Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman

Having not been bothered to write an opinion in months, I certainly didn?t expect to be inspired when I trundled on down to the library in search of a nice, trashy romance novel to read on holiday. (Criticise my taste as much as you like, but the fact is we ladies all love ?em. Right?) I found ?Noughts and Crosses? (by Malorie Blackman) in the teenage section disguising itself as just such a book; the synopsis suggested another simplified adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, this time between black and white people living in a community where strong racial discrimination and segregation exist. That is in some ways exactly what this novel is about; yet don?t let such a ...  Read the complete review

Noughts and Crosses is a young adults' book written by Malorie Blackman and published by Random House in 2001. It is the first of a five book series that was released to critical acclaim culminating in Blackman receiving the Children's Book Award. The book deals with the subject of racism and is set in a world where people are judged solely on the colour of the skin. I first read Noughts and Crosses when it was first published and, being about eleven at this point, found it a fascinating read. Having recently recommended it to my younger cousin I thought I would take another look at this children's novel to see if it was as intriguing a read as I ...  Read the complete review

I absolutely love this book! The story of an alternative world, where the black people are the power race and the whites are the condemned and where capital punishment is prevalent. The story follows Sephy (cross) and Callum (nought) who grow up together and are meant for each other. But due to circumstances which forces them apart, both lives take on a separate track with Callum turning to crime and terrorism. The story is not only beautifully told but Blackman really knows how to develop her characters. The misunderstandings and unfortunate forces the reader to feel compassion for the two characters and you just will them to be together in the end. It is a modern ...  Read the complete review

Malorie Blackman is a favourite among young teenagers, for her fast paced and imaginative style. Her characters are normal seeming, with typical problems which they solve in an engaging manner. Her most famous book is probably 'Pig-heart Boy.' They are always powerfully written at put across a strong message of friendship, familial love, and trust. Noughts and Crosses is a slightly different book to the others. For one it is aimed at a wider audience and can be read by all age groups. For another it tackles a serious issue in a very thought provoking manner. The issue that is tackled is RACISM. Many authors have approached this issue but none ...  Read the complete review

A less than satisfactory grade in my English module last term resulted in the purchase of this book. Well, that was the excuse I used for the bank of mum. In reality I had heard of it through friends and decided that it was time to read something new. Having just recently read things such as 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Pride and Prejudice' i assumed that the novel would be quite an easy read by my standards. In actual fact it was a surprisingly hard read, and there were several times I had to use a dictionary as reference. Although the book does contain a warning that it is not suitable for younger readers, it is also generally categorized under 'teen ...  Read the complete review