I've read several great new voices in dystopian literature recently, and I can definitely add Gemma Malley to the list. In my opinion, The Declaration is one of the most ominous and impactful stories of this vein since Margaret Atwood's classic, The Handmaid's Tale.
In The Declaration, we meet Anna Surplus. Anna is a young woman who was never supposed to be born -- her parents conceived her selfishly and illegally, secretly bringing a new life into a crowded, resource-strapped world where Longevity drugs stop the aging process and allow people to live forever. Parents can only raise children if they refuse the Longevity drugs, essentially trading their child's future for their own.
Unfortunately for young people like Anna, their lives are a burden on the state. As Surpluses, they are not citizens and have no rights. Their one job at Grange Academy, a state home for Surplus children, is to learn to be Valuable Assets so they can one day be servants to Legals. Anna was brought to Grange Hall many years ago, when she was discovered and her parents were imprisoned for their crimes. Now, Anna is a model Surplus, fully indoctrinated by the government and ashamed of her own existence.
All that changes when a new Surplus comes to Grange Hall. Peter is much older than the usual new Surplus, and his whereabouts before his capture are a mystery. Plus, he claims to know Anna's parents, and has a dangerous plan for escape. But does Anna have the courage to overcome her guilt and years of programming and risk everything for a dangerous life on the run?
The Declaration is both a character study and a plot-driven adventure. Malley does a wonderful job of creating a narrator that changes dramatically throughout the novel, but through a gradual, subtle transformation. As readers, we see her changes most poignantly through Anna's secret journal entries, which reflect her inner conflict and the evolution of her change of heart.
One part love story, and one part coming-of-age story wrapped in a delicious dystopian wrapper, The Declaration is more than a futuristic, cautionary tale about science and government gone bad. Its characters are as special as its fantastic, imaginative plot. I'm so glad I stumbled upon it, and can't wait to get my hands on its sequel, The Resistance.
In The Declaration, we meet Anna Surplus. Anna is a young woman who was never supposed to be born -- her parents conceived her selfishly and illegally, secretly bringing a new life into a crowded, resource-strapped world where Longevity drugs stop the aging process and allow people to live forever. Parents can only raise children if they refuse the Longevity drugs, essentially trading their child's future for their own.
Unfortunately for young people like Anna, their lives are a burden on the state. As Surpluses, they are not citizens and have no rights. Their one job at Grange Academy, a state home for Surplus children, is to learn to be Valuable Assets so they can one day be servants to Legals. Anna was brought to Grange Hall many years ago, when she was discovered and her parents were imprisoned for their crimes. Now, Anna is a model Surplus, fully indoctrinated by the government and ashamed of her own existence.
All that changes when a new Surplus comes to Grange Hall. Peter is much older than the usual new Surplus, and his whereabouts before his capture are a mystery. Plus, he claims to know Anna's parents, and has a dangerous plan for escape. But does Anna have the courage to overcome her guilt and years of programming and risk everything for a dangerous life on the run?
The Declaration is both a character study and a plot-driven adventure. Malley does a wonderful job of creating a narrator that changes dramatically throughout the novel, but through a gradual, subtle transformation. As readers, we see her changes most poignantly through Anna's secret journal entries, which reflect her inner conflict and the evolution of her change of heart.
One part love story, and one part coming-of-age story wrapped in a delicious dystopian wrapper, The Declaration is more than a futuristic, cautionary tale about science and government gone bad. Its characters are as special as its fantastic, imaginative plot. I'm so glad I stumbled upon it, and can't wait to get my hands on its sequel, The Resistance.
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