico que nos deixam tão confiantes de nós mesmos que até nos esquecemos que os recursos se esgotam, que tudo acaba um dia.

Penso que, A Resistência vai deixar marcas ao mesmo nível. A trama continua simples e, em alguns aspectos, bastante previsível mas Gemma Malley continua a abordar os problemas e as perturbações da alma humana de um modo especial. É subtil, quase nem damos por ela mas depois... depois damos connosco a pensar naquilo que lemos há umas horas, a reflectir sobre os sentimentos e questões profundas levantados de modo tão discreto. Os temas abordados sofrem algumas diferenças mas o que despertam no leitor é muito semelhante.

A um nível mais superficial, A Resistência é um livro sobre os dissidentes, os insatisfeitos que lutam contra o sistema instituído, aos quais se juntam Peter e Anna em missões de alto risco. A este nível encontramos uma das coisas que mais me agrada nesta série - o romance é quase nulo. (Sim, podem crucificar-me à vontade mas aquelas lamechices de se amarem todos muito e irem salvar o mundo, salvando-se a eles mesmos e ao seu amor que povoam este tipo de narrativas irrita-me em demasia. Que coisas melosas e irrealistas...!!) Os protagonistas amam-se, tentam fazer o possível para não se magoar um ao outro mas não andam sempre coladinhos e a fazer juras de amor eterno; acaba por ser uma coisa mais realista, afinal de contas quem anda por ai infiltrado, a correr riscos e vigiado a toda a hora tem mais que fazer e com que se preocupar.

A um nível mais profundo, Gemma Malley aborda o tema da resistência humana nos seus vários níveis e assumpções possíveis. Medo da morte e do que poderá, ou não, vir depois. Quem o não tem? Quantos de nós sacrificaríamos tudo para poder escapar-lhe! E depois da escolha feita, como se resiste a uma eternidade de tédio, de inutilidade e futilidade? Mas a questão só se coloca quando existem alternativas. E quando estas desaparecem porque fomos enganados? É interessante ver espelhados num livro tão simples e tão fácil de ler os maiores medos e desejos do ser humano; ler ali retratada a imensa resistência que temos à dor e à traição (porque na verdade a esperança é mesmo a última que morre), o desejo de segurança e conforto que a todos nós é comum; e, sobretudo, a resistência e força conseguidas quando lutamos por algo em que acreditamos, quando queremos apenas o fim de uma injustiça e poder decidir por nós mesmos que rumo dar às nossas vidas.

Seriam 3,5 estrelas mas o GR não permite essa pontuação!!(less)

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Dec 23, 2010 Jayme rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mmmmm I'm in love with Peter Pincent. Haha okay not really. But honestly if he was a real person I would be.
Anyway, this book is amazing. This AUTHOR is amazing.
This book gets pretty....dark?...repulsive?....But I couldn't put it down!!
I was already in love with these books but this interview gave me a different perspective for them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQI39d...

Just the idea that this is really where the world could be going makes me want to tell everyone to read these books and not...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia-utopia, sci-fi, ya-na, 2011

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 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. The...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Dani (Pen to Paper) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books

After finishing the first book in this trilogy, The Declaration, I was so in love with the story, so gripped by it, that I had to start this second book straight away! The Resistance starts pretty much where The Declaration left off, and we quickly become introduced to Anna, Peter and Ben's new life together as 'legals' on 'the outside'.
What first struck me about this, compared to the previous book, was the shift in perspective; whereas the trilogy had started off almost entirely from Anna's poi...more After finishing the first book in this trilogy, The Declaration, I was so in love with the story, so gripped by it, that I had to start this second book straight away! The Resistance starts pretty much where The Declaration left off, and we quickly become introduced to Anna, Peter and Ben's new life together as 'legals' on 'the outside'.
What first struck me about this, compared to the previous book, was the shift in perspective; whereas the trilogy had started off almost entirely from Anna's point of view (breaking off only briefly to focus on other characters, such as Mrs Pincent, the House Matron in the surplus hall), this book is much more focused on Peter, and mostly told from his perspective. It does switch between characters a lot more, because of the different sub-plots that meander through the book, so we do still occasionally see Anna on her own. We also have a new character, Jude, who is introduced fairly early on, and whose point of view we see pretty often, as his story begins to merge with Peter's. However, the story is still certainly centred around Peter and what is happening to him (the other characters' separate stories all come together at the end, and all have an effect on what happens with Peter).

I really enjoyed this shift, because although we do get to know and love Peter throughout The Declaration, it is Anna who we sympathise with more, and it's really Anna's story. It was good to get to know Peter more intimately, and to see him overcome such enormous problems made me love him even more than before.
I also really enjoyed seeing Peter's character struggle with his own, personal conflict. He's such an independent thinker, that he began to doubt and question the motives of all of those around him, even the one person who has always been there, throughout his entire life. To me, this showed a great amount of intelligence, and to overcome it definitely took huge amounts of courage, so I felt like his character had grown and developed a lot more by the end of the book.
This is the same with Anna. Even though we see her less than in the previous book, it's obvious how much she has evolved since we last saw her. Despite having been incarcerated in a surplus hall for almost her entire life, she has learnt to start thinking independently, begins to question things and form her own opinions and goals in life. It was brilliant to see Anna and Peter becoming more like a family as well - despite the difficulties they both faced, both on their own, and together. It was awesome to see them come out of it all stronger than before, and much more sure of themselves and what they wanted. They're a seriously enviable couple!

Not only did I enjoy how much the characters had grown, I also loved how the story developed as it went along. Obviously I don't want to say too much about this, for fear of giving anything away, but I can say that the story held even more excitement for me, than in the first book (which I didn't think would be possible). The Declaration builds the dystopian world for us, and kick-starts Anna's story, but what the story really is, is Anna's journey, as she and Peter leave Grange Hall behind, ready to fight against 'the Authorities'. We don't really get to see much of the world outside of the surplus halls.
It should be fairly obvious from the title of this one though, what this story follows! We get to see much more action than before, and learn more about 'the Underground', and their plans to remove Richard Pincent, owner of the Longevity drugs, from power, and restore humanity to a 'natural' state. By the end of the book, the revolution is getting into full swing, and I was on the edge of my seat with excitement!
I adored where the story went, and loved the shocking twists and turns that the plot took along the way. I didn't see any of it coming, and I was utterly captivated by every single page.

There are many things that I'm looking forward to in the final book of the trilogy; obviously I can't wait to see how it ends, and how everything is resolved, but I also can't wait to see what happens with Anna and Peter, and their current, rather exciting 'situation' (though I shall say no more about that - you'll just have to read it and find out what it is for yourself. Trust me, it's good!), and I also want to see more of Jude, discover more about him, get to know him better (because a couple of the things he did, I wasn't expecting from his character at all), and see what he does next. He's certainly an interesting personality!

I really enjoyed The Declaration, but I loved this a hundred times more. As when I finished the first book, I'm going to have to start the final instalment straight away.
This is a seriously addictive trilogy, and one I highly recommend!(less)

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Jan 12, 2013 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite-books, 2013-dystopia-reading-challenge

W.O.W. That is all I can even think to say about this book. I read the first book in the series; The Declaration, during the summer months and loved it. In fact, it was read in one sitting so you can imagine how eager I was to get my hands on the next two books. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Book two is primarily from the point of view of Peter and picks up from where the first novel left off. Anna and Peter are now living in a smaller house as legals. The novel begins with us discovering that Pe...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Charlotte Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian-novels

This is the second instalment of the declaration series and it is as well written as the first one, with just as much drama, originality and uniqueness to it that you can't help but feel attracted and addicted to the novel. I liked the fact that in this novel you got a wider look at the life of peter for this one seemed to focus on his life, what he was now doing, and what his plans now involved. This book was just as well written as the first one because it represented the main plot that the st...more This is the second instalment of the declaration series and it is as well written as the first one, with just as much drama, originality and uniqueness to it that you can't help but feel attracted and addicted to the novel. I liked the fact that in this novel you got a wider look at the life of peter for this one seemed to focus on his life, what he was now doing, and what his plans now involved. This book was just as well written as the first one because it represented the main plot that the story had outlined for it. It did not run into that classical case of becoming a cliche after the first one, and new endings, mysteries and characters were added into it to give it that efficent depth and edge that every series of books needed. I liked the way that you got to see the idea and history of the longevity drug, that you got to understand it a little more. What I really like though was that thought provoking essence that it carried... Would you choose to live forever or would you choose to have children and to live a life that was full of fun, laughter, trials and tribulations. For me the book just seems to emphasize the importance of life, of how we take advantage of it, and how its not actually something that can carry on forever and ever.

The characters are well thought out, well produced and well described. Like Anna, I trusted maria, even though a part of me knew it was too good to be true, that someone wouldn't just openly help her out just like that. The fact that the author is able to make the characters believable, means that you get the sense of the book being real and alive, that its something that could actually happen and something that we could find ourselves battling through. The novel twisted and changed the whole way through, meaning that as you were reading it you were kept on your toes. You were never sure who to trust and whether they had a fair enough reason to be trusted.

The plot that occured where the surpluses were being used for an experiement, was a good one. I knew that something had to be going on there, but at the same time it was also well hidden and well kept. It just seemed to add this little something extra to the story that made you wonder, how long till a revolution does actually happen, and people decide that living forever is not the best thing in the world. A wonderful series of books, a series that I am enjoying. (less)

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Sep 30, 2011 Layla Rolison rated it 3 of 5 stars

I will admit it, I'm somewhat disappointed. I was hoping for a bit more action, I had to force myself to read it. The characters were the same, Anna was naive and Peter is... well Peter. The twist was something and I personality wanted to go into the story and beat up Peter's Grandfather (who's name I forgot) I am shocked, and I want to read the next one in the trilogy.

3.5/5

Like I said, hard to get into and it got boring at some parts. Most of it seemed basically a filler. Once the ball got movi...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Meagan Masters rated it 3 of 5 stars

For some odd reason, I preordered this on my Kindle, and was rather confused when it showed up on there a couple of months ago. I don't remember preordering it, as I didn't love the first book ... but, since I did, I figured I might as well give it a go.

I had to rate this one higher than the first as there was actually some meat to the story. The plot was far better developed than the first book. In a nutshell, the setting is a bit futuristic (although I wouldn't call it dystopian) and Pincent...more For some odd reason, I preordered this on my Kindle, and was rather confused when it showed up on there a couple of months ago. I don't remember preordering it, as I didn't love the first book ... but, since I did, I figured I might as well give it a go.

I had to rate this one higher than the first as there was actually some meat to the story. The plot was far better developed than the first book. In a nutshell, the setting is a bit futuristic (although I wouldn't call it dystopian) and Pincent Pharma has created a drug called Longevity, allowing people to live, theoretically, forever. Having kids is not allowed because they are a drain to resources and would obviously lead to overpopulation. Those who break the law and have kids are punished, and the kids are taken away to Surplus Halls (short and sweet recap of the first book).

Peter Pincent, grandson of the man who runs Pincent Pharma, wants to change things. With some help from the Underground and a little extra attention from Grandpa Pincent (who gives Peter a job at Pincent Pharma to keep him close), Peter is in a prime position for a bit of spying ... what he discovers makes him hate Pincent Pharma and Longevity (and the "upgrade" in progress: Longevity+) to the point that he has no choice but to do everything in his power to destroy all that his grandfather created.

Some elements were a bit predictable, but the characters were better developed and much more likable in this story. I'm a big fan of Jude, an I liked Dr. Edwards as well. Anna is still too sheltered, which makes her overly naive and annoying, but that's to be expected. And if the hints about Pip lead to where I think they're going, I like that as well. Since I can't quit a series, I'll probably finish the trilogy. It was a decent summer vacation read once I got into it, however I will warn that it took me a while to get going. I think what threw me was that The Declaration was more Anna's story, where The Resistance is definitely Peter's. I wasn't ready for that shift. (less)

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Mar 15, 2011 Cherrylea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great sequel! New complications and debates are introduced in this one, ultimately leading to the decision between right and wrong.
This book was a bit slow in the beginning, I have to admit, but it picks up - I promise! Peter's love for Anna (and vice versa) is there throughout, though - it's so sweet! So different from the hot and heavy romances I read - this one has some sincere love that wasn't suddenly introduced because of the lust craze. The complications in their romance was hard, but I c...more

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“Before he'd met Anna, he'd thought he'd known what love was, thought he'd understood about friendship, romance, all of it, but he hadn't - not at all. Until he'd held Anna in his arms, until he'd let her see into his soul, until he'd heard her cry gently when he made love to her for the first time, he'd known nothing. And now, sometimes, when it was just the two of them, when he smelt her hair, caught her eye, he felt as though he knew all there was to know about everything, as though they knew the secret of life. A secret far more powerful than Longevity, far more long-lasting.” — 12 people liked it

“You see, what I want is life. A real life, full of moments of joy, of anguish, of irritation, of fun. A life with an end point, which makes each second important. A life that is full of love, that doesn't cause suffering and pain.” — 7 people liked it

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The Resistance (The Declaration #2)

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