Malorie Blackman, Noughts & Crosses Review

“This novel is the best I have ever read. It is...”

Written on: 21/12/2006 by 06freddiefollower

This novel is the best I have ever read. It is incredibly well-plotted and written and although it is depressing, disturbing and sad, it always makes me want to go back to it. Blackman has her own past experiences to write from and so writes the racial segregation from her scars. She gives us the story from both sides of the same world - on the inside and on the outside - which has great effects to the story. But to be honest, I never would have read it if my cousin hadn't ranted and raved about it all Christmas because the blurb - well, for me anyway - made me go "Great. Why do I want to read a re-telling of ROMEO AND JULIET?" This, I believe, is the reason why this outstanding book has never got the credit it deserves. It should do. I read it in a day and spent my whole weekend in Cambridge shushing my family and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. This is what NOUGHTS AND CROSSES does. It lingers in your mind till you go crazy on how humanity can do such terrible things to each other. Yep, look elsewhere if you're searching for fluffy, everything's-gonna-be-alright stuff, because this book cuts right into your soul and stays there. There's no getting out once you've started.