Vaselinetjie

by Anoeschka Von Meck

Sy is Helena Bosman, maar Oupa en Oumie noem haar sommer Vaselinetjie. Sy is hul veldbosengeltjie; tot Vaselinetjie tien jaar oud is en die Welsyn haar laat wegstuur na die kosskool in Gauteng.

Genres: Fiction, Drama, School, Young Adult

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

In 2001 begin sy haar loopbaan as joernalis by Republike in in Windhoek en sou later vir verskeie gemeenskapskoerante in Suid-Afrika werk. Uiteindelik word sy as senior verslaggeefster by Rapport, Kaapstad, aangestel. Von Meck wen verskeie pryse as joernalis sowel as skrywer.

Reviews

[Margitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boek Opsomming

Sy is Helena Bosman van ’n piepklein dorpie doer ver in die Noord-Kaap, maar Oupa en Oumie noem haar sommer Vaselinetjie. Sy is hulle veldbosengeltjie, hulle hart se punt. Tot Vaselinetjie tien jaar oud is en die Welsyn haar laat wegstuur na die kosskool in Gauteng – die weeshuis waar Madiba se weggooikinders bly. Dis ’n vreemde, harde, gevaarlike wêreld van skomgatkinders, kwaai huistannies en ’n hardvogtige, onregverdige koshuisvader; van entjies rook, hare laat afskeer en planne maak om te whallap. Waar niemand oor jou traak nie, en waar jy ook leer om oor niemand te traak nie. Maar soos die maande jare word, kruis een naam telkens Vaselinetjie se pad: Texan Kirby. En daardie naam loop reguit na haar hart.

'n Besondere verhaal waarin: realiteit die botoon voer; 'n skootjie streekstaal uit die Noord-Kaap kleur bring; die gangster-mileu in die Wes-Kaap dreigend werklikheid word vir 'n oomblik; en die mallemule van 'n weeshuis naby die amper onmenslike omstandighede van die hole van Johannesburg bygemeng is.

Dis 'n storie met hart en empatie; 'n kykie in die lewe van 'n jong meisie wat aan hoop vasklou en die lewe inkleur soos wat sy dit wil glo. Iewers in die beskrywende, uitstekend-geskryfde saga, skuil die storie van die veldbosengeltjie, die weglêkindjie.

'n Paar treffende aanhalings:

"Killer sê kinderhuiskinders leer om baie te verdra, maar hoop is die ergte. en die wreedste."

"Daar is 'n huilverlange in haar keel"

"Die ure het hulle tyd gevat om in dae te verander"

Wyse Killer sê:"Het jy dan nog nie agtergekom nie, Vas? Seuns lewe hul frustrasie na buite toe uit deur iets te breek of iemand te foeter. Hulle maak seer omdat hulle seer is."

En meisies dan?

"Ons hoer, vreet, suip, raak aan dwelms verslaaf of trou met boelies. Miesies maak hullesélf seer."

Die storie het my diep geraak.

[Liz Labuschagne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written book well-worth the read. Could not help feeling quite sad while reading it. Would have liked to get an update on Vaselinetjies’ life, as I love happy endings. Google did not help me with any additional info though...

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. It definitely is nothing short of an absolute complete and utter tear-jerker.

Although one can not relate or completely feel what she was feeling it saddened me to the point of crying, because I was able to empathize with the head character as I am female too. I was trying to picture and imagine to myself what she was feeling and going through. The amount of hate and betrayal all at once - and at the same time no one even understood what she was really going through. I think this book should be used in many more ways than one. This book is a platform for women who have encountered the same experiences and it's something we all should learn from.

If you do not understand what the person is going through, don't judge and don't make comments. Be there for them in the best possible way you know how.

I always say in life there are just certain things that are unforgivable. And the very thing that happens in this book is one of the acts I deem as unforgivable. But maybe my turn of phrase is incorrectly used. What I am trying to say is that the act is so demeaning and disgusting, unpresidented and vulgar that the person who does something like this does not deserve the same rights as such of a human. His deeds are too inhumane for this individual to even be deemed as a human himself.

[Lydia Snyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book definitely gave me an insight to the life of those people, who, not only don't have a family to turn to, but those who feel their family chose to throw them out.
If you want a happy ending, leave now. This book will leave you shaking, crying and longing.
Longing for a second chance. Longing for the power to yield the word, as Anoeschka clearly has.
Longing to be Vas' friend and to guide her.



...This book dear reader


...will change you forever...

[Malan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd say 2.5 - wasn't as gripping or original as I was led to believe.

[Mandie]

I really feel there should be a 2nd book....Vas story cannot be finished.....and her friends...we need another book giving us closure...hope the author take note

[Karin Van Wyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book about 12 years ago as a bright-eyed 14 year old. And needless to say, I've reread it about 5 times ever since and it made me well up with emotion each time like the first.
This might not be the review that brings justice to this incredible book but all I have to say is it changed me. It made me look at life a little differently. It broke my heart and made me smile, it made me cry and I could never put it down and it's one of those books that are beautiful, not because it's filled with beautiful quotes but because it makes you feel something

[Theresa Venter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been exposed to this book as our literature read in Afrikaans in school.

It is raw in the sense that details are explained in depth without trying to put things lightly. I am grateful for the improved understanding of such situations and for getting a more realistic idea of how the world is experienced by children who find themselves in orphanages.

I was so intrigued by this reading that years later when the movie premiered, I immediately went to see it.

[Saskia DK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantasties geskryf. Diep, donker (soms ongemaklike) onderwerpe maar lees tog lekker en maklik. Daar is alles van hartseer tot oorwinning. Nie die tiepe hartseer wat jou in sak en as los nie, maar die tiepe hartseer waaruit jy groei en leer.
Die einde van die boek laat 'n mens ontevrede - asof daar nóg moes wees, maar dit bly steeds die moeite werd om te lees.

[Christine Byleveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die storie is hartroerend en by tye onstellend. Maar tog ook opbouend en leersaam. Dit eindig met hoop en verwagting.
Sou tog wonder hoekom die fliek nie ook so eindig nie?.....

[Armandina Machado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.8

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bitter lekker lees! Baie hartseer in die boek, maar ook baie goeie mense en Vaseline en haar vriendinne kruip diep in mens se hart in.

[Katya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vreeslik oulik, ek wens net sy het uitgegaan en verder die wêreld verken met Texan ipv terug Upington toe gaan.

[Mariska M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verskriklik goed net hartseer. Dit breek my hart om te weet dit gebeur rerig in die lewe.

[Donnay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75/5

[Fleatah · Rating 5 out of 5]

beste voorgeskrewe leesboek wat ons in afrikaansklas al gekry het <3

[Adeléne Hartzenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Onvergeetlik.ń moet lees!

[Nasstasja · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book captured the raw and tough life of orphans and all the difficulties they face.
When reading this book, the Author manages to draw you into this dirty and scary world and leaves you feeling vulnerable.
You take the journey with the orphans and and see them grow through their school years. You get happy for them and scared with them.

This is not a book I would normally read, but is a good read to break away from my normal genres.

[Esteé Hallatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually lost sleep (a lot!) trying to finish this book as quickly as I could - absolutely loved it!!!
The characters resonated with me more than those of any other book I've read in a long time and I wish I could've glimpsed the rest of their stories after the last chapter.

[Eleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So lekker Afrikaanse boek wat soos suurlemoen op jou tong rol. Dis 'n great boek, wat jou laat lag en huil op die selfde tyd.

[Samantha Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book. Would have liked if the end was a bit different

[Anrie Botha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sobering look into the being of innocence.
Seeing the world through her eyes, the character and the reader transforms.

[Linda Marais]

vaselinetjie

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for anyone who likes theirs books real. Vaselinetjie is insightful and deals with real problems. I loved it!

[Karin Spykerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An open window on the world of orphans and their unsettled lives .

[Jacqueline Sauls]

loved this book on school very good book