Checkmate is the third book in Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses series taking place in an alternative universe, where people of color called “Crosses” are the dominant rulers, with “Noughts”, people of European origin, as a despised underclass. I loved the first book, it really blew me away with the way it turned history around and the dramatic, gripping, emotional, shocking and tragic and with the beautiful love story, and had such hopes for this third book to make up for the disappointment with the second book. But sadly not. It was even harder in this book to get into the story and to root for the characters.

The story was not only told from different POVs, but also through the past and present with glimpses into Callie Rose’s upbringing and Sephy’s struggle to tell her about her father. All this switching back and forth in time, made it very fragmented, and it felt like every time the story was about to get interesting, it switched to another character or timeline. And just like in the second book, the story and characters were all so bitter, twisted and full of hate. They all kept making bad decisions and messing any chance to happiness up. Jude was still such a two-dimensional character, and Sephy still felt very childish and selfish and not behaving like a mother. It was interesting with Callie Rose though and I would have loved for the whole, or at least most part, of the story to be told from her POV. Also, the ending was hopeful, which was a big plus.

I still hope that I will finish the series one day and that I will like the two remaining books better, but for now I will need to take a break from it. Which feels so sad, because I loved the premises so much going into this series and I still believe the main theme is an important and unique one. So, I’m generously giving this book a 2.5 stars rating, rounding up to three based on the overall way this series turns history on its head, and pinpoints racism and injustice.

Rating:
3 stars

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​Author info:
Malorie Blackman

Knife Edge is the second book in Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses series taking place in an alternative universe, where people of color called “Crosses” are the dominant rulers, with “Noughts”, people of European origin, as a despised underclass. The story in the first book follows teenagers Sephy (a Cross) and Callum (a Nought) as their childhood friendship turns into a forbidden love with all the attendant difficulties that a racially divided world presents. In this second book Sephy is left alone, with her and Callum’s daughter, and with Callum’s brother, Jude, blaming her for the terrible losses his family has suffered. 

I really loved the first book, which was so dramatic, gripping, emotional, shocking and tragic and with the beautiful love story against everything between Callum and Sephy. With Callum gone, this second book focuses on the parallel stories of Sephy and Jude instead. I never liked Jude, and with so much focus on him and his bitterness and hatred, this book unfortunately is much weaker and less addictive than the first one. At first, the story showed a more human side of Jude and I really hoped that his character would develop, but sadly not. He continued to be such a two-dimensional character, and his never-ending hatred for the Noughts just got so tiring and uninteresting about halfway into the book.

I also wasn’t so keen on the format of this one and the song lyrics and the newspaper clippings, that just slowed the story down. And it really didn’t need that, as it was slower in itself compared to the first book, with Sephy suffering from depression, and just behing too much inside her head mulling over whether she loves her baby or not.

But even though I wasn’t too fond of this book, it’s well written and I’m still invested in the series and its unique and thought-provoking story. So, I’ll give this book 2.5 stars rounding up to a 3 stars rating based on the overall way this series turns history on its head, and pinpoints racism and injustice.

Rating:
3 stars

Get your own copy:
Bookshop.org
Amazon
Book Depository

​Author info:
Malorie Blackman

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman is a dramatic, gripping and heart-breaking story that turns history on its head, and pinpoints racism and injustice in such a telling way. ​