I reviewed Noughts & Crosses at the start of this year and I’ll link the review at the end of this post. And if you haven’t read the first book, please don’t read this review. It will be completely filled with spoilers from book one and book two in all honesty. It’s the only way to review this book properly. Consistent excitement throughout between the characters and the different action scenes (because of the different perspectives.) Callum’s brother Jude, also a member of the Liberation Militia blamed Sephy for Callum’s execution so in An Eye For An Eye broke into her flat to try to kill her. This was not on the same level as ‘Noughts and Crosses’. The writing was good, but the story felt lost for me. It wasn’t the same. And while I get that we’re dealing with the aftermath of the conclusion of book one, I feel that this doesn’t do it justice. I found myself dragging myself through the book, when with the predecessor I was racing through the book, praying that it wouldn’t end. 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.

I read this book in one sitting and honestly, still don’t know whether I’m liking the series or not – my feelings are so conflicted in regard to several aspects. Jude – Jude is possibly my biggest reason for my dislike of this. He’s not a likeable character and reading his hatred and his prejudice and his anger was exhausting and it made me feel ill. I read for enjoyment and Jude is just as racist as the Crosses that he detests so much. His actions once again have repercussions on everyone but himself. He blames others for what he’s done and I really want to hurt him. He’s disgusting and vile and has nothing at all redeemable about him and I HATED being in his head and reading his POV. He’s possibly my main issue with this book. He’s awful. Just no. He needs a lesson in feeling things. I also found some minor points a bit irritating: perhaps because of the book's age-group audience, but things that seemed really obvious to me are spelled out, such as Sephy and her sister reiterating to each other that the baby is Callie Rose, Meggie's granddaughter - as if they wouldn't know that. There are a few places like that where there is unnecessary info dumping though fortunately not in big chunks, just sentences thrown in which seem totally unnecessary. First off I really did enjoy this beautiful masterpiece its filled with sorrow, hate, passion, revenge, depression, pain, rage, second chances, love and so so so much more. There was so many different things going on this novel at once I don't even know where to begin. Can I just give a hand to Sephys mom though like ohmygosh all the awards to you. I seriously admired her and if anything good that came out of this novel it was her. Sephy... all I can say is Sephy is not the same little naive girl who thought she and Callum could be friends without a second glance. The two perspectives each had their own "feel" which made the characters distinctive when reading. It really showed how the characters thought in their own personal ways and because of how it felt different, it made them even more believable.

I find it so sad how negative things are for Sephy in this book as she was introduced as such a positive character in the first book to her negative counterpart, Callum.

Les personnages sont vrais. Et d'une complexité qui est vraiment la bienvenue. Tout le monde n'est pas noir, tout le monde n'est pas blanc (sans jeu de mot). Et tant mieux ! Bon sang, tant mieux ! Whilst we lost Callum as a protagonist, we gained Jude, Callum’s brother. We got to see his anger towards Crosses and Sephy for the death of his younger brother. Although, we know how volatile and angry Jude was from book one, here we got to see it up close and personal. I think we truly came to understand Jude when he fell in love with a Cross and became less angry. It’s almost ironic how Sephy and Jude almost switched places from book one to book two. Sephy was dwelling in her hatred for society, her family and Callum whilst Jude realised just how powerful love can be. I think Jude also realised just how much he relied on his hatred and anger to live. He didn’t know how to be who he was without it. I think I almost came to like Jude here. (Almost) As with the first book, there is a rather bitty structure where short section follows short section, each in an alternating viewpoint. This time, the switching is mainly between Sephy, the young Cross woman who was pregnant at the end of book 1, and Jude, the brother of Callum, the baby's now deceased father. Unlike book 1 there are a few sections in minor viewpoints, that of Sephy's mother and Jude/Callum's mother. It also actually reminded me of a TV show that I watched in the UK on ITV2 called The Big Reunion – the premise of the show were six groups from the 90’s and 00’s talk about their history and why they split up before reuniting for a reunion concert. and it really did seem like he was falling in love with her, but I suppose their ship name can only be 'Titanic'.

Meggie’s perspective was to bring an almost neutral tone to this book about hate. She cared for both Sephy, Jude and her grandchild. I really liked her narrative because without it, I don’t think we would be able to truly understand the destructive nature of Sephy’s behaviour.

Sixteen years have passed since Sephy Hadley first met Callum McGregor. For Callie Rose, growing up mixed race in a world where bitter prejudice divides Noughts and Crosses has meant she’s an outsider wherever she turns. First and foremost, I still stand by the fact that the political themes in this book are brilliant and well executed. The entire idea for the series is amazing and I love the dystopian aspect too. I think it’s a very thought-provoking and bold series for young adults, and is rally daring in the dark topics it puts forward. I love the idea of the books, the execution just falls short repeatedly which makes me sad.But soon Callie is caught in a trap she can’t get out of – one which will have deadly consequences. Sephy Hadley - a Cross, supposedly powerful and privileged - has bound herself forever to her nought lover Callum McGregor's family. 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.

Sephy is suffering from depression or something similar. It’s never explained, so she’s just down in the dumps all the time, acts like a brat, and just makes life difficult for herself. She’s up and down about whether she loves her baby or not, which could hold the promise of an interesting discussion, but her thoughts on the matter are shallow, so you don’t get to understand her thought process. Frankly, it’s hard to create a character suffering from depression interesting.In this paragraph Jude talks about the beauty industry of this society and how even the underwear in shops is designed for Cross women and their naturally curvaceous figure. Or how Nought women get implants to make their lips fuller or spend longer in sunbeds to make themselves darker. Compared to the first book, Noughts and Crosses, this one was just BORING! Not only that, but what’s up with sudden poetic, lyrical snippets that have been added? It’s airy-fairy nonsense. I highly doubt most readers read lyrics in fiction novels. The book also introduces some very interesting new themes and some that are quite grown up including mental illness, grief and post-natal depression. Sephy’s involvement in the band in particular I also liked as it introduces comments on the music industry, including racism and how image plays a large part of success.