Knife Edge - Malorie Blackman

...Crosses series by Malorie Blackman, Knife Edge explores the new relationship between Persephone Hadley (Sephy) her relatives and the general public, as she is left in a world where Noughts and Crosses envy each other. Having been left alone to bring up the half nought, half cross baby daughter, Callie Rose, Sephy is left hated and despised by all but her closest relatives and friends. It just doesn't seem right to them - half and half? You're either ...
...Edge continues on the racist theme first seen in Noughts and Crosses, but this book will not be suitable for younger readers, I must note. While Noughts and Crosses was quite suitable to the younger generation and above (10+ I'd say), this book ought to be avoided by under-15s and the faint-hearted.

Sephy eventually comes to terms of the responsibilities of looking after and caring for her baby. It initially takes some time, as the ... more

In the second of the Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman, Knife Edge explores the new relationship between Persephone Hadley (Sephy) her relatives and the general public, as she is left in a world where Noughts and Crosses envy each other. Having been left alone to bring up the half nought, half cross baby daughter, Callie Rose, Sephy is left hated and despised by all but her closest relatives and friends. It just doesn't seem right to them - half and half? You're either on our side or theirs...

Knife Edge continues on the racist theme first seen in Noughts and Crosses, but this book will not be suitable for younger readers, I must note. While Noughts and Crosses was quite suitable to the younger generation and above (10+ I'd say), this book ought to be avoided by under-15s and the faint-hearted.

Sephy eventually comes to terms of the responsibilities of looking after and caring for her baby. It initially takes some time, as the only thing Sephy cared for was Callum, hanged for kidnapping her in an apparent Liberation Militia feat supposedly used to strengthen an equality message. Sephy was drawn into Callum's world, though, and she loved him ever so dearly, with their bond seemingly very strong. When Callum was caught for his misdemeanours, however, the sentence was lethal - death. Sephy begins in this 2nd of the trilogy in an awfully depressed state, wondering what might have been.

She eventually sees sense however, and finds a new Callum in the eyes of Callie Rose, their daughter. Sephy vows that she will care for this baby by all means, and would NEVER let her get into trouble. Sephy soon finds a new bond, finding Callie irresistible.

She then has the dilemma of choosing a new home. The residence she had found was much too tacky and unsuitable for bringing up a baby. She finds hope in both Callie's grandmothers, however. Jasmine, Sephy's mother, and Meggie, Callie's mom, both offer their help in bringing up the baby. In my opinion, Sephy makes a seriously bad decision here - she ought to have gone home to safety, to her rich mom, forgiving her drunken, morbid times and her rejecting of Sephy as a child. She would have been safer. But she chose Meggie's abode, a nought, or blanker, where trouble could be much more rife.

But then comes the shock; a big shock. The hardest part of writing reviews on books is not giving the story away - so that you can experience the drama for yourselves. All I will say then, is that there is an amazing development (whether true or not remains to be seen - you as a reader will decide) that TOTALLY changes the storyline. This development has major repercussions, including Sephy's attitude to the baby, her attitude towards life and an astoundingly low self-esteem. Sephy practically feels like an object, thrown between people like a toy, yet totally oblivious to how she was being mocked. If true, this development hits back HARD at the reader, and changes your view completely. It really is sad if it was true, but makes for a highly compelling, page-turning read.

The story cleverly follows the lives of mainly Sephy and Jude. Jude is the brother of Callum, and envies all crosses. No matter what, his hate for crosses is a very hard wall to break down, as his whole life is set on causing havoc to crosses, in a bid to strengthen the power of the noughts. Jude shot Minerva, Sephy's sister. He is now hell bent on completing other Liberation Militia (LM) assignments, including that of killing Sephy and Andrew Dorn, traitor of the LM. Jude is a highly sought after character, wanted by police for countless crimes, and must keep a low profile at all times. I think the dramatisation of Jude and his secretive character is excellently portrayed, in addition to his overriding aim to hate and torment all crosses.

As the story develops, Sephy finds herself employment and begins to get on with her life. She even begins to get a little more flirtatious, a sign of a happier character perhaps. Jude, however, finds another prime target. I was gob smacked with how Jude treated this new girlfriend he finds though. She's a beautiful, harmless cross lady, and she has no qualms with anybody, no matter what their colour, religion or beliefs. It gets to the point where Jude looks like cracking, finally putting all this hate behind him, and loving a cross just as he could and would want to. He finds himself fighting with himself, should he, shouldn't he; readers explore the various 'laws' Jude keeps - never to feel, for one. His way out is extreme at the very least though, and that's all I'll say - no spoiling for you - you can get the book and still enjoy it!

There is another important development that sees Sephy having to choose between her own feelings, and Meggie's feelings as to the future of Jude. Jude's entire life rests in the hands of Sephy, and while Sephy hates every single speck of Jude for what he did to her sister, as well as the fact that Sephy knows Jude hates her, she can't help but feel for Meggie - it's her ownly son left. She is left to choose something that is an incredibly hard decision to make.

There is not an amazingly dramatic ending to this book, as, in effect, it's the middle of a story - book 2 of 3. However, Sephy's daughter doesn't appear to be breathing correctly at the end of the story! Luckily, the book contains a short introduction to the final book in the trilogy, which confirms the baby does indeed still live.

By the end of this book, you have learnt a lot more about the characters and their feelings about everything Sephy is doing / could do. The story also follows the lives of Jasmine, Meggie and Minerva, and it's interesting to see their viewpoints and relationships with Sephy and her baby.

The main questions now are: what will Sephy's baby be as a person, how will the Jude / Sephy relationship develop and what will the relatives of Sephy, her baby and Jude, as well as the general public think of the future developments of Sephy's baby? I think the key to the final book, Checkmate, is Sephy's baby, who grows up quickly - 16 when she starts the book I believe! I read this, and boy, I can't wait for the book to come out in paperback!

I hope I've given you an insight into this book, yet not gave enough away to mean you don't need to buy it. It's a fantastic read, but you would be much better off reading Noughts and Crosses first (read my review of that too if you like). I give this book 5 stars as it's highly engrossing, and the descriptions are very vivid indeed. The book is priced £6.99 (paperback) but you can find it much cheaper online. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

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Benjamin Riches (wbafcben)
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