In this fictional, yet familiar world created by Malorie Blackman, the Crosses have everything .... the money, the power, the educational opportunities and the jobs. The Noughts, on the other hand, are only 50 years down the line from being enslaved - but for them, not much seems to have changed. Equality is simply a dream. Most Noughts just keep their heads down and try to stay out of trouble, out of prison and, if they are lucky, well away from the hangman's noose. Within this atmosphere, two youngsters become friends - Callum (a Nought), and Sephy (a Cross). As they get older, the friendship has a chance of developing into something beautiful ... if it wasn't for everyone else trying to force them apart. Noughts and Crosses cannot be friends, let alone lovers. Callum's life changes for good when his sister commits suicide, which pushes his father and older brother to join the Liberation Movement, leading to a bomb blast which very nearly kills Sephy. Can Callum and Sephy ever be together in this world of hate and mistrust? This is a story that pulls no punches, with violence, racism, unhappy marriages, despair, love and joy in equal measures. The author pushes all your emotional buttons, and leaves you begging for someone to tell a joke just to relieve the tension. But there are no jokes. This is a book that exposes the utter ridiculousness of racism, but in a very accessible way (the book being written for young adults). It's gripping and you do root for the characters despite you having a nagging feeling that they are doomed! Noughts & Crosses, which I read in print is a very modern Romeo and Juliet and I can understand why this has become a very popular book and is now studied in British schools.
My STAR rating: FOUR.
Length: 443 print pages.
Price I paid: £0.00 (borrowed from my local library)
Formats available: print; audio CD; audio download; ebook.
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