The Thing with Zola: A Novel

Zola Series #1

by Zibu Sithole

Twenty-nine-year-old Zola has spent the past ten years working and studying in Europe, thanks to a series of high school bursaries and opportunities that allowed her to escape the hardships of South Africa. But when her visa finally expires and there are no further prospects in sight, she has no choice but to leave behind her life, lover and the dreams she has begun to build in Germany and return home to an uncertain future. The Thing with Zola is a humorous and sexy beach read about a young woman navigating the working world, family politics and an unexpected office romance, all while trying to figure out her place in a country that no longer feels like home. Basically, it's complicated.

213 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2023

Reviews

[Maniki_021 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The thing is I was really bored by this story.

[Refilwe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ a quick light read. It felt a bit too instant love for I would have liked more characters fleshed out a bit more but I suppose this is why we getting a second book which I will be reading! I will def recommend this for the romance girlies that like a cute quick romance and great palate cleanser after a heavy book

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treat this was, a delightfully complicated story of starting afresh, self-discovery and finding love that is just right for you".

I loved every minute of it and gobbled it within three hours. A perfect winter read with a delicious frothy warm drink to accompany me.

I am so happy that it hit the shelves in the warmer months. I can just imagine large groups of readers pouring over these pages over pink drinks.

A perfect group read.

Grab a copy and holler at a buddy. It's time for #sharewithsomeone moment.

Erm...check out my shout-out please!

[Mpho Matlhakoane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a calm, easy and soft read, I have enjoyed it from beginning to end, i cannot wait to read the second & third book, its soft no complications, crazy drama it has, Love it.

[Balthazarinblue · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Thing With Zola is, she has her whole life planned. Until she doesn't. Then she's back home in Jozi, struggling with taxis, muddy puddles, and men who hit on her in coffee shops while she's trying to ace a job interview.

This is so funny. Straight-laced Zola's life is going off the rails when her work life and her dating life somehow become so intertwined she can't untangle them. Zola is the level headed straight man in a crowd of impulsive big personalities.

Fair warning, this absolutely runs on Rom-Com Logic. IRL HR would have everyone taking a seminar on sexual harassment and hostile work environments.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, how relatable it is .

It is a romcom that doesn’t try to be important. A binge worthy read .

Everything starts off at high stakes ! The last 50 pages led me down , because of the high stakes and fasted paced of the novel . I enjoyed it . I can’t wait to read the sequel .

[Matshemo Matlala · Rating 4 out of 5]

No faults here. Sweet old, ordinary in a layered way kind of romance. A little bit far fetched but that’s kind of the point right? Romance is rebellion against routine, after all.

[Nelly Mvuni · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story flowed, however I found it extremely predictable and cliche.

[Monene Moila · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Thing with Zola" by Zubi Sithole is a captivating holiday read that effortlessly blends fun, sexiness, and fluidity, making it impossible to put down until the very end.

Zola's tenacity through her trials is both brave and beautiful, while Mbali's deep and "dangerous" pursuit of Zola adds an incredibly sexy dynamic, combining cheese boy and kasi vibes into a compelling love story.

The novel masterfully intertwines the lives of the "haves and have nots," all connected by the universal theme of love—the desire to be seen, heard, and loved regardless of one's background.

Although the book explores various themes at a superficial level, it provides the perfect relaxation with a rollercoaster of emotions.

However, the ending felt rushed and lacked the engagement of the rest of the story, leaving a desire for a more satisfying, sexy cliffhanger.

Overall, "The Thing about Zola" is highly recommended as a holiday read for those seeking a light, engaging, and emotionally charged story.

[Tendani Selai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of The Thing with Zola by Zibu Sithole – 4.5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just finished reading The Thing with Zola, and I absolutely loved it. I really connected with the characters, especially Zola and Okuhle

Okuhle’s experience of loving someone who doesn’t love her back felt so real and valid to me. I understood her feelings deeply, even though I couldn’t condone the negativity and shade she often threw at Zola. That tension added a lot of complexity to the story. But what truly stood out was how proud I was to see Zola finally stand up for herself,that moment of empowerment was so satisfying.

Also, how wild was it that Zola and Okuhle showed up wearing the same dress to the expo? That scene was priceless! And Okuhle’s mother, Priscilla,girl, when I catch you!

Having been in Okuhle’s shoes before, I get how painful it is to love someone who doesn’t return that love. While Okuhle sometimes overreacted, Mbali was low-key a menace too. I understood his feelings for Zola, though, and I was secretly rooting for them despite everything.

I’m really looking forward to reading the second book to follow Zola’s journey in Rwanda and see how she navigates a long-distance relationship with Mbali, especially given how the previous one didn’t go so well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It felt like it was telling my story. Through Zola’s experiences, I saw reflections of myself,especially in how being quiet and reserved sometimes leads others to think they can treat you however they want. It was so rewarding to see Zola finally confront Okuhle and call out the manipulation.

I can’t wait to finish the series!🥹🤭🩷

['Mamotingoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Zola my shaaayyyyllaaaa 😭🤣
I love how light-hearted and easy this book was. It felt like I was watching another one of those Umjolo movies on Netflix. Please I loved that! I was hoping for a bit more character development, for instance, Zozo mentioned to Zola about her different not being accepted or heard, and yet all Zozo was in the book was Thabo's girlfriend and Zola's cousin. A little bits and pieces of the real Zozo that was not heard would have been amazing. I would have also liked to know a bit of a background story on Mthunzi, even if it was from Mbali's POV. I just know there is a story to his alcoholism, and to him working with Mbali. I am so happy at how Zola's mother was pirtrayed, and her different relationships with her daughters, we often don't consider this in real life and it was nice to see that siblings experience different parents even though it is the same parent.

[Caroline Nyakata · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is beautifully written and easy to navigate and understand. The book follows Zola, a 29 year old whose has returned to her home country after studying in Europe for years. She has never imagined living nor working in South Africa, and now that's her reality. She lands an interview, but due to a misunderstanding, things go side way, which works out for the interviewer because he may have just fallen for Zola. She later got invited to another interview in which she's offered the job on the spot. In her joys to start a new job, she doesn't know her life is about to get a whole lot interesting and complicated.

The book focuses on growth, love, and letting go. It also shows that it is not necessary for women to fight for a man, that when it's over, it is better to let go and heal.

[Alma Alma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is only because of the Cassava workshop. We were encouraged to read widely and how our facilitator read hundreds of romance novel to get a sense of writing styles. This was so refreshing! I have been struggling to finish activities of daily living and read in general because of how stiff the books are, how conceptual they are. Reading romance is like watching SATC (which I also started recently). It’s light, it’s entertaining, it’s immersive. I have been reminded of my love for reading and how great it can be. I am also remembering how much romance I read when I was younger and that there should not be a distinction but that it is equally fiction. Oh the joy! My first ebook purchase was the sequel because I just need to know how it ends. It feels so good to see how writers write and to value the written word always. I love getting through books. I’ve already lined up other e-books to read once finished.

[Zandile · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all the cover gets a 10/10 from me. It’s too gorgeous!

This book was fun and less chaotic than I expected it to be.

The multiple POVs needed their own separate chapters. It felt clunky reading multiple points of view in one page.

The storyline was fun and inspiring but the ending was predictable. I love Zola but I genuinely wasn’t invested in her relationship with her love interest. Their relationship read bland.

The Mbali and Okuhle storyline just made me dislike Mbali a little.

Overall, this was a fun and quick read!

[Thathu Conco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a lovely read. Quite easy to flow through. I loved that it wasn't overly dramatic, just two people navigating relationship dynamics. Okuhle was a nutcase, I loved hating on her. But towards the end of the book, I started sympathising with her a little bit. She wasn't a bad person, she was just in a bad circumstance.
I don't like third person narrative, so it took me longer to get through it, but overall, I really loved it, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

[Masego · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off interesting but it definitely got rushed at some point. A lot of cliché parts in the book. Wish the author would’ve taken the time to properly give us each main character’s POV separately instead of just merging them all in one chapter. I guess it’s one of those books you can read if you want to pass time

[NwabiReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun, quick and light hearted! Enjoyed the characters and their personalities although Zola’s “upturnedness” did annoy me some. I liked the messy aspect within the story and it kept me engaged! It did feel a bit disjointed due to the 3rd person without clear povs but it wasn’t hard to follow!

[Mbali Tyolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a romance book girl, but this book got close to making me one. This is a beautiful, light and easy going read. The kind of airy romance that is nice to digest.

Zibu did something great with this book, looking forward to reading the sequel.

I highly recommend the book.

[PalesaBookedBeyondWords · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a book!!!
I definitely enjoyed reading this book, the drama in the first few chapters kept me captivated. This book is so relatable one would swear it’s reality.

Definitely a book worth reading 👍🏽

[Keitumetse Taunyane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice and easy read.
I wish (maybe I missed) the description of Zola and Okuhle. At one point Zola was questioning their similarity.
left on a cliff hanger.
Story felt pretty realistic, that was nice. Felt myself relating to Okuhle in some ways.
Book 2 here I come!

[Valerie Kubheka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Loved it!

[LizBetweenTheLines · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple fast paced and lighthearted read! Found myself sympathising with Okuhle. Also, Zola’s not as chaotic as I expected from reviews. She’s literally just a girl.

[Read along with me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly loved every second of this book. It was so funny.

[La Penna Blu · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I liked the premise and the setting but the characters felt a bit like cardboard cutouts

[Neems · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightfully easy read - and I couldn't be sure of where it was going.

[Nobesuthu Nazo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty mild read for me but I am looking forward to starting I do...Don't I? Just to see if Zola and Mbali survive the distance between Rwanda and Johannesburg.

[Ntsako Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

a very easy and fun read. so exciting to read and enjoy something from a South African author :)

[LUNTU SIPUKA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the book. What a light read , kept me glued. Love how Zola and Mbali love is.

[Kelebogile Setlhaku · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute book. Loved the romance. Very fast paced. Quick read to get you out of a reading slump. Love Zola. I can’t wait to see what is going to happen in the next book.

[Cheraé · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rom-com I never even knew I needed. lol
I sped through these pages on a 10 hour road trip. Perfect for easy holiday reading. I found myself laughing, gushing and smiling with the relatability of the characters, their relationships and the familiar Joburg setting. Totally (and secretly) looking forward to the sequel.