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A review by katsbooks
Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
dark
emotional
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
“That just the way it is. Some things will never change. That's just the way it is. But don't you believe them.”
“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?”
“The news lies all the time. They tell us what they think we would want to hear.”
I first read this book way back in middle school. Which I think was a bit too young to be reading it but it was definitely at my reading level. I don't know a lot of people who are familiar with this series but it seems to be quite well-known in the UK. I've even seen some reviews talk about how they had to read it in school. And, honestly, that tracks. The writing style of this book definitely makes it accessible for younger readers, especially since our main characters, Sephy and Callum, are both relatively young when the story begins. However, the topics that are covered throughout the rest of the book are incredibly heavy yet handled with care.
For me, this was the first book that I ever read that really made me feel some sort of way about opression and racism. I can distinctly remember having lots of feelings about this book and not having the words to articulate them. In the world of the story, noughts are white people who are oppressed by crosses, privileged black people. It is an obvious allegory for racism in the real world. This book was the first time I really had cause to realize that there were people in the world that were oppressed because of their skin color. So while I didn't have the skills or understanding at the time to apply it to my world, I'm so grateful to have had the early exposure and I'm very glad it's being taught in schools somewhere (mostly in the UK, I'm guessing.)
The cultural impact of this book, aside, the writing is highly approachable for a young audience but deals with a lot of hard topics other than racism. It extensively explores systemic racism but also abuse, alcoholism, infidelity and abortion. Overall, this book really packs a punch. You feel for Sephy and Callum and can't help but hurt with them as reality wallops them again and again. I will definitely be reading more.
“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?”
“The news lies all the time. They tell us what they think we would want to hear.”
I first read this book way back in middle school. Which I think was a bit too young to be reading it but it was definitely at my reading level. I don't know a lot of people who are familiar with this series but it seems to be quite well-known in the UK. I've even seen some reviews talk about how they had to read it in school. And, honestly, that tracks. The writing style of this book definitely makes it accessible for younger readers, especially since our main characters, Sephy and Callum, are both relatively young when the story begins. However, the topics that are covered throughout the rest of the book are incredibly heavy yet handled with care.
For me, this was the first book that I ever read that really made me feel some sort of way about opression and racism. I can distinctly remember having lots of feelings about this book and not having the words to articulate them. In the world of the story, noughts are white people who are oppressed by crosses, privileged black people. It is an obvious allegory for racism in the real world. This book was the first time I really had cause to realize that there were people in the world that were oppressed because of their skin color. So while I didn't have the skills or understanding at the time to apply it to my world, I'm so grateful to have had the early exposure and I'm very glad it's being taught in schools somewhere (mostly in the UK, I'm guessing.)
The cultural impact of this book, aside, the writing is highly approachable for a young audience but deals with a lot of hard topics other than racism. It extensively explores systemic racism but also abuse, alcoholism, infidelity and abortion. Overall, this book really packs a punch. You feel for Sephy and Callum and can't help but hurt with them as reality wallops them again and again. I will definitely be reading more.