Book 3 in the dystopian series in which a 360 degree turnaround focuses light from a different angle on racism, with the setting an alternative history in which Crosses, black people, have always been the dominant civilising force, with white people as former slaves only emancipated fifty years before the timeline of the story. Noughts, as they are known, face the sort of racism that in real life is directed against black people, including the abusive term 'blanker', and massive discrimination in education, employment and all other important areas of life.

This book continues with the structure of alternating viewpoints, this time with Sephy and her daughter Callie Rose as the main ones, although it doesn't come across as quite as bitty as before perhaps because the alternative viewpoints of Jasmine, Sephy's mother, Meggie, mother of Callum (deceased father of Sephy's child) and Jude, the embittered surviving child of Meggie, are much more "meaty" and central to the book than in the last one.

There is quite a bit of dotting about in the timeline, indicated with statements such as 'Callie Rose is seven', and we gradually see how the child develops from a happy trusting child who has been taught to love the father she has never known, without being told what really happened to him, into a disillusioned, confused and embittered teenager who is vulnerable to being groomed by Jude on behalf of the organisation for which he works.

We also see how Sephy contributes to Callie Rose's development in a negative way by being too afraid to tell her the truth and also holding back from showing her real affection because of the incident in the previous book where she endangered her baby's life by hugging her too tightly (an effect of an extreme form of post natal depression exacerbated by the prejudice to which she was subjected as the mother of a mixed-race child).

I found this volume more interesting and with a slightly more hopeful note than the very dark previous book in the series. However it was held back from a full 5 stars because of a couple of points. Firstly, I wasn't totally convinced that Callie would be so 'broken' by the revelations to which Jude subjects her that she is prepared to blow herself up, and secondly I didn't find it convincing that Callum would have sent the second letter to Sephy: the one she received in the previous book and which contributed massively to her mental health issues. There are better ways to tell someone they should get on with their life rather than to pretend everything between them was just down to him using her to help the resistance. The story does also start to drag a little before the final build-up. So I would award this a 4-star rating. ( )

I struggled with the violence of the previous Noughts and Crosses book, this one was less explicit, but hurting its characters nonetheless. At the centre this time we have Sephy and Callum's daughter who grows to hate her mother and finds it all too easy to believe the worst of her father, leading close to desperate deeds. ( )

The things we do for our kids!

An awesome story covering all aspects of family & romantic love. Again like the previous installments loved the whole going back & forth between not just the characters POVs but the two timelines. Not every author can do this well but Malorie does it superbly, I found no confusion as to what was happening or whose POV I was at.

The other aspect I loved about this book was the whole focus on not the L.M this time but the family relationships & how they can be fixed or in some cases beyond fixing. Having 2 young children myself I definitely sympathized with Sephy, Meggie & Jasmine.

Overall can see this series being one of my favorites not just of the year but of all time! I recommend this to all readers! ( )

Checkmate (Noughts & Crosses #3)
Read: 8/11-8/28/13
 
Rating: 4.5/5 I don't know exactly what to say about this book. But, let me start off by saying that the only reason it too me so long to read it was because it was a battle of wills....A part of me wanted to read, the other part of me that didn't...It wanted to do everything But read...So, that's what I call a true slump! lol..Now, on to trying to put into words what I feel about this book:
I struggled between giving it a 4 or 5 Star Rating, that's why it is at the 4.5 Stars. I really did enjoy this book. I can say it was amazing but very intense..just like the first two books. I really did enjoy this one a lot more than I did Knife Edge. I think for me, with Knife Edge, it was a tad bit boring, but yet, I wanted to find out what happened..but I now believe that I should have taken a break between Black & White (Noughts & Crosses) & Knife Edge...Maybe it would not have seemed so bad...I almost gave up on the whole series because of Knife Edge but a part of me wanted to find out what happened with Callie Rose, so I didn't read for a couple months. Then, I found the Callum e-book. I am so glad I did. That is what got me back on this series. Anyway, back to Checkmate.This book, like I said, was amazing, but it was such an intense read for me. Like the other two, there were parts in the book that made you mad, hurt your feelings, broke your heart, etc. And that is what makes it so hard to read. There are some people that can read all books back to back and be fine with it, but I just can't do it I realized. But I do think it is one of my favorites this year. I am beyond curious what is going to happen in Double Cross, the final book in this series.I have the book on my shelf, but I am going to try to read another book before reading Double Cross to give myself a break from all of the intensity. I can say that it will be hard for me not to pick up the book and read it now. But I know if I try to do it now, I won't be able to finish it or get through it right now. For me, this is a book you have to prepare yourself for and be in a place you can handle all the things that go on.I think this books kind of falls into the Dystopian Genre....And normally I am not really into dystopian books...But because of the topic of this series, it makes it more interesting for me because I had always thought about "What would happen in this society and how would people feel if the rolls were reversed?" And Pow! Here it is! lol...I have seen people post/comment about her being racist solely on the topic of this book..well, I don't know her personally so I cant say whether she is or not...But I can say that I don't see that as being the case with this book...I see this series for what it is...A Roll Reversal. So, anyone who is considering reading this book...Regardless of your race, creed, gender, etc do not go into it with race in mind..Go into it just for what it is...What I mentioned before "Roll Reversal"...If things were turned around, how would things be handled? How would people feel? React? etcBut, I have said too much so I will end here...Thanks for reading all of this. :-) ( )

Checkmate (Noughts & Crosses #3)
Read: 8/11-8/28/13
 
Rating: 4.5/5 I don't know exactly what to say about this book. But, let me start off by saying that the only reason it too me so long to read it was because it was a battle of wills....A part of me wanted to read, the other part of me that didn't...It wanted to do everything But read...So, that's what I call a true slump! lol..Now, on to trying to put into words what I feel about this book:
I struggled between giving it a 4 or 5 Star Rating, that's why it is at the 4.5 Stars. I really did enjoy this book. I can say it was amazing but very intense..just like the first two books. I really did enjoy this one a lot more than I did Knife Edge. I think for me, with Knife Edge, it was a tad bit boring, but yet, I wanted to find out what happened..but I now believe that I should have taken a break between Black & White (Noughts & Crosses) & Knife Edge...Maybe it would not have seemed so bad...I almost gave up on the whole series because of Knife Edge but a part of me wanted to find out what happened with Callie Rose, so I didn't read for a couple months. Then, I found the Callum e-book. I am so glad I did. That is what got me back on this series. Anyway, back to Checkmate.This book, like I said, was amazing, but it was such an intense read for me. Like the other two, there were parts in the book that made you mad, hurt your feelings, broke your heart, etc. And that is what makes it so hard to read. There are some people that can read all books back to back and be fine with it, but I just can't do it I realized. But I do think it is one of my favorites this year. I am beyond curious what is going to happen in Double Cross, the final book in this series.I have the book on my shelf, but I am going to try to read another book before reading Double Cross to give myself a break from all of the intensity. I can say that it will be hard for me not to pick up the book and read it now. But I know if I try to do it now, I won't be able to finish it or get through it right now. For me, this is a book you have to prepare yourself for and be in a place you can handle all the things that go on.I think this books kind of falls into the Dystopian Genre....And normally I am not really into dystopian books...But because of the topic of this series, it makes it more interesting for me because I had always thought about "What would happen in this society and how would people feel if the rolls were reversed?" And Pow! Here it is! lol...I have seen people post/comment about her being racist solely on the topic of this book..well, I don't know her personally so I cant say whether she is or not...But I can say that I don't see that as being the case with this book...I see this series for what it is...A Roll Reversal. So, anyone who is considering reading this book...Regardless of your race, creed, gender, etc do not go into it with race in mind..Go into it just for what it is...What I mentioned before "Roll Reversal"...If things were turned around, how would things be handled? How would people feel? React? etcBut, I have said too much so I will end here...Thanks for reading all of this. :-) ( )