James's Reviews > Checkmate

Set in a dystopian 21st century near future British society – the ‘Noughts & Crosses’ award winning series of novels (initially a trilogy, subsequently extended to a quadrilogy) opens following a period of alternative history, a post slavery period where the white population (Noughts) have been enslaved by the ruling black elite. Now post emancipation, it is the non-black population who are distinctly disadvantaged and impoverished in this alternative future society which is ruled and controlled by the dominating blacks (Crosses).

The ‘Noughts & Crosses’ series provides us with an explicit flip and twist on both the history and current political and cultural demographic of British society – where racial politics is turned on its head and power structures are completely reversed.

The fundamental premise underlying this series is a vitally important one – what Malorie Blackman seems to have set out to do, is to robustly challenge (what may be many) readers’ current perceptions, presumptions, assumptions and views on race and (British) society. An attempt to provoke thought and to revisit the absurdities of a society(ies) run along lines on racial disadvantagement and the domination of one ethnic group or groups in society by another controlling ethnic (almost always white) group. The books successfully challenge and encourage particularly the non-black reader to reconsider and think again about being part of and party to, a racially privileged white society – and by extension, to consider the real life alternative in the light of the fictional world that is portrayed here in the ‘Noughts & Crosses’ series. Moreover – to consider the possibility of a third way – a society run entirely along non-racially defined power structures.

This is an original, intelligent, perceptive and though-provoking series of books – and whilst squarely aimed at the Young Adult market, it clearly transcends the restrictive boundaries of that genre.

The first installment ‘Noughts & Crosses’ is the strongest of the series, closely followed by the second and third parts of the original trilogy namely ‘Knife Edge’ and ‘Checkmate’. Whilst ‘Double Cross’ is well-written and ostensibly does add value to the series, it does feel ultimately a little superfluous and does not provide the same impact as the preceding three novels.

Moreover, apart from being politically and culturally astute, what makes the ‘Noughts & Crosses’ series of books so successful is not merely the originality and the ever-present / underlying theme of racial politics, but the fact that Blackman has created great characters who inhabit great page-turning stories which are both compelling and engaging.

These are increasingly important books to be read by all – particularly in view of the current political climate and the ever more disturbing rise in the so-called ‘alt right’ / white supremacist groups in certain parts of the world.

It is very encouraging that Blackman's series of books has been so successful and is widely read and made available in UK schools – as it quite rightly should continue to be.

Throughout the course of the ‘Noughts & Crosses’ series of novels, Malorie Blackman successfully shines a light on the absurdities of racial domination and subjugation of one group by another and the fundamental racist agenda (implicit and explicit, covert and overt – at both personal and societal levels) that underpins and perpetuates this ridiculous cultural dialectic.

In the words of Nelson Mandela (as recently quoted by Barack Obama):

“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion…”