Day 3! Review: Callum – Malorie Blackman

Date	Post
7th September	Announcement
8th September	Noughts and Crosses Review
9th September	An Eye for an Eye Review
10th September	Callum Review
11th September	Knife Edge Review
12th September	Checkmate Review
13th September	Double Cross Review
14th September	Nought Forever Review
15th September	Crossfire Review
16th September	Dissecting the Blurb – Endgame
??? September	Endgame Review

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Trigger Warnings: Guns; Violence

Callum is effectively an alternative ending to Noughts and Crosses. This book’s events fit seamlessly into the story’s timeline, to the extent that Callum could have been the ‘actual’ ending! I also loved how it is so obvious where this book starts, in the context of the Noughts and Crosses timeline, so that I knew exactly what had just happened, and what events were about to happen.

Having watched the Noughts and Crosses TV series, I am wondering if Callum could be the way that it transitions into Knife Edge (as the end of either this book or Noughts and Crosses needs to happen for the programmes to progress into the next book). Given all of the tension and drama that Callum encompasses, I do think that this book would look really good on-screen – when reading, I was imagining these scenes playing out in my head! I am definitely looking forward to Series Two of Noughts and Crosses, and I cannot wait to watch it!

Understandably, Callum’s plot was thinner than the plot of a full-length novel. However, a lot did happen in such a short space of time, and the tension and drama throughout certainly did make up for this! This really does show what a skilled author Malorie Blackman is, as she has managed to perfectly create a short and dramatic alternative ending to Noughts and Crosses that fits into every aspect of the story’s timeline.

I was soooooo grateful for more Sephy and Callum scenes in this book, as I love it when these two characters are together (sparks literally do fly!). This really did contribute to more and more tension throughout the story, as I knew that what they were doing could have cost both of them their lives. This book also explored Jude’s character really well – he is such an interesting character! I love it how he’s had much more of a prominent role as the series has progressed, and this is enhanced even further in Knife Edge and Checkmate, when we read from his perspective.

Once again, Callum was not the easiest read due to the sensitive topics encountered (detailled in the trigger warnings at the top of this review). Something else that contributed to Callum being difficult in places to read was that I knew how it had to end – there was no way out of it (unless there was to be an alternative series written . . .). As I got closer and closer to the final page, I really did not want it to end the way that it had to, but I understand and appreciate that the story had to resolve itself so that it fit into the series’ timeline.

Overall, I recommend Callum to anyone who has enjoyed the series, and the Noughts and Crosses series to an audience aged 13+.

Tomorrow’s post will be my review of Knife Edge.

Thank you for reading this post.

Hannah