Book review: Chasing The Stars by Malorie Blackman

Malorie Blackman, former children’s laureate, wrote what is undeniably one of the best Young Adult fiction series of all time. It’s a travesty that Noughts And Crosses hasn’t yet been made into a big-budget film franchise – but then, movie producers are damningly hesitant when it comes to stories that tackle race, power and segregation.

They might just get themselves into gear for Blackman’s latest offering though. Set on a spaceship whose lonely captain is torn between heading home to Earth and giving safe harbour and passage to a volatile bunch of galactic fugitives, Chasing The Stars is a wildly cinematic and futuristic reimagining of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Othello.

And tragic it is, but it’s also a simple tale of girl (Vee) meets boy (Nathan). Blackman doesn’t flinch from exploring sex, jealousy, insecurity, abuse and what it’s like to feel alone, but this honesty and nuanced portrayal of first love and trauma is tempered by some interplanetary plot sequences that rely on you suspending your disbelief.

Published by Penguin Random House Children’s