THE DECLARATION by Gemma Malley

Sixteen-year-old Anna should not have been born. It is the year 2140 and people can live for ever. No one wants another mouth to feed, so she lives in a Surplus Hall, where unwanted children go to learn valuable lessons . . . at least she wasn't put down at birth.

One day, a new inmate arrives. Anna's life is thrown into chaos. He says things about her parents and the Outside that couldn't possibly be true . . . Or could they?

Thrilling, passionate and beautifully written, this dystopian novel is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games.

 

 

I was looking forward to checking out this re-release. I've actually read it before, but got caught up in it all over again...

In a world where living forever is a real concept for adults, children are seen as Surplus and are taken from their parents and stuck in institutions. While inside, they're taught that their parents hated them. Otherwise, why else would they have had them? And that they'll pretty much only be good for slavery. It's a terrifying concept, and one that is explored and very successfully achieved in this book.

Anna is a Prefect in Grange Hall. She's also a Valuable Asset and asides from keeping a journal (which isn't allowed) she pretty much plays by the rules. However, when Peter arrives and insists that he knows her parents, Anna's life starts to change and leads her to a scary adventure. Suddenly, she can't help but question everything around her, everything she's been taught by the cruel House Matron and the instructors who discipline them with beatings and isolation.

This was a fantastic book! I loved everything about it, and felt so sorry for these children and teenagers whose only crime was being born. None deserved to be treated the way they were, and it saddened me. I also liked the twist that is revealed towards the end of the book that involves Peter, because it brings the whole issue full circle. Very clever, indeed. 

 

This is a very pretty book, btw. The new cover is lovely.

 

I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy! 

 

The Declaration, January 2013, ISBN 9781408836880, Bloomsbury