The Resistance [Hardcover]

Gemma Malley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2008

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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—In this gripping, stand-alone sequel to The Declaration (Bloomsbury, 2007), teenagers Anna and Peter have escaped Grange Hall, a prisonlike dormitory for Surpluses—children living in the United Kingdom in 2140 where childbirth is illegal and longevity drugs allow people to live forever. Anna's parents were overjoyed to have her back but were forced to commit suicide ("a life for a life") in order to give Anna and her baby brother a chance to become Legals. Her boyfriend, Peter, accepts a job working at Pincent Pharma, the Longevity drug company owned by his wicked grandfather, in order to help the Underground (a resistance group) destroy it. His unexpected ally is his Legal teenage half brother Jude, a talented computer hacker. The author addresses the moral and ethical implications of immortality in this dystopian novel, making it a great choice for group discussions. The writing style is not particularly lyrical but the fast pace and exciting plot make it a page-turner that will appeal to graduates of Margaret Peterson Haddix's "Shadow Children" series (S & S).—Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton
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From Booklist

With the advent of a drug called Longevity, people have achieved the impossible: eternal life. But when people live forever, there is no room for new life, so those who take Longevity relinquish reproduction—a life for a life. Those who don’t are arrested, their children taken to Surplus halls, where they atone for their parents by becoming Useful. In The Declaration (2007), Surplus Peter and Surplus Anna escaped from one of these halls, but their problems were only beginning. Now Legal, they work for the Underground, and at their request, Peter joins Pincent Pharma under his hated grandfather, the developer of Longevity. Pressured to take the drug and confronted with challenging arguments, Peter’s finds that his mission is becoming a minefield of temptation and self-doubt—and then he learns the horrifying truth about new and improved Longevity. While the pure evil of Peter’s grandfather undercuts Malley’s otherwise nuanced presentation, she explores the far-reaching effects of Longevity with harrowing accuracy. Peter and Anna, both fighting for their right to be alive, are sympathetic focal points from which to tell this compelling story. Grades 9-12. --Krista Hutley

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; First Edition edition (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599903024
• ISBN-13: 978-1599903026
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #690,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, August 11, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Resistance (Hardcover)

THE RESISTANCE is the much-anticipated sequel to THE DECLARATION. It picks up where THE DECLARATION left off and is told through Peter's eyes.

He and Anna live together with Ben, Anna's brother, in a rundown 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.

Peter gets his chance when his grandfather, head of Pincent Pharma, offers him a position at the company. Pincent Pharma is responsible for Longevity, the drug that makes an extended life possible. Peter uses this opportunity to get information for the Underground.

What he finds causes him to question his beliefs about the Declaration, the Underground, and his relationship with Anna. It takes uncovering a horrible secret to put him back on track.

THE RESISTANCE was just as good as THE DECLARATION. The suspense keeps you turning page after page. Peter's character is so likeable and his devotion to Anna is heartwarming.

Gemma Malley leaves it open for another story, and I for one can't wait to see what happens next.

Reviewed by: Karin Librarian

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars - meaty but cruel, January 17, 2012

By 

Rebecca - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Resistance (Paperback)

If you liked the first book, I think you will like this one as well. It packs just as much of a punch as the first one. It's a worthy sequel, staying true to the characters and adding new levels of intrigue, peril, and ethical debate.

It loses a star because I think these books are too cruel for the YA genre. I feel like there are too many truly evil people in this book who get pleasure and satisfaction out of hurting others. While I know there is true evil in the real world as well, I don't think it's necessary to be quite this sadistic in order to warn the next generation of the dangerously slippery slope of bioethics.

The other half star is due to faulty science. I'm willing to suspend my disbelief as to what the wonders of modern medicine could do in the future, but the stem cell science that most of this society's tenets are based on is not accurate.

I have enjoyed the high-quality writing, and I will certainly read the third book to see how everything turns out. But these books do not leave a 5-star feeling lingering in my thoughts, so to speak.

5.0 out of 5 stars Moves faster than Catching Fire, January 3, 2012

By 

Laura "laurawho7" (Portland, ME) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Resistance (Declaration) (Kindle Edition)

For those who think Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) moved slow or dragged, read this series. The follow up to The Declaration, is a worthy sequel.

Our characters, Peter and Anna are raising Anna's brother Ben while trying to help the Resistance fight against Pincent Pharma. Peter agrees to start working for his Grandfather and keep his eyes open for anything interesting. Now that they are both legal, Peter is getting pressure from his Grandfather Richard to sign the Declaration. Anna and Peter don't want to but after discovering some troubling news, Peter believes it won't matter and signing the Declaration won't make a difference. While this story focuses on the Resistance and the struggles Peter and Anna face being Legal and being so young when Adults are so fearful of youth.

This story moves fast and draws you in same as the previous book. I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. I look forward to the next book and finding out how this series concludes.