Noughts & Crosses

Stimulating and emotionally satisfying

Financial Times

A gritty read for older children . . . At times this is a beautiful love story; at other times it is a harrowing and moral tale...

Bookseller

Packs some powerful political punches...But Blackman never compromises the story, which is dramatic, moving and brave

Guardian

Inter-racial teenage love has never been more painful

Amanda Craig, The Times

'A crisp, well-constructed read... constantly instructive. It would make a wonderful television series.  Let's hope somebody has the courage to make it'

Daily Telegraph

'This incredibly powerful story snaps hold of the reader's mind and doesn't let go. Magnificent.'
 

Waterstones Books Quarterly

'Startling and provocative - guaranteed to help young readers see events in a different way from the cultural and historical norm with which they have grown up...   Blackman is known for her tightly plotted, fast moving fiction...  with its powerful theme of racial injustice, Noughts & Crosses engages the reader at a greater depth and in a more demanding way than any of Blackman's previous work. I read it in one sitting, reluctant to put it down, and so, I'm sure, will many young readers'

Books For Keeps

'A book which will linger in the mind long after it has been read and which will challenge children to think again and again about the cliches and stereotypes with which they are presented.... a novel that will challenge and engage people from l3 up'

Observer

"A stimulating and provocative plot line that often leaves the reader chilled to the bone... Noughts and Crosses is written with the passion of an author who has a personal, chilling vision of the past, present and future.  Blackman cuts to the bone, turning the preconceived ideas of racial prejudice upside down, ensuring tht her point is well and truly made in a deeply disturbing and totally absorbing novel with a shocking climax that packs an unforgettable punch."

Susan Harrison, Amazon.co.uk