Noughts + Crosses

 Noughts + Crosses is a version of Romeo and Juliet. Two young people fall in love with each other, they are not supposed too. The difference between them separates them, but they can't help it. We follow their difficult journey and how the obstacles of society makes it almost impossible to have any kind of relationship. It's about class, about power and about skin color. One is black, one is white. There are no mixing of skin colors in this world. The difference is to huge, and the society racist and truly doesn't support a white person and a black person even being friends, nevertheless to be in a romantic relationship. It's hard for young love. The book describes how crowds of people protested when the first schools opened up to have a few people with different skin color at some schools. Violent protests. And then further on with some groups organizing underground protests to change society. It's truly a great take on the story. Is the plot new? No, it's not, but the view and perspective is. Marjorie Blackman made a world where black people are superior, where white people aren't allowed to go to school beyond the age of 14. A world where there are only black band aids which really stick out when white people use them. I love this book. And I am definitely going to watch the series, and read the next four books in the series. The book was published in 2001, and it's one of the best YA-books I've read. I love the way she twisted everything and how all the details of a world are described. The band aid, the n-word became blankers. The two young people are Persephone, Sephy, and Callum. Sephy is black, a cross, and come from a rich family. She lives in a mansion and her dad is an important person. Callum on the other hand is a nought, lives with his parents and two sisters. His mum used to work for Sephy's family and that is how they know each other. Callum find the dividing of people and the privileges black people enjoy, unfair and unjust and tries to fight for justice.