Genre
Young Adult
Setting and Context
Slightly futuristic alternate Earth, in which native African people colonized the world
Narrator and Point of View
First-person point of view that switches between Callum McGregor, a nought, and Sephy Hadley, a Cross. The prologue is written in the third person.
Tone and Mood
Though the novel addresses grave and violent topics, the tone of the novel begins with youthful angst, maturing into a serious and determined tone as the protagonists age.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Callum and Sephy are the protagonists (though they aren't always working together), and their society is the antagonist, with people like Kamal Hadley and Jude McGregor representing aspects of that conflict.
Major Conflict
Callum and Sephy find their love and values tested as they grow up in a society that values some people above others on the basis of skin color.
Climax
Callum is arrested and charged with raping Sephy. Kamal Hadley offers both Callum and Sephy the choice between their unborn child and Callum's life, but both choose their child, and Callum is hanged.
Foreshadowing
Lynette being severely traumatized as a result of her interracial relationship foreshadows the fate of Callum's own interracial love.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
Sephy's name, Persephone, is an allusion to Greek mythology. Her sister's name, Minerva, is an allusion to the Roman counterpart to the Greek goddess Athena.
Imagery
When Mrs. Hadley speaks with Callum, "her voice dripped with frost." The visual imagery of frost on Mrs. Hadley's voice communicates her coldness toward Callum and noughts in general.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
“There’s not a single millimetre of space between her body and mine. I could move my hands and… And. Anything I liked. Caress or strangle. Kill or cure. Her or me. Me or her.” Callum, page 304
The parallelism in this quote communicates Callum's confusion and indecision.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"Suits" is a metonymy for government officials.
Personification
On page 26, Callum says “I watched a solitary cloud slow-dance above me.” The personification of the cloud emphasizes the carefree, unbound state of nature—clouds are free to dance, but he has to go home and lie to his family about where he's been.
