What do you think?
Rate this book
The Second Verse
The second verse of any song has to be more killer than the first. Always. The rhythm has to slap. The lyrics must be on point. The feeling intense. And the impact mad-definitive. It’s just the way it is. In the same way, if you do well once in life, then you always have to be better from that point onwards. No doubt.
East London, aka Slummies, circa 1998. Bokang Damane is a dreamer and an outsider with mad problems. Things only get worse when everyone thinks he wants to off himself just because he wrote an essay on suicide. Really? Talk about d.r.a.m.a.
Life at the moment is just a sorry son-of-a-checklist of insolvable problems. Problem #1: Not black enough for the black kids and too black for the white kids. Yep, that’s what happens when you attend a mad-pompous all boys’ college and live in the burbs. Problem #2: Family finances are a joke – they can’t even afford Bokang’s initiation. Now he can’t get props like any decent Xhosa man. Problem #3: An alcoholic, gambling attorney for a father who expects the world to bend to his will.
What’s a man gotta do? Apart from freaking the hell out?
Bokang just wants to rap, sketch and be left alone. Everyone keeps yacking on about Bokang reaching his true potential but everyone keeps getting in the way.
So what happens?
Boy meets girl. It wouldn’t be much of a story otherwise.
East London, aka Slummies, circa 1998. Bokang Damane is a dreamer and an outsider with mad problems. Things only get worse when everyone thinks he wants to off himself just because he wrote an essay on suicide. Really? Talk about d.r.a.m.a.
Life at the moment is just a sorry son-of-a-checklist of insolvable problems. Problem #1: Not black enough for the black kids and too black for the white kids. Yep, that’s what happens when you attend a mad-pompous all boys’ college and live in the burbs. Problem #2: Family finances are a joke – they can’t even afford Bokang’s initiation. Now he can’t get props like any decent Xhosa man. Problem #3: An alcoholic, gambling attorney for a father who expects the world to bend to his will.
What’s a man gotta do? Apart from freaking the hell out?
Bokang just wants to rap, sketch and be left alone. Everyone keeps yacking on about Bokang reaching his true potential but everyone keeps getting in the way.
So what happens?
Boy meets girl. It wouldn’t be much of a story otherwise.
Paperback
Published June 1, 2022
5 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 22, 2022
“Talk to her. A woman will make a man out of you, more than any man. You remember that. “
Bokang makes the ‘mistake’ of writing an essay about suicide. Does he want to die? He doesn’t really know, but he didn’t think writing this one piece would pull his life in so many directions.
Bokang just wants to be, to figure out who he is and what he wants to do. Life has a funny way of screwing our perceptions. He has to deal with a family dynamic borderline on the unhealthy. Teenage emotions, friendships, love and how the hell is he suppose to go to college when he doesn’t know what he wants!!!
He’s a teenager, that still has to become a man. In the traditional Xhosa sense. What does it mean to become a man?
This book is filled with so much. Words falter me, but to put it into simpler terms.
- an alcoholic father
- depression
- the love of art
- others overwhelming expectations
- growing up and dealing with friendships while growing up
- navigating girls or Love in general
- honestly just a sense of what is life about, what am I suppose to do.
- last one, dreams. Does it mean you haven’t achieved something if you quote unquote don’t get there?
This book is what life is about. Learning, loving and growing up. How growing up isn’t always what we expected and never has to be. This book is more magical than I deserved and I loved every second of it 😭❤️
Bokang makes the ‘mistake’ of writing an essay about suicide. Does he want to die? He doesn’t really know, but he didn’t think writing this one piece would pull his life in so many directions.
Bokang just wants to be, to figure out who he is and what he wants to do. Life has a funny way of screwing our perceptions. He has to deal with a family dynamic borderline on the unhealthy. Teenage emotions, friendships, love and how the hell is he suppose to go to college when he doesn’t know what he wants!!!
He’s a teenager, that still has to become a man. In the traditional Xhosa sense. What does it mean to become a man?
This book is filled with so much. Words falter me, but to put it into simpler terms.
- an alcoholic father
- depression
- the love of art
- others overwhelming expectations
- growing up and dealing with friendships while growing up
- navigating girls or Love in general
- honestly just a sense of what is life about, what am I suppose to do.
- last one, dreams. Does it mean you haven’t achieved something if you quote unquote don’t get there?
This book is what life is about. Learning, loving and growing up. How growing up isn’t always what we expected and never has to be. This book is more magical than I deserved and I loved every second of it 😭❤️
July 7, 2022
What a debut novel. Brilliant. When I read the following write-up about the book in the Daily Maverick I knew this was a book I'd like to read. My reasons were: My sister had lived in slummies (EL) and I visit there annually, so I know it fairly well; I grew up in a (what was then) white boys' high school as my dad was a teacher there, and finally, I like books that include psychological observations about people.
"East London, 1998. When Bokang Damane, who attends a predominantly white boys’ college, writes a school essay on suicide, everyone thinks he wants to kill himself. Meanwhile, family finances are floundering – his parents can’t even afford his initiation into manhood – while his alcoholic dad is spiralling out of control. Then he meets Nokwanda.
“This is a coming-of-age story for anyone who has ever tried making sense of life while living in conflicting realities, and trying to pretend that completely losing it isn’t the most inevitable outcome,”Onke Mazibuko says of The Second Verse, his debut novel. "
..................and read it I did.
In fact, I devoured it.
It was difficult (as an 'older' white South African), to find any way to share in the private lives of black people, especially for those who were teenagers before 1994 and before the internet took over. In the 70s and 80s, we were so separated from each other and my little world was so protected and sterile in comparison with what other people of my age were going through. My younger son (12)makes friends with any person, for me, it wasn't that simple. I loved that Mr Mazibuko made this 'other' world more accessible for me, and also that he showed me that teenagers everywhere also go through many of the same thought patterns no matter who they are or where they live.
In addition to the main protagonist Bokang (who you get to know so well that you even peer into his dreams), who is such a likeable dude (and you only want the best for him), I also loved the balance in this book, between some psychology and philosophy but also not too much. Some important observations are made but you as the reader are given a lot of latitude to make your own decisions.
Mazibuko's words are very 'readable', and I hope he will write a lot more as I am a big big fan...
Now I'm going to hand this book over to my son as I think it's also great YA fiction.
Thank you Mr Onke Mazibuko. Please write us another book soon.
"East London, 1998. When Bokang Damane, who attends a predominantly white boys’ college, writes a school essay on suicide, everyone thinks he wants to kill himself. Meanwhile, family finances are floundering – his parents can’t even afford his initiation into manhood – while his alcoholic dad is spiralling out of control. Then he meets Nokwanda.
“This is a coming-of-age story for anyone who has ever tried making sense of life while living in conflicting realities, and trying to pretend that completely losing it isn’t the most inevitable outcome,”Onke Mazibuko says of The Second Verse, his debut novel. "
..................and read it I did.
In fact, I devoured it.
It was difficult (as an 'older' white South African), to find any way to share in the private lives of black people, especially for those who were teenagers before 1994 and before the internet took over. In the 70s and 80s, we were so separated from each other and my little world was so protected and sterile in comparison with what other people of my age were going through. My younger son (12)makes friends with any person, for me, it wasn't that simple. I loved that Mr Mazibuko made this 'other' world more accessible for me, and also that he showed me that teenagers everywhere also go through many of the same thought patterns no matter who they are or where they live.
In addition to the main protagonist Bokang (who you get to know so well that you even peer into his dreams), who is such a likeable dude (and you only want the best for him), I also loved the balance in this book, between some psychology and philosophy but also not too much. Some important observations are made but you as the reader are given a lot of latitude to make your own decisions.
Mazibuko's words are very 'readable', and I hope he will write a lot more as I am a big big fan...
Now I'm going to hand this book over to my son as I think it's also great YA fiction.
Thank you Mr Onke Mazibuko. Please write us another book soon.
June 1, 2025
The Second Verse is author Onke Mazibuko’s debut novel. Published in 2022, it introduces a brilliant new voice in the South African literary scene and I’m eager to read what he publishes next.
This is a YA novel (with definite cross-over appeal) that reads with immediacy, in part thanks to the present-tense narrative structure. It captures the sense of urgency felt by our protagonist, Bokang, as he begins to think about life after high school while navigating a challenging home life, shifting friendships, and mental health struggles. Honestly, it transported me back to own own high-school days and reminded me of the angst of the “looming real world” as that life chapter drew to a close.
It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the East London high school slang of the 1990s. But once I settled into it, I was hooked. It adds authenticity and grounds the story in its cultural milieu.
Running through much of the novel is Bokang’s desire to go through the Xhosa manhood initiation, along with the questions that follow about what it means to be a man. I think the novel handles this brilliantly. In a time when there is conversation around “toxic masculinity,” this story, often in quiet and subtle ways, makes clear that there is not just one way to be a man, and that care and compassion are deeply human and deeply valid qualities to bring into that identity.
The novel transported me to a world very different from my own (though Bokang and I would have been in high school at the same time in South Africa), and for that journey I am truly thankful.
This is a YA novel (with definite cross-over appeal) that reads with immediacy, in part thanks to the present-tense narrative structure. It captures the sense of urgency felt by our protagonist, Bokang, as he begins to think about life after high school while navigating a challenging home life, shifting friendships, and mental health struggles. Honestly, it transported me back to own own high-school days and reminded me of the angst of the “looming real world” as that life chapter drew to a close.
It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the East London high school slang of the 1990s. But once I settled into it, I was hooked. It adds authenticity and grounds the story in its cultural milieu.
Running through much of the novel is Bokang’s desire to go through the Xhosa manhood initiation, along with the questions that follow about what it means to be a man. I think the novel handles this brilliantly. In a time when there is conversation around “toxic masculinity,” this story, often in quiet and subtle ways, makes clear that there is not just one way to be a man, and that care and compassion are deeply human and deeply valid qualities to bring into that identity.
The novel transported me to a world very different from my own (though Bokang and I would have been in high school at the same time in South Africa), and for that journey I am truly thankful.
October 12, 2025
3.5 rating
November 4, 2022
The Second Verse by psychologist Onke Mazibuko is a pertinent yet relatable book about family, parenthood, manhood and mental wellness issues. In it, Mazibuko paints a familiar picture of how alcoholism and gambling could lead to disruptive behaviours not only damaging family structures but also causing childhood traumas. From a new voice in the literary landscape this debut novel hums a breezy rhythm layered with poetic tranquillity, a soundtrack to a teenage boy’s coming of age.
Set in East London, South Africa in the late 1990s, the protagonist Bokang Damane, typical of any teenager, is a dreamer, sketcher and a loner. Of course physical appearance can be deceiving; internally Bokang is dealing with heavy psychological and emotional issues.
Narrated in Bokang’s voice, the overall tone of the book is laid-back and very mindful in dissecting the ever-troublesome and often-triggering themes of depression, alcoholism and suicide. Mazibuko’s writing makes these heavy themes of human problems - in a gentle way - understandable and empathetic
If you enjoyed Yewande Omotoso’s Bom Boy (2011) and John Hunt’s The Boy Who Could Keep a Swan in His Head (2018) then this book is right up your alley. Ultimately The Second Verse is a reflection on second chances. It is a contemporary title that reminds us that despite the support from family and friends; we must find ways; as individuals; to bounce back a thousand times stronger from our wretched existence. It’s an encouragement for us to raise the bar every time we overcome adversity.
The Second Chance brings compassion, empathy and understanding on how - as adults - we need to better relate with our young boys and girls.
#bookreview #books2020 #youngadultfiction #mentalillness #mentalwellness
Book Review by: Rolland Simpi Motaung 2022 ©
Set in East London, South Africa in the late 1990s, the protagonist Bokang Damane, typical of any teenager, is a dreamer, sketcher and a loner. Of course physical appearance can be deceiving; internally Bokang is dealing with heavy psychological and emotional issues.
Narrated in Bokang’s voice, the overall tone of the book is laid-back and very mindful in dissecting the ever-troublesome and often-triggering themes of depression, alcoholism and suicide. Mazibuko’s writing makes these heavy themes of human problems - in a gentle way - understandable and empathetic
If you enjoyed Yewande Omotoso’s Bom Boy (2011) and John Hunt’s The Boy Who Could Keep a Swan in His Head (2018) then this book is right up your alley. Ultimately The Second Verse is a reflection on second chances. It is a contemporary title that reminds us that despite the support from family and friends; we must find ways; as individuals; to bounce back a thousand times stronger from our wretched existence. It’s an encouragement for us to raise the bar every time we overcome adversity.
The Second Chance brings compassion, empathy and understanding on how - as adults - we need to better relate with our young boys and girls.
#bookreview #books2020 #youngadultfiction #mentalillness #mentalwellness
Book Review by: Rolland Simpi Motaung 2022 ©
August 5, 2022
This novel was recommended by The Book Lounge, Cape Town whose opinion on all matters literary count! Is it my type of book, yes, because it challenged, was informative and I felt I gained an insight in to Khosa tradition which helped me to understand things that have previously perplexed!
It took a while to get going; written in the first person in teenage “patois” took a while to flow, however, a little like Keith Richard’s autobiography, it was worth the effort. It’s not a page turner, I’m glad I’m on holiday as it gave me the space and time to concentrate my efforts. Dysfunctional families, alcoholics and the fall out of their addiction are not new topics. However, to a white European, the Khosa cultural tradition of “initiation” is something I’ve never understood holistically. The book is set in the nineties, time was moving on in the way society reacted towards the ceremony. In those times, feminism, gender equality, responsibility and social awareness were lost to the manhood mantra. I wonder if that’s why the book is set in those times?
The tragedy of dysfunctional families and alcoholics all played out in to what became a neat ending, everything was just fine. I’m not sure the rest of the novel required a convenient end, is life like that? Never the less, I’m grateful for the recommendation and the writers creativity.
It took a while to get going; written in the first person in teenage “patois” took a while to flow, however, a little like Keith Richard’s autobiography, it was worth the effort. It’s not a page turner, I’m glad I’m on holiday as it gave me the space and time to concentrate my efforts. Dysfunctional families, alcoholics and the fall out of their addiction are not new topics. However, to a white European, the Khosa cultural tradition of “initiation” is something I’ve never understood holistically. The book is set in the nineties, time was moving on in the way society reacted towards the ceremony. In those times, feminism, gender equality, responsibility and social awareness were lost to the manhood mantra. I wonder if that’s why the book is set in those times?
The tragedy of dysfunctional families and alcoholics all played out in to what became a neat ending, everything was just fine. I’m not sure the rest of the novel required a convenient end, is life like that? Never the less, I’m grateful for the recommendation and the writers creativity.
Read
July 11, 2022~Adults don't allow kids to have opinions, especially if these opinions differ from theirs.~
~It's nothing like our house. First off, she lives in a double storey. Secondly, the garden loos like a place where angles come to frolic. Thirdly, it looks like happiness lives here and not some ghosts from the past.~
~Everybody is out here preaching about brotherly bonding, which will help us overcome the old enemy, but all I see are more reasons to justify bullying. Anybody who isn't ruby-mad is an easy target.~
~You know, the second verse of any song has to be more killer than the first. Always. The rhythm has to slap. The lyrics must be o point. The feeling intense. And the impact mad-definitive. It's just the way it is. In the same way, if you do well once in life, then you always have to be better from that point onwards.~
~A woman will make a man out of you, more than any man.~
~It's nothing like our house. First off, she lives in a double storey. Secondly, the garden loos like a place where angles come to frolic. Thirdly, it looks like happiness lives here and not some ghosts from the past.~
~Everybody is out here preaching about brotherly bonding, which will help us overcome the old enemy, but all I see are more reasons to justify bullying. Anybody who isn't ruby-mad is an easy target.~
~You know, the second verse of any song has to be more killer than the first. Always. The rhythm has to slap. The lyrics must be o point. The feeling intense. And the impact mad-definitive. It's just the way it is. In the same way, if you do well once in life, then you always have to be better from that point onwards.~
~A woman will make a man out of you, more than any man.~
May 9, 2025
The first verse of Bokang’s life is rocky. Teachers at his private South African school during junior year are horrified at his essay including a list of ways to end your life. Bokang spent some time in a mental health institution when he was younger and the stresses are mounting up again. There is bullying at school, worry about his Xhosa manhood ceremony, and the endless stress between his demanding, drunken lawyer father and his mother.
Rescued after despair had led him to lie down in the train tracks, Bokang begins the hard work of making a second verse to his life that is better than the first. Vividly drawn friends and family accompany Bokang on the still difficult journey of becoming a man and determining his own priorities. It’s a compelling story and a vivid setting. Readers may be disturbed by racial name calling and racist stereotypes. Circumcision during the manhood ceremony is frankly described. EARC from Edelweiss.
Rescued after despair had led him to lie down in the train tracks, Bokang begins the hard work of making a second verse to his life that is better than the first. Vividly drawn friends and family accompany Bokang on the still difficult journey of becoming a man and determining his own priorities. It’s a compelling story and a vivid setting. Readers may be disturbed by racial name calling and racist stereotypes. Circumcision during the manhood ceremony is frankly described. EARC from Edelweiss.
June 11, 2025
I loved this book. A coming of age story, which is not my preferred genre, but this one was exceptional.
An older teenager living in the Eastern Cape has an alcoholic father and 2 younger siblings. Sound familiar?
But it was the treatment that made this so good.
Clear, simple language, brilliant dialogue, a real insight into boys of this age.
I think it should be prescribed for Gr11 or Gr12.
This is fiction but I'm reminded of Touch my Blood by Fred Khumalo, which was autobiographical. I gave it a young black man I knew about 20 years ago who was struggling mentally and financially. He later told me it made a difference to him.
An older teenager living in the Eastern Cape has an alcoholic father and 2 younger siblings. Sound familiar?
But it was the treatment that made this so good.
Clear, simple language, brilliant dialogue, a real insight into boys of this age.
I think it should be prescribed for Gr11 or Gr12.
This is fiction but I'm reminded of Touch my Blood by Fred Khumalo, which was autobiographical. I gave it a young black man I knew about 20 years ago who was struggling mentally and financially. He later told me it made a difference to him.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews