Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman

Kaspar has grown up in a society that prides itself on being one that takes the moral high ground. He signs up to become a Guardian, the group who protect the society against the attacks of the Insurgents. His side have to fight against those who would seek to overthrow the ruling society but unlike the Insurgents, the Guardians never seek to kill or seriously harm those they are protecting their civilians from. A chance encounter with an Insurgent leaves Kapar with some unexpected effects: he begins to see memories that are not his own. As he runs into this same Insurgent again and again he starts to try to make sense of what is going on, only to discover that all is not as it seems. Is it possible that Kaspar and his fellow citizens are being lied to by those who have sworn to protect and rule them?

Once again I feel that the cover for the advanced reading copy is better than that of the finished book. The silver on the plain black background is particularly effective.

I must be one of the only people in the world who wasn't completely bowled over by Noughts and Crosses. I think it's the kind of book I would have enjoyed more if I had read it when I was still at school. However, the cover for the advanced reading copy really drew me in as there wasn't a single detail other than the release date and twitter hashtag and so it piqued my curiosity. Malorie Blackman has also come up a lot at work recently and so I thought I'd give this novel a chance.

Okay so I have to get this out of the way: Why why why must authors resort to such use of swear words so often?! I know, it's partially to reflect the way people speak but is it really necessary? I know plenty of people who rarely, if ever, use swear words and it just really irritates me when an author can't find or chooses not to use a better way of expressing what their characters are saying/thinking! Blackman hasn't been as bad as some but it still didn't add anything to the telling of the story for me. Okay, rant over.

So the best thing about this novel is that it is a stand alone! Woohoo! It is such a relief to have a story begin and end within one book. So much of the teen market is filled with series stories. Whilst these books are good, it becomes frustrating if you can't read the whole series when you want to as you forget details but can't necessarily re-read the previous instalments. Things also become muddled, particularly if two series have similar themes (such as angels or vampires). Blackman probably could have padded this story out to make it more than one novel but it wouldn't have added anything and so I am glad she didn't.

I enjoyed Noble Conflict a lot more than Noughts and Crosses. Blackman isn't trying to force anything that goes against mainstream experience on the reader and so it is much easier to read and get lost in. She creates the world brilliantly. You have no idea where it is set in terms of the real world and this anonymity means you are free to see it how you like without having to picture a country you have limited experience of. For all you know, it could be the future for your own country! The premise is nothing new but it is done well. The plot elements all sit well with the reader. Those that are unfamiliar are not so removed as to be unbelievable. The characters are good ordinary people who's talents are within the realms of the possible (well, aside from the touch-empathy thing). This makes them easy to visualise and connect with. Perhaps Mac lets Kaspar off a bit easily at the end but for once the experience of hope for a happy future is not a huge let down. Of course, everything revolves around Kaspar. He ends up being the one in the thick of things and who figures out the truth. However, I can't get annoyed about this as everyone does it - often there wouldn't be much of a story without it!

The story contained within the pages of Noble Conflict reveals how those in power can have a tendency to misuse their power and become so desperate to hang on to it that they will do terrible things. It also contains the hope that eventually these things will get found out. It is possible to make links to many of history's famous dictatorships. The people of Nazi Germany weren't necessarily aware of the true horrors of the concentration camps. Those in North Korea and China aren't necessarily fully informed of the truth. It makes you begin to wonder just what our government is keeping from us...

Overall, Noble Conflict is well written, fast-paced and has a good plot. It is a novel I would recommend and is suitable for both boys and girls. There is a slight hint of sexuality and, as mentioned above, there are frequent incidents of swearing, yet neither is overdone and are within the limits that are often seen to be acceptable by the majority with regards to the intended readership.

I give it 7/10 :)

Title: Noble Conflict
Author: Malorie Blackman
Publisher: Doubleday
Teenage Fiction