‘You’re going to be on your own, Peter, and I need to know that you’re prepared. You must realise this is a battle. A battle of nature and science, good and evil and your grandfather will do everything in his power to win you over.’’

The year is 2140. Peter and Anna are living as ‘Legals’ but continue to rebel against the laws of the state. Impatient to see action as an agent in the Underground, Peter is tasked with infiltrating the Pincent Pharma Corporation to find out what’s going on in the secret Longevity programme. To do this Peter must feign a reconciliation with his grandfather, Richard Pincent, one of the most powerful men on the planet, whose company is chasing the holy grail of modern science – a drug which will reverse the effects of ageing. But his grandfather has his own plans for Peter and Anna. Plans that threaten the young couple’s dreams for the future.

The Resistance continues the story of Gemma Malley’s The Declaration and explores what happens when two young people intent on living their own lives stand up against an authoritarian regime. The book raises some interesting questions – would you give up your chance of immortality to raise a family? Is using Surplus children to create new drugs okay? If not, would you be willing to fight against the system?

This book focuses on Peter rather than Anna (who was the main focus of The Declaration). Peter is  an angry male, seeking to make his mark with the Underground whilst swamped by self doubt and temptation along the way. I liked this book:  the premise behind it is interesting, but ultimately I thought that the writing let it down. The narrative is  plot driven and doesn't leave much space for  reading between the lines. Astute readers will have worked out the ending long before Malley reveals the true evil of Pincent Pharma.  A starightforward read but the issues and rather harrowing procedures they use to harvest Longevity+ might mean you want to read it yourself before recommending it to young teenagers. I recommend reading The Declaration first.

2009-06-20