I've never read any of the Noughts and Crosses series of books, so when Crossfire came across my desk, I wasn't sure what I'd make of it. Aimed at young adults, written by former Children's Laurate Malorie Blackman, the book is set in a dystopian world with a divided society. The Noughts, the oppressed, and the Crosses, the oppressors, now live side by side, schools are mixed, and a Nought has become Prime Minister. But the rifts remain and racism is still prevalent. Race relations as we know it are flipped on their head, with White and Mixed Ethnic Noughts being the minority, but with White Supremacy groups still active.

Two teenagers are kidnapped. Libby, a Nought, and Troy, a Cross. They were friends once, and the novel's chapters jump around in time to reveal how the friends fell out, and how their relationship is predated by links and rifts between their families. They have to overcome their differences and work together to stand any chance of regaining their freedom.

Troy's sister, Callie Rose, is contacted by an old friend, Tobias Durbridge, who needs her help, and their relationship is explored through their teenage years and into adulthood. Troy's mother is in a new relationship, but that too has its challenges. 

The novel works as an entry point into the series, as new characters are brought in to carry storylines, and older characters are written with enough historical detail that you can follow their stories without having read the previous books in the series. Recaps of previous events are woven into Crossfire, in a way that allowed me to follow what was happening.

The pursuit of power is a theme throughout the novel, and what sacrifices are made in order to get what you want. Moral codes are examined, and differing motivations behind everyone's actions are explored. 

However, just when you get immersed in the novel, it ends on a massive cliff-hanger, and there are no resolutions to the stories started in the book,  which is frustrating. I was so caught up in the story that I hadn't expected it to end at that point, and eagerly await the follow-up. 

Politics affects everyone, of every age, and you're never too young to engage. The adult teacher characters explain the importance and seriousness of voting, whether it be in school elections or in general elections. In a world that currently feels very divided, where the younger generations have a lot to clear up left by their predecessors, Blackman is a welcome voice encouraging young adults to speak up for what they believe in, and that the status quo can be changed. Current events are woven into the dystopian world, showing that the issues presented in the book are real and, frighteningly, very close to home.

Crossfire is published on 8th August 2019 by Penguin Random House. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Children’s for an eARC via NetGalley of Malorie Blackman’s ‘Crossfire’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fifth novel in Blackman’s highly acclaimed Noughts & Crosses series. Aside from the text of ‘Crossfire’ my eARC also contained her 2019 short story, ‘Nought Forever’. 

This YA series began in 2001 and features a dystopian alternative history in which a deeply segregated society exists with the crosses (dark-skinned people) as the ruling class that controls the noughts (lighter-skinned people). By the opening of ‘Crossfire’ society has changed significantly though there are still tensions especially with the rise of a white supremacy movement Nought Forever. 

I had certainly heard of this series and in anticipation of ‘Crossfire’ did read ‘Noughts & Crosses’ and was deeply impressed by its tale of star-crossed lovers. However, I only had time to read summaries of the other works in the series.

Although published as YA fiction, with teenage protagonists, I found that its themes and inclusion of now adult characters from the earlier novels as well as the subject gave it a broader appeal.

It is the kind of novel that can usefully open up dialogue about racism, the rise of the far right, and other contemporary social and political issues. As with Atwood’s Gilead, the world of Noughts & Crosses allows the author a wide scope to explore difficult subjects in her fictional dystopia.

In her Introduction Blackman notes that the “results of the UK Brexit referendum and the US presidential election in 2016 brought home to me just how potent the politics of fear and division can be.” Therefore, she decided to return to the world of Noughts & Crosses and focused not only on her now adult characters but a new generation including Toby and Libby, who in the opening Now chapter are snatched by a group of masked individuals.

The narrative does move between the Now and the Then, which lays out the events that led to the kidnapping. The Now continues in a tense criminal trial and a cliffhanger. I wasn’t expecting that abrupt ending though was relieved to learn that a further book is planned.

I plan to read the other books, including novellas, in this superb series while waiting for the conclusion as I certainly was impressed by its power.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This is the fifth addition to the brilliant Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman, the latest book echoes and reverberates with the chilling and turbulent state of the world today, particularly that of the US, Britain and Europe. We are thrown back into the lives of familiar characters such as the lawyer Callie and the political ascent of the ambitious Tobey Durbridge, and new characters in the shape of the latest generation with the young teens, Libby, with her troubled and impoverished background and the more wealthy Troy, and their conflict ridden history. In a narrative that takes place amidst a background of Brexit, the Windrush scandal, Immigration, fake news, and a media that is more interested in churning out opinions rather than reporting real news, and giving equal time and space to opposing views, the story goes back and forth in time to reveal the nature of the relationship that evolves between Libby and Troy and the older Callie and Tobey.

Libby and Troy are forced to put their enmities aside as they find themselves in desperate straits and must work together. Tobey finds himself facing the most serious of charges and wants Callie to defend him in the forthcoming court trial. In a fast paced book with a strong feeling of a thriller, it all culminates in my least favourite way to conclude a novel, with a cliffhanger with so little resolved until the next book comes out. Blackman could not have written a more relevant book, of family, race, class, power, political machinations, and prejudice. There is skilful character development of older characters, and the introduction of great new characters as we await to see how events will unfold in the future. This is an intense, tense, and entertaining read, and a real joy to return to the Nought and Crosses world for the latest engaging installment. Many thanks to Penguin Random House Childrens for an ARC.

It’s finally here! The fifth book in Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses series is publishing over ten years since Double Cross and I am so happy to be back in this world.

It’s been many years since Sephy – a Cross – and Callum – a Nought – disrupted their families and changed society forever. Race and class supposedly no longer divide people and Tobey Durbridge is set to become the first Nought Prime Minister. But it’s never really that easy and when Tobey is faced with a murder charge, he turns to his oldest friend – Callie-Rose.

Crossfire sees the return of some familiar faces, including Sephy and Callie, but is primarily the story of teenagers Libby and Troy. They despise each other but are put in a desperate position where they are forced not only to spend time together but to rely on each other completely. Alongside this, we see Tobey Durbridge’s rise to power and the lengths he is willing to go for his ambition.

Let’s start with the positives (they definitely outweigh everything else!):

- This was a really addictive read, especially when we hit the halfway point. The pace really builds throughout the book and flipping between the teenagers’ and the adults’ stories kept me engaged.
- I loved the newspaper articles scattered throughout the book. They were really effective in giving a deeper insight into the society and world in which the events are taking place. It was also interesting to think about the media’s impact on the events and the need to report them responsibly: “Most of the media in Albion stopped reporting the news years ago. Now it’s opinion and soundbites taken from social media. That’s going to be their downfall. Too many many modern reporters think that presenting the news is all about giving opposing views equal airtime.”
- Malorie Blackman does not shy away from engaging with politics in this book and I loved it for that. Never patronising her reader, she looks at the problematic ways in which politicians can gain power: “If the press lies about you, shout it out long and loud. Let everyone know they are lying. If they tell the truth, shout out longer and louder that they are lying. Whatever they say, they’re lying. Shout false information. That’s how to win.” We see echoes of our current political situation in both the US and the UK throughout the book and it is actually more relevant to today’s situation in the UK than Malorie could have ever known – it’s like she was looking into a crystal ball while writing the book.
- Crossfire also stands out from many YA books by going just as much into the adult characters’ inner lives as it does the teenagers’. I’d love to see more of this in YA – teenagers are interested in reading about adults and it’s refreshing to see such fully formed multi-dimensional adult characters given more airtime.

The negatives:

- While this is not really a criticism of the book itself, it’s worth noting that I would have engaged with the book more quickly had I read the rest of the series recently. I read summaries of the previous books on Wikipedia before diving in, but re-reading would have given me a much better sense of the characters’ histories. Malorie Blackman said at YALC that she sees the series as split into two trilogies: Noughts and Crosses, Knife Edge and Checkmate and Double Cross, Crossfire and the recently announced sixth book, which is currently titled Endgame. So my top tip would be to re-read Double Cross before diving in! I believe the finished copy (I was reading a NetGalley proof) also contains a family tree, which should be a useful refresher.
- There is A LOT packed into this book. Malorie is spinning a lot of plates right from the very beginning and I initially found it quite difficult to work out the main thread of the story and the direction it was heading, which I think could be off-putting for some readers. It does, however, give the world a depth and breadth which I appreciated.
- Finally, THAT ENDING. We are left on a huge cliffhanger and it feels like next to nothing had been resolved at the end of the book. It is a testimony to how fantastic the book is that I was screaming at my Kindle in disbelief that I’d reached the end, but I do feel like it would have benefited from some strands being resolved, or at least partially resolved, at this point. My suspicion is that Crossfire and the sixth book were written as one extremely long book and then separated at the halfway point quite late in the process, making it difficult to tweak the plot to suit this. It doesn’t have a traditional story arc and it feels like we are building, building, building and then BOOM – we are hit with a massive cliffhanger!

Having said all of this, I still highly recommend that you read Crossfire (and the rest of the series if you haven’t already) and join me in eagerly awaiting the final book in the series!

If you’ve read Crossfire, I’d love to know your thoughts on it in the comments below. And if you enjoyed it, why not check out Malorie Blackman’s latest World Book Day book, Nought Forever?

hanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.


Well, wtf!! Talk about ending on a cliffhanger!! Feels more like ending in the middle of the book!!

I've just finished this and I'm still reeling. I dont really know what to think yet!!

I did really enjoy being back in the Noughts and Crosses world - although with less emphasis on the racism and a bit more of a political aspect.

The wait until the next book to know what's going on is gonna be a looooong one!

Crossfire by Malorie Blackman is the fifth book in the Noughts and Crosses series.  I had heard of Noughts and Crosses before, and so read it, and the second book Knife Edge, before reading Crossfire.

Which does mean I haven't read books 3 and 4.  I figured I would see how much I was missing out on the story in this fifth book, and it turns out I was missing quite a lot!

When asked why she wrote Noughts and Crosses Malorie Blackman has said on her website:

There wasn’t any one thing. It grew out of a lifetime of experiences. Some of the racist incidents in the book were based on real events from my own childhood. And I also wanted to play with the idea that ‘history is luck’ to a certain extent. What if Africans had invented trans-oceanic travel and colonized Europe and America? Or what if the Aztecs and Incas had ‘beaten Cortez to the punch’ and converted the Catholics in Spain and Portugal at the point of a sword? You put all that together and you have the germ of an idea which led to Noughts and Crosses.

Noughts are the minority, previous slaves of the Crosses.  We are shown the every day racism of a world that is in the 21st century, and trialing integrated schools. 

Noughts and Crosses is the story of Sephy, a Cross, and Callum, a Nought, and their doomed love.

Crossfire is bringing us up to date, and is set 18 years after the 4th book. Malorie Blackman has said that she felt like she had to write it due to Brexit, and you can also find Windrush references.

In Crossfire, we have Sephy's son, Troy, and Libby, a Nought, who are kidnapped, and each thinks they know why.  Callie Rose is a lawyer, and is to defend the first Nought Prime Minister from the charge of murder.

I did enjoy the story, and the characters, but I did also feel like I was missing out on quite a lot of references to things going on, so read this when you've read the previous four to get the full enjoyment out of it!  The end is also a cliff hanger, just to prepare you!

Crossfire was published on 8th August 2019,  and is available to buy on Amazon  and on Waterstones.  I've found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!

You can follow Malorie Blackman on Twitter, or through her website.

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin Random House (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!

I'm really giving this 3.5 stars.  I'd loved to have given it 5, because the writing is superb and often had me on the edge of my seat.  But for me it was spoiled by the flitting between viewpoints and I especially found the Callie/Tobey sections distracting - I wanted to be with Libby and Troy.  Also, the ending.  That took another star off!

I was excited to read this as I've loved all the previous Noughts and Crosses books. It was good to see the return of familiar characters and to get to know new ones. I liked the way that Libby and Troy's situation was set up before going back in flashback to see the build up to that point. This continued with other plot lines, with the history of Tobey and Callie-Rose's relationship being examined, and was an effective device.

I wasn't expecting a cliff-hanger ending and it did leave me feeling somewhat unfulfilled, coming as it did just at the point in the story where I would normally find the plot taking off. Where I would normally be settling in for a race to the conclusion and not wanting to put the book down, instead I found "To be concluded". This means that Crossfire feels very much like back story and build up for the next book. I hope Blackman won't leave us holding on for too long before bringing out the next part as I do now feel invested in these characters and want to know what will happen to them.

This was the 1st Noughts & Crosses book from the series that I'd read so was unsure whether I'd get to grips with it.

Extremely well written, covering a lot of the issues of this day and age .. Brexit, immigration,  windrush scandal.

The characters are at the forefront, not the issues, and they are written in such a way you feel you know them BUT as I hadnt read any of the previous books from the series i was behind with the characters and how they had grown through the series.

A 3.5 from me.

Thanks to netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

This is the latest in the iconic Noughts and Crosses series, and it doesn’t disappoint.

It starts about 18 years after the previous book, Double Cross, and introduces some new characters, Troy and Libby, students who are vying to be head student at their school. 

They are linked to Sephy, Callie and Tobey, although how is not initially clear.

A lot has happened in this time – Brexit, immigration crisis, Windrush, and these issues are all addressed in an intelligent and sympathetic fashion.

But its not about the issues, it’s a great story. 
Callie and Tobey are there, still trying to resolve their relationship, and we find out what has happened in the intervening years. Then Tobey comes to Callie asking her to defend him in court.
Sephy has her own secrets, and a new man who may not be what he seems.
When Troy and Libby are snatched and held captive all their lives and certainties are at risk, and hard decisions must be made.

There is even an added bonus of a short story giving Dan’s history since Double Cross.

I raced through the book and was ready to give it 5+ stars until the unexpected cliff-hanger ending – the next book had better come soon! 
So just four stars for now.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House  for the opportunity to read this book

I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this! Noughts and crosses was my absolute favourite series when I was a young teenager, so the opportunity to read more of this amazing world was super exciting! You can definitely see how it is influenced by current events in both England and the US from the last few years, and so it was really interesting to see how this novel differed from those I remember. 

I do have to say though, it felt like more of a YA book than the first four in the series. I'm not sure why, very hard to put my finger on it, but I definitely felt that the tone was slightly younger - nowhere near as dark as some elements of the first novels. 

Also, its important to note that it definitely reads like the first novel in a new series, as there were so many cliffhangers! So hopefully a second one will be on its way soon.

It is a long time since I read the first three noughts and crosses books and I didn't remember any of the characters, but this book works as a standalone, provided you know the central premise of the divided society.
In the preface Blackman says she felt compelled to write this in part as a response to contemporary politics, and these are clearly referenced in the book, for example a direct parallel to Windrush.  Beyond that it is part about family dynamics and part a thriller, involving the kidnap of two central characters.  It works well and is a gripping read but I was irritated by the cliffhanger 'to be continued' ending which means I would give around 3.5 stars overall.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.

I was 15 the first time I had my heart broken by Noughts & Crosses...and then again at 21 when I reread the series having forgotten some major spoilers! Having loved this series so fiercely growing up, I was thrilled to hear about the release of Crossfire and have the chance to return to the Noughts & Crosses world. 

Despite being (a lot) older and (not much) wiser, I found myself being easily swept back into the series as if we’d never been apart. As always, Malorie Blackman’s writing is fast-paced and engaging and the story had me enthralled from the start. I’m glad this latest novel focused on the new generation of characters, and a political climate that has progressed from where it started it Noughts & Crosses. The story was fresh and exciting and the undercurrents of racism, prejudice and political shenanigans feel as relevant today as they did 18 years ago. 

I would’ve given 5* - both for the nostalgia factor and the fact that I couldn’t put it down and read it in an afternoon - but I’m too cross about all the cliffhangers! Not a single story line gets wrapped up in this novel, so I’m left feeling a bit like I’ve been robbed of the second half of the book. 

With that in mind, I’m giving a 4* review and crossing all my fingers that the next sequel’s out soon...

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children’s for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read Noughts and Crosses quite a few years ago when I had bought it for my teenage granddaughter and was checking it out. I loved it and had high hopes for this one.
Most of the way through it delivered but then as the story grew to a close it was slightly disappointing causing me to give three stars when I might have given four.

A fairly fast moving story about the Noughts and Crosses lives.
I think it would have been important to have read previous books and I had to make assumptions about the community reversal of black versus white in this book.

It is an interesting theme which works well in the story and I can see that it appeals to the YA market.
It is certainly worth recommending to those who have read the previous books, they will be keen to read on. However, the end of the book does not end the story which I always find disappointing.

Anybody who grew up reading the Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman will know and understand how I felt going into Crossfire. I was nervous, excited and anxious all while anticipating what more she could have pulled out of this world and I have not been disappointed. I'm going to keep this review short and not go into the plot too much; I'll only say that it can definitely be read as a standalone, but I would recommend that people read the entire series to get into the world Blackman has created.

I seriously enjoyed this narrative; with favourite characters Sephy and Meggie taking a side roles, Callie, Tobey, Troy and Libby really step into the spotlight, with Callie and Tobey all grown-up and in a LOT of trouble, while Troy and Libby are simply high school kids trying to navigate the world they live in. Is it more or less racist than ever before? And have political extremist group, Noughts Forever, managed to outdo the anarchy of the Liberation Militia? And who can really be trusted? With Callie representing Tobey in his murder investigation, real character development is shown in these two. I really admired Callie's attitude throughout most of the book and was excited to see what she had become.

Troy and Libby were a huge focus, also, presenting a Cross boy and a Nought girl in feud rather than love for a change. This dynamic very much reflected the political climate in England and America in the past few years, with proud mindsets bringing forward the racial divides in society that are still there despite acceptance growing. Libby is a character a lot of people will relate to, whether they grew up 'rough', with an addict parent, but who also strives to become better and works extremely hard to get there, which can rub people up the wrong way. Troy represented the other side as a Cross who has grown up with wealth, yet has seen hardship. 

On the other hand, there were a few niggles with this book. There's an excerpt from the next book at the end of this one (the last 7%), which I appreciated, however felt that the cliffhanger left something to be desired, but I won't say what that was. I'm also interested to see if Troy's suspicions about Sephy's boyfriend come out in the next book and aren't just put to the side. However, I am excited for the next instalment in the series 100%. Thank you Penguin Random House Children's and NetGalley for my e-arc in exchange for an honest review. 4*!