Whilst ‘Double Cross’ is well-written and ostensibly does add value to the series, it does feel ultimately a little superfluous and does not provide the same impact as the preceding three novels. The first installment ‘Noughts & Crosses’ is the strongest of the series, closely followed by the second and third parts of the original trilogy namely ‘Knife Edge’ and ‘Checkmate’. This is an original, intelligent, perceptive and though-provoking series of books – and whilst squarely aimed at the Young Adult market, it clearly transcends the restrictive boundaries of that genre. Moreover – to consider the possibility of a third way – a society run entirely along non-racially defined power structures.

The books successfully challenge and encourage particularly the non-black reader to reconsider and think again about being part of and party to, a racially privileged white society – and by extension, to consider the real life alternative in the light of the fictional world that is portrayed here in the ‘Noughts & Crosses’ series. An attempt to provoke thought and to revisit the absurdities of a society(ies) run along lines on racial disadvantagement and the domination of one ethnic group or groups in society by another controlling ethnic (almost always white) group.

The fundamental premise underlying this series is a vitally important one – what Malorie Blackman seems to have set out to do, is to robustly challenge (what may be many) readers’ current perceptions, presumptions, assumptions and views on race and (British) society. The ‘Noughts & Crosses’ series provides us with an explicit flip and twist on both the history and current political and cultural demographic of British society – where racial politics is turned on its head and power structures are completely reversed. Now post emancipation, it is the non-black population who are distinctly disadvantaged and impoverished in this alternative future society which is ruled and controlled by the dominating blacks (Crosses). Set in a dystopian 21st century near future British society – the ‘Noughts & Crosses’ award winning series of novels (initially a trilogy, subsequently extended to a quadrilogy) opens following a period of alternative history, a post slavery period where the white population (Noughts) have been enslaved by the ruling black elite.

Noughts and crosses book