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'Noughts & Crosses' by Malorie Blackman (Sa13+) [SPOILERS]
Welcome to The Book Seekers' Book of the Month discussion for November/December!
We're changing things slightly in that our discussions are going to be extended by half a month, which should hopefully mean everybody who wants to get involved will have time to read the book and discuss it, too. So, this discussion will 'officially' last until December 31st.
If you don't know what Book of the Month is, there's more information here, but in a nutshell it is a monthly event during which we all read the same book and discuss it here.
This month, we're reading Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman!
Age Rating | Sa13+ Genre | Young Adult Summary from Goodreads | Two young people are forced to make a stand in this thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice in an alternate society.
Sephy is a Cross -- a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a Nought -- a “colourless” member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood, but that’s as far as it can go. In their world, Noughts and Crosses simply don’t mix. Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum -- a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger. Can they possibly find a way to be together?
You can discuss ANYTHING that is related to Noughts & Crosses in here. However, it must be kept SPOILER FREE until December 1st. Any spoiler-y things must be put under a spoiler tag. Remember that other people might not have read as far along as you.
Any posts that contain spoilers (that aren't under spoiler tags) will be edited by a Book Club mod.
On December 1st, a more structured discussion will start. At this point, spoilers WILL be allowed. This discussion will continue (officially) until December 31st. That being said, the thread will remain open for everyone to discuss the book after the main discussion is over.
There's more? There is! While we're reading and discussing Noughts & Crosses, there are other related things that you can get involved with.
Feeling inspired? Contribute some Noughts & Crosses fanart to our new Bookish Fan Art thread.
Submit Noughts & Crosses related posts to our Tumblr!
Toto * RotiSila * ToRo * Braveheart * Grandma & Mama Tori
AAAhhhhhh!!!!! I'm so excited! This is one of my top 5 all time favourites!!! Ahhhhh. Time to pull it off the shelf and reread!
I wonder if I will still feel the same now about the characters and their motives (as an almost 30 year old) as I did when I read it originally (As a fourteen year old).
I just bought it on audible, so I'll probably start it next week after I finish my current book. Never read it before, but it looks really interesting and I'm excited to read it.
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started like a knight in a fairytale_______________________________________________
ended like a moth in flames______________________
______________________don't you worry I'll be fine _________________________________________________you were good for the plot line
Little Fox | ½ of Lauralie | Ravenclaw with a Hufflepuff heart and a Gryffindor soul | #HouseNATARIANA
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stormdancer
AAAhhhhhh!!!!! I'm so excited! This is one of my top 5 all time favourites!!! Ahhhhh. Time to pull it off the shelf and reread!
I wonder if I will still feel the same now about the characters and their motives (as an almost 30 year old) as I did when I read it originally (As a fourteen year old).
Your excitement makes me excited!
I think I first read it when I was about 13/14, too, but I don't entirely remember the plot - just bits of it. So far I've read about two chapters and it's suddenly all come flooding back!
Quote:
Originally Posted by emjay
I just bought it on audible, so I'll probably start it next week after I finish my current book. Never read it before, but it looks really interesting and I'm excited to read it.
Oh, yeah? I've got it on audible, too. I hope you do enjoy it!
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You?
Sassenach | RAVENPUFF | Sing me a song of a lass that is gone | bookDRAGON | #awkwardturtle<#
That time when your eLibrary has a copy but you gotta put it on hold, only you've got your maximum number of books on hold so... it's on my WISH LIST! Hopefully by December 31st I'll have borrowed and read it
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EVASIVE | RESTLESS | MISUNDERSTOOD always on the move
I'm a little over halfway too, and I'm really enjoying it!
SPOILER!!:
HOW COULD IT END THIS WAY?!?!?! I am utterly devastated, broken, destroyed. I finished it on my way home from work and cried the rest of the way home. I'm still sad today thinking about it. 5 stars though, what an amazing and intensely emotional book. I think it was even more emotional having it being read by voice actors, especially the end.
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started like a knight in a fairytale_______________________________________________
ended like a moth in flames______________________
______________________don't you worry I'll be fine _________________________________________________you were good for the plot line
Made of Awesome | Ern-la the Best-wa | TZ's Apogee
Ok, I need a pep talk. I've read about a quarter of the book and I'm just not connecting with it. Maybe those of you who have read it and loved it can tell me what you love about it?
Toto * RotiSila * ToRo * Braveheart * Grandma & Mama Tori
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassirin
Ok, I need a pep talk. I've read about a quarter of the book and I'm just not connecting with it. Maybe those of you who have read it and loved it can tell me what you love about it?
SPOILER!!: <3
Hi <3
When I read it through the first time, back in 05ish... I was from the middle of the sticks, in Scotland... it was very sheltered and very much a community where families had been around for generations and had grown up together; everyone knew each other, got on and would do little jobs to help each other... My Dad was a postman, and we'd frequently have piles of mail for people on his round whenever they were on holiday, so it didn't clutter up the porch, or bigger parcels that wouldn't go through the letterbox.
Reading N&C was one of the first books I read that was so segragated... so conflicted. It sounds bad, but at 14/15, the role-reversal was huge, additionally as my part of Aberdeenshire wasn't multi-cultural 15 years ago. We had one boy whose parents were from Sri Lanka, and one Indian boy - everyone else was generations-deep. It made me realise how secluded and cut off I was - and as I was only about a year into being on SS at that point, I started to make a bigger effort on here to gain knowledge I couldn't get face to face.
There was a line in one of the chapters, after Callum got injured at school, where he out a plaster on his skin and noticed how much it stuck out, how obvious it was -- and until that point I'd never thought of the fact that nude plasters didn't match everyone. There were other ethnicities in Aberdeen, in the city... but I didn't see them in my day to day life at that point, being 20+ miles out.
This book is one of the reasons I moved away to Edinburgh for Uni, why I opened my eyes and took on the world around me. It's different now... Scotland is much more ethnically diverse even out in the sticks -- but it helped a lot, 15 years ago.
It didn't hurt that Malorie Blackman was lovely when I met her XD
Little Fox | ½ of Lauralie | Ravenclaw with a Hufflepuff heart and a Gryffindor soul | #HouseNATARIANA
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassirin
I've... stalled out, honestly
That happens, it's okay! Honestly, that was the case for me with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It doesn't mean you can't still discuss your thoughts with us.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You?
Made of Awesome | Ern-la the Best-wa | TZ's Apogee
Well, here's a question for you guys who are so so so familiar with these characters and love them so dearly... I see that they're making a series based on the book. Who can you picture in the key roles? What are the scenes that MUST HAPPEN or you'll boycott?
Little Fox | ½ of Lauralie | Ravenclaw with a Hufflepuff heart and a Gryffindor soul | #HouseNATARIANA
In addition to Ern's question, Lawra and I have some for you:
How did the book make you feel?
What was your opinion of the narration?
Did any parts of the book particularly stand out to you?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassirin
Well, here's a question for you guys who are so so so familiar with these characters and love them so dearly... I see that they're making a series based on the book. Who can you picture in the key roles? What are the scenes that MUST HAPPEN or you'll boycott?
These are great questions! I'm personally drawing a blank trying to think of fancasting for the roles. Of COURSE the scene outside the school on Callum's first day neeeeeeeds to be included, and I'm sure it will. Aside from that I'm drawing another blank.
I'm really curious to see everyone else thinks, though!
__________________
Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You?
Well, here's a question for you guys who are so so so familiar with these characters and love them so dearly... I see that they're making a series based on the book. Who can you picture in the key roles? What are the scenes that MUST HAPPEN or you'll boycott?
This is really difficult. It was initially adapted as a play (12 years ago! :O) and Richard Madden played Callum, which I would have loved to see. I think Letitia Wright could be incredible in it, too. I know Stormzy (who's a big fan of the books and even referenced them in his Glasto set) was the first cast announcement, and I was drawing a complete blank as to who he could play - it turns out they've created a role especially for him, so that will be interesting to see.
I was REALLY sad to hear that they've changed it so that it starts with Sephy and Callum at 19/20, rather than 14/15, so some of the issues they face (like the school environment) are unlikely to feature. I would have loved to see Callums first day at school - such a pivotal moment will surely make it into the series, though, so it will be interesting to see the new take on it.
Callums realisation that his dad and brother are very involved in the Liberation Militia and his desperate rush to warn Sephy has to be in it, too.
How did the book make you feel? Angry, ashamed, hopeful, BROKEN. BROKEN BEYOND ANYTHING EVER.
What was your opinion of the narration? I personally liked that we got to see the world through the eyes of the two characters - I felt it gave us a better understanding of the different classes and the world than a one-sided or third person narration would have. I also really feel that Sephy's naivety and shelteredness, as well as her selfish teenage-side were reflected well, and it was a stark contrast to Callum's realist mindset. Again, he came across as such a teenager at first, but his side of the narration was my favourite as I felt you really saw him grow.
Did any parts of the book particularly stand out to you? Callums growth - from a determined teenager who thinks the world is heading in the right direction, to a resigned one who believes theres nothing going for him, through to a new rebellious and old-beyond-his-years young man, I loved his character development, and how it wasn't necessarily good. The first day of school, where Sephy doesn't understand why her word hurt so much. The plaster incident. Sephy telling Callum his baby would love him.
I'm a mess, bye.
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⇀ Standing now, calling all the people here to see the show_____________________________
Calling for my demons now to let me go ↽