Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
"You're a nought and I'm a Cross and there's nowhere for us to be. Nowhere for us to go where we'd be left in peace. That's why I started crying. For all the things we're never going to have."
Recently televised by the BBC, Malorie Blackman's ground breaking novel is one where structural racism has been turned on its head. This is Apartheid in reverse where the white Noughts are second-class citizens, and the black Crosses are perceived as the superior race.
Sephy Hadley, as well as being a Cross, is the daughter of one of the most influential politicians in the country, whereas her friend Callum McGregor is a Nought. While they have been friends since childhood they know that this is as far as they can go in a world that is filled with racism, violence and fear. Noughts and Crosses are fated to be enemies. In a Romeo and Juliet-esque tale, Sephy and Callum are forbidden to see one another but these star-crossed lovers defy social conventions and choose love in a world that is built to breed hate, inevitably leading them into danger.
In many ways, this is an uncomfortable book but it is an important one for discussing the history of racism in contemporary society and how it feels to be constantly persecuted for something you cannot change about yourself. It is a love story that transcends boundaries. It may be classified as a Young Adult novel (and would certainly be a great addition to school curriculums) but this is a book everyone should read. It is a contemporary classic.
Submitted by Mary-Ellen Reserve
