Noughts and Crosses: graphic novel

Malorie Blackman’s young adult classic gets a graphic novel interpretation from adapter Ian Edginton and illustrator John Aggs. They stick to the original plot but even in a relatively thick book, boiling down a 400+ page novel has meant the loss of some narrative links and character development and readers need to stay on their toes to follow what’s happening. The biggest loss in the adaptation is the even-handed dual focus of the original, giving the separate views of events through Steph and Cal’s eyes. The retelling goes for a straightforward narrative which means the loss not only of this dual perspective but of some subtlety in the perception of events. The retelling is in action comic book style, focusing on episodes of dramatic confrontation in which faces and gestures, as in a silent film, reveal all with glares, pleading, sneering or open-mouthed shock, and blows are sometimes accompanied by a KWAAK or a SLAPP. This certainly portrays the way in which the tension and violence wind up in the original but perhaps does less justice to the underlying strength of Cal and Steph’s relationship and the way in which the book’s social and political system has developed and operates. This is a version that might be accessible to younger teens but I feel it’s a less satisfying experience than the original.