Synopses & Reviews
It's the year 2140 and Longevity drugs have all but eradicated old age. A never-aging society can't sustain population growth, however...which means Anna should never have been born. Nor should any of the children she lives with at Grange Hall. The facility is full of boys and girls whose parents chose to have kids--called surpluses--despite a law forbidding them from doing so. These children are raised as servants, and brought up to believe they must atone for their very existence. Then one day a boy named Peter appears at the Hall, bringing with him news of the world outside, a place where people are starting to say that Longevity is bad, and that maybe people shouldn't live forever. Peter begs Anna to escape with him, but Anna's not sure who to trust: the strange new boy whose version of life sounds like a dangerous fairy tale, or the familiar walls of Grange Hall and the head mistress who has controlled her every waking thought? Chilling, poignant, and endlessly though-provoking, The Declaration is a powerful debut that will have readers agonizing over Anna's fate until the very last page.
Synopsis
In the year 2140, longevity drugs have all but eradicated old age. That means Anna should never have been born. Nor should any of the children she lives with. This searing debut novel asks readers to imagine a dystopian world where they might not be allowed to exist.
Synopsis
In the year 2140, it is illegal to be young.
Children are all but extinct.
The world is a better place.
Longevity drugs are a fountain of youth. Sign the Declaration, agree not to have children and you too can live forever. Refuse, and you will live as an outcast. For the children born outside the law, it only gets worse - Surplus status.
Not everyone thinks Longevity is a good thing, but you better be clear what side youre on. . . . Surplus Anna is about to find out what happens when you cant decide if you should cheat the law or cheat death.
About the Author
GEMMA MALLEY studied philosophy at Reading University before working as a journalist. A successful author of women's fiction, The Declaration is her first book for young readers. She lives in London with her family.