Peace and Conflict by Irene Sabatini

Peace and Conflict

Irene Sabatini

A dark cloud hangs over Robert's family since leaving Zimbabwe and Aunty Delphia remains there under threat of imprisonment or worse. Added to this Robert faces all the usual insecurities that young people do - yet this book is funny and light which demonstrates for me what a great storyteller Irene Sabatini is. Robert’s acute observations of his elder brother George are hilarious. You won’t want to put this down.

Extract
George was being swag. Swag was what every self-respecting ninth-grader wanted. It was vital to living and breathing. Without it you were ... ME.
Dad didn't get upset with swag like mum did. He thought that George would soon get bored of all the work swagness required, and at least he had to wear clean underwear.
Even though George was swag and gangsta, he was still sensitive and a good boy. I heard mum and dad talking. And I have evidence. He cried when Musafa, Simba's dad, died in The Lion King.
Parallels
  • We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
  • The Boy Next Door by Irene Sabatini
  • The Brothers by Ben Elton