rebeccabooks's review against another edition
5.0
Okay so normally people post 'In My Mailbox' on a Sunday but well I finished this one this morning so too bad. Bad timing I guess but oh well.
This is the last one in the amazing dystopian trilogy of The Declaration series involving a future Earth without disease and death. Bit different, right?
Of course, I might have spoilers in here for those that haven't read the last two books so...if you haven't, go to my review on the first book, The Declaration or the second, The Resistance.
Synopsis: Longevity, the drug that helps you live forever, protect you from disease, is failing. As they lose their effectiveness, a deadly virus is sweeping the world and everyone is looking at Pincent Pharma for the solution to the Missing people that suddenly disappear off the streets of London. Richard Pincent, the head of the company and son-in-law to the creater of Longevity drugs, claims that the Underground have contaminated a batch of the drugs which causes uproar and chaos as angry mobs kill those that are known as sympathisers or Opt Outs of the Longevity drugs. Someone knows what is truly happening - but who? The cast from the other two books: Jude, Peter, Anna, Shelia, Pip, all join again for the last and final battle against the organisation of Pincent Pharma that preserves life but does so much to deny that right...
Review:
This is truly the final chapter of this trilogy that in short, got me interested in the dystopian genre overall. This is set in 2125 - so 114 years before our time at the moment. There is no suggestion that this could never happen. Someone could make drugs like this to have eternal life. Someone could be making them, right now. You read other books in this genre and yes, part of it could happen but it's now Earth. It's a futurisic completely different place based loosely on Earth. That is the most interesting aspect of this series. It could happen and the way Gemma Malley has written this amazing trilogy is as if it is normal life. When she describes Jude and Peter walking around London, it sounds like they are and it sounds exactly, from living on the outskirts of London myself, like it is now - without the virus and the drugs of course. Nothing much has changed - just the whole eternal life element.
This for me, is the best in the series. I suppose in some ways it has to be. There is the original cast of characters that have been in it the whole way through - Peter, Anna, Jude, Shelia, Pip, Richard Pincent, Hilary Wright. Now, I know the characters as if they were real especially Anna and Peter. However, there are also new characters - either returning from past books or completely new and original ones. Gemma Malley makes them all different - all have a different voice and opinion on what is happening. For example, Julia. The Legal that hid Anna and Peter in the first book - she's back and is in a good chunk of the novel. That's what I love as well about this book; it's told through the same characters but broken up and sometimes overlap.
There are the obligatory surprising twists and turns to Gemma Malley's novels and this is no exception. The ending is one of the best yet for me and although in some ways it seemed...rushed (?) I think it mostly because it all happened so fast. Those that have been firm followers of this series I think shall end this novel with a smile on their face and happy with the outcome. I don't want to give too much away...sorry.
If you've never read this series, don't just read this one. I've read reviews on this book on Goodreads slating it - it's only as good as I make out if you read the other two first. They do refer to events in the past two books.
Overall, this is another brillant dystopian novel of Malley's and a great way to end one of my now favourite series. I'm glad it took a while to get my paws on this one - it was worth it. My advice: give it a read....but find the Declaration first!
I give it 5 out of 5
This is the last one in the amazing dystopian trilogy of The Declaration series involving a future Earth without disease and death. Bit different, right?
Of course, I might have spoilers in here for those that haven't read the last two books so...if you haven't, go to my review on the first book, The Declaration or the second, The Resistance.
Synopsis: Longevity, the drug that helps you live forever, protect you from disease, is failing. As they lose their effectiveness, a deadly virus is sweeping the world and everyone is looking at Pincent Pharma for the solution to the Missing people that suddenly disappear off the streets of London. Richard Pincent, the head of the company and son-in-law to the creater of Longevity drugs, claims that the Underground have contaminated a batch of the drugs which causes uproar and chaos as angry mobs kill those that are known as sympathisers or Opt Outs of the Longevity drugs. Someone knows what is truly happening - but who? The cast from the other two books: Jude, Peter, Anna, Shelia, Pip, all join again for the last and final battle against the organisation of Pincent Pharma that preserves life but does so much to deny that right...
Review:
This is truly the final chapter of this trilogy that in short, got me interested in the dystopian genre overall. This is set in 2125 - so 114 years before our time at the moment. There is no suggestion that this could never happen. Someone could make drugs like this to have eternal life. Someone could be making them, right now. You read other books in this genre and yes, part of it could happen but it's now Earth. It's a futurisic completely different place based loosely on Earth. That is the most interesting aspect of this series. It could happen and the way Gemma Malley has written this amazing trilogy is as if it is normal life. When she describes Jude and Peter walking around London, it sounds like they are and it sounds exactly, from living on the outskirts of London myself, like it is now - without the virus and the drugs of course. Nothing much has changed - just the whole eternal life element.
This for me, is the best in the series. I suppose in some ways it has to be. There is the original cast of characters that have been in it the whole way through - Peter, Anna, Jude, Shelia, Pip, Richard Pincent, Hilary Wright. Now, I know the characters as if they were real especially Anna and Peter. However, there are also new characters - either returning from past books or completely new and original ones. Gemma Malley makes them all different - all have a different voice and opinion on what is happening. For example, Julia. The Legal that hid Anna and Peter in the first book - she's back and is in a good chunk of the novel. That's what I love as well about this book; it's told through the same characters but broken up and sometimes overlap.
There are the obligatory surprising twists and turns to Gemma Malley's novels and this is no exception. The ending is one of the best yet for me and although in some ways it seemed...rushed (?) I think it mostly because it all happened so fast. Those that have been firm followers of this series I think shall end this novel with a smile on their face and happy with the outcome. I don't want to give too much away...sorry.
If you've never read this series, don't just read this one. I've read reviews on this book on Goodreads slating it - it's only as good as I make out if you read the other two first. They do refer to events in the past two books.
Overall, this is another brillant dystopian novel of Malley's and a great way to end one of my now favourite series. I'm glad it took a while to get my paws on this one - it was worth it. My advice: give it a read....but find the Declaration first!
I give it 5 out of 5
jokos's review against another edition
4.0
The beginning of this book actually made me feel like it wasn't worth waiting two years for. It was slow-paced with terrible character development. The only character that was built up worth a damn seemed to be Jude. Peter was selfish, irrational and basically stupid. Anna acted like a 6 year old throughout most of it.
But the ending was simply AMAZING. I can usually predict or guess twists before they happen but with this book, that was definitely not the case. It redeems the disappointing beginning fully and completely and brings the overall rating up to a respectable 4 stars.
If you've already started the series, I recommend you just hang in there. It's worth it. :)
But the ending was simply AMAZING. I can usually predict or guess twists before they happen but with this book, that was definitely not the case. It redeems the disappointing beginning fully and completely and brings the overall rating up to a respectable 4 stars.
If you've already started the series, I recommend you just hang in there. It's worth it. :)
kelliepalmer's review against another edition
3.0
This was a weird series. I'm glad it found a way to have a semi resolution. I think there were still many flaws and unresolved parts.
blburslem's review against another edition
3.0
This book was much slower than the other 2 in the series. I didn't feel like the atmosphere of the outside world was made real enough, like I kept forgetting there was even a virus spreading. Shelia was a complete brat and I couldn't fathom how Jude could be in love with her. Their romance was completely unbelievable and underdeveloped. HOWEVER, the ending namely the last 2 sentences were FANTASTIC. Completely made the book worth reading.
helenamt's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
_cassidyreads_'s review against another edition
3.0
The first book in the series was definately the best. All the books are great but i think that the books lacked the thrill of the first book. They were definately ggod though. I still got really excited about the two ending scenes, they were great! I definately loved the ending though i love it when authors end stories like that! No i am not talking about the books that stop dead in their tracks and make you run to the nearest book store only to find the sequels not out yet :( I love it when they tell you a little more about WHAT happened after every thing finished a little insight of how the characters lived after the grand finale scene.
Great Job Gemma :)
Great Job Gemma :)
dorod59's review against another edition
4.0
It was a really nice ending to this trilogy by Gemma Malley.
Anna and Peter were not the main character anymore, but they still played a part, and other characters, all very interesting came forward. I particularly loved Jude.
It was a very good read, I'm not sad it has come to an end, as this ending satisfied me!
Anna and Peter were not the main character anymore, but they still played a part, and other characters, all very interesting came forward. I particularly loved Jude.
It was a very good read, I'm not sad it has come to an end, as this ending satisfied me!
wrenlee's review against another edition
5.0
Love the ending. The epilogue is amazing. I totally want to see Molly's and Albert's (Fern not Peter's kid) story as new short .5 books. That would be amazing. I love the twist because it is so unexpected.
;)
This is a great ending for the trilogy!
;)
This is a great ending for the trilogy!
philyra91's review against another edition
4.0
The Legacy was most definitely a satisfying end to a trilogy that for me, was thought-provoking and mind-opening. The plot of the story fits well into the trilogy. Logevity drugs, having kept humans immune to death and diseases for so long, seemed to have its effects waning. People are dying in the most horrible and grotesque ways. In a desperate act to keep the truth from coming out, Pincent lies and says that the Underground has poisoned the drugs, sending the entire society into chaos.
I have to say, this was a much more xciting read than the second book, The Resistance. One gets the sense that because the trilogy is at its end, the pace of the story really picks up. Readers see main characters, Anna and Peter, grow and mature from children to adults, resistence fighters here. We get to see more of Jude and Sheila as well, which is a good thing. :)
There are quite a few major twists in this story and truly, by the time you finish this, you'd be wondering why you hadn't read this a lot earlier. :)
I have to say, this was a much more xciting read than the second book, The Resistance. One gets the sense that because the trilogy is at its end, the pace of the story really picks up. Readers see main characters, Anna and Peter, grow and mature from children to adults, resistence fighters here. We get to see more of Jude and Sheila as well, which is a good thing. :)
There are quite a few major twists in this story and truly, by the time you finish this, you'd be wondering why you hadn't read this a lot earlier. :)