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Noble Conflict
Years after a violent war destroyed much of the world, Kaspar has grown up in a society based on peace and harmony. But beyond the city walls, a vicious band of rebels are plotting to tear this peace apart. It is up to the Guardians - an elite peacekeeping force - to protect the city, without ever resorting to the brutal methods of their enemy.
When Kaspar joins the Guardians, he has a chance encounter with a rebel - a beautiful girl named Rhea. Haunted from that moment on by strange visions and memories - memories that could only belong to Rhea - he realises he hasn't been told the truth about what the rebels really want, and what he's really fighting for.
When Kaspar joins the Guardians, he has a chance encounter with a rebel - a beautiful girl named Rhea. Haunted from that moment on by strange visions and memories - memories that could only belong to Rhea - he realises he hasn't been told the truth about what the rebels really want, and what he's really fighting for.
357 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2013
61 people are currently reading
1210 people want to read
About the author
Malorie Blackman
156 books4,517 followersAn award-winning children's author, Malorie Blackman was honoured with an OBE in 2008. Her work has been adapted for TV and stage.
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British Council: Contemporary Authors
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More information available at:
Myspace
British Council: Contemporary Authors
British Council: Encompass Culture
Channel 4 Learning: Book Box
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
June 23, 2013
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Firstly, thank you Random House and NetGalley for the copy! I was initially disappointed with Noble Conflict, but I was glad that I kept on going, because the last half of the book was amazing.
Noble Conflict is a dystopian novel, set in the future where the Alliance is battling the Crusaders. The story follows Kasper, who is a Guardian (a police-force) as he slowly uncovers the truth about his world. I don’t know if it was because I’ve read too much dystopian fiction, but I found the first half of the novel pretty predictable. However, all was not as I had thought, and soon the twists started to kick in. Blackman has done what she does best, and created a well-structured science-fiction world, and uncovering the truth behind it was really exciting.
The writing style also took some getting used to. It was written in third person, but in the style of a teenage boy. Normally I love realistic teenager talk, but initially I found something clunky about the writing, and despite it all I found Kasper quite difficult to relate too, but he grew on me as it went on. As for the other characters, I liked Mac and Rhea, but I found most of the other Guardians irritating. I also didn’t understand why they every character talked with a gung-ho attitude, from teenagers to Voss, their commander. However, one stylistic part of the book I loved was the excerpts from “books” in that world. I thought it was a nice touch, and really helped to illustrate her themes.
And that’s one place Blackman really shines: her themes and story. Once I realised that I had been wrong about the predictability, I really started to enjoy my moments. What I love was that Blackman wasn’t afraid to do something drastic with the story. I was continuously shocked through the book, and I think it really hits home on how much do we know about the social system that we feel so protected by? Other subtler themes were creeping in too: the use of technology, the reliability of facts, death, and love.
Overall, I think Noble Conflict is a pretty decent YA novel. There’s plenty of thought-provoking content, and an interesting story within it. I would say it’s a bit like a 1984 for a younger audience. Do I think it’s to the standard of her previous work? Probably not. But don’t let that stop you reading it.
Sum It Up: A good dystopian, with brilliant ideas and themes, but if you are new to Malorie Blackman, I recommend starting with another one of her books.
Also featured on RachaelReviewsAll
Firstly, thank you Random House and NetGalley for the copy! I was initially disappointed with Noble Conflict, but I was glad that I kept on going, because the last half of the book was amazing.
Noble Conflict is a dystopian novel, set in the future where the Alliance is battling the Crusaders. The story follows Kasper, who is a Guardian (a police-force) as he slowly uncovers the truth about his world. I don’t know if it was because I’ve read too much dystopian fiction, but I found the first half of the novel pretty predictable. However, all was not as I had thought, and soon the twists started to kick in. Blackman has done what she does best, and created a well-structured science-fiction world, and uncovering the truth behind it was really exciting.
The writing style also took some getting used to. It was written in third person, but in the style of a teenage boy. Normally I love realistic teenager talk, but initially I found something clunky about the writing, and despite it all I found Kasper quite difficult to relate too, but he grew on me as it went on. As for the other characters, I liked Mac and Rhea, but I found most of the other Guardians irritating. I also didn’t understand why they every character talked with a gung-ho attitude, from teenagers to Voss, their commander. However, one stylistic part of the book I loved was the excerpts from “books” in that world. I thought it was a nice touch, and really helped to illustrate her themes.
And that’s one place Blackman really shines: her themes and story. Once I realised that I had been wrong about the predictability, I really started to enjoy my moments. What I love was that Blackman wasn’t afraid to do something drastic with the story. I was continuously shocked through the book, and I think it really hits home on how much do we know about the social system that we feel so protected by? Other subtler themes were creeping in too: the use of technology, the reliability of facts, death, and love.
Overall, I think Noble Conflict is a pretty decent YA novel. There’s plenty of thought-provoking content, and an interesting story within it. I would say it’s a bit like a 1984 for a younger audience. Do I think it’s to the standard of her previous work? Probably not. But don’t let that stop you reading it.
Sum It Up: A good dystopian, with brilliant ideas and themes, but if you are new to Malorie Blackman, I recommend starting with another one of her books.
Also featured on RachaelReviewsAll
September 22, 2015
I have been reading some dystopian fiction again! This time it’s a book called ‘Noble Conflict’ by a favourite author of mine, Malorie Blackman.
My favourite character in this book is probably Mac. Mac is a friend Kaspar makes in the library as he tries to find out more information on the Insurgents. Like me, Mac is quite the bookworm and spends a lot of time online ^.^ Also, although politics and war strategies aren’t something she can grasp easily, she still tries to have a go at it. I like that type of persistence, and how she was always will to help Kaspar with whatever research he wanted to do.
What I didn’t like so much was the writing style. I mean, it’s a good book and written really well, but in comparison to other Malorie Blackman books I didn’t find it much to her usual standard. Because the world this book takes place in works differently than ours, sometimes I feel like I was being fed a lot of information and backstory in one moment, especially when he was researching with Mac. To me, being fed too much information at once gets a bit boring and I tend to start scanning the words instead…
It was also a bit of a typical dystopian. What I did like about the Hunger Games and Divergent was that it put a bit of a different spin on things. But apart from the setting much things were the same, like Matched: a dark secret in the society, a rising rebellion and a big bang ending with multiple betrayals. Many dystopian novels tend to fall under this category.
I’d rate this book a three out of five, because it was an enjoyable read nonetheless. If you like dystopian, you’ll definitely like this!
This review and more can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
My favourite character in this book is probably Mac. Mac is a friend Kaspar makes in the library as he tries to find out more information on the Insurgents. Like me, Mac is quite the bookworm and spends a lot of time online ^.^ Also, although politics and war strategies aren’t something she can grasp easily, she still tries to have a go at it. I like that type of persistence, and how she was always will to help Kaspar with whatever research he wanted to do.
What I didn’t like so much was the writing style. I mean, it’s a good book and written really well, but in comparison to other Malorie Blackman books I didn’t find it much to her usual standard. Because the world this book takes place in works differently than ours, sometimes I feel like I was being fed a lot of information and backstory in one moment, especially when he was researching with Mac. To me, being fed too much information at once gets a bit boring and I tend to start scanning the words instead…
It was also a bit of a typical dystopian. What I did like about the Hunger Games and Divergent was that it put a bit of a different spin on things. But apart from the setting much things were the same, like Matched: a dark secret in the society, a rising rebellion and a big bang ending with multiple betrayals. Many dystopian novels tend to fall under this category.
I’d rate this book a three out of five, because it was an enjoyable read nonetheless. If you like dystopian, you’ll definitely like this!
This review and more can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
December 23, 2013
If you know me at all you will know that I love Malorie Blackman. Her Noughts and Crosses series is still in my top 5 series of all time and I can't see that ever changing. I met her in October too and she is an absolutely lovely person, really kind and funny and great to talk to. Based on that you can imagine my excitement when I heard another new book was coming out. They had copies of it for sale to be signed when I met her but I couldn't afford one, I got one of my older books signed instead. I requested this book at the library instead but it took a very long time to come in.
One of my friends, a fellow Blackman fan said he had tried to read it and had struggled a bit, but all other reviews I saw were positive so I was looking forward to getting stuck in.
We meet Kaspar on the day of his graduation into the Guardians and are thrown straight into the action. I actually liked the opening of this book a lot, it's very punchy and gets straight into it. Made me want to know more about who and why these things were happening. I read the first 60 or so pages really quick and found myself being absorbed into the story. This isn't the usual sort of thing I would read but I was prepared to dive straight in.
I found it quite hard to relate to Kaspar though, he jumps in first and asks questions later, meaning he makes a lot of mistakes but he never seems to learn from this or stop to think, causing even more mistakes and problems. I just didn't really like him.
Rhea however, she was far more interesting, you actually don't know much about her but the mystery of her is part of the appeal. I wanted to know more and how she fit in with everything.
There was quite a lot of mystery in this book, it leaves you questioning why everything is happening and who is really behind it. But I have to be totally honest and say that I didn't really care too much. I was vaguely curious and invested enough to read the entire book but I wasn't really excited about it and by the end i have to admit I skim read a little bit.
After getting so involved in Malorie's other books and feeling like I was part of the story, I felt this one kept me on the edge a little bit.
It isn't a bad book and I found parts of it very exciting and I would be pulled in a bit more but I just didn't feel the usual magic.
One of my friends, a fellow Blackman fan said he had tried to read it and had struggled a bit, but all other reviews I saw were positive so I was looking forward to getting stuck in.
We meet Kaspar on the day of his graduation into the Guardians and are thrown straight into the action. I actually liked the opening of this book a lot, it's very punchy and gets straight into it. Made me want to know more about who and why these things were happening. I read the first 60 or so pages really quick and found myself being absorbed into the story. This isn't the usual sort of thing I would read but I was prepared to dive straight in.
I found it quite hard to relate to Kaspar though, he jumps in first and asks questions later, meaning he makes a lot of mistakes but he never seems to learn from this or stop to think, causing even more mistakes and problems. I just didn't really like him.
Rhea however, she was far more interesting, you actually don't know much about her but the mystery of her is part of the appeal. I wanted to know more and how she fit in with everything.
There was quite a lot of mystery in this book, it leaves you questioning why everything is happening and who is really behind it. But I have to be totally honest and say that I didn't really care too much. I was vaguely curious and invested enough to read the entire book but I wasn't really excited about it and by the end i have to admit I skim read a little bit.
After getting so involved in Malorie's other books and feeling like I was part of the story, I felt this one kept me on the edge a little bit.
It isn't a bad book and I found parts of it very exciting and I would be pulled in a bit more but I just didn't feel the usual magic.
June 19, 2015
On a là un scénario classique pour un roman dystopique promu par la réputation de l'auteur. Mais à ce stade j'ai lu trop de romans du même goût pour lui passer la pommade sans avoir à y redire ! Cela se lit vite et bien. C'est truffé d'action et de conspiration. Après ça reste léger et trop survolé. La réflexion sur la politique et la manipulation des têtes gouvernantes reste pertinente.
January 4, 2014
After absolutely devouring the Noughts and Crosses series last year, and various other books by Blackman over the years, I was expecting a great read from this book. Unfortunately, I have extremely mixed views on this particular book; it had an interesting concept but had its negatives.
One thing I noticed was that when I picked it up again, I could barely remember a thing. Yes, I was reading several titles, but I never normally forget a plotline; it just wasn't very memorable in the whole. Secondly, at many points in the story, I wasn't entirely sure what was happening; it hadn't been developed enough, and, sometimes, the storyline jumped and was ultimately kind of flimsy.
Linking on from this, because of the fact that I couldn't remember it, sometimes things happened that were a complete shock or didn't make sense. Not revealing spoilers, this was one quote I had no idea about:-
"Yeah, I already knew about... Brother Simon told me."
There was also a supposed love triangle within the book, but it wasn't so well developed and I couldn't see much of a growing attraction, shall we say, between Kasper and Rhea. Because of this undeveloped triangle, the end was a bit fast and slightly unrelated to the war element; because, it isn't a romance book.
However, onto the positive aspects. The good thing about Noble Conflict was the detail Blackman described everything in; the characters, the action scenes, Kasper's emotions. It also accurately represented war scenes. Of course, Noble Conflict is a dystopia, so the wars weren't the exact same as we know of now; but they were emotionally and physically described so vividly that I could feel my heart breaking.
"A colossal explosion and a licking tongue of flame erupted in front of the platform..."
As a protagonist, I was unsure of Kasper, particularly because of his do-first, think-later attitude to his roles. I could never tell what he would do next! I did, however, like Dillon, Kasper's best friend, as a funny, interesting, secondary character.
So. With a slightly dragging, unmemorable plot, this was a bit of a disappointment against Blackman's other amazing titles... But it had some beautiful description and great secondary characters, so I'm going to give it 3/5.
One thing I noticed was that when I picked it up again, I could barely remember a thing. Yes, I was reading several titles, but I never normally forget a plotline; it just wasn't very memorable in the whole. Secondly, at many points in the story, I wasn't entirely sure what was happening; it hadn't been developed enough, and, sometimes, the storyline jumped and was ultimately kind of flimsy.
Linking on from this, because of the fact that I couldn't remember it, sometimes things happened that were a complete shock or didn't make sense. Not revealing spoilers, this was one quote I had no idea about:-
"Yeah, I already knew about... Brother Simon told me."
There was also a supposed love triangle within the book, but it wasn't so well developed and I couldn't see much of a growing attraction, shall we say, between Kasper and Rhea. Because of this undeveloped triangle, the end was a bit fast and slightly unrelated to the war element; because, it isn't a romance book.
However, onto the positive aspects. The good thing about Noble Conflict was the detail Blackman described everything in; the characters, the action scenes, Kasper's emotions. It also accurately represented war scenes. Of course, Noble Conflict is a dystopia, so the wars weren't the exact same as we know of now; but they were emotionally and physically described so vividly that I could feel my heart breaking.
"A colossal explosion and a licking tongue of flame erupted in front of the platform..."
As a protagonist, I was unsure of Kasper, particularly because of his do-first, think-later attitude to his roles. I could never tell what he would do next! I did, however, like Dillon, Kasper's best friend, as a funny, interesting, secondary character.
So. With a slightly dragging, unmemorable plot, this was a bit of a disappointment against Blackman's other amazing titles... But it had some beautiful description and great secondary characters, so I'm going to give it 3/5.
June 7, 2020
Malorie Blackman is one of my favourite story tellers and this book doesn’t fail you. It is based upon a character called Kasper who trains to become a Guardian. However his beliefs start to change and realises what he is actually fighting for. Kasper wasn’t afraid to fight in what he believed in. There are also some strong female characters. This book gets you questioning our leaders.
August 8, 2013
I, having been a Goodreads member for over a year now, have never written a review on here simply because I couldn’t be bothered. However, for this book, I had to make an exception.
First off, I loved, and I mean I LOVED, the noughts and crosses ‘trilogy’. Truly. On so many different levels. So you understand that I had very, very high expectations when I picked up this book and paid £11.99 for it (that basically 12 Great British Pounds Sterling. It wasn’t cheap.)
BUT. I was sorely disappointed. Perhaps I wouldn’t have felt so cheated if this hadn’t been Blackman. But I had been spoilt by Noughts and Crosses. I was expecting to be challenged, wowed, and blown away.
Yeah, not today, folks.
Noble Conflict is a ‘teen dystopian YA novel’ involving a love triangle (kind of) and a totalitarian kind of government that purports to protect but secretly subverts.
So basically like every ‘teen dystopian YA novel’ ever written since about 2005.
The protagonist, Kaspar, becomes part of the ‘Guardians’ an elite government taskforce that protects the public from the Insurgents, the spy-ninjas of the Crusaders. The Crusaders are what the Alliance (the government) would have believe are terrorists. Except all is not as it seems. Yada yada
The issues I had with this story:
1. The quality of writing here is poor.
Parts of it read like a nursery-school nativity play. The dialogue felt stilted and unrealistic.
Here is a part near the end of the novel (no spoilers)
‘Hi, Edwin, I’m Guardian Wilding. Is Mac working today?’
‘Hello, Guardian. Mac’s up in the reference section this evening. That’s up on the second floor’, Edwin replied.
‘Thanks.’ Kaspar forced a polite smile, already heading for the escalator.
[later in that same conversation – I don’t want to reveal spoilers!]
‘Guardian, aren’t you scared?’
Kaspar smiled. ‘I’m terrified. I don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring, but I’m hoping it’ll be something new and different.’
‘That’s a good thing?’ Edwin’s tone was highly sceptical.
‘Compared to the prospect of the old way of thinking and more of the same, it’s a very good thing.’
‘I disagree.’ Active belligerence was now present in Edwin’s voice.
Kaspar shrugged.
‘You’re wrong, Guardian. The past has a way of clinging on. Don’t be so eager to dismiss it.’
‘Life is about change. And change will arrive whether we want it to or not,’ said Kaspar. And with that he headed to the escalator.
I’m sorry but I myself have never once heard a conversation in English that sounded even remotely similar to this.
2. The plot.
The premise of this world is pretty flimsy, but I decided to suspend my disbelief because, well, Malorie. But when the plot twist came about I was like whatnowhywwhyWHYareyoukiddingmenoWHY?!? It was anticlimactic, and underwhelming, unfeasible and impossible. I am trying not to give too much away, but basically there seem to have been only two nations in this dystopia. ?!?!
Then, everything is good or evil. Blackman tries to show nuance, but ends up just regurgitating the original unrealistic dichotomy.
3. The lack of character development.
I couldn’t care for any of these characters because I didn’t know them. When injured or dead, I felt ‘meh’. They seemed basically interchangeable with stock characters you can find anywhere:
The funny, joker best friend.
The new, different girl I fancy, who’s cool because she’s a geek and doesn’t conform.
The girl I fancy but I shouldn't because she’s apparently evil but I like her boobies so um yeah.
The mean commander dude who makes my life hell and just shouts and stuff.
4. The ending
It comes abruptly, and predictably. The story seems like it’d fit better in a trilogy.
I will say, though, that some of the technological inventions and procedures Blackman dreams up are quite ingenious. Others not so much
I give it 2 stars because I love Malorie Blackman’s writing usually and I cannot 1 star her because the book doesn’t deserve to be on the self with the other 1-stars.
If this comes across more of a rant than a review, I’m sorry.
I thought Ms Malorie Blackman was literary genius. In fact I still do believe that, so I refuse to believe that this novel was anything other than a publishing experiment that, like my brief foray into Nigerian-Mexican crossover cuisine, is an exploit best forgotten.
First off, I loved, and I mean I LOVED, the noughts and crosses ‘trilogy’. Truly. On so many different levels. So you understand that I had very, very high expectations when I picked up this book and paid £11.99 for it (that basically 12 Great British Pounds Sterling. It wasn’t cheap.)
BUT. I was sorely disappointed. Perhaps I wouldn’t have felt so cheated if this hadn’t been Blackman. But I had been spoilt by Noughts and Crosses. I was expecting to be challenged, wowed, and blown away.
Yeah, not today, folks.
Noble Conflict is a ‘teen dystopian YA novel’ involving a love triangle (kind of) and a totalitarian kind of government that purports to protect but secretly subverts.
So basically like every ‘teen dystopian YA novel’ ever written since about 2005.
The protagonist, Kaspar, becomes part of the ‘Guardians’ an elite government taskforce that protects the public from the Insurgents, the spy-ninjas of the Crusaders. The Crusaders are what the Alliance (the government) would have believe are terrorists. Except all is not as it seems. Yada yada
The issues I had with this story:
1. The quality of writing here is poor.
Parts of it read like a nursery-school nativity play. The dialogue felt stilted and unrealistic.
Here is a part near the end of the novel (no spoilers)
‘Hi, Edwin, I’m Guardian Wilding. Is Mac working today?’
‘Hello, Guardian. Mac’s up in the reference section this evening. That’s up on the second floor’, Edwin replied.
‘Thanks.’ Kaspar forced a polite smile, already heading for the escalator.
[later in that same conversation – I don’t want to reveal spoilers!]
‘Guardian, aren’t you scared?’
Kaspar smiled. ‘I’m terrified. I don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring, but I’m hoping it’ll be something new and different.’
‘That’s a good thing?’ Edwin’s tone was highly sceptical.
‘Compared to the prospect of the old way of thinking and more of the same, it’s a very good thing.’
‘I disagree.’ Active belligerence was now present in Edwin’s voice.
Kaspar shrugged.
‘You’re wrong, Guardian. The past has a way of clinging on. Don’t be so eager to dismiss it.’
‘Life is about change. And change will arrive whether we want it to or not,’ said Kaspar. And with that he headed to the escalator.
I’m sorry but I myself have never once heard a conversation in English that sounded even remotely similar to this.
2. The plot.
The premise of this world is pretty flimsy, but I decided to suspend my disbelief because, well, Malorie. But when the plot twist came about I was like whatnowhywwhyWHYareyoukiddingmenoWHY?!? It was anticlimactic, and underwhelming, unfeasible and impossible. I am trying not to give too much away, but basically there seem to have been only two nations in this dystopia. ?!?!
Then, everything is good or evil. Blackman tries to show nuance, but ends up just regurgitating the original unrealistic dichotomy.
3. The lack of character development.
I couldn’t care for any of these characters because I didn’t know them. When injured or dead, I felt ‘meh’. They seemed basically interchangeable with stock characters you can find anywhere:
The funny, joker best friend.
The new, different girl I fancy, who’s cool because she’s a geek and doesn’t conform.
The girl I fancy but I shouldn't because she’s apparently evil but I like her boobies so um yeah.
The mean commander dude who makes my life hell and just shouts and stuff.
4. The ending
It comes abruptly, and predictably. The story seems like it’d fit better in a trilogy.
I will say, though, that some of the technological inventions and procedures Blackman dreams up are quite ingenious. Others not so much
I give it 2 stars because I love Malorie Blackman’s writing usually and I cannot 1 star her because the book doesn’t deserve to be on the self with the other 1-stars.
If this comes across more of a rant than a review, I’m sorry.
I thought Ms Malorie Blackman was literary genius. In fact I still do believe that, so I refuse to believe that this novel was anything other than a publishing experiment that, like my brief foray into Nigerian-Mexican crossover cuisine, is an exploit best forgotten.
December 20, 2014
This story really reminded me about why I used to (and clearly still do) really like Malorie Blackman's writing style. She's very frank and to the point and her story isn't filled with a load of extra stuff just for the sake of it, this is a clear, captivating and interesting dystopian, and it was a fun read all around.
This is the story of Kas who lives in a world where there are two warring forces, the Alliance and High Council who control the Guardians (Kas is a Guardian) and the Crusaders who control the Insurgents (they're basically seen as terrorists and are constantly creating civil unrest and havoc). These two sides have been warring for many years and they have been at war ever since the Crusaders decided they wanted the land where the Alliance currently lives because their land is toxic and filled with lava due to crazy scientific experimentations.
Kas is a Guardian and at the start of this book we learn that he's actually a very good one. He was raised on a Melon farm with his mum (also a Guardian until she died) and his Uncle. Whilst he lived there he never felt that he was serving a worthy cause and he wanted to go and fight so he joins the Guardians in order to fight back against the terrorists.
Kas is a pretty believable character and his typical 'teenage-boy' characteristics shine through nicely. He's a caring and intuitive character with a good nature, fun personality and he doesn't just accept everything he's told, he likes to investigate. There were moments within this where I was reminded of the Alex Rider series by Horrowitz (a series I really enjoyed) and that was great to see.
I would certainly recommend this book as it was filled with things I didn't expect and it was a cut above some of the other YA dystopians out there. The chaarcters were interesting but the plot had some very cool and shocking elements to it too which was great and Blackman wasn't afraid to push the fear and terror factor further as the intensity of the story increased which was good.
Overall I very much enjoyed this and I would have liked to see a sequel or companion novel actually as I felt there was a lot more that could have been explored, however it's a very goo standalone in its own right and I look forward to more Blackman in the future no doubt.
This is the story of Kas who lives in a world where there are two warring forces, the Alliance and High Council who control the Guardians (Kas is a Guardian) and the Crusaders who control the Insurgents (they're basically seen as terrorists and are constantly creating civil unrest and havoc). These two sides have been warring for many years and they have been at war ever since the Crusaders decided they wanted the land where the Alliance currently lives because their land is toxic and filled with lava due to crazy scientific experimentations.
Kas is a Guardian and at the start of this book we learn that he's actually a very good one. He was raised on a Melon farm with his mum (also a Guardian until she died) and his Uncle. Whilst he lived there he never felt that he was serving a worthy cause and he wanted to go and fight so he joins the Guardians in order to fight back against the terrorists.
Kas is a pretty believable character and his typical 'teenage-boy' characteristics shine through nicely. He's a caring and intuitive character with a good nature, fun personality and he doesn't just accept everything he's told, he likes to investigate. There were moments within this where I was reminded of the Alex Rider series by Horrowitz (a series I really enjoyed) and that was great to see.
I would certainly recommend this book as it was filled with things I didn't expect and it was a cut above some of the other YA dystopians out there. The chaarcters were interesting but the plot had some very cool and shocking elements to it too which was great and Blackman wasn't afraid to push the fear and terror factor further as the intensity of the story increased which was good.
Overall I very much enjoyed this and I would have liked to see a sequel or companion novel actually as I felt there was a lot more that could have been explored, however it's a very goo standalone in its own right and I look forward to more Blackman in the future no doubt.
June 1, 2013
[Review originally posted on http://thesecretlifeofabookworm-x.blo...]
I absolutely adore Malorie Blackman's novels. I read a lot of her books when I was in high school and the second I knew about this book I got so excited! I couldn't wait for it to come out and when I saw it on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to get a copy and I'm so glad that I got approved for it!
This was such a fantastic dystopian novel. Brilliant characters, amazing plot and fantastic twists!
I really liked Kaspar. He was so motivated and determined to do something great with his life and protect the people in his city from the rebels. He was extremely smart and observant.
Mac was such a friendly character. She was very smart and funny and she knew how to make Kaspar blush and feel uncomfortable and I really enjoyed those parts.
Rhea was an interesting character. I knew I should have hated her because she was a rebel, but there was just something about her. She just seemed different and nothing like how the rebels were described that she intrigued me. I wanted to know more about her.
The insurgents are so hated in this book. It's constantly mentioned how evil and stupid they are and how much they are hated. The amount of times it was said kind of started to make me doubt it.
There was some romance in this book, but really not a lot. There was something going on between Kas and Mac, but Kas also had an attraction to Rhea. It wasn't a major part of the book, more like a very very minor part. There wasn't much emphasis on it which I really enjoyed. I did, however, enjoy the development of Kas and Mac's relationship. They were friends for the whole book and you could just tell something was going to happen.
I'd had my fingers crossed for Rhea. But that never happened.
There was a MASSIVE twist at the end. One that I never saw coming at all. It was such a surprise. It was exciting and thrilling and I really enjoyed it!
The ending was alright. I expected a bit more from it and I was hoping that maybe something else would happen. But all in all, I really enjoyed this book. It's such a fantastic novel and I definitely recommend giving it a read when it comes out!
I absolutely adore Malorie Blackman's novels. I read a lot of her books when I was in high school and the second I knew about this book I got so excited! I couldn't wait for it to come out and when I saw it on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to get a copy and I'm so glad that I got approved for it!
This was such a fantastic dystopian novel. Brilliant characters, amazing plot and fantastic twists!
I really liked Kaspar. He was so motivated and determined to do something great with his life and protect the people in his city from the rebels. He was extremely smart and observant.
Mac was such a friendly character. She was very smart and funny and she knew how to make Kaspar blush and feel uncomfortable and I really enjoyed those parts.
Rhea was an interesting character. I knew I should have hated her because she was a rebel, but there was just something about her. She just seemed different and nothing like how the rebels were described that she intrigued me. I wanted to know more about her.
The insurgents are so hated in this book. It's constantly mentioned how evil and stupid they are and how much they are hated. The amount of times it was said kind of started to make me doubt it.
There was some romance in this book, but really not a lot. There was something going on between Kas and Mac, but Kas also had an attraction to Rhea. It wasn't a major part of the book, more like a very very minor part. There wasn't much emphasis on it which I really enjoyed. I did, however, enjoy the development of Kas and Mac's relationship. They were friends for the whole book and you could just tell something was going to happen.
I'd had my fingers crossed for Rhea. But that never happened.
There was a MASSIVE twist at the end. One that I never saw coming at all. It was such a surprise. It was exciting and thrilling and I really enjoyed it!
The ending was alright. I expected a bit more from it and I was hoping that maybe something else would happen. But all in all, I really enjoyed this book. It's such a fantastic novel and I definitely recommend giving it a read when it comes out!
June 8, 2014
Where do I begin? This book is amazing I loved almost every moment of this book and I was unable to put this book down. The action was continuous and started from the first chapter and never really stop. The action throughout and was done down to each little movement so that I knew exactly what Kasper was doing. The betrayals in this novel are astonishing and I could hardly believe they were true. I thought the story line was there to shock and Blackman defiantly got the effect she wanted from me.
However, there was only one thing which I would of like to see more of was Rhea, I felt that although she was mentioned on the back of the book, she did not feature as such as I thought she should. This is a minor problem in an almost perfect book.
I did think that the characters were well developed and defiantly something Blackman should be congratulated on. I thought that although some main characters can be unbelievable, Kasper was a rounded character who was very believable. Then there is Mac, she is the best geek in many novel, which I have read, she was a rounded character like Kasper but also knew about her subject.
Overall, this book was amazing. I enjoyed almost every moment of it and was pretty much unable to put it down. I will defiantly be reading more Malorie Blackman on the future and she is slowly moving her way at to my favourtie author position.
4 1/2 stars
However, there was only one thing which I would of like to see more of was Rhea, I felt that although she was mentioned on the back of the book, she did not feature as such as I thought she should. This is a minor problem in an almost perfect book.
I did think that the characters were well developed and defiantly something Blackman should be congratulated on. I thought that although some main characters can be unbelievable, Kasper was a rounded character who was very believable. Then there is Mac, she is the best geek in many novel, which I have read, she was a rounded character like Kasper but also knew about her subject.
Overall, this book was amazing. I enjoyed almost every moment of it and was pretty much unable to put it down. I will defiantly be reading more Malorie Blackman on the future and she is slowly moving her way at to my favourtie author position.
4 1/2 stars
September 16, 2016
Whilst definitely not as strong as the ‘Noughts and Crosses’ book sequence, this nevertheless has certainly many strengths.
There is a certain element of predictability to some parts of the narrative, especially during the first half of the book and the second half would definitely benefit from a little more clarity and focus.
Whilst becoming much more interesting further on in the book, conversely the plot does get somewhat more confusing. I am not sure how much the plot line and rational concerning tele empaths would actually stand up to closer scrutiny – I think there may be some plot inconsistencies and holes here?
There are very minor elements of ‘1984’ and one certainly very reminiscent echo of / homage to ‘A Clockwork Orange’. In terms of political metaphors – certain parts of the back story outlined seem to create a definite allusion to the historical situation in the middle-east.
The book does cover important themes, it is thought provoking and definitely has its strengths – it’s just a little bit more two dimensional and predictable, less focused and lower impact than ‘Noughts and Crosses’.
The books many strengths and the questions it raises definitely still make it worth taking the effort to read.
There is a certain element of predictability to some parts of the narrative, especially during the first half of the book and the second half would definitely benefit from a little more clarity and focus.
Whilst becoming much more interesting further on in the book, conversely the plot does get somewhat more confusing. I am not sure how much the plot line and rational concerning tele empaths would actually stand up to closer scrutiny – I think there may be some plot inconsistencies and holes here?
There are very minor elements of ‘1984’ and one certainly very reminiscent echo of / homage to ‘A Clockwork Orange’. In terms of political metaphors – certain parts of the back story outlined seem to create a definite allusion to the historical situation in the middle-east.
The book does cover important themes, it is thought provoking and definitely has its strengths – it’s just a little bit more two dimensional and predictable, less focused and lower impact than ‘Noughts and Crosses’.
The books many strengths and the questions it raises definitely still make it worth taking the effort to read.
dnf
June 29, 2014I was sent this book through net-galley in exchange for an honest review.
Really sad having to DNF this at 27%. I absolutely hate DNF books especially review books but I have to be honest. But thank you to the publisher's for allowing me to get a chance to try this book. I love Malorie Blackman her noughts and crosses series was one of my favourites in my teens. I have re-read it at least a few times over, it was just so hard hitting and emotional. Very unique and made you think she didn't hold back even though it's aimed at teens. That is why it will always be one of my favourite YA series.
This book the 27% I read was the complete opposite I just never felt connected to this story. Compared to all the dystopia's we have now in the YA genre. This first quarter of the book came across weak and not very original. Really made me disappointed I have tried to get through this for months. Book's shouldn't be tasks to get through so had to put this down.
I'm hoping I can finish this sometime later in the year. Thank again for sending me this book to review :)
Really sad having to DNF this at 27%. I absolutely hate DNF books especially review books but I have to be honest. But thank you to the publisher's for allowing me to get a chance to try this book. I love Malorie Blackman her noughts and crosses series was one of my favourites in my teens. I have re-read it at least a few times over, it was just so hard hitting and emotional. Very unique and made you think she didn't hold back even though it's aimed at teens. That is why it will always be one of my favourite YA series.
This book the 27% I read was the complete opposite I just never felt connected to this story. Compared to all the dystopia's we have now in the YA genre. This first quarter of the book came across weak and not very original. Really made me disappointed I have tried to get through this for months. Book's shouldn't be tasks to get through so had to put this down.
I'm hoping I can finish this sometime later in the year. Thank again for sending me this book to review :)
January 28, 2014
The first thing that comes to my mind when hearing of Malorie Blackman is obviously Noughts & Crosses. The trilogy was just breathtaking and beautiful and that is why one can never compare Noble Conflict with Noughts and Crosses- Noble Conflict I felt was more commercial with a disappointing ending [i felt like Blackman just wanted to end the story already. But I have to admit it was an easy read and I enjoyed reading it however I have to admit I expected more!
June 6, 2013
Enjoyed this book even if I did guess at what was, or should I say had, happened. Fine idea set in a future after the ultimate world war. Is it is possible future? Probably and some aspects of the society in this novel are happening just now and have always happened. History is written by the winners and a lot of our history is distorted from the truth. Who can you trust? That is the question.
September 3, 2019
I read this book for the first time 3 years ago and I had completely forgotten how incredible it was! This is a brilliant dystopian novel that says a lot about where our society is heading. I adore this book - it's my favourite Malorie Blackman novel.
September 13, 2021
I'm partway through Blackman's Noughts & Crosses series, which is excellent if very grim, so when I saw this on the library shelves I thought I'd give another of her books a go. I liked it, but not as much. There's no denying that Blackman's a fantastic writer, though, and this story is particularly pacy, with an almost thriller-like presentation. It's non-stop action from beginning to end, which is admittedly not my preference when it comes to science fiction, but as I said, I still enjoyed it.
Noughts & Crosses is notable for its race-switching, and while Noble Conflict isn't as brutally in-your-face about its opinions, it seems fairly clear to me that it's a critique of colonialism. Particularly the type of colonialism that blames the victims, and frames their very reasonable response at being subject to the horrors of genocide as terrorism. I'd like to say that my opinions changed as to the status of the supposed heroes as the story unraveled, but truth be told I saw a lot of it coming. And let's be fair, the title of the book is practically dripping irony, so it's a signpost in itself before readers even open the covers.
Honestly, though, this is the third book of Blackman's I've read and they've all been well-written and interesting. I'd pick up any of the rest unreservedly, so time to take this one back to the library and see if they've got any more.
Noughts & Crosses is notable for its race-switching, and while Noble Conflict isn't as brutally in-your-face about its opinions, it seems fairly clear to me that it's a critique of colonialism. Particularly the type of colonialism that blames the victims, and frames their very reasonable response at being subject to the horrors of genocide as terrorism. I'd like to say that my opinions changed as to the status of the supposed heroes as the story unraveled, but truth be told I saw a lot of it coming. And let's be fair, the title of the book is practically dripping irony, so it's a signpost in itself before readers even open the covers.
Honestly, though, this is the third book of Blackman's I've read and they've all been well-written and interesting. I'd pick up any of the rest unreservedly, so time to take this one back to the library and see if they've got any more.
January 25, 2018
Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman is one of the most thrilling books i have ever read.
It is very fast paced in some parts and quite slow paced in others so is good fro most readers. The fast paced bits are the exciting fights and the bits when something unexpected happens. The slow paced bits are when an information part of the story happens like when a new character comes into the story or something new has just been found where the main character lives.
So to conclude, I have given this book 5 stars because of its great reading stile and amazing talent of getting you to read the whole thing in one go.
It is very fast paced in some parts and quite slow paced in others so is good fro most readers. The fast paced bits are the exciting fights and the bits when something unexpected happens. The slow paced bits are when an information part of the story happens like when a new character comes into the story or something new has just been found where the main character lives.
So to conclude, I have given this book 5 stars because of its great reading stile and amazing talent of getting you to read the whole thing in one go.
April 27, 2023
3,5 stars - Malorie certainly ate with this one, but there were some things I didn't really like, such as the writing. It's written in third person, so it read differently than, say, her Noughts & Crosses books. The characters were okay (Mac was my favourite) but I didn't really know anything about Dillon and I knew even less about Janna, which is unfortunate, knowing that these are Kaspar's (main character) friends who he spends a lot of time with. The pacing was fast af, which I liked but also kind of didn't. Overall, I liked it, and it's another Malorie Blackman book with a very strong message
May 30, 2019
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
I love Malorie Blackman and this book didn’t disappoint! I was so invested in the story however at times it did feel pretty confusing. I love the characters and their developments and I thought the plot was actually really good. The twists and turns and all the emotions were fantastically written! I love Mac and Kaspar. Probably two of my favourite bookish characters!
I love Malorie Blackman and this book didn’t disappoint! I was so invested in the story however at times it did feel pretty confusing. I love the characters and their developments and I thought the plot was actually really good. The twists and turns and all the emotions were fantastically written! I love Mac and Kaspar. Probably two of my favourite bookish characters!
April 15, 2020
I felt that the pace of this book picked up in the latter half. At times it was quite difficult to follow the plot because of long descriptive sections particularly when Mac and Kaspar (the main protagonist) were conducting research. I liked the plot 'twist' but it was rather predictable and it was hard to really like any of the characters- I wasn't that invested in them. Overall though, a readable book, though not as impressive as some of Malorie's other work.
June 28, 2020
Been sitting on my bookcase for far too long!!! Definitely meant for younger readers than me but enjoyed it a lot nonetheless. Would really recommend for early teens I reckon. Twists were very predictable for me but maybe I’ve just read too many similar~ books/knew what to expect? There was only one that actually did surprise me but damn it was wild
June 26, 2017
2.5 stars. It was okay. I didn't really feel much for the characters and it took a while to get into it.
June 24, 2018
I love the Naughts and Crosses series, but while I really liked the concept in Noble Conflict, it was a clunky read. It felt a bit like a draft that had mapped out the plot, but not fleshed it out, or explored the characters in much detail. It was a bit flat.
July 12, 2014
3.5 stars
In a future where nuclear explosions caused shifts in the earth's tectonic plates and made large areas of land uninhabitable society has been split in two. You have the Alliance who have built a protective city to keep their citizens safe, they are all about peace and want to live in harmony but they are under constant attack from the Crusaders who want to steal their city. The Crusaders are the ones who caused the devastation to the land and their actions forced them into a nomadic lifestyle where they are struggling to survive in the dessert.
Kaspar's parents were some of the most respected Guardian's for the Alliance and he wants nothing more than to follow in their footsteps. He has just completed the Guardian training program and is now determined to do whatever it takes to keep the city safe from the Crusader terrorists. It's not easy to fight an enemy who has guns and bombs when you're only allowed to disarm them and not kill them though. Kaspar has spent his whole life wanting to become a Guardian but now he's achieved that goal he starts to realise that not everything is what it first seems and the terrorists may not be quite as bad as he has always been told. When a terrorist saves his life rather than kill him it makes him question everything but uncovering the truth may not be an easy thing to do.
Noble Conflict is a very fast paced story with plenty of twists and turns that will surprise readers along the way. I enjoyed reading the story from Kaspar's point of view, he's a character with a strong sense of right and wrong who refuses to just believe everything he is told when the evidence shows different. He has the brains to question his orders and the courage to investigate the issue. It's very hard for him to know who to trust but he does have friends who are willing to risk everything and help him. I don't want to say too much about what happens but this is the kind of story that makes you question things and ask yourself what you would do in Kaspar's situation. Would you be brave enough to make a stand against injustice when you know it would put your life at risk? Would you be willing to trust someone you've always been told is your enemy just because she saved your life once?
One thing I would have loved would have been more information about Rhea, the terrorist who saved Kaspar's life. I would have enjoyed seeing more about the way the Crusaders lived outside of the city and perhaps had some of the story told from Rhea's point of view as she fought for her people. It wasn't a major problem but I do think that would have added something to the story. Overall I found Noble Conflict an enjoyable and fast read and it's one I'd recommend to fans of dystopian fiction.
In a future where nuclear explosions caused shifts in the earth's tectonic plates and made large areas of land uninhabitable society has been split in two. You have the Alliance who have built a protective city to keep their citizens safe, they are all about peace and want to live in harmony but they are under constant attack from the Crusaders who want to steal their city. The Crusaders are the ones who caused the devastation to the land and their actions forced them into a nomadic lifestyle where they are struggling to survive in the dessert.
Kaspar's parents were some of the most respected Guardian's for the Alliance and he wants nothing more than to follow in their footsteps. He has just completed the Guardian training program and is now determined to do whatever it takes to keep the city safe from the Crusader terrorists. It's not easy to fight an enemy who has guns and bombs when you're only allowed to disarm them and not kill them though. Kaspar has spent his whole life wanting to become a Guardian but now he's achieved that goal he starts to realise that not everything is what it first seems and the terrorists may not be quite as bad as he has always been told. When a terrorist saves his life rather than kill him it makes him question everything but uncovering the truth may not be an easy thing to do.
Noble Conflict is a very fast paced story with plenty of twists and turns that will surprise readers along the way. I enjoyed reading the story from Kaspar's point of view, he's a character with a strong sense of right and wrong who refuses to just believe everything he is told when the evidence shows different. He has the brains to question his orders and the courage to investigate the issue. It's very hard for him to know who to trust but he does have friends who are willing to risk everything and help him. I don't want to say too much about what happens but this is the kind of story that makes you question things and ask yourself what you would do in Kaspar's situation. Would you be brave enough to make a stand against injustice when you know it would put your life at risk? Would you be willing to trust someone you've always been told is your enemy just because she saved your life once?
One thing I would have loved would have been more information about Rhea, the terrorist who saved Kaspar's life. I would have enjoyed seeing more about the way the Crusaders lived outside of the city and perhaps had some of the story told from Rhea's point of view as she fought for her people. It wasn't a major problem but I do think that would have added something to the story. Overall I found Noble Conflict an enjoyable and fast read and it's one I'd recommend to fans of dystopian fiction.
August 26, 2015
3 Stars (Just)
I was disappointed I guess. I read this book straight after reading the Noughts & Crosses series and I probablt expected too much from it. I pre-ordered it (I read this quite some time ago, not exactly sure of the date) and I suppose I was on such a hype from the otger books that I was punched in the face by reality.
The storyline sounded great (and don't get me wrong it wasn't a terrible book) and Malorie Blackman is an author I like but the story lacked something.
Kaspar the main character has grown up in a peaceful society within walls, which also stand to help block out the war destroyed world. But of course there are rebels (when is there not?) who are always 'trying' to attack the city and ravage the inhabitants. So there is a force (extreme non-violent police) called the Guardians who help to protect the city. The Guardians use 'non-violent methods' to over-power the rebels. Haha.
So obviously Kaspar wants to join the Guardians (totally didn't see that coming, not!) and help protect everyone. Then he meets a beautiful rebel girl named Rhea. Now I think this is where I had the most problems with this book, from the blurb I expected more of a romantic relationship with Rhea which is why I got excited because I love 'forbidden love' kinda thing. But that didn't happen, Rhea to me didn't ecen have that much of an impact on the story.
Kaspar starts having these weird dreams and it just seems to go downhill. It was a bit all over the place and I don't personally think the whole 'violent war' thing and history of the rebels was developed enough for my liking. It gets quite intense towards the end and gruesome as well which caught me offguard.
I would recommend reading it, it is a pretty good book. But I personally just expected too much. If you're in to dystopian stories and stand alone books then this is a good read. It's not too long but if you have never read anything by Malorie Blackman I suggest you start somewhere else as this in my opinion wasn't her best.
I was disappointed I guess. I read this book straight after reading the Noughts & Crosses series and I probablt expected too much from it. I pre-ordered it (I read this quite some time ago, not exactly sure of the date) and I suppose I was on such a hype from the otger books that I was punched in the face by reality.
The storyline sounded great (and don't get me wrong it wasn't a terrible book) and Malorie Blackman is an author I like but the story lacked something.
Kaspar the main character has grown up in a peaceful society within walls, which also stand to help block out the war destroyed world. But of course there are rebels (when is there not?) who are always 'trying' to attack the city and ravage the inhabitants. So there is a force (extreme non-violent police) called the Guardians who help to protect the city. The Guardians use 'non-violent methods' to over-power the rebels. Haha.
So obviously Kaspar wants to join the Guardians (totally didn't see that coming, not!) and help protect everyone. Then he meets a beautiful rebel girl named Rhea. Now I think this is where I had the most problems with this book, from the blurb I expected more of a romantic relationship with Rhea which is why I got excited because I love 'forbidden love' kinda thing. But that didn't happen, Rhea to me didn't ecen have that much of an impact on the story.
Kaspar starts having these weird dreams and it just seems to go downhill. It was a bit all over the place and I don't personally think the whole 'violent war' thing and history of the rebels was developed enough for my liking. It gets quite intense towards the end and gruesome as well which caught me offguard.
I would recommend reading it, it is a pretty good book. But I personally just expected too much. If you're in to dystopian stories and stand alone books then this is a good read. It's not too long but if you have never read anything by Malorie Blackman I suggest you start somewhere else as this in my opinion wasn't her best.
May 15, 2013
Wow. Just wow. Have just finished the final page of Noble Conflict and I'm utterly blown away - I really hope this is the first of a series, because I can't wait to read more about Mackenzie and Kaspar.
Set in a world where the Alliance is a peaceful, prosperous society, defending themselves against the unprovoked attacks of the Insurgency in the least violent way possible - who wouldn't fight for that noble cause?
Thus Kaspar becomes a Guardian, a keeper of the peace whose only weapon is a stun gun that incapacitates, not kills, the enemy. When captured, the Insurgency members are given medical treatment and then questioned, before being humanely imprisoned.
But when Kaspar is involved in an action that sees his best friend die, he meets one of the enemy who not only refuses to kill him, but also rescues him from certain death. He begins to question everything he's ever been told - and he brings those questions to Mackenzie, a young librarian who's a whizz with data mining...
Exciting, visceral and thought-provoking, this is a book I'll be pressing on every older (14/15+) teen that I know.
Set in a world where the Alliance is a peaceful, prosperous society, defending themselves against the unprovoked attacks of the Insurgency in the least violent way possible - who wouldn't fight for that noble cause?
Thus Kaspar becomes a Guardian, a keeper of the peace whose only weapon is a stun gun that incapacitates, not kills, the enemy. When captured, the Insurgency members are given medical treatment and then questioned, before being humanely imprisoned.
But when Kaspar is involved in an action that sees his best friend die, he meets one of the enemy who not only refuses to kill him, but also rescues him from certain death. He begins to question everything he's ever been told - and he brings those questions to Mackenzie, a young librarian who's a whizz with data mining...
Exciting, visceral and thought-provoking, this is a book I'll be pressing on every older (14/15+) teen that I know.
July 7, 2013
Hadn't read much about this book before I started reading it (with some authors you don't need to bother about reviews, blurbs, etc. and Malorie is one of them) so had no idea what this book was about. From the cover, I think I expected something set in today's world, maybe about terrorism, something along the lines of Alan Gibbons "An Act of Love" or Celia Rees "This is not Forgiveness" so I was quite surprised when I realised it was dystopian fiction.
This is set in a world where the Guardians protect the people (who live in peace and harmony) from acts of terrorism carried out by the Insurgents (who want to take over their lands). Kasper fulfils his dream of becoming a Guardian but then things don't add up and he begins to question everything he has been taught ...
Gripping, intriguing and fast paced ... also contains an awesome librarian with purple hair :)
(BUT ... wish the proofreading of the ebook had been better; how can there be errors in an ebook that aren't in the hard copy version ???)
This is set in a world where the Guardians protect the people (who live in peace and harmony) from acts of terrorism carried out by the Insurgents (who want to take over their lands). Kasper fulfils his dream of becoming a Guardian but then things don't add up and he begins to question everything he has been taught ...
Gripping, intriguing and fast paced ... also contains an awesome librarian with purple hair :)
(BUT ... wish the proofreading of the ebook had been better; how can there be errors in an ebook that aren't in the hard copy version ???)
May 6, 2013
Noble Conflict was really good but as far as I'm concerned, it's my least favorite book by Malorie Blackman. Only because Boys Don't Cry and Noughts & Crosses were beyond amazing.
The thing is, this dystopian story is no different from others I've read so far. There is a sci-fi touch to it that is pretty cool and that adds something to the book but as far as the plot is concerned, I feel like it's been done already. I knew what was going to happen from the beginning.
Yet, it was a fast-paced, action-packed read and the characters (especially Mac & Rhea <3) were nice and interesting to read about.
More to come in a full review of Noble Conflict.
The thing is, this dystopian story is no different from others I've read so far. There is a sci-fi touch to it that is pretty cool and that adds something to the book but as far as the plot is concerned, I feel like it's been done already. I knew what was going to happen from the beginning.
Yet, it was a fast-paced, action-packed read and the characters (especially Mac & Rhea <3) were nice and interesting to read about.
More to come in a full review of Noble Conflict.
May 8, 2015
16/20
En bref, même si j'aurais passé davantage de temps avec eux, j'ai apprécié de voir évoluer Kaspar, de voir Mac lui ouvrir les yeux, de voir Rhéa lui apporter une vision encore différente des choses. Les pages se tournent toutes seules, les mots de l'auteur vous transporte dans ce monde très agréable et bien fait. J'ai été transportée de la première à la dernière page et je l'ai tournée avec une seule envie, découvrir d'autres écrits de Malorie Blackman !
http://www.leslecturesdemylene.com/20...
En bref, même si j'aurais passé davantage de temps avec eux, j'ai apprécié de voir évoluer Kaspar, de voir Mac lui ouvrir les yeux, de voir Rhéa lui apporter une vision encore différente des choses. Les pages se tournent toutes seules, les mots de l'auteur vous transporte dans ce monde très agréable et bien fait. J'ai été transportée de la première à la dernière page et je l'ai tournée avec une seule envie, découvrir d'autres écrits de Malorie Blackman !
http://www.leslecturesdemylene.com/20...
November 6, 2014
A very enjoyable read. I guessed a few of the plot twists but there were enough to keep me surprised too, and the end felt a bit rushed. But I would say it would be a good book for a young adult, it makes you think and asks lots of questions, good for a young book group or a school class. Is quite gruesome in places so not for the squeamish.
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