Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Declaration | 2007 | Gemma Malley | Buy |
| 2 | The Resistance | 2008 | Gemma Malley | Buy |
| 3 | The Legacy | 2010 | Gemma Malley | Buy |
The Declaration trilogy is Gemma Malley’s debut series, published between 2007 and 2010. It is set in a future where a drug called Longevity has eliminated aging and disease. The catch is that to prevent overpopulation, having children has been made illegal. Anyone born in defiance of this law is classified as a Surplus and raised in institutions where they are taught to be grateful for their existence and to serve the “Legal” population.
The first book introduces Anna, a Surplus who has accepted her place in the world until a new arrival at her institution challenges everything she believes. The Resistance (2008) expands the scope as characters begin to push back against the system, and The Legacy (2010) brings the trilogy to its conclusion. Malley uses the premise to ask real questions about what people give up in exchange for safety and immortality, and whether a life without risk or change is worth living.
The series was published to strong critical reception and holds up well against other YA dystopias from the same era. It is less action-heavy than some of its peers, spending more time on the moral and philosophical problems of its world. Readers who like their dystopian fiction to be about ideas as much as plot will find this trilogy rewarding.