Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman

[midgetgem]

I fancied a new read and picked this book up from a Waterstone's and I could not put it down. This book is also part of a four-book series (five including the short story that was limited edition and included in my edition of the book) and I was thrilled when I realised the storyline was going to continue and obviously I immediately bought the whole series!

This novel is set in a world where the black community is considered more important and superior than the white community. The segregation in this novel is quite extreme against the white community, as most are poor and don't have the same opportunities or wealth as the black community. The novel switches between the viewpoints of a white boy, a 'Nought', and a black girl, a 'Cross'. I really enjoy reading novels that are written like this, because it gives two viewpoints of the same events that happen and contradicts the assumptions the other character makes on them, and vice versa.
The viewpoints are from Persephone Hadley (Sephy), a Cross girl, and Callum McGregor, a Nought boy. Sephy is the daughter of Kamal Hadley, a popular and powerful politician, who is often away, and lives with her alcoholic mother and snobbish and 'can't-do-anything-wrong' older sister in a house that is far too big with their own private beach. Callum lives with his mum, dad, aggressive older brother Jude and 'simple' older sister Lynette. Callum's mum Meggie worked for Sephy's mother Jasmine, and it was this that brought Callum and Sephy together as best childhood friends, unaware of the political barriers that would face them in the future.
The novel shows the difficulties to these two innocent children that in their society shouldn't be friends at all. The differences in their lifestyles is very clear early on, as Callum dreams of having the simple thing of orange juice with his meals and Sephy does not consider it a luxury at all, having it every mealtime and her mother constantly with a glass of Chardonnay or champagne. But one of Callum's dreams come true, and a dream for the whole Noughts race, as he is accepted into one of the impressive Cross schools, one that Sephy goes to. However, the Cross children there make the experience incredibly challenging for him and three other Noughts, and when Sephy tries to stand up for him by only sitting with him in the canteen, this results in a beating for her too. This made me feel incredibly angry about the whole situation, because even the Cross adults at the school did nothing to help the bullied Nought children, and persecuted them for petty things.
Growing up made the segregation between Sephy and Callum more real to them, and as they begin to be pushed apart by society Sephy decides to leave for boarding school and Callum joins the Liberation Militia (following his brother's footsteps), a violent Nought organisation fighting for equality. Callum's hatred for Crosses grows, and he climbs up the ranks, and one assignment he has to do is kidnap Kamal Hadley's daughter so they can ask for a ransom; Sephy Hadley. Callum has to cover his feelings towards her with his new personality, but their love for one another is still there and they spend the night together. Obviously this results in Sephy becoming pregnant and her family, once she has escaped the hands of the Liberation Militia, thinking that she has been raped.

This gives Sephy one decision, put upon her by her father. This decision made me detest her father even more, as there are no parts in this novel where I felt any liking towards him.

I think she made the right decision, but I still feel angry with Malorie Blackman for writing the ending of this story; I believed it wouldn't happen until the very end, when it did, and I caused great upset! Although the story ending very sadly, it was beautifully written and there was a newspaper announcement at the end that was upsetting but gave a light of hope for the characters.

This novel is one of my all-time favourites. All the way through I felt connected with both Callum and Sephy, and clearly understood their feelings and felt sad, angry, happy etc. when they did. I think it takes a great author to write a novel that makes the reader feel this way, and I applaud Malorie Blackman for this amazing story.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone that wants a read with everything in it; friendship, love, violence, politics and struggle. There's something for everyone in it, but it is not in the least complicated or confusing in the way it is written. The good thing is, that when you have finished this book, it doesn't end their; three more full-length novels follow, with the characters growing up and following the lives of future generations.

Thank you for reading my review, comments welcome.

By Gemma Robinson

[ashleighabsurd]

This book is a very good read showing the segregation between black (crosses) and white (noughts) people and the love that happens between Sephy and Callum and the challenges that they face trying to be together.
As the book shows the story from both characters perspective with one chapter each you are able to see how both the Noughts and the Crosses live and how they both feel about the life that they are living as well as seeing the differences first hand. As the book goes on you start to really care about what the other character feels about how things that are happening in the others lives.
I would recommend this book to everyone as it isn't your normal romance book and shows that race should not divide people. As well as it will leave you thinking about what you have read after you have finished reading.