Reviews

Checkmate by Malorie Blackman

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annabelreadsandwrites's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sienna727's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

rachd24's review against another edition

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4.0

For a full review of this book, and a series overview check out my blog -
http://confessionsofabookgeek.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/review-noughts-and-crosses-series/

jwsg's review against another edition

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fast-paced

2.25

At this point in time, there are six (main) books in the Noughts and Crosses series but methinks I am going to stop after this third instalment. The first book I felt was an interesting fictional treatment of racism and prejudice. The second book, Knife Edge, felt a little like a party that was going on just a bit too long because people didn't want it to end; Jude's anger and Sephy's torment got a bit tiresome by the end. Checkmate, which focusses on Callie Rose and her discovery of her parentage, was just extremely trying and exhausting. Perhaps if I came from the target YA demographic, I might find the whole 500+ pages of tween then teen angst, anger and confusion, compelling and authentic. As it were, I found it repetitive and trying. There was an interesting twist at the end but it wasn't quite enough to salvage the book for me.

While my completist instincts were strong enough to make me finish the book, they aren't strong enough to compel me to finish the series. The last time I felt this way was reading the Twilight series (where I somehow made it to book #4, which I gave 1 star to).

jamishka's review against another edition

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3.0

This is the third book in The Noughts and Crosses series and the message it provides is still as important in this book as it was in the first.

The story is told through multiple timelines and perspectives. We get a glimpse into Callie Rose's upbringing from ages 7-16. This story is about fear, love, anger and misunderstandings. We see Sephy struggle to tell Callie about her father. We see Jude's hate and anger manipulate Callie. And we see that grandmothers will do anything for those they love.

This story is once again well written, fast paced and keeps you interested. Marlorie continued to show real examples of racism in this world opposite of our own. Using old characters and new, we see the struggles of this unjust world and are reminded about that this hate exists and not everyone believes that equality should exist.

kirstyjpoynton's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

slc's review

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jess_6014's review against another edition

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emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mya_kershaw_dann's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

dramagirl2003's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

the tension in this book is unreal. the ugliness in the world of Noughts + Crosses almost made me cry

"I think it's lucky that I've got a Cross mum and a Nought dad."
"Why?"
"Cause I can't go round liking one and not the other, can I? Cause I'm both."

thoughts while reading

p1:

it's jude

. the general is

jude

p13: no stop cause isn't this the exact conversation callum and sephy had at the beginning of Noughts + Crosses
p15: sarah pike is still there after all these years!
p20: nana jasmine is 100% gonna

lock callie rose in the cellar

p26: girl please don't do this, callie will never forgive you
p30: is jasmine a trained assassin or something?? girl how you outsmarting a terrorist
p57: 😔 poor trusting meggie. but jude's definitely right to keep his role a secret
p59: is she serious?
p78: GIRL OKAY
p108: what a rude awakening for tobey into the prejudiced mind

p116:

IT'S JUDE! IT'S JUDE! IT'S JUDE

! GET AWAY CALLIE ROSE! RUN!
p225: girl why is

jude burglaring their house now and taking callum's letter

of all things
p226: oh sugar

HE TOOK IT TO SHOW CALLIE ROSE

p251: oh don't be so bloody evil

p286: honestly we all should have realised that

tobey would be the first one to find out about callum. he's much more exposed to the world than callie rose

p299: the confusion of sephy and callie rose over the last two books about whether callum ever actually loved them has honestly killed me 💔💔

p342: nuh uh be careful girlie, amyas might have just brought you there to make out
p343: girl what did I say. this is why imma make sure my girlies (and boylies) are warned not to go into a bedroom alone with someone. if amyas keeps assaulting her i really hope tobey comes to save the day (or even lucas would be fine too i guess)
p346: ooooh both, even better!

I'm glad lucas was the one to punch him though otherwise tobey could've been reported for assault

p361: next section title is Callum's Letters, does this mean we'll finally get to find out what all the other letters said? including the real one? cause I'm betting

the one sephy got wasn't even written by callum or he was at least coerced

p386: for flip sake, who cares if the first letter is "selfish"!! did he not stop to think for even a minute about how bloody screwed up his second letter is?? like it literally ruined sephy's life!!! how the hell does reading that the love of your life despised you help you move on in ANY BLOODY WAY!!!!! THINK CALLUM YOU BLOODY IDIOT THINK!!!!
p401: i'm really proud of tobey for persisting in trying to warn and look out for callie, no matter how cruel she treats him! that is love. platonic, romantic, family, call it whatever you want, it's dedication

p416:

"And it's just as silly to say a nought could be...well, Prime Minister one day. I mean, that is soooooo never going to happen."

HA that's ironic cause i swear i've seen a spoiler somewhere that says

tobey becomes prime minister

one day

p418: preach tobey
p419: and what a positive view he has on losing the debate too
p421: callie and lucas have been going out for a year?? when's tobey gonna come into the picture?

p424: reading about 15 year olds considering having sex genuinely terrifies me cause that's how old my brother is and i can remember being that age knowing i would never be able to emotionally cope with the implications afterwards or even during!! gahhhhhh can we please just stay children for a little longer!! i'm flipping 20 years old and i still wouldn't be able to handle it!

p428: i know that deep down jude does have a heart but the world was too hard and fractured for him to cope with so he completely turned off his emotions but can't, and is terrified to get them back again
p432: ah! character growth! I'm so proud 🫶🏻
p433: huh what the heck is sonny doing there??

p435: and there's the smart psychopathic killer we know and hate
p442: girllll just tell it to him straight and put the man out of his misery
p447: oh for flip sake! is jude really still so delusioned that he thinks callum would be proud of all he's doing?? I almost feel bad for him

p450:

Lucas had the self-confidence that came from being told every day of his life that he was good enough. Tobey had the self-confidence that came from having to work that out for himself.

and that is the difference between the two that edges me towards team tobey

p452: girl, you know where the bodies are buried? damn that's intense. are these metaphorical or literal?
p460:

it's kamal

. the target is

100% kamal

p461: here's a great idea. get over your spite and just don't

p467: callie my girl you are literally 16 and i've read most of your life story so far, how can you think that your life is so messed up that you'd agree to be a suicide bomber?? you are not your father, who by the way is almost nothing like who you're imagining. come on girl! don't lose hope
p470: i did wonder if

jasmine and sephy already knew what callie was upto

p472: see callie, i knew some deep part of you secretly loved tobey. again, call it whatever you want. platonic, romantic, family, some connections just run too deep
p473: girl really what are you planning now jasmine
p474: callie's passivity to life is really grating on me now
p483: I KNEW JUDE LOVED CARA I KNEW IT! HE JUST COULDN'T COPE WITH THE BLOODY EMOTIONS!! AHHHHHHH!!!
p500: finally resolution 🫶🏻❤️

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