Cross Fire
This is the 5th book in Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses series. This is a great series, I like that as the novels progress through the generations, the focus is always on the teenagers as the protagonists. I also liked how the social conditions have changed and moved along with them, making for a very true-to-life journey. Similar to book 4, I believe that book 5 could be read as a stand-alone. The pace of this book intensifies, building in momentum to an unresolved ending, so look out for book 6.
The story-line is character driven, Troy and Liberty, the children of Sephy and Tobey, are unwittingly caught in the crossfire of their parents past. Chapters switch from character to character and from the past to the present which could be a bit confusing for some readers, but because I had just read the entire series it was easier for me to handle. The tone is reflective; Racism, sexism, prejudice, greed, politics and the media, combine to present a realistic, grounded story about the lengths some will go to, to make their lives more prosperous.
I love the new covers, simple but clever, eye-catching design. I feel this book would appeal to 14 year olds and over, interested in a fictional story with realistic parallels to their current world.
Title: Cross Fire
Author: Malorie Blackman
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand
ISBN: 9780241388440
RRP: $23.00
Format: Paperback
Date of Publication: August 2019
Suitable age range: 14yrs and over
Reviewer: Suzanne Calder, Library Manager, Greymouth High School, West Coast
Recommendation: Highly recommend
What’s the book’s opening sentence? A Nought woman, no doubt some poor jobbing actress desperate to pay her rent, knelt down in the middle of a stylized pigsty.
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