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abbiestorr's review against another edition
4.0
my fave book since the original i think i <3 callie rose and tobey
owls_rainbow's review against another edition
3.0
The series as a whole seemed to be trying to be more than what it was. The world-building was non-existent, the writing was weak and even as the characters aged they sounded like children. This book was better but certainly a change of direction. The sexual encounter between Sephy and Callum was very vaguely described in the first book but in this one you get every single tiny detail and I personally found it a bit much. Characters like Misty were brought out of nowhere and didn't add anything to the story. The timeline also seemed a bit off. We have a prologue then a 'Six Weeks Earlier' message and maybe the passage of time wasn't marked clearly enough but it seemed both too fast and too slow for six weeks. What occurs in the prologue doesn't appear to occur in the book itself either. Or at least not written in the same way/clearly enough that we can tell. The endings of these books are also very weak. They just stop, there's no resolution, no solid conclusion. Again this one was better but I wanted more from the ending.
That's the overall issue with this series for me. I just wanted more than what I was given.
That's the overall issue with this series for me. I just wanted more than what I was given.
chezleyrose's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
simonrtaylor's review against another edition
3.0
The fifth and final volume in the award-winning Noughts and Crosses sequence was a disappointing departure from its predecessors.
Gone was the dystopian world operated by race. Gone was the Liberation Militia and their creepy threat. Gone were Minerva, Jude and Jasmine. Gone, for all practical purposes, were Callie Rose, Meggie and even Sephy. Gone, even, is the clever alternation narration of chapters and the preceding X or O is replaced regardless of speaker (when it is briefly Callie instead of Tobey) with XX regardless.
Instead, we have nice guy Toby getting caught up in an old-fashioned turf war between two rival gangs, with Callie Rose caught (literally) in the cross-fire and spending most of the book as a vegetable hooked up to IV. Sephy, previously a mainstay of the series, was reduced to a scowling supporting character who rocked up once in a while to glare at Toby and sulk off again.
In the absence of Callie Rose, Toby sets about avenging her injury Medowview style and plans to take the gang lords down. The events unfold with every cliché known to man and every twist is more predictable than the one before. Having said that, it’s enjoyable nonetheless and perfectly paced throughout. Although previous novels have been bogged down with depressing reflections at times, Blackman nails it on the head this time with a downright masterful blend of action, reflection and introspection that keeps emotion and action in the symbiotic relationship that bolsters both.
As a lead character, Toby is immensely likeable and believable. His dialogue and narration is peppered with all the sorts of dry wit and cliché that roll from a schoolboy’s tongue – and this time cliché is a good thing. As a supporting character in Checkmate, Toby is brilliantly developed into the best lead the series has had, and is vastly more entertaining than some of his predecessors.
The climax to the story is also the climax to the series and it’s very nicely handled. All of the surviving characters are given conclusions relevant to their respective journeys. In contrast to the (brilliantly) gut-wrenching, heart-breaking conclusion to Noughts and Crosses way back at the beginning, Blackman leaves the audience of Double Cross moved in an entirely different, yet perfect, way.
Overall, a four-star standalone book with a great deal going for it, but presented as the concluding volume of the Noughts and Crosses sequence, it lets itself down by moving so drastically away from the format of the rest of the series. The key plot is markedly different and veteran characters are overlooked. The series was originally ended after the previous instalment, and on reflection perhaps that was the correct decision.
Gone was the dystopian world operated by race. Gone was the Liberation Militia and their creepy threat. Gone were Minerva, Jude and Jasmine. Gone, for all practical purposes, were Callie Rose, Meggie and even Sephy. Gone, even, is the clever alternation narration of chapters and the preceding X or O is replaced regardless of speaker (when it is briefly Callie instead of Tobey) with XX regardless.
Instead, we have nice guy Toby getting caught up in an old-fashioned turf war between two rival gangs, with Callie Rose caught (literally) in the cross-fire and spending most of the book as a vegetable hooked up to IV. Sephy, previously a mainstay of the series, was reduced to a scowling supporting character who rocked up once in a while to glare at Toby and sulk off again.
In the absence of Callie Rose, Toby sets about avenging her injury Medowview style and plans to take the gang lords down. The events unfold with every cliché known to man and every twist is more predictable than the one before. Having said that, it’s enjoyable nonetheless and perfectly paced throughout. Although previous novels have been bogged down with depressing reflections at times, Blackman nails it on the head this time with a downright masterful blend of action, reflection and introspection that keeps emotion and action in the symbiotic relationship that bolsters both.
As a lead character, Toby is immensely likeable and believable. His dialogue and narration is peppered with all the sorts of dry wit and cliché that roll from a schoolboy’s tongue – and this time cliché is a good thing. As a supporting character in Checkmate, Toby is brilliantly developed into the best lead the series has had, and is vastly more entertaining than some of his predecessors.
The climax to the story is also the climax to the series and it’s very nicely handled. All of the surviving characters are given conclusions relevant to their respective journeys. In contrast to the (brilliantly) gut-wrenching, heart-breaking conclusion to Noughts and Crosses way back at the beginning, Blackman leaves the audience of Double Cross moved in an entirely different, yet perfect, way.
Overall, a four-star standalone book with a great deal going for it, but presented as the concluding volume of the Noughts and Crosses sequence, it lets itself down by moving so drastically away from the format of the rest of the series. The key plot is markedly different and veteran characters are overlooked. The series was originally ended after the previous instalment, and on reflection perhaps that was the correct decision.
bookedandwatched's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the initial Noughts and Crosses trilogy. The first book in the series is one that will stick with you for a long while after reading it.
The more of the series I read the more the impact of the books is reduced. They are no longer thought provoking and I care less and less about the characters as the new ones are introduced.
I wonder if it is worth reading the last 2 in this series. Any one read them?
The more of the series I read the more the impact of the books is reduced. They are no longer thought provoking and I care less and less about the characters as the new ones are introduced.
I wonder if it is worth reading the last 2 in this series. Any one read them?
saidahgilbert's review against another edition
4.0
I did not find it as good as the ones before. Perhaps because I did not resonate with Tobey as much as the other characters or maybe because I kept thinking of Elizabeth George's "What Came Before He Shot Her". I read it after re-reading the three previous books.
elleneam's review against another edition
5.0
A great story showing Callie Rose and Toby as they grow up on their estate. Toby is skint and decides to deliver a "package" for his friend Dan. Dan works for McColly - the leader of one of the local drug gangs. But there is a shoot out and Callie goes into a comma. Toby, full of anger and hate, tries to take his revenge by bringing down all of the drug gangs on their estate. But deep down the only thing Toby wants is to go to university and Callie Rose's love.
bexcody's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.0
barbelizabeth's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-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