Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

I need to zip off and go to work, but I realized if I didn't post something RIGHT NOW then I'd be empty a spot for October. UNACCEPTABLE!

(I've got to start watching Adventure Time.)

I ended up reading Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman at the recommendation of a girl at work. She was talking about writing her own novel with flipped perspectives every chapter, and cited this book, the first of a trilogy, as a huge inspiration.

The premise is of a world where white people were slaves and black people in charge, hanging on the Romeo and Juliet relationship between (what's their names... it's been a couple of weeks since I read it... no real time to scour my brain or the book that's right beside me...)

Long story short (sorry) it was atrocious. The story undercuts its own dramatic potential at every turn, raises plot points that are never addressed later- when asked what I thought of the book I said "It depends. Does X,Y, and Z get addressed ever again in the later books?" Her reply was no. Well, why not?! It was juicy stuff! This character had an affair with someone, this one had a secret child 20 years ago, the main white characters have some african blood in them- huge things that could effect the story, but are never brought up again.

The argument was that, well, that's how life is, man. But this isn't life, it's a story being written by someone, who is in control over how this plays out, and the whole endeavor could have been much more rewarding.

Alright, I've gotta head off, but you should be hearing from me much more in November.