Knife Edge (Noughts and Crosses, #2)

by Malorie Blackman

A frightened girl running barefoot on a knife edge ...that's how eighteen-year-old Sephy feels as she gazes down at her new-born daughter, Callie Rose. Whilst Sephy is a Cross, the baby's father, Callum, was a nought, giving Callie Rose dual heritage in a society where the ruling Crosses treat the pale-skinned noughts - blankers - as second-class citizens. What kind of world will her daughter grow up into? One which is more equal? Or one where discrimination still has the power to destroy lives? Sephy can only hope that the tomorrows will be better than the yesterdays. But fifteen years later, Callie Rose's actions are to plunge both of them into the heart of danger, forcing Sephy - once again - to take sides ...Sequel to the award-winning Noughts & Crosses, Knife Edge is a razor-sharp and intensely moving novel for older readers. Set against an epic background of conflict, confrontation and courage, it is impossible to put down - and impossible to forget.

• ISBN10: 0385605277
• ISBN13: 9780385605274
• Publish Date: 5 February 2004
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 17 September 2014
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
• Imprint: Doubleday Children's Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[abookishblether]

Sadly, I don't this this series is going to hold up to a re-read.

[Leah]

What a magnificent read. No, it wasn't the same as Noughts and Crosses but after what happened at the end of N&C it could never be. It had to be a different book. And it was. And that worked. The addition of Jude narrating was a master stroke because while Jude is perhaps a Marmite character, I like him. I feel like there's something in him that's redeemable (although after reading Knife Edge perhaps I'm wrong because what he does is actually disgusting). But despite everything he does, I still like Jude as a character. I feel like he has so much depth.

The hardest part to read is Sephy. After everything she went through previously, it had to change her in some ways and while she's still the same old Sephy in some ways, mostly that's gone. This is a different girl. And it's heartbreaking to see her suffering. It's heartbreaking to read everything she's going through because I just wanted to take away her pain and I couldn't.


Knife Edge was vastly different to Noughts and Crosses. In tone. In voice. But I still loved it. I still races through it and this is such a compelling series, such a thought-provoking read. I have no idea where books three and four will take this series but I'm so interested to go there with them because Malorie Blackman is an incredible writer.