This series really delves into the nature of a diverse society.  Before I read crossfire I had to binge-read the books previously in the series.  They take you on an emotional rollercoaster where you want to fight for the main characters.  It allows the reader to feel segregation and the true hate in the world, lingering on the edge of realism.

I follow Malorie Blackman on Twitter, so was aware of her growing unease around the election of Trump, the Windrush scandal and Brexit. The first i knew that this book was being written was her World Book Day story, so was thrilled to read it. As ever, this is so will written that it's hard to stop! Without any spoilers it does update the thread of the previous books, and is unmissable and not a disappointment to fans of the other books.

A fantastic continuation of the Noughts and Crosses series. We are introduced to the next generation of characters but find out they cannot escape from the past. The storyline follows the pattern set in previous books with us hearing the story with the voices of the different characters. We flip between the present and past and gradually the details are filled in. The book ends on a cliffhanger with the promise of a further book to conclude the story. Can’t wait!

Returning to the world of Noughts and Crosses was a treat I thought would never happen. It was a series that meant so much to me when growing up, easily up there in the five most influential reads I read as a teen. Whilst I needed a brief refresher course to start with (courtesy of Wikipedia) I was straight back into this world, which seems timely and more necessary than ever. Phenomenal!

Overall, if you loved the Noughts and Crosses series read this installment, if you've just stubbled across it, I'd recommend all the books that came before it in the series far more than this; "Crossfire" could definitely go amiss if you're not that in love with the series.

Malorie Blackman does it yet again, “Crossfire” is a superbly written novel with excellent characterisation and narrative structure - this book stands out both on its own merits and as a continuation of the Noughts & Crosses series. As always, Blackman addresses quite hard-hitting and real issues, which is something that has always made this series so grounded in reality. Focusing on the third generation, we now see Callie Rose as a high end lawyer and Tobey as the first ever Nought Prime Minister, but a suspicious death of someone from both of their past brings deeply buried secrets to the surface.
The second set of narrators are Callie’s half-brother Troy and Tobey’s daughter Libby, two old friends who now have to rely and trust each other to survive when they find themselves facing the consequences of older generations actions and mistakes.

Blackman writes all her narrators with such distinctive styles and voice and this was no different, with each perspective filling in gaps of the much larger story at hand and added real character to the plot. The narrative flows effortlessly between perspectives and the past and present, which made this a gripping read and - dare I say it, one of my favourite books of the series. Actually, this is definitely one of my best reads of the year.

Crossfire ended on a tortuous cliffhanger and will definitely leave any reader in suspense. Hopefully a release date for the sixth book is announced soon, the wait will be definitely worth it if this is anything to go by.

I tried hard to persevere with this book, but it was not for me.
Maybe you need to have read previous books by this author to fully understand the setting and characters.
But I just found it confusing and did not connect with either the storyline or the main protagonists

As Noughts and Crosses is one of my all time favourite YA series I was very excited when I heard Malorie Blackman was continuing the story. It was wonderful to encounter well known characters from earlier books and to find out what had happened in their lives. The series has always been exciting and thought provoking but this particular book mirrors problems in society even more , making it sadly relatable to real life. A powerful, fast paced story with a cliff hanger ending that will shock you - I hope Malorie writes the next book soon!

With the first Nought Prime Minister about to be elected, tensions are running high in the Noughts and Crosses world. However, what secrets will some hide to stay in power and at what cost?

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman was one of the most iconic books I read as a young adult; it was one of those books made an impression that has stuck with me for a long time. When I saw a chance to review the ARC of Crossfire, the latest book in the series, I jumped at the chance and was really excited to read (what I thought) was the next instalment. Somehow, I had managed to miss 3 more book in the series though – this book is actually book 5!

Missing a few books didn’t hamper my enjoyment too much – this book is focused on a new set of characters – third generation if you will. However, there are bits and certain parts of the family tree I felt a little bit lost on so perhaps it is better to pick up the other three if you can. That being said, Crossfire is an assured story – Blackman’s world is just as enthralling and powerful as in her first book, with an engaging writing style that made it so very easy to read. I enjoyed reading about the characters of Libby and Troy as well as gleaned some backstory about Callie and Tobey as well. The chapters not only alternate narrators but also timelines as well with labels of ‘Now’ and ‘Then’. This mechanic never felt confusing and the story was clearly told throughout. 

My main problem with the book was that it felt too much like a stepping stone. The ending was a massive let-down - it ends on a cliff-hanger so huge that it just felt like the author stopped dead rather than at least trying to wrap something up. None of the threads created came to any conclusion and there was a lot of set up for no pay off. I also didn’t like the repeated use of having a character being told something shocking which was then not revealed to the reader for a few chapters – it got a bit waring from time to time.

Overall I enjoyed Crossfire and it was nice to delve back into the Noughts and Crosses world which I had not read for many years. However, you do need to make sure you read the other books first to get a full understanding of family histories and be warned that the ending is a very disappointing cliff-hanger! Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House – Children’s for a chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I still recall the excitement I felt when I first picked up Noughts and Crosses. Five books in, some familiar faces, and it still had me gripped. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this before publication.
Crossfire focuses on some pretty hard-hitting events while also allowing us to get a little closer to our characters.
We have Callie, now 30, a lawyer preparing to be a judge. She still regrets her behaviour as a teenager when she let jealousy get the better of her. Her feelings for her boyfriend Tobey were complicated, but even more so now. Tobey is about to become the first Nought Prime Minister, but he is accused of murdering a well-known businessman thought to have underground links. He wants Callie to represent him.
Tied into this story are the characters of Libby and Troy. Libby has lived her life surrounded by hatred and contempt. She gets some rather unexpected news, but isn’t prepared for what that brings. Troy is Callie’s much younger brother. His family links also place him in danger. When the two students are kidnapped we can’t help but wonder how much family ties will bind people to a decision.
Set against a background of rising racist behaviour, we get a stark reflection of contemporary society. As always, this series tells some unpalatable truths.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book.

I loved the first few books in the Noughts and Crosses series, especially the first. However, after reading this, I wish that Malorie Blackman had stopped after the initial trilogy. I was really disappointed.

I did not realise when I started reading this book that it was part of a new series rather than a standalone book, if I had known, I may have paused before reading this. It does the most frustrating thing that books in a series can do; it builds up the background, the plot and the characters slowly and just as you are beginning to get interested in the characters and the plot feels like it has actually got started, it just stops with a ‘to be concluded’. It’s like reading half a book and then just stopping. There is no conclusion, no satisfaction.

I don’t mind reading a book in a series if at the end of a book there are a few loose ends for future books to deal with but this book simply stops, there is no resolution to any of the plot strands. It feels like one book has been divided in two just to sell more books and make more money.

In addition to the ending, I didn’t feel like the rest of the book lived up to Blackman’s previous books in this series. I found it hard to care about characters I had previously liked such as Sephy and Callie and I really didn’t care for the new young characters like Troy and Libby. I’ve seen lots of reviews describing this book as a searing indictment of today’s society and the current political situation in Britain and America, but I just didn’t see that. It felt muddled, all the characters are really flawed and I couldn’t really tell what point the book was trying to make. Maybe if I’d got to read the second half of the story, it would have been clearer, but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. I think the swapping of the races so that black people are the dominant race, which worked so effectively in the earlier books adds nothing to this book, and actually serves to confuse who we should be rooting for,

If you are planning to read this, I’d probably wait until the next book comes out to avoid the frustration of the ending.

As a fan of the previous Noughts & Crosses books in my teens, I looked forward to reading this next instalment. Having not read the books for so many years, it took me quite a while to get into Crossfire as I was trying to recall what had happened and who people were to each other. The multiple timelines and POVs furthered my confusion, but the story was fast-paced and exciting. Unfortunately the ending was far too big of a cliffhanger for me - there's absolutely no resolution and left me wondering whether I was missing the last quarter of the book or something. A fun read but a little disappointing overall.

I binged read all of the Noughts and Crosses book after receiving an ARC of Crossfire. Whilst none of them live up to the mastery of Noughts and Crosses itself, each one brings new depth, characters and excitment, and for  me Crossfire was no different.

Despite having moved on generations it's wonderful to still follow the lives of the original characters from the books; however many decades later. In Crossfire we follow Tobey and Callie, who we got to know more in Double Edge as adults whose lives have drifted apart, as happens too often. We also meet Troy and Libbey, the next generation (so to speak), of this wonderful story. 

What is the most captivating about this book is the mirrored reflection to society now. Filled with similar trials and tribulations, but presented in its own special way. It's a true commentary on society today and the problems that we face. 

If anyone has read any of the Noughts and Crosses series they absolutely must read this one (and the impending next one). For those, like me, who missed this pivotal series, I strongly advise that you pick it up immediately, binge read it all within a month, and regret nothing.

It's my first book by the author and i haven't read the others in the series but didn't felt like really needing to go back as many questions that i had at the beginning were answeres along the way while reading.
It's a very interesting story, with characters that without realising, get under your skin and stay there, making you want to know more, to feel more of their thoughts and turmoils. 
I'm not a big fan of dystopian or fantasy books but this one really stuck with me and now i want to read the next one more than anything because i hate that major cliffhanger we were left in.

I liked how the real-life situations are involved in this story and how, even if you're not into politics, it makes you think or be more aware of what's happening in our world at this moment.

The latest in the Noughts and Crosses series kept my 11-year-old daughter rapt. She loves this world and its characters, and I love that Malorie Blackman's novels get her thinking long and hard about society while enjoying a great read!

If you love the noughts and crosses series, then you will love this book. It is very Well written. However, this is the last in the series and I had hoped to have various story lines wrapped up, but I was left with lots of cliff hangers.

Brilliant as ever from Malorie Blackman but expected no less...the noughts and crosses series is still the most powerful book series I have ever read and I encourage everyone I meet to read it!

It's been a long time since the last book in Blackman's Noughts and Crosses series - so long, in fact, that I realised I hadn't actually read the last (fourth) in the series when I started this. For those who aren't familiar - the world in which the series is set is an alternative one in which society is deeply segregated - but in the opposite way to what you might (sadly) expect. Darker skinned people are the elite, and lighter ones are the 'noughts' of the series title. The story revolves around two teens (well, they start as teens!) in a modern/ counter Romeo-and-Juliet type story - love across the divide. By the time Crossfire, this latest installment, comes around, things have changed a lot - the two main protaganists are adults and society itself is starting to shift.

A fabulous thought-provoking read as ever - despite five books in the series I feel Blackman is far from done - and I'll certainly be reading the next. My daughter (aged 10) was also entranced by the series - despite missing out quite a few of the middle ones

The fifth novel in Blackman's seminal Noughts and Crosses series doesn't disappoint. This follows Callie Rose and her brother Tobey through a new set of emotional landmines now they are adults. This is less angsty than previous books which you'd expect given the characters' ages. However that made it more engaging for me not less. Really enjoyed this instalment but can't believe I have to wait for the finale!

Having enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster of Mallory Blackman’s earlier books in the Noughts and Crosses series, I was both excited and apprehensive about reading this new instalment. Could it live up to previous standards and would I still feel as involved with the characters? I needn’t have worried - Crossfire had all the elements to make it a gripping read.

Following four main characters - Callie Rose and her school friend Tobey Durbridge, now adults, and Callie’s half brother Troy and his school friend Libby - the action moves between events in their lives now and in the past, all moving toward the finale at breakneck speed.  There was perhaps less emotion than earlier books; it didn’t provoke tears in the same way as before which is not necessarily a bad thing, but overall worth the wait and an enjoyable page-turner from start to finish.

So why haven’t I given Crossfire five stars? Because of three words at the end - to be concluded! I still don’t know what happens to Callie, Troy, Tobey or Libby and will have to wait for the next instalment, whenever that may be.