Malorie Blackman

[Mark Robson]

Author of: Noughts & Crosses, Knife Edge and Checkmate.

I've just finished reading Noughts and Crosses and found it a fascinating book. Basically, it's a story that explores racial prejudice and the idea of a mixed race relationship in a society where the divide is even more pronounced than the aparteid period in South Africa. The twist to the story is that in the world in which the story is based, everything is reversed - the coloured people (crosses) are the ruling class, with the whites (noughts) being barely out of slavery.

The story is told from alternating viewpoints. Persephone, or Sephy as she is mostly called, and Callum. Sephy is a cross. She's the daughter of the Prime Minister and lives a life of luxury. Callum is a nought. He's two years older than Sephy, and the son of one of the house servants. When Callum's mother is sacked unfairly, the two children retain their relationship, but the question throughout the novel is based around whether their friendship can survive in a world so divided.

The idea of such a story is not particularly new, but the setting and the style with which Malorie Blackman writes makes for compulsive reading. I was sucked into her world totally, and the ending was not what I had expected. I will certainly make time to read the rest of the trilogy.

I'm not sure that this really qualifies as fantasy or science fiction, but it was certainly a good read.

[Alia]

Her bibliography:

Series
Noughts and Crosses
1. Noughts and Crosses (2001)
An Eye for An Eye (2003)
2. Knife Edge (2004)
3. Checkmate (2005)

Novels
Girl Wonder and the Terrific Twins (1991)
Elaine, You're A Brat! (1991)
A New Dress for Maya (1992)
Trust Me (1992)
Betsy Biggalow the Detective (1992)
Hacker (1992)
Betsey Biggalow Is Here! (1993)
Operation Gadgetman (1993)
Hurricane Betsy (1994)
Deadly Dare (1995)
Thief! (1995)
Betsey's Birthday Surprise (1996)
Grandma's Haunted Handbag (1996)
A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E. (1996)
Jackson Sweet tooth the 73rd (1997)
The Mellion Moon Mystery (1997)
Space Race (1997)
Computer Ghost (1997)
Pig-Heart Boy (1997)
Lie Detectives (1998)
Whizziwig (1998)
Whizziwig Returns (1999)
Animal Avengers (1999)
Forbidden Game (1999)
Dangerous Reality (1999)
Hostage (1999)
Tell Me No Lies (1999)
Snow Dog (2001)
Dead Gorgeous (2002)
The Monster Crisp Guzzler (2002)
The Amazing Adventures of Girl Wonder (2003)
Cloud Busting (2004)
Ellie, and the Cat! (2005)
Stuff of Nightmares (2007)

Collections
Not So Stupid!: Incredible Short Stories (1990)
Words Last Forever (1998)
Aesop's Fables Retold (1998)
Shining on: A Collection of Stories in Aid of the Teen Cancer Trust (2006) (with Melvin Burgess, Meg Cabot, Anne Fine, Cathy Hopkins, Sue Limb, Celia Rees, Meg Rosoff, Rosie Rushton and Jacqueline Wilson)

Picture Books
That New Dress (1991)
Mrs Spoon's Family (1995)
Dizzy's Walk (1999)
Marty Monster (1999)
I Want A Cuddle (2001)
Jessica Strange (2002)
Sinclair, Wonder Bear (2005)

[Samuel]

I read noughts and crosses and thought it was exellent! I found the way they reversed racial hatred in the world really interesting and got really absorbed into the book. I have not read the other two yet but I am hoping to.
By the way, did anyone else notice the subtle mention of Martin Luther king? Callums family talk about a peaceful crusader for nought rights with the second name king.