Gemma Malley

A powerful dystopian drama ahead of its time, about a world in which ageing is no longer feared, and death is no longer inevitable. Now availabine in a stunning new cover look.

The Declaration

Nessa Luna

Read this review, and many more on my blog October Tune!

Lately, I have read so much first-person narrated stories, that anything else looks weird to me. When I started reading The Declaration, it was in first-person, but after a while it changed into third-person (she, he, etc), because ‘Surplus Anna’ was writing in a diary, which was something she wasn’t even allowed to do. Surplusses, or to put it in ‘our’ words: slaves, aren’t allowed to do anything, they’re basically not even allowed to be alive, but there they are.

Anna lives in Grange Hall, a place where a lot of Surplusses live, and where they are being trained to become slaves. They are taught how to cook, how to clean, how to wash clothes, they are taught how useless they are, how they should hate their parents for having them, etc, etc.

There were a couple of parts in the story that were being written from someone else’s point of view, at first it made me a bit confused, because it was so sudden in the middle of a chapter, that I thought it was still Anna ‘speaking’. After a while, I got used to it, though I would have liked some ‘warning’ (for example, a new chapter or something like that). I honestly don’t like it when the POV changes in the middle of a chapter. The book ended a bit too abruptly in my opinion, and a bit too predictable, I had wanted a bit more action at the end of the book, but hey, that’s me. I like action-stories.

Julia Seiser

I found it very boring and all characters lacked depth. Clearly the author had no idea how to write action so they steered clear of any action.

Eleanor Luhar

I read the first two books in this trilogy when I was maybe twelve years old, and I was so excited about the third novel. But I never got round to reading it, so I have decided to read the whole trilogy now.

The novel is based in 2140, mainly in a "Surplus Hall" in England. After the invention of Longevity - and the ability to live forever - the population had to be controlled. This meant no more children. But of course, not everyone complied, resulting in "Surpluses" - illegal children who would be captured and trained to do the jobs the Legals refused to do. 

Anna is one of these unfortunate children. She was found when she was just a toddler, and was doing well. She was a Prefect in Grange Hall, and was set to be a Valuable Asset. And she's content with this, content with repaying her parents' sins, until Peter arrives.

Peter is the oldest Surplus to arrive at the Hall. He had been in hiding for fifteen years, never discovered until he wanted to be. And the only reason he let them find him was to save Anna, to return her to her parents. The parents she had been taught to hate, who were responsible for creating an illegal child. At first, Anna refuses to listen to Peter's words. But as she overhears Mrs Pincent's plans for exterminating Peter, she realises that Grange Hall is not the place to be.

There are some fabulous underlying stories - such as Mrs Pincent's issue with her beloved son - that make this a truly fantastic and thrilling read. It is maybe aimed at slightly younger teens - the protagonist is, after all, only fourteen - and does lack things such as strong language and such. But it is a really enjoyable novel, and I am super excited about the rest of the trilogy.

I am slightly disappointed with the romance aspect of the book. Peter and Anna seem to fall in love almost instantly, and it just feels so immature and childish to me. But I suppose I should wait and see what happens in the next books, hey?

I didn't remember much about this, but I enjoyed it a lot the second time around. Four stars.

Clara hash

at some point I was like "this is so predictable". well I was wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND NOT JUST A LITTLE.
I MEAN. UGH. 
No, just no how the author can end a book this way? It breaks my heart because the storyline is amazing and I love every characters in it...
i'm.. i'm looking forward to read the second book.

(with tissues ofc)

Freya Keogh

Ashley shackelford

In 2140 England, where drugs enable people to live forever and children are illegal, teenaged Anna, an obedient "Surplus" training to become a house servant, discovers that her birth parents are trying to find her.

The declaration

Maria

Rahmat Junaid

Cait🪼

Sinuo Guo

Set in a bleak future world, this novel tells the story of a young woman, Anna, who lives a harsh life in the isolation of an institution for children who were born against the rules, Grange Hall, a place that is governed by strict rules and where she learns unquestioning obedience - That is, until Peter arrives, and Anna learns from him, shocking things about the world outside - This makes her question the world in which she lives and endeavour to make a better future.

The Declaration

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