from: Waterstones
"A beautifully crafted and moving story - A poignant and at times unsettling novel; I read it almost entirely in one day. The African vernacular was a slight barrier to begin with but that soon passed. This resolutely unsentimental story deals with love – romantic, between friends and parental – as narrated by Lindiwe, as she moves from tongue-tied adolescence into adulthood. Racism, the aftermath of the war for independence and the chaos which came with post-colonial corruption are portrayed with clear-eyed deftness. Ms Sabatini's style is precise, spare and poetic. Her images of the magnificence and heat of Zimbabwe and of human cruelty and compassion are inspiring. An excellent novel."
"Loved this book! - This deep and intricate story is told by Lindiwe, a girl living in post-independence Zimbabwe. She falls in love with the boy next door: a convicted murderer. I couldn't put this book down. The love story was so true and surprising. The mystery about the murder kept me guessing. The risks Lindiwe and her loved ones ran in their everyday lives made the book a thriller. I was fascinated by the different characters and their secrets. One thing I love in books is when you can slip into someone else's character. This is so well done in this story. I like learning as I read and here there is so much to learn - about Zimbabwe, its recent history, how people live there and the effects on everybody from colonialism. How suffering caused by war, racism, religious intolerance and sexism wreaks havoc in people's lives. This book made me think. It's an uplifting story; it offers hope through trust, forgiveness and love..."
from: Goodreads
"What a beautiful story. Loved every page, loved Lindiwe's voice and the setting. I felt like I was in the middle of a girl growing up and a country devolving"
"What I love about reading is that you can pick up a book you've never heard of, full of a place and time you know nothing about and by the end of it have a real feel for the people and their lives. A small mystery , an unlikely seemingly impossible relationship and real characters set amid the turmoil of post-war Rhodesia/Zimbabwe sets the scene for a very memorable book. This book was 'lekker'!! "
"It's to the author's immense credit that she breathes life into her characters, with even comparatively minor figures fully rounded and believable. Lindiwe's family are convincingly drawn, with subtlety and convincing detail. The mix of values, of clashing cultures, the search for personal happiness in a new nation racked by corruption, racism and the 'slim disease', all these infuse 'The Boy Next Door' and lift it into the must-read category. Highly recommended"
from: LibraryThing
"This book beautifully explores relationships among people of diverse backgrounds in a very humane way. It is funny in parts and highly entertaining. It gives a lot of insights into life in a desperate country but it leaves you full of positive feelings."