“Sephy and Callum have been friends since early childhood. And that’s as far as it can go. Because theirs is a world full of prejudice, racism, distrust and mounting terrorist violence.
Despite all this, a romance builds between the two friends.
But this is a love that could lead both of them into terrible danger…”
Sephy is a cross. Callum is a nought. In their world, crosses are the people with all the control and authority, while the noughts are second-class citizens, just because of the colour of their skin. Sounds familiar, right? Fifty years ago, Sephy and Callum’s world would have been a reflection of our own. Except in this case, the power lies with people of colour. This turns racism as we know it on its head, and while full equality is STILL far from achieved in today’s time, this novel truly is eye opening in how merciless discrimination is for those who are victims of it. Blackman very successfully showed the reader just how ridiculous racism really is. It’s a serious reminder that we are all equal and should be treated as such.
What I particularly appreciated about the novel is that Blackman certainly didn’t hold back with depicting the brutality that comes with racism. There was absolutely no sugar coating, no happy ever after. The content was horrifying but sensitively written; I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it. There is so much to the story, but when I was reading it it didn’t feel at all rushed and crammed, and the pacing was excellent. There were places that I thought the story a little predictable, but I could never dwell on these moments for too long as they were soon replaced by something else so unexpected that I forgot all about it.
The two protagonists alternate the narration, and Blackman writes these separate voices very effectively. With Sephy, you can tell that she has been brought up in a wealthy but lonely home. I found Sephy to be a little self-absorbed, but her youth and willingness to change this about herself made me warm to her character. It’s clear that she has a big heart and is unapologetic about what she believes in, which is a very admirable trait. Callum strikes me as quietly intelligent, an observer of the world. His character transformation saddened me beyond belief, but in the end Callum’s heart was too warm to not overpower his fury at the world, despite this fury being more than justified.
I’m begging you, read this book. I genuinely couldn’t recommend it enough. I’m so excited to read the other instalments in this series!
Thank you for reading, and please let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments if you’ve also read it. I’d love to know!
