Book #15: Double Cross by Malorie Blackman
Double Cross by Malorie Blackman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My understanding is that the fourth book in the Noughts & Crosses series is the beginning of a new trilogy, and it does feel a bit like a fresh start.
It picks up in the aftermath of the previous novel, "Checkmate", but takes the storyline in completely new directions. Original characters like Sephy and Meggie take supporting roles in this one, as the main narrators are Callie Rose and her boyfriend Tobey, introduced in the previous book.
Quite early on, Tobey ends up taking centre stage, and narrates almost every chapter, rather than the multiple points of view seen in previous titles. The main plot starts when Tobey accepts a job making deliveries, which soon becomes sinister when he realises he is in a centre of some sort of mob war between two families, and ends up with divided loyalties, mostly as the result of an event that I will not spoil here.
My undertanding is that the Noughts & Crosses series is for young adults, but the subject matter of this one is more adult than the previous titles, as it involves the subject of drugs. Tobey's sister is revealed to be addicted to heroin at one point, and cocaine ends up playing a pivotal role as the story reaches its climax.
It was quite good to see the book series go in a completely new direction, and I found myself caring for Tobey a lot, and hoping that his relationship with Callie would survive the events. The only thing that stopped me giving this a 5 out of 5 was that there seemed to be less of the commentary on race that was so common in the first three books, and which I'd thought the series was based on.
Overall, I really enjoyed this; there were a couple of misleads, and I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next. I definitely want to keep reading this series.
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