47 used & new from £0.01
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
Noughts and Crosses
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Noughts and Crosses (Paperback)

by Malorie Blackman (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (277 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


1 new from £19.99 46 used from £0.01
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 17 used & new from £0.01
Paperback (New edition) £6.99 £4.36 41 used & new from £0.43
Paperback (Large Print) Order it used
Audio CD (Audiobook) £12.72 £8.26 13 used & new from £4.91

Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • Watch the author talk about this book in Windows Media Player format: dial-up | broadband

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Checkmate (Noughts & Crosses Trilogy)

Checkmate (Noughts & Crosses Trilogy)

by Malorie Blackman
4.6 out of 5 stars (53)  £4.87
Knife Edge

Knife Edge

by Malorie Blackman
4.7 out of 5 stars (33)  £4.87
Double Cross (Noughts & Crosses)

Double Cross (Noughts & Crosses)

by Malorie Blackman
4.1 out of 5 stars (21)  £4.51
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

by John Boyne
4.0 out of 5 stars (346)  £4.15
Twilight (Twilight Saga)

Twilight (Twilight Saga)

by Stephenie Meyer
4.3 out of 5 stars (729)  £3.46
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Corgi Childrens; New edition edition (1 April 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0552546321
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552546324
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (277 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 87,368 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Malorie Blackman is a fine, award-winning author whose work is always inclined to provoke debate amongst her readers, and indeed her peers. With Noughts and Crosses she surpasses expectation not only with her subject matter, but with the execution of a stimulating and provocative plot line that often leaves the reader chilled to the bone.

Sephy and Callum have been best friends since childhood, and now they are older and they realise they want more from each other. But the harsh realities of lives lived in a segregated society are beginning to take their toll: Callum is a nought--a second-class citizen in a world dominated by the Crosses--and Sephy is a Cross, and the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country. The barriers they would have to cross to be together at first seem little more than minor obstacles to the two idealistic teenagers, but soon those barriers threaten not only their friendship but their lives.

Noughts and Crosses is written with the passion of an author who has a personal message about the perception of the past, present and future, and Blackman has used the clever device of turning preconceived ideas of racial prejudice upside down to make sure that her point is well and truly made. Deeply disturbing and totally absorbing this novel is intriguing from the outset, with a shocking climax that packs an unforgettable punch. (Age 11 and over) --Susan Harrison --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



Product Description

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 Crosses schools...Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity by Noughts unable to accept the injustices any longer, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum - a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger...
See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(4)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 7 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Noughts and Crosses
83% buy the item featured on this page:
Noughts and Crosses 4.7 out of 5 stars (277)
Double Cross (Noughts & Crosses)
6% buy
Double Cross (Noughts & Crosses) 4.1 out of 5 stars (21)
£4.51
Knife Edge
5% buy
Knife Edge 4.7 out of 5 stars (33)
£4.87
Checkmate (Noughts & Crosses Trilogy)
5% buy
Checkmate (Noughts & Crosses Trilogy) 4.6 out of 5 stars (53)
£4.87
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

277 Reviews
5 star:
 (245)
4 star:
 (12)
3 star:
 (5)
2 star:
 (7)
1 star:
 (8)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (277 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!, 23 Mar 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Noughts and Crosses (Hardcover)
I bought this book because I'd read a lot of Malorie's other books and really liked them. But this book is like nothing I've ever read before. It's so class, I don't know what to say about it. It's a bit like Romeo and Juliet but tons and tonss better. I felt like I wasn't just watching Callum and Sephy but I was them. I could understand exactly why they behaved the way they did. And I actually started thinking of them as real people. I'm still thinking about them. They both made me laugh and - I admit it - they both made me cry. I'm glad no one knows who I am. It's a bit embarressing for a 15 year old boy to admit that a book made him cry but as long as my friends don't find out, that's okay. I loved this book. I'm going to read it again now. It made me think more about racism and prejudice where I live, in my school and even at home. I wish everyone could read it. It's so good, it deserves to get 5 and a half stars out of 5.
Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Will turn your view of the world upside down, 13 Dec 2003
By Lisa L. Hansen (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews
"Noughts and crosses" is being marketed as a children's book but don't let that keep you from reading it - I'm in my mid-20'es and absolutely loved it. The story is thought-provoking to say the least and the characters stop being characters after about 15-20 pages and become real people who you will care for and root for till the very end.

It's equal parts suspense and love story and both will have you at the edge of your seat, turning page after page and needing to "just read one more chapter" until you are well into the wee hours of the morning.

Don't keep anything breakable nearby though as the unfairness of it all will have you wanting to hurl something heavy through the air quite a lot; instead, a box of tissues will come in handy as the ending is both incredibly sad and incredibly beautiful. All in all the book, its theme, its questions, and its people will stay with you for days after you've finished it and it is a book which you shouldn't cheat yourself of. This is the first book I've read by Marjorie Blackman but it definitely won't be the last.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Modern Youth Classic that just misses the mark, 2 Jul 2007
By Mr. T. COLEMAN (Coventry, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
This review is from: Noughts and Crosses (Noughts & Crosses Trilogy) (Paperback)
My wife is a teacher and is going through this book with her pupils. Call me snobbish, but despite her protestations that I really should read it, I was reluctant - I'm not a teenager, for one, and feared I'd find it tedious and craftless.

How wrong I was. Blackman's novel is superbly paced and stylistically clever. The dual first-person-narrative structure really works and showcases Blackman's excellent ability to write convincing voices that are diametrically opposed (13 yr old Sephy from the ruling class with her affluent but sheltered naivety, and 15yr old Callum - a young man brimming with anger and disaffection).

It's the contrast between these two protagonists that makes this novel so compelling. Blackman really fleshes out the basic morality tale of "Racism is bad / Equality is good", avoiding simplistic answers. There is no neat closure here. Heroes commit atrocities and villains make broken gestures of kindness. Ironically, there is no black and white. Such richness was thrilling, especially when you consider this is written for the teenage market.

More than this the plot unfolds with the timing of a thriller, and even though one can see developments and twists approaching from a mile away, Blackman writes it so well that I found myself hardly caring. The events that transpire might be predictable, but the complex and brave characterisation make the ride compelling.

On the down side, there are some clichés that trip the story up at times. It's not enough to cripple the narrative, but it does slow it down and I, for one, found myself annoyed at such small but noticeable setbacks. These clichés can be brushed over and you can still thoroughly enjoy the text, but for me it stopped the book becoming a bonafide classic.

In short, this is a great book, and the creative flair far out weighs the few stylistic hiccups. Blackman writes with such courage, conviction, and insight, I found myself challenged about my own innate world view. For what it matters, I'm a white middle class man, and this book caused me afresh to look at my own attitude to what I really believe about racism and equality. In this, the book is a roaring success, and if it causes more of us to honestly appraise our own hearts in regards to race, the better.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 		 Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh my goodness...
When i saw this book, i was a bit iffy on what it would be like, but let me tell you now, that this is one of the best series of books in the world! Read more
Published 23 hours ago by Mr. C. D. Welham

4.0 out of 5 stars Not another love story
The story's about best friends Callum and Sephy, but there's a world keeping them apart. Callum is a nought, which means he's white and as the word suggests, belongs to the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Guido Kinget

1.0 out of 5 stars Malorie Blackman earns a Cross from me.
My friends talked about these books and how "Amazing" they was so I thought i'd read them and see what all the hype was about. Read more
Published 1 month ago by I. M. Grimwood

1.0 out of 5 stars What a load of depressing boredom!
I am a big reader. I usually like most books, but this was just awful.
Firstly, I was told by my best friend that this book was amazing, so I spent my money on a brand new... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ms. M. Cooper

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Fantastic!
My daughter has just finished this book. After readin Malorie Blackmans Double Crosses, she was delighted to find out it was part of a trilogy. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Mccarthy

4.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling . . . .yet depressing?!
This book came highly recommended to me and in truth, I can't say I was exactly disappointed . . . it just wasn't what I had expected. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lisa J Roberts

5.0 out of 5 stars Noughts and Crosses
My daughters review:
'Noughts and Crosses' is a powerful and heart breaking classic that will give goosebumps to all whilst reading Malorie Blackman's electrifying piece of... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lydia

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok storyline but depressing book
The hype for this book encouraged me to buy it, however once I finished it I was dissapointed. There is probably nothing positive in this book... Read more
Published 3 months ago by leora

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever!!!!
Buy this book. I first read naughts and crosses at primary school, now at high school I still love the book. You feel everything callum and stephy feel. Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Davidson

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Quite sure
With over 200 five star reviews on this book it seemed promising to be near enough the best book I have read and will read in a long time. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Charleen

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
Before I die 1 1 month ago
Genre of The Book 2 September 2008
Genre of The Book 0 August 2007
Genre of The Book 0 August 2007
› See all 4 discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject













i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.