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ed_moore's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
“It’s very easy to hide away in a wine bottle but very hard to get out again”
Blackman’s ‘Noughts and Crosses’ tells of the forbidden love between Callum, a white boy and Sephy, a black girl, in a dystopian society where Blackman inverts the racial prejudice and hierarchy that plagues the world. It is a political analysis where the treatment of those white echoes racist societies, with many mirrors to the civil rights movement and the divide between peaceful and violent protest.
Blackman also touches on issues beyond race such as sexuality, broken families and addiction. ‘Noughts and Crosses’ was full of shocks and the ending was especially impactful, however to reach such ending it was a frustrating journey. The story is told in alternating chapters narrated by both Callum and Sephy, however in places I felt this format was so forced and the book would’ve flowed better if not regimented into this strict chapter structure. There were so many switches with the chapters being somewhat short and some were only a few sentences which it felt like only existed to continue the story from one of the characters perspectives but try not to break the chapter structure. Additionally, I really did not like Sephy’s perspective. She was the privileged perspective hence was supposed to be a little out of touch, but Blackman tried to present her as understanding the issues of racism and being the ‘white saviour’ figure (or black saviour to place it literally) and I did just find her extremely insufferable and whiny. I struggled with the story through Sephy’s perspective and Callum was a really interesting character so it just feels like I lost half a book from his point of view.
While I feel like I missed out on the intricacies of Callum’s struggles and the fascinating cast of characters that make up his family due to Sephy’s perspective. The romantic focus of the book also wasn't handled the best and was so much weaker than the political elements, I feel the story could've been so much more powerful without the focus on the problematic relationship between Callum and Sephy. The sequels will likely look a bit more into the wider cast of Callum's family and extend political world-building but I do also really struggle to see how this universe and plot line can be extended into another book, let alone a subsequent five.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Suicide, and Kidnapping
sanniiee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
anneknut's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lilzoologist's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Racism, Suicide, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape and Abortion
megsbookishtwins's review against another edition
5.0
“I used to comfort myself with the belief that it was only certain individuals and their peculiar notions that spoilt things for the rest of us. But how many individuals does it take before it's not the individuals who are prejudiced but society itself?”
I really loved Noughts & Crosses. Its the story of Callum and Sephy in love in an alternative society where prejudices and racism is reversed, and the Crosses are the ruling class and the Noughts are the lower class. I really loved the characters and the development of the romance between Callum and Sephy and the way they overcame the challenges they faced. Noughts and Crosses was very well written which kept me captivated from start to finish, especially as it switched between Sephy's and Callum's POVs.
The ending was heartbreaking and my heart goes out to Sephy and Callum. It was a great read and I would definitely recommend. I already have the second book on kindle, so hopefully I will be reading it soon!
I really loved Noughts & Crosses. Its the story of Callum and Sephy in love in an alternative society where prejudices and racism is reversed, and the Crosses are the ruling class and the Noughts are the lower class. I really loved the characters and the development of the romance between Callum and Sephy and the way they overcame the challenges they faced. Noughts and Crosses was very well written which kept me captivated from start to finish, especially as it switched between Sephy's and Callum's POVs.
The ending was heartbreaking and my heart goes out to Sephy and Callum. It was a great read and I would definitely recommend. I already have the second book on kindle, so hopefully I will be reading it soon!
aimzzii's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written and a touching story. I read this a long time ago but it is one of those books that stick with you. It was lovely to get two narrators. I enjoyed both characters storylines and development equally. I recommend this book, however I haven't read any of the sequels as the ending felt like it was very 'definite 'for me, like the story wouldn't ever be the same and I wasn't too keen on that. Hence, the four star review. However, others enjoyed the climactic ending so don't let that stop you from reading a fantastic novel.
claire_dobson's review against another edition
4.0
A very good read looking at racial prejudice/segregation in reverse to how we have known it. Add in a Romeo and Juliet type love affair and you have a book which keeps you turning pages.