The Resistance

By Gemma Malley

The chilling, powerful sequel to Gemma Malley's acclaimed debut, The Declaration. For fans of The Hunger Games

In a world where nobody dies, Peter and Anna are Opt Outs - they choose not to live for ever . . . but is that enough?

To try and fight the system further, Peter infiltrates Pincent Pharma, the company behind Longevity - the drug that offers eternal life. But he finds himself involved in things he didn't think possible . . . and begins to struggle with his own family. It appears Richard Pincent will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means ripping Peter and Anna's new life apart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Nov 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781408818077

Gemma Malley

Gemma Malley studied Philosophy at Reading University before working as a journalist. She edited several business magazines and contributed regularly to Company magazine and the Sunday Telegraph before moving into the Civil Service in a senior communications role at Ofsted. The Declaration, her first novel for a teenage audience, and its sequel, The Resistance, were published to critical acclaim. She lives in South London.

Reviews for The Resistance

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[marlene9nl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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 those little things you will enjoy this series. 3.5

[emleemay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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. 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.

[cats_critters · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[karly_brwn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[lenoreva · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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 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.