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Noughts and Crosses #6
Endgame
The first Nought Prime Minister, Tobey Durbridge, is about to go on trial for the murder of notorious ganglord, Dan Jeavons. Tobey insists he is being framed.
There were ten seats at Dan's dinner party the night he was killed and each guest had their own reasons for wishing him dead.
Sephy Hadley was one of the guests that night. Haunted by the idea that she didn't do enough to stop the death of her first love, Callum McGregor, Sephy will not sit quietly and wait for accusations to fall on her now. She has her children to protect.
There were ten seats at Dan's dinner party the night he was killed and each guest had their own reasons for wishing him dead.
Sephy Hadley was one of the guests that night. Haunted by the idea that she didn't do enough to stop the death of her first love, Callum McGregor, Sephy will not sit quietly and wait for accusations to fall on her now. She has her children to protect.
470 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2021
102 people are currently reading
2928 people want to read
About the author
Malorie Blackman
156 books4,514 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
British Council: Encompass Culture
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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 236 reviews
October 3, 2021
I was fully expecting to love this, especially after Crossfire. But it just felt hollow. I guessed one of the twists at the very beginning, and even when surprising things happened, they felt exhausting more than anything. I also didn't love any of the relationships because many of the characters were just awful people.
Having said that, I loved the political commentary and the very real issues the book raises. I wanted to see more of that. I felt like these last two books were trying to turn the series into a thriller, when that's never what it has been. All in all it felt like there was too much going on. And the more emotive, political points were overshadowed by the kidnap plot.
I didn't hate the book at all. Malorie Blackman writes so well and I was still very interested in seeing how the series would end. But I felt like I'd been hoping for something great and all I got was an average crime novel, one which just happened to be set in a world I know and love from previous books.
Having said that, I loved the political commentary and the very real issues the book raises. I wanted to see more of that. I felt like these last two books were trying to turn the series into a thriller, when that's never what it has been. All in all it felt like there was too much going on. And the more emotive, political points were overshadowed by the kidnap plot.
I didn't hate the book at all. Malorie Blackman writes so well and I was still very interested in seeing how the series would end. But I felt like I'd been hoping for something great and all I got was an average crime novel, one which just happened to be set in a world I know and love from previous books.
September 16, 2021
What an ending. Twenty years of writing and thirty years of narrative culminate into this one final book. I'd like to think sephy was finally at peace with Callum and the rest of the family shared success and happy lives. Easily the quickest read for a book this size and I doubt that record would be broken any time soon
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2022
Bitterly bitterly disappointed with this.
Killing off Sephy??
Callie marrying with Tobey… absolutely not!! It is not Callie’s job to ‘save him’ and sephy would definitely not encourage her daughter to do that. Just not having it
Opening a Sonny killed Nathan story line and just..: that’s it????
Couldn’t even stomach the last load of paragraphs as they just seemed pointless and I stopped caring. Only thing I did like was the newspaper articles as a reflection of our own society
Realistically should have left it at Checkmate or Double cross
Killing off Sephy??
Callie marrying with Tobey… absolutely not!! It is not Callie’s job to ‘save him’ and sephy would definitely not encourage her daughter to do that. Just not having it
Opening a Sonny killed Nathan story line and just..: that’s it????
Couldn’t even stomach the last load of paragraphs as they just seemed pointless and I stopped caring. Only thing I did like was the newspaper articles as a reflection of our own society
Realistically should have left it at Checkmate or Double cross
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2021
The Noughts and Crosses books started off as one of my favourite series of books. However, this last book has been a let down.
I feel that Malorie Blackman could have finished this story off in the last book instead of carrying it over into this book.
The most frustrating thing for me was Callie Rose. Her constant ‘I love Tobey,’ ‘I hate Tobey,’ ‘Do I love Tobey?’was beyond frustrating.
The saving grace of this book was Sephy who displayed great character development in the story.
I feel that Malorie Blackman could have finished this story off in the last book instead of carrying it over into this book.
The most frustrating thing for me was Callie Rose. Her constant ‘I love Tobey,’ ‘I hate Tobey,’ ‘Do I love Tobey?’was beyond frustrating.
The saving grace of this book was Sephy who displayed great character development in the story.
July 27, 2022
I think the last few books in this series lost the spark of the first few and drifted off the main theme, but Ive still enjoyed reading them all. This book I think rounded off the lives of all the characters in a nice way and was a nice conclusion to the series
October 2, 2021
Perfect end to the series ❤️🎉
January 22, 2022
This was such an amazing end to the series! Everything was wrapped up - all the questions we had been holding on to for books were finally answered - and I loved it.
(Spoilers ahead)
In a way everything was resolved, with Sephy being reunited with Callum, the only one she really loved. Libby has been accepted into a family that she deserves, (and I loved how she and Troy could remain friends and have a brother-sister relationship instead of falling in love). Callie and Tobey are married (but what was that thing at the end with her plotting his demise or something??), and everyone seems relatively happy. I also loved finding out about what really happened to Dan in this book, and finding out all about the kidnapper. I admit, I kind of saw the murderer coming, but I was left in shock by the kidnapper! He was my favourite .
Overall I’m so glad we got this last book, and a chance to finish everyone’s stories. It was a genuinely great book, with twists and turns right up to the last second. This has been one of my favourite series and I’m now sad it’s over. Oh well, will have to do a re-read 🤷♀️
(Spoilers ahead)
In a way everything was resolved, with Sephy being reunited with Callum, the only one she really loved. Libby has been accepted into a family that she deserves, (and I loved how she and Troy could remain friends and have a brother-sister relationship instead of falling in love). Callie and Tobey are married (but what was that thing at the end with her plotting his demise or something??), and everyone seems relatively happy. I also loved finding out about what really happened to Dan in this book, and finding out all about the kidnapper. I admit, I kind of saw the murderer coming, but I was left in shock by the kidnapper! He was my favourite .
Overall I’m so glad we got this last book, and a chance to finish everyone’s stories. It was a genuinely great book, with twists and turns right up to the last second. This has been one of my favourite series and I’m now sad it’s over. Oh well, will have to do a re-read 🤷♀️
April 9, 2024
[reread - april 24] reading this at the culmination of finishing all 6 plus the novellas just makes it feel ~ off in a way. the characters don’t feel like themselves, the writing doesn’t feel like adults and the ending still makes me incredibly sad.
i won’t pretend i’m not devastated but i also stayed up way too late to finish this in one sitting, and am definitely digging out noughts and crosses to reread tomorrow. thank you malorie blackman for an incredible series and some of my all-time favourite characters 💫
i won’t pretend i’m not devastated but i also stayed up way too late to finish this in one sitting, and am definitely digging out noughts and crosses to reread tomorrow. thank you malorie blackman for an incredible series and some of my all-time favourite characters 💫
June 29, 2022
A satisfying conclusion to the Noughts and Crosses saga, Endgame ties up everything that had been left open in the previous book. Unfortunately, that included a “twist” about a particular character that I just could NOT stomach. And this leads me to my main point about Blackman's writing – her characters may not be 2D cutouts but they are totally changeable! I wish I could get a better handle on them!! Even the writing from different perspectives was hard to place as a particular character's voice without the context clues in the text. I think she actually writes the younger characters better, which is why Libby and Troy have been my favourites for the past two books, but unfortunately their scenes in this book, which should have been some of the most tense, were actually the most tedious, at least for the first half of the book. I also think that had he been sculpted a little more carefully throughout the series, Tobey Durbridge would've had the potential to be one of my favourite characters of all time. So interesting! I guess he's what some people would call “morally grey” but I'd just call conflicted, ambitious, and human. However, the holes in his character arc were too lumpy for me to ignore, and I still felt like I didn't “get” him for swathes of the book – even when I was in his head. I know that's an intentional part of the mystery, but this extended beyond that with his (and other characters') weird book-to-book development.
The other inconsistent character of course is Eva, who feels like a plot convenience (the missed opportunity to link her to the Eva in Knife Edge still rankles); and I still can't get over Dan's rise to criminal kingpin when in book 4 he could barely recognise a setup when it hit him in the face 😂😂
I guess I need to exercise my suspense of disbelief more when reading particular types of YA story.
That being said, I do actually think the plot wrapped up as well as could be expected in this book, and I also thought that there were some scenes that were truly great. Once again, Malorie Blackman's writing improves with each book and I felt that here. The worldbuilding was decent again, and this book features the largest number of “scene-setting” newspaper articles that show the mirroring of our world to theirs in an intelligent way, which I always appreciate.
4.5* - while it still doesn't have the fresh originality of the daring Noughts and Crosses, the writing and the plot have developed well and Blackman has done an excellent job of concluding a creative and necessary series. It was also an enjoyable read that was truly difficult to put down in the latter half!! (I almost forgot to say that 😂😂) I'm glad to be leaving this series on a positive note, because it truly has had its ups and downs. I even shed a little tear at the climax (although it's a disappointment that given the context I wasn't outright bawling...still.... good stuff even if Blackman didn't totally hit the nail on the head for the type of emotive writing which would truly gut me.) Sephy, Callum, Jude, Meggie, Jasmine, Callie Rose, Tobey, Troy, Libby, and even Dan will all be remembered sincerely.
The other inconsistent character of course is Eva, who feels like a plot convenience (the missed opportunity to link her to the Eva in Knife Edge still rankles); and I still can't get over Dan's rise to criminal kingpin when in book 4 he could barely recognise a setup when it hit him in the face 😂😂
I guess I need to exercise my suspense of disbelief more when reading particular types of YA story.
That being said, I do actually think the plot wrapped up as well as could be expected in this book, and I also thought that there were some scenes that were truly great. Once again, Malorie Blackman's writing improves with each book and I felt that here. The worldbuilding was decent again, and this book features the largest number of “scene-setting” newspaper articles that show the mirroring of our world to theirs in an intelligent way, which I always appreciate.
4.5* - while it still doesn't have the fresh originality of the daring Noughts and Crosses, the writing and the plot have developed well and Blackman has done an excellent job of concluding a creative and necessary series. It was also an enjoyable read that was truly difficult to put down in the latter half!! (I almost forgot to say that 😂😂) I'm glad to be leaving this series on a positive note, because it truly has had its ups and downs. I even shed a little tear at the climax (although it's a disappointment that given the context I wasn't outright bawling...still.... good stuff even if Blackman didn't totally hit the nail on the head for the type of emotive writing which would truly gut me.) Sephy, Callum, Jude, Meggie, Jasmine, Callie Rose, Tobey, Troy, Libby, and even Dan will all be remembered sincerely.
December 3, 2021
If I were to be honest, this book fell a little bit flat for me. It read a lot more like a crime thriller than how the initial books in the series started out. The constantly shifting perspective got confusing and tiresome - I couldn’t keep up with more than seven different narratives all going on at once. As soon as one perspective gripped and interested me, it ended and I had to wade through four chapters before returning to it, by which point I’d almost forgotten what was happening. The whole thing felt disjointed. There were too many names to keep up with that weren’t properly characterised - they felt like plot devices rather than fully rounded people with realistic motivations. I couldn’t have cared less about Eva, Jarvis or Stan, they weren’t even particularly villains, just collateral damage in this endless killing spree of a book.
I couldn’t really understand some of the characters - especially Tobey, I really couldn’t keep up with his ever-changing thought patterns and attitude. I had no idea wether to be rooting for him or not. Maybe he was meant to morally grey and troubled but, honestly, he just annoyed me.
I saw the supposed twists and revelations predictable. I saw the ‘shocking’ news of who murdered Dan Jeavons coming a mile off, so I ended up feeling a bit deflated. I also had a feeling that Sephy was going to get killed off and I didn’t like it. It felt like the last remaining echo of the original story had been severed and poor Sephy never got to find her happy end. It definitely felt as though she had unfinished business to attend to. Also… her last words being to “save” Tobey? This was completely unbelievable as there is absolutely no way that these would have been her choice.
I felt as though I was left with so many unanswered questions and annoying loose ends. For example, does Callie actually love Tobey or is she just trying to fulfil her mum’s final wishes? What happened to that strange romantic chemistry between Troy and Libby? Is there really going to be no police consequences for anyone considering how many people were killed, kidnapped etc.? What did Callie mean when she said “He thought he’d won…I was going to prove him wrong? (An ominous statement which needs elaborating please.) How can you just suddenly drop the bomb that Sonny did kill Nathan and then…nothing? Why was there no sense of angst or urgency to these characters as they ambled along in feeble attempts to recover their family members? And why in earth were there so many out of place marriage proposals? I mean come on!
There was a nice overarching message of love and kindness (which you never would have guessed from the insane amount of hatred and violence that took up the majority of this book). I liked the final idea of living (and indeed dying) for those you love and taking a more positive view, whatever your situation and cherishing what you have. The was an emphasis on the importance of family and different types of love were explored, not just the typical romantic love. I felt incredibly happy for Libby and how she finds the sense of belonging and family that she had been lacking fir most of her life. However, when reading the “three months later” section of the novel, I couldn’t help feeling that this near perfect utopia was not an accurate or satisfying picture if the fallout from the events of the story and series as a whole.
I enjoyed how, as in the other books in the series, the news articles were weaved into the story, giving you a sense of what was occurring in society and politics. It was distinctly eerie how the reports mirrored current affairs and I enjoyed this as it highlighted the problems of racism within our own society as well as Albion’s. However, we begin to lose the sense of political upheaval and protest that was abundant in most of this series - we only get hints of it through these news articles and small details in the dialogue between characters. Perhaps this is reminiscent of racism within today’s society, more systemic and implicit but there nonetheless. The sense of change and fighting against a divided society is missing from this novel which I think is a shame, it was more of an unexplored undertone.
Overall, I felt that the finale of this series was not as powerful as it could have been. I was left more than a little dissatisfied however, I don’t want to dismiss this book entirely as I love the series as a whole and there were certain elements of this particular story that I enjoyed.
I couldn’t really understand some of the characters - especially Tobey, I really couldn’t keep up with his ever-changing thought patterns and attitude. I had no idea wether to be rooting for him or not. Maybe he was meant to morally grey and troubled but, honestly, he just annoyed me.
I saw the supposed twists and revelations predictable. I saw the ‘shocking’ news of who murdered Dan Jeavons coming a mile off, so I ended up feeling a bit deflated. I also had a feeling that Sephy was going to get killed off and I didn’t like it. It felt like the last remaining echo of the original story had been severed and poor Sephy never got to find her happy end. It definitely felt as though she had unfinished business to attend to. Also… her last words being to “save” Tobey? This was completely unbelievable as there is absolutely no way that these would have been her choice.
I felt as though I was left with so many unanswered questions and annoying loose ends. For example, does Callie actually love Tobey or is she just trying to fulfil her mum’s final wishes? What happened to that strange romantic chemistry between Troy and Libby? Is there really going to be no police consequences for anyone considering how many people were killed, kidnapped etc.? What did Callie mean when she said “He thought he’d won…I was going to prove him wrong? (An ominous statement which needs elaborating please.) How can you just suddenly drop the bomb that Sonny did kill Nathan and then…nothing? Why was there no sense of angst or urgency to these characters as they ambled along in feeble attempts to recover their family members? And why in earth were there so many out of place marriage proposals? I mean come on!
There was a nice overarching message of love and kindness (which you never would have guessed from the insane amount of hatred and violence that took up the majority of this book). I liked the final idea of living (and indeed dying) for those you love and taking a more positive view, whatever your situation and cherishing what you have. The was an emphasis on the importance of family and different types of love were explored, not just the typical romantic love. I felt incredibly happy for Libby and how she finds the sense of belonging and family that she had been lacking fir most of her life. However, when reading the “three months later” section of the novel, I couldn’t help feeling that this near perfect utopia was not an accurate or satisfying picture if the fallout from the events of the story and series as a whole.
I enjoyed how, as in the other books in the series, the news articles were weaved into the story, giving you a sense of what was occurring in society and politics. It was distinctly eerie how the reports mirrored current affairs and I enjoyed this as it highlighted the problems of racism within our own society as well as Albion’s. However, we begin to lose the sense of political upheaval and protest that was abundant in most of this series - we only get hints of it through these news articles and small details in the dialogue between characters. Perhaps this is reminiscent of racism within today’s society, more systemic and implicit but there nonetheless. The sense of change and fighting against a divided society is missing from this novel which I think is a shame, it was more of an unexplored undertone.
Overall, I felt that the finale of this series was not as powerful as it could have been. I was left more than a little dissatisfied however, I don’t want to dismiss this book entirely as I love the series as a whole and there were certain elements of this particular story that I enjoyed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 17, 2021Warning - mild spoiler
Well we’ve finally come to the end. I’ve known these characters their whole lives and I’ve grown up with them. When Malorie asked what kind of ending she should choose on Twitter last year, I wrote a lengthy reply to answer a positive one so we have hope for a better future. I read Noughts and Crosses at 12 years old and I was heartbroken for two people. If this saga ended sadly, I wouldn’t be heartbroken for one or two individuals, but because it would feel like nothing had changed in society. Luckily I got my wish. Malorie, you made me cry more than once but you also made my heart swell when writing of hope and positive actions to shape a fairer equal future for everyone. I recognised the problems highlighted between chapters as very real and current which draws attention to the fact this is not all fiction and we live with these adversities day to day.
I hope future generations are reading and loving these books as much as I did 17 years ago. They have been truly life-changing. Thank you Malorie Blackman.
Well we’ve finally come to the end. I’ve known these characters their whole lives and I’ve grown up with them. When Malorie asked what kind of ending she should choose on Twitter last year, I wrote a lengthy reply to answer a positive one so we have hope for a better future. I read Noughts and Crosses at 12 years old and I was heartbroken for two people. If this saga ended sadly, I wouldn’t be heartbroken for one or two individuals, but because it would feel like nothing had changed in society. Luckily I got my wish. Malorie, you made me cry more than once but you also made my heart swell when writing of hope and positive actions to shape a fairer equal future for everyone. I recognised the problems highlighted between chapters as very real and current which draws attention to the fact this is not all fiction and we live with these adversities day to day.
I hope future generations are reading and loving these books as much as I did 17 years ago. They have been truly life-changing. Thank you Malorie Blackman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2021
What a bloody journey. From start to finish this book gripped me, particularly the last third where I was desperate to keep turning the page.
From the very beginning of this series Malorie Blackman rips your heart out - I should’ve expected the ending but I somehow still didn’t, and still tried to convince myself that there was something more and that COULDNT be what happened, coming full circle to how I felt finishing the first book.
I’ve been so involved in the world of Callum and Sephy, Jude and Meggie, jasmine and Callie-rose, and even tobey and Dan. I am truly sad to be leaving the world of noughts and crosses behind - for anyone debating whether to pick up this series and see it through to the end, please please do! You won’t regret it
From the very beginning of this series Malorie Blackman rips your heart out - I should’ve expected the ending but I somehow still didn’t, and still tried to convince myself that there was something more and that COULDNT be what happened, coming full circle to how I felt finishing the first book.
I’ve been so involved in the world of Callum and Sephy, Jude and Meggie, jasmine and Callie-rose, and even tobey and Dan. I am truly sad to be leaving the world of noughts and crosses behind - for anyone debating whether to pick up this series and see it through to the end, please please do! You won’t regret it
October 18, 2021
I just finished the last 2 books in the Noughts and Crosses series and I was right to wait for book 6 before reading book 5 because whew that cliffhanger at the end of book 5. Alsoooo the ending of book 6 ugh my heart. Sephy feels like my baby because I've followed her all the way from book 1 and sure she pissed me off so much in the early books but she has my heart. I found it hard to connect to the new main characters in these new books tho. I have to say, this series in intergenerational perfection, and also ensemble cast perfection! Highly recommend!!!
October 1, 2021
What an ending to the series.
Loved every second of it. Although obviously would have liked more books. But I appreciate this ending.
Love Callie Rose as always. But also loved Troy in this one. Excellently written.
Loved every second of it. Although obviously would have liked more books. But I appreciate this ending.
Love Callie Rose as always. But also loved Troy in this one. Excellently written.
July 16, 2023
Oh boy... where do I begin? I admire Blackman for taking on the challenge of draw to a close such an acclaimed book series, which has seen a lot of intergenerational developments, but I must admit - I am disappointed. Hearing the narrative of the first-generation characters really made the journey full circle, seeing firsthand how their stories end after having grown up with them. As for the rest of the story, I have three contentions: firstly, I did not like the endings of the other characters, namely the second generation ones; secondly, it was a bit predictable, I guessed one of the plot twists from the beginning; thirdly, I must be among the minority to express the fact that I did not enjoy the close reference to current political and real world events. The premise of this book, a world in which race is reversed, was what initially drew me to it as it sounded like an interesting and dystopian concept. I draw attention to the notion of dystopia. I believe that the more you interweave modern concepts into the story, in an unsubtle way, it loses its dystopic nature, turning into a current affairs story with dystopic elements. I normally try to keep my reviews brief and vague so as to avoid spoilers but given how I have grown up with this book and the place it holds in my heart, I only think it is right to provide a character analysis. You've been warned - spoilers ahead!
June 4, 2022
Well, this excellent series is finally brought to a close in an entertaining and quite gripping conclusion. Closely following on from Book Five, the stories of Tobey, Sephy and Callie and their families continue, the murderer of Dan Jeavons is revealed and we discover the fate of kidnapped pair Troy and Libby. In some ways, the epilogue 'Three months later' detracted a bit from my overall enjoyment of the book, which was heading for a 5-star read up to then. Still a strong four-star read for me - a great collection of books which will no doubt be treasured on readers' bookshelves for many years, together with other great YA series like Harry Potter and His Dark Materials - 9/10.
February 24, 2022
We have been through so much together i will always love this series it is the best ending. If u want to read a true lovers story this is the one. cant believe i am done with the series. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good old romance story.
November 25, 2021
A beautiful end to the series.
September 16, 2021
A fitting end to this amazing series
March 28, 2024
Every single book in this series tore me emotionally apart and I can’t believe I’ve finished it! They are genuinely my favourite books of all time and each book is great in its own way. I’m happy with how it ended the series, even if I’m sad it’s all over
September 18, 2021
Heartbreaking and gorgeous end to the series. Im gonna miss it.
March 4, 2023
What a great end to the series a murder mystery and a happy ending all in one book!!
I knew George was Dans murderer from the moment he started arguing with his daughter- just knew it!!
Callie and Tobey finally got their happy ending
Sephy reunited with Callum in paradise (tears)
Meggie alive and happy
Troy and Liberty safe and sound
JUST PERFECT.
I wish there could be a new series just about Troy and Liberty hehe
But all in all it was a good book and Malorie Blackman never fails to make the audience a part of the series and feel the same emotions as the characters!!
I knew George was Dans murderer from the moment he started arguing with his daughter- just knew it!!
Callie and Tobey finally got their happy ending
Sephy reunited with Callum in paradise (tears)
Meggie alive and happy
Troy and Liberty safe and sound
JUST PERFECT.
I wish there could be a new series just about Troy and Liberty hehe
But all in all it was a good book and Malorie Blackman never fails to make the audience a part of the series and feel the same emotions as the characters!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2023
an amazing conclusion to the series that managed to tie up all of the books perfectly. I loved it!
March 10, 2024
This book series is the best thing I have ever read and I am so sad that I finished it. I 100% recommend reading it, it is literally the most heartbreaking series ever and all the books are so interesting. Please please please read it.
April 25, 2024
Perfect end to an amazing series. This whole story has been a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish.
Such a bittersweet feeling to have finished.
I would recommend this series to anyone who would listen. My absolute favourite!!
Such a bittersweet feeling to have finished.
I would recommend this series to anyone who would listen. My absolute favourite!!
October 10, 2021
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trigger Warnings: Blood; Death; Death of a Parent; Grief; Gun Violence; Kidnapping; Murder
Endgame was the show-stopping, emotional, and incredible conclusion to Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses series. Packed with twists, turns, and drama throughout, it was the most incredible end to my favourite series ever.
I could never have imagined how detailled Endgame’s plot was – it was so intricate and complex with twists and turns around every corner. At the same time, the plot was never confusing – I always understood as much as Malorie Blackman wanted me as a reader to understand at every point in the book.
Endgame was a difficult book to read for two reasons: the trigger warnings listed at the top of this review, and knowing that this was the last Noughts and Crosses book that I would ever read, therefore I recommend approaching this series with caution if you have been affected by any of the trigger warnings listed at the top of my reviews. With Endgame being the final book in this series, I was stuck in the position of really wanting to read on, find out what would happen next, and finish this series and wanting to savour every last word, and never finish the book! I ended up reading slower than I have done in the past so that I could take the time to fully appreciate Endgame, and I am very happy that I did this as I think I enjoyed the book more than if I had raced through it.
Endgame’s main characters were all familiar to me as a reader, which made each tense scene even harder to read. Throughout, I really didn’t want anything bad at all to happen to any of the characters, but I knew that this was highly unlikely, making Endgame even more heart-wrenching! Each character had their own story to tell, and they all shaped the story so nicely – the absence of just one character, no matter how small, would impact the story so much.
The first 100 ish pages of Engame had me on the edge of my seat, as everything was happening in such small steps, and it felt like everything could explode at any given moment. I was scared to read on, wondering what was around the corner. Everything ultimately built up to the final few chapters, which I could never have seen coming. All the tension from across the whole series culminated to Endgame’s final moments.
When reading the final book of a series, it’s always really hard knowing that it is the end. I knew there were lots of loose ends deliberately laid throughout the series that would have to be tied together in Endgame, even if I really didn’t want it to happen! This made Endgame so heart-wrenching to read – I was not prepared for all the emotions that would come with the end of this incredible series.
During Endgame, Sephy also had flashbacks to her time with Callum. This was beautiful to read, as it felt like the series had moved in a full circle – starting and ending with Sephy and Callum. This also made me imagine what Callum would do in each situation – would he have reacted any differently to the demands of Libby and Troy’s kidnappers? Tension was also built up through this, as I was trying to move at the same pace as the characters, yet I was being pulled back to where the story began, many years ago.
Endgame was narrated by many different characters, including a mystery character, whose identity wasn’t revealed until towards the end of the book. As I was seeing everything unfold in front of my eyes, this book was so tense. A great example of this would be towards the end, where Callie and Sephy are both heading in the same direction, but neither of them know what the other is doing until it is too late!
Finally, I would like to thank Malorie Blackman for writing this incredible series. From the moment that I first read Noughts and Crosses three-and-a-half years ago, it has been my favourite series of all time, and has retained its position to this day. Noughts and Crosses has opened my eyes to so many issues, and I hope that everyone else who has read this series feels the same way. I cannot wait for further BBC series of Noughts and Crosses, and to see how Sephy and Callum’s story develops there!
Overall, I cannot reccomend the Noughts and Crosses series highly enough to everyone! It is definitely a series that everyone should read at some point in their lives.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trigger Warnings: Blood; Death; Death of a Parent; Grief; Gun Violence; Kidnapping; Murder
Endgame was the show-stopping, emotional, and incredible conclusion to Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses series. Packed with twists, turns, and drama throughout, it was the most incredible end to my favourite series ever.
I could never have imagined how detailled Endgame’s plot was – it was so intricate and complex with twists and turns around every corner. At the same time, the plot was never confusing – I always understood as much as Malorie Blackman wanted me as a reader to understand at every point in the book.
Endgame was a difficult book to read for two reasons: the trigger warnings listed at the top of this review, and knowing that this was the last Noughts and Crosses book that I would ever read, therefore I recommend approaching this series with caution if you have been affected by any of the trigger warnings listed at the top of my reviews. With Endgame being the final book in this series, I was stuck in the position of really wanting to read on, find out what would happen next, and finish this series and wanting to savour every last word, and never finish the book! I ended up reading slower than I have done in the past so that I could take the time to fully appreciate Endgame, and I am very happy that I did this as I think I enjoyed the book more than if I had raced through it.
Endgame’s main characters were all familiar to me as a reader, which made each tense scene even harder to read. Throughout, I really didn’t want anything bad at all to happen to any of the characters, but I knew that this was highly unlikely, making Endgame even more heart-wrenching! Each character had their own story to tell, and they all shaped the story so nicely – the absence of just one character, no matter how small, would impact the story so much.
The first 100 ish pages of Engame had me on the edge of my seat, as everything was happening in such small steps, and it felt like everything could explode at any given moment. I was scared to read on, wondering what was around the corner. Everything ultimately built up to the final few chapters, which I could never have seen coming. All the tension from across the whole series culminated to Endgame’s final moments.
When reading the final book of a series, it’s always really hard knowing that it is the end. I knew there were lots of loose ends deliberately laid throughout the series that would have to be tied together in Endgame, even if I really didn’t want it to happen! This made Endgame so heart-wrenching to read – I was not prepared for all the emotions that would come with the end of this incredible series.
During Endgame, Sephy also had flashbacks to her time with Callum. This was beautiful to read, as it felt like the series had moved in a full circle – starting and ending with Sephy and Callum. This also made me imagine what Callum would do in each situation – would he have reacted any differently to the demands of Libby and Troy’s kidnappers? Tension was also built up through this, as I was trying to move at the same pace as the characters, yet I was being pulled back to where the story began, many years ago.
Endgame was narrated by many different characters, including a mystery character, whose identity wasn’t revealed until towards the end of the book. As I was seeing everything unfold in front of my eyes, this book was so tense. A great example of this would be towards the end, where Callie and Sephy are both heading in the same direction, but neither of them know what the other is doing until it is too late!
Finally, I would like to thank Malorie Blackman for writing this incredible series. From the moment that I first read Noughts and Crosses three-and-a-half years ago, it has been my favourite series of all time, and has retained its position to this day. Noughts and Crosses has opened my eyes to so many issues, and I hope that everyone else who has read this series feels the same way. I cannot wait for further BBC series of Noughts and Crosses, and to see how Sephy and Callum’s story develops there!
Overall, I cannot reccomend the Noughts and Crosses series highly enough to everyone! It is definitely a series that everyone should read at some point in their lives.
August 30, 2021
When I was a teenager voraciously reading anything I could get my hands on, I came across a beautiful novel about a doomed relationship between Callum and Sephy, race relations turned on their head in a world putting up a mirror to our own prejudices. Blackman's 'Noughts and Crosses' was a formative book for me and has remained so for my own students to this day. I can hardly believe it is now twenty years and five more books later - Blackman's final delve into her parallel world with the sixth book in the series 'Endgame'.
But does it live up to the beauty of the early books? The answer is mostly. I still find the world and the power dynamics in this novel fascinating. Blackman cleverly brings this universe right up to date by taking contemporary news stories, such as films using 'poverty porn', a lack of uptake for vaccinations in the "WAME" community (we are in a backwards world here remember), and the war on drugs. Her viewpoints shine through and are a welcome addition to those speaking out on racial inequality.
However, the news articles and the main storyline of this novel do not gel. We resume as Troy and Libby have failed to escape their kidnappers; Sephy, Callie-Rose and Tobey get drawn into a web of blackmail, desperately trying to save their loved ones but up against violent people with links to organised crime. The story is fully engaging and tension is ramped up through frequent cliffhangers and illuminating moments of flashback to a fateful dinner party. Despite this, Tobey now being prime minister seems to be the only link to the sporadic news articles and issues of race take a backseat to larger themes of power, corruption and family relationships. The articles felt just a little shoehorned (sometimes to create some tension at the worst possible moments!) and could have been woven more pertinently to reflect the main plot.
Overall, this is a fitting and thrilling end to the series (including excellent homage to Callum from the first novel). Despite the lack of gel between the two ideas (the articles and the main plot), Blackman remains one of the best writers of young adult literature out there. I will miss reading books with these characters. 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
But does it live up to the beauty of the early books? The answer is mostly. I still find the world and the power dynamics in this novel fascinating. Blackman cleverly brings this universe right up to date by taking contemporary news stories, such as films using 'poverty porn', a lack of uptake for vaccinations in the "WAME" community (we are in a backwards world here remember), and the war on drugs. Her viewpoints shine through and are a welcome addition to those speaking out on racial inequality.
However, the news articles and the main storyline of this novel do not gel. We resume as Troy and Libby have failed to escape their kidnappers; Sephy, Callie-Rose and Tobey get drawn into a web of blackmail, desperately trying to save their loved ones but up against violent people with links to organised crime. The story is fully engaging and tension is ramped up through frequent cliffhangers and illuminating moments of flashback to a fateful dinner party. Despite this, Tobey now being prime minister seems to be the only link to the sporadic news articles and issues of race take a backseat to larger themes of power, corruption and family relationships. The articles felt just a little shoehorned (sometimes to create some tension at the worst possible moments!) and could have been woven more pertinently to reflect the main plot.
Overall, this is a fitting and thrilling end to the series (including excellent homage to Callum from the first novel). Despite the lack of gel between the two ideas (the articles and the main plot), Blackman remains one of the best writers of young adult literature out there. I will miss reading books with these characters. 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2023
This wasn’t a great end to the series. The attempt to introduce a whodunnit storyline to a series that really didn’t need it, felt terribly forced and added nothing to the series as a whole.
There is just too much crammed in to this, the murder storyline, school politics, drug cartels and kidnapping, and none of it is done very well. The whodunnit is too obvious, and the red herrings just too unlikely. There are too many viewpoints, and far too many from the perspectives of people you don’t care about. The characters have complete personality changes every so often, with no motivation. Marriage is seen as some sort of solution to all problems, and an end point of individual storylines.
This really doesn’t add much to the Noughts and Crosses series, and doesn’t contribute to the changing perspectives of racism that the earlier books attempted. It’s a quick read, and some aspects of the story are interesting enough to keep you reading (well except for the last section which was just tedious), but nothing ever feels really involving, or satisfying in the way it is resolved.
There is just too much crammed in to this, the murder storyline, school politics, drug cartels and kidnapping, and none of it is done very well. The whodunnit is too obvious, and the red herrings just too unlikely. There are too many viewpoints, and far too many from the perspectives of people you don’t care about. The characters have complete personality changes every so often, with no motivation. Marriage is seen as some sort of solution to all problems, and an end point of individual storylines.
This really doesn’t add much to the Noughts and Crosses series, and doesn’t contribute to the changing perspectives of racism that the earlier books attempted. It’s a quick read, and some aspects of the story are interesting enough to keep you reading (well except for the last section which was just tedious), but nothing ever feels really involving, or satisfying in the way it is resolved.
January 4, 2023
Je suis contente que ça soit le point final de la série. Apparemment il y a un recueil de nouvelles en lien avec, je l'ignorais !
J'ai dévoré ce dernier tome. Ça dégouline de romantisme hétéro à un point qui m'agace un peu parfois mais je me suis attachée aux personnages. Les coupures de journaux glissés au fil du livre sont très bien vues et renforcent la dystopie.
ATTENTION LA SUITE CONTIENT DES SPOILERS
Je ne comprends pas pourquoi Nathan a fait ce que l'on comprend ?
Je ne comprends pas pourquoi Callie dit à Troy qu'elle suit les recommandations de sa mère, n'aime-t-elle pas Tobey ?
Si des personnes qui lisent ceci ont une interprétation je suis preneuse...
J'ai dévoré ce dernier tome. Ça dégouline de romantisme hétéro à un point qui m'agace un peu parfois mais je me suis attachée aux personnages. Les coupures de journaux glissés au fil du livre sont très bien vues et renforcent la dystopie.
ATTENTION LA SUITE CONTIENT DES SPOILERS
Je ne comprends pas pourquoi Nathan a fait ce que l'on comprend ?
Je ne comprends pas pourquoi Callie dit à Troy qu'elle suit les recommandations de sa mère, n'aime-t-elle pas Tobey ?
Si des personnes qui lisent ceci ont une interprétation je suis preneuse...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2021
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Thank you Penguin for this book in exchange for an honest review
Did I know this was part of a series…? I did not…
However, even though I had no idea about the pre-existing books nor their plot points, I dived in regardless, I mean you have to live a little dangerously right?!?
Endgame was a highly intense and emotional book that involved a lot of gun violence, murder, grief, and kidnapping. So, if heavy topic’s aint’ your jam and sweetened cream; then I wouldn’t recommend you dive to deep into this one, or maybe do and use it as a learning curb, your call!
What I do love most about Endgame is each character has their own story to tell that evenly winds in well with one another, it isn’t solely centred around one character and their journey. This gives you a variety of characters to love and urgently want to protect as you watch them go through their twisted path of life.
Even without knowing the remainder of the series, the first chunk of the book had me hooked and at no point did I feel as though I missed vital information or pivotal points that are from previous books. The story flowed very smoothly and didn’t overload with an information dump or plot dot points either. The whole pace of the book was well balanced and shaped nicely, even with the intense moments scattered throughout the book.
I have to admit, that I am interested in reading the series from the start to see if it is as entertaining as this one! I mean what’s the best way to start a series then reading it backwards.
Bookstagram
Website
Thank you Penguin for this book in exchange for an honest review
Did I know this was part of a series…? I did not…
However, even though I had no idea about the pre-existing books nor their plot points, I dived in regardless, I mean you have to live a little dangerously right?!?
Endgame was a highly intense and emotional book that involved a lot of gun violence, murder, grief, and kidnapping. So, if heavy topic’s aint’ your jam and sweetened cream; then I wouldn’t recommend you dive to deep into this one, or maybe do and use it as a learning curb, your call!
What I do love most about Endgame is each character has their own story to tell that evenly winds in well with one another, it isn’t solely centred around one character and their journey. This gives you a variety of characters to love and urgently want to protect as you watch them go through their twisted path of life.
Even without knowing the remainder of the series, the first chunk of the book had me hooked and at no point did I feel as though I missed vital information or pivotal points that are from previous books. The story flowed very smoothly and didn’t overload with an information dump or plot dot points either. The whole pace of the book was well balanced and shaped nicely, even with the intense moments scattered throughout the book.
I have to admit, that I am interested in reading the series from the start to see if it is as entertaining as this one! I mean what’s the best way to start a series then reading it backwards.
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