Review: Noughts & Crosses

      
    

Title: Noughts & Crosses
Author: Malorie Blackman 

Series: Noughts & Crosses #1
Pages: 479

Publisher: Corgi
Release Date: Released
Source: For Review
Rating: 5 stars
100 Book challenge: #86

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. Until the first steps are taken towards more social equality and a limited number of Noughts are allowed into Cross schools… Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity by Noughts, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum – a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger…

I have read Noughts & Crosses countless times as well as studying the novel in school so when I was offered the opportunity to reread the series I just couldn't say no. It is a novel that never fails to move me, even seven years later from reading it originally. It is a novel which contains both hatred and hope and love and loss.

The reversal of the racial hierarchy that was, and is, present in society is an intriguing idea that still has the power to make me think hard about our society. One scene from the book really stood out when I read it for the first time and upon second, third and fourth readings it still hits me hard. A nought (white) is wearing a plaster and Sephy comments on how it stands out for the colour of the plaster is a dark brown because they don't make plasters to blend in with noughts' skin tones. It was this scene that really made me think about things that I didn't even know I needed to be thinking about.

Noughts & Crosses is ultimately about race but the heart of the story is centered around love. Both Callum and Sephy love so strongly, not only for each other but for those that they love, yet they have such different ways of loving. Sephy's actions are always out of love but she makes a lot of bad choices because she doesn't think through the consequences. Callum's upbringing has made him a lot more reserved in his actions.

Noughts & Crosses is a novel that has the power to really make you think and move you in ways that you didn't know you could be moved. If you haven't read this series I highly recommend it. 

Review: Sweet Venom

     
    

Title: Sweet Venom
Author: Tera Lynn Childs

Series: Medusa Girls #1
Pages: 384

Publisher: Templar
Release Date: Released
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars
100 Book challenge: #83

Three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates.

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it's also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters. . . .

Like all of Tera Lynn Childs' novels, Sweet Venom is a lighter, more fun side to  paranormal YA. And best of all there isn't the whole paranormal romance cliche that is in pretty much every paranormal novel these days. 

Childs' writing is fresh and easy to read. Sweet Venom was a quick read and very easy to follow. The alternating chapters between the three girls gave an extra depth and really allows the reader to get to know each girl personally. 

Grace was my favourite of the three, probably as I can relate most to her. Gretchen took a little time to warm up to and Greer, well to be honest took a long while to warm up to. The character development of all three characters was very clear and I really enjoyed seeing that.

I really enjoyed the use of Greek mythology and loved the take of Medusa. The book, overall, is a big mystery and there is still a lot left unsaid at the end of Sweet Venom and will definitely need to pick up the sequel.