Review Detail

The Declaration is a book set in the future where a drug has been invented called "Longevity" that gives people immortality. People can Opt Out (they die) if they want to have a child, because otherwise the world would be overloaded with people. A life for a life. That's how it works. Children are looked down upon because they are new life, whether they are Legal or not. But there are some people who have signed the Declaration and still have a child. All these children are called Surpluses. And Anna is one. The Surpluses learn to hate their parents for bringing them into the world. And Anna hates her parents too. She learns to be a good Surplus, and is constantly trying to make up for the "sin" her parents have done by giving birth to her. She is the Senior Prefect, the perfect picture of a perfect Surplus. That is, until Peter Tomlison comes and opens Anna's eyes to what is really happening. He tells her that her parents are alive and are trying to find her, and this is what makes Anna suddenly want more than being a good Surplus. Anna and Peter become friends (and perhaps even more than that) and good, Senior Prefect Anna Surplus, suddenly becomes daring, brave Anna. They go on daring escapes, trying to escape the authorities. Who can Anna trust, and will she find her parents?

When I started reading The Declaration, I was astonished at the idea of people managing to create a drug that cured cancer and granted long life. But I suppose that really is not that surprising. We have come so far in these recent years, who knows how far we can go in the next 1000 years? But even though that idea was nice, I hated Longevty from the start. If we were to live forever, life would get unbearably boring and we wouldn't look forward to anything, because we would know that it was going to happen sooner or later. And a life without children? Forget it. If given the choice, I would Opt Out. No competition.

The Declaration is an engaging book that cleverly reveals to us that living forever is not as cool as everyone thinks it is, and provides an insight on a world without children. Living forever would be unbearably boring. The world would be full of old people, doing whatever old people do. Just old people in a disguise.

Living forever is not a good thing. Opt Out.