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75th out of 169 books
—
63 voters
The Girl Who Couldn't Say No
by
Tracy Engelbrecht (Goodreads Author)
“A sharp, occasionally shocking, memoir that will change how you look at young, single mothers, The Girl Who Couldn’t Say No is also an amusing look at dating as a single twenty-something with a teenager and a toddler.
Told with frank South African humour and refreshingly mature insight, Tracy Engelbrecht tells the story of how she came to find herself pregnant at 15 … and...more
Told with frank South African humour and refreshingly mature insight, Tracy Engelbrecht tells the story of how she came to find herself pregnant at 15 … and...more
ebook, 216 pages
Published
May 2011
(first published September 30th 2007)
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I liked it, but it was just okay.
The tone of the book was very "bloggy" for lack of a better word. It was chock full of side-stories and rambling and while it wasn't bad, it was sometimes hard to pick up the thread again after being off on a tangent for a few pages. Mostly this had to do with the author re-assuring the reader repeatedly that she is/was a GOOD GIRL, meaning that she wasn't promiscuous (and didn't want to be) when she found herself pregnant at 14. Which is all well and good, mista...more
The tone of the book was very "bloggy" for lack of a better word. It was chock full of side-stories and rambling and while it wasn't bad, it was sometimes hard to pick up the thread again after being off on a tangent for a few pages. Mostly this had to do with the author re-assuring the reader repeatedly that she is/was a GOOD GIRL, meaning that she wasn't promiscuous (and didn't want to be) when she found herself pregnant at 14. Which is all well and good, mista...more
Some life events are pretty much universal... falling in love, getting married... and becoming a teenage mom. It happens all the time, except what sets apart each event is when you have a writer voice something like Tracy's.
And still, as distinctive as Tracy's voice was, it took getting past the pregnancy test before her voice grew on me. I related very well to many, if not all of her experiences... the moods, grown-ups who encounter young girls in this 'situation', and other 'condiments' that g...more
And still, as distinctive as Tracy's voice was, it took getting past the pregnancy test before her voice grew on me. I related very well to many, if not all of her experiences... the moods, grown-ups who encounter young girls in this 'situation', and other 'condiments' that g...more
Dec 14, 2011
April
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
NO ONE
Shelves:
memiors
As Comic-Book Guy from 'The Simpsons' might say, Worst. Book. Ever. Okay, maybe not EVER but it's pretty awful. And I'm never getting that time back. I'm not a single mother - but I did have an unplanned child at an inopportune time.
The woman may have been 27/28 when the book was published, but it sounds like it comes straight from the diaries of well, a fifteen year old. Good concept, important subject matter, TERRIBLY executed.
Through the blood, tears, sweat, and what sounds like the massive...more
The woman may have been 27/28 when the book was published, but it sounds like it comes straight from the diaries of well, a fifteen year old. Good concept, important subject matter, TERRIBLY executed.
Through the blood, tears, sweat, and what sounds like the massive...more
Don’t laugh, but “randomly” meeting Tracy Engelbrecht (online – because where else do we meet people these days?) was some sort of Universal show of synchronicity. The Universe likes to do this to me.
Let me explain:
About six or seven years ago (holy crap I’m getting old!) I started writing a book about a pregnant teenager. I was hardly past being a teenager myself at that stage, but I just couldn’t do it. I had never been pregnant. And I therefore had no idea what I was talking about. I needed t...more
Let me explain:
About six or seven years ago (holy crap I’m getting old!) I started writing a book about a pregnant teenager. I was hardly past being a teenager myself at that stage, but I just couldn’t do it. I had never been pregnant. And I therefore had no idea what I was talking about. I needed t...more
8 likes · like · see review
Tracy got pregnant at 15. As with all teenage mothers, she struggled through all the hardships motherhood brings with it. This is her story of how she got through it and more.
Engelbrecht's humor and wit drew me into the book. I loved her wit and her sense of humor. There was, also, quite a bit of profanity in the book but it all belonged there. That was Tracy's personality and it gave you a real sense of her. As a mother, I found her insight on motherhood hilarious. I laughed out loud on several...more
Engelbrecht's humor and wit drew me into the book. I loved her wit and her sense of humor. There was, also, quite a bit of profanity in the book but it all belonged there. That was Tracy's personality and it gave you a real sense of her. As a mother, I found her insight on motherhood hilarious. I laughed out loud on several...more
Tracy finds out that she's pregnant at 14. But she's a Good Girl! These things don't happen to Good Girls! Yet she never makes excuses for having gotten pregnant at such a young age. She had sex, she got pregnant, end of story. Quite refreshing, really, in an age where folks seem to spend quite a bit of time blaming everyone and everything else for their own choices. At any rate, this memoir covers her pregnancy, from finding out she is indeed pregnant to telling her parents, up to the birth and...more
2 likes · like · see review
I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this book. Being a childless woman in her mid-twenties, I wasn't sure how I would relate to a book about Tracy, who found out she was going to be a mom when she was fourteen. I figured it would just be another whiny tale about men's trickery and the woes of being a teenage mom. I was dead wrong.
After finding out that she's pregnant, Tracy just accepts the fact and moves on from there. With very little whining (aside from that caused by hormones), Tracy...more
After finding out that she's pregnant, Tracy just accepts the fact and moves on from there. With very little whining (aside from that caused by hormones), Tracy...more
Tracy Engelbrecht could have written this book as a how-to to raising a child as a teen-age mother. The nice thing about this book is, she didn't! She uses wit and charm to captivate readers into turning one page after another. Her sincere concurrence to making bad mistakes makes Engelbrecht so real, so likable.
It's not a book you read for deep philosophical thought, no. However, I'll admit, Engelbrecht goes into quite a few literary tangents that surprised me--She's funny AND smart!
I'll admit,...more
It's not a book you read for deep philosophical thought, no. However, I'll admit, Engelbrecht goes into quite a few literary tangents that surprised me--She's funny AND smart!
I'll admit,...more
Even though teen pregnancy is not a light subject, this was a fun, light read. I loved reading about Tracy's adventure into motherhood and pregnancy starting at 14-years-old. As someone who experienced teenage pregnancy and motherhood, I have to say, it's about time! Yes, I understand that it is not the ideal situation and I would never encourage anyone to try it out, but it doesn't have to be a death of your hopes and dream, it can be beautiful. Tracy was very candid with her life and I have to...more
I loved the honesty and the unexpected story of a 14/15 year old girl, who turned out to be wise enough to make what could have been a disaster into something magical and transformative.
The tone is both defensive and open, full of quirky humour. The book made me appreciate what I have got and a little kick in the psychic butt to make the best of things.
I look forward to Tracy's next book!
The tone is both defensive and open, full of quirky humour. The book made me appreciate what I have got and a little kick in the psychic butt to make the best of things.
I look forward to Tracy's next book!
Jan 08, 2012
Rosie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kindle-editions,
read-2012
Got this book for free on my Kindle, the plot intrigued me so I thought why not? The book is fairly short so it makes for easy reading, in addition to this it’s sort of in diary form. Well, flashbacks really which also helps to read it in one sitting.
The book follows the author from finding out she was pregnant at 14 to where she is now. Now, I thought the story would go from her meeting David and their relationship then her getting pregnant and so on. Like in a consecutive sequence kinda thing,...more
The book follows the author from finding out she was pregnant at 14 to where she is now. Now, I thought the story would go from her meeting David and their relationship then her getting pregnant and so on. Like in a consecutive sequence kinda thing,...more
I did wonder what I was letting myself in for with this book. I very rarely read memoirs or autobiographies and was concerned that being childless, married and in my fifties would mean I would have difficulty identifying with Tracy or caring about her life. My concerns were groundless. By page two I was hooked. Tracy's description of Maria reminded of the girl in one of the Haribo adverts and that always makes me smile. I recognised the voices that live in Tracy's head, the sensible voice and th...more
As a soon-to-be first time mom, I enjoyed Tracy's bluntness and sense of humor throughout The Girl Who Couldn't Say No. Tracy addressed many of the fears I have about becoming a mom, and seeing that she tackled them head on at only 15 helps me have a bit more confidence in myself.
There is some heavy language in the book, but it is clearly a reflection of Tracy's personality and adds to the story, so it shouldn't be taken with great offense. Tracy repeatedly expresses her frustrations with "relig...more
There is some heavy language in the book, but it is clearly a reflection of Tracy's personality and adds to the story, so it shouldn't be taken with great offense. Tracy repeatedly expresses her frustrations with "relig...more
A story about a young girl who made a mistake but then realized it was a miracle. A chance for her life to mean something.
Written in first perspective, in a humorous and self deprecating style.
Its an enjoyable and refreshing point of view of a teenage mon.
The book does continue with her life and the second child. Its very clear how much she loves her children and how they mean the world to her.
My main pleasure was reading her terror of being a bad mom but happily everything worked out fine. Give...more
Written in first perspective, in a humorous and self deprecating style.
Its an enjoyable and refreshing point of view of a teenage mon.
The book does continue with her life and the second child. Its very clear how much she loves her children and how they mean the world to her.
My main pleasure was reading her terror of being a bad mom but happily everything worked out fine. Give...more
I enjoyed this Kindle book about the life of a girl who got pregnant at 14, but I would have liked it to go a little deeper into how she really felt and how people responded to her. The early part, about her life as a "normal" teenager and the shock of discovering she was pregnant, was really interesting but then she kind of went from the early baby days to toddlerdom in about three pages. The section sbout finding a nursery was an eye opener but then there was a lot of boring stuff about work a...more
There were parts in this book that I didn't like, however, have been there done that, there were more parts in this book that I loved. Talking about the mistake that Tracy made with the nipple on the bottle (Smaller holes for milk, compared to the bigger "X" shaped holes for thicker liquids...also for older babies) I have made that mistake. Being a teen mother myself, I know that I had a lot of the same thoughts running through my head. Am I going to be good enough to raise my child. It is lovel...more
I absolutely highly recommend this book! I have an eight month old daughter and Tracy’s descriptions of the feelings and craziness of motherhood brought tears to my eyes. While the funny bits had me laughing so hard, my hubby made me read them out loud – I did not go to sleep I was so absorbed! I guess being a South African I got the humour even more, saying that though, this book is for everyone no matter your culture or creed. You will recognise parts of yourself and be nodding along in agreem...more
This book was received as part of First Reads, will post a review when read... watch this space.
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I really enjoyed this book, it's a frank but readable account of a mother learning to be a mother. It doesn't matter particularly that Tracy is a teenage mum as the "bowing to those with some semblance of authority" was exactly the way I felt when first becoming a mum (at twice Tracy's age!) Mums (and maybe Dads if they're inclined to read a "girlie book") will identify with almost everything,...more
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I really enjoyed this book, it's a frank but readable account of a mother learning to be a mother. It doesn't matter particularly that Tracy is a teenage mum as the "bowing to those with some semblance of authority" was exactly the way I felt when first becoming a mum (at twice Tracy's age!) Mums (and maybe Dads if they're inclined to read a "girlie book") will identify with almost everything,...more
I got this book for free on my Kindle and the description seemed a bit intriguing so I thought why not? The writing style took a little while for me to get used to and I'll admit I liked the second half if the book better than the first. Tracy was only 14 when she got pregnant, 15 when she had her first child and she tells her story up until she's 28. I appreciated that the book wasn't "woe is me" for getting pregnant at such a young age and she seems to have had a good head on her shoulders thr...more
A quick, fun read. I loved Tracy's 'voice' and it kept me well entertained through the entire book.
This book was free on Kindle when I downloaded it in mid-December – although looking today it is now £2.60.
This is South African Tracy’s own story of how she came to be a teenage mum after falling pregnant at the tender age of 15. She was a Good Girl though, so how could this happen?
With Tracy now 28, this is written just how you could imagine a friend telling you about their past. It’s extremely easy to read, witty, often self-deprecating and tells the story of a smart, likeable girl who made w...more
This is South African Tracy’s own story of how she came to be a teenage mum after falling pregnant at the tender age of 15. She was a Good Girl though, so how could this happen?
With Tracy now 28, this is written just how you could imagine a friend telling you about their past. It’s extremely easy to read, witty, often self-deprecating and tells the story of a smart, likeable girl who made w...more
This book was hilarious and heartwarming. With all the other depictions of teen mothers out there, I found this author's story very refreshing. She was a smart, unassuming girl at fifteen who made a poor judgement call but stepped up to the plate with help from her family to raise her child and made a great mom. But it wasn't a sob-story, I loved the sense of humor she has about herself and what is happening around her because it is so honest. I felt like this was a great book about motherhood a...more
Tracey Engelbrecht got pregnant at fourteen and a half (she just doesn't want to say that to make her seem immature). This immediately captured my attention because I was once a teenage mother. However at 15 I could not imagine having a child. Tracey does not tell you that it was a horrible mistake or that she didn't know better. She tells you the story and how it really was. I realy enjoyed that she didn't put blame on others but takes full responsibility. Besides being a young mother she write...more
Thought this was a great book. The openness with which she writes is fresh and honest. You are plunged right into the midst of her life and all that goes with it. I think she writes like she talks and this, for me, was a book version of a girlie conversation I'd have with friends. You shake your head and shout at the book as you follow her ups and downs. Hats off to her, she's a plucky girl who's put her life in a book and how she's managed this on top of her lifestyle is pretty impressive.
A well written, emotional memoir. I found myself going from laughing to crying and back to laughing in a matter of pages and was really impressed with Tracy's ability to capture emotions in this way. I bought it straight away for my best friend who had a baby as a teenager to help her get through completing her degree. It's an inspiring book which breaks apart the teenage parent stereotype and shows that with a degree of determination it's possible to achieve something great.
This book is very hard for me to rate because I am torn. I really think Tracy Engelbrecht needed to think about what segment of readership she would be targeting. This would have been an important story to show teens and preteens the raw pain, emotion, embarrassment, and hardship suffered through a pregnancy at age 14. Instead, she thinks she's a comedian, adding filthy words and inappropriate inuendo; thereby, causing me to downgrade my valuation of her work from a solid 4 1/2 to a 2 1/2. Maybe...more
Read this book in looking for things to add to my 13 year old daughters Kindle. I loved it. A frank, funny, and touching memoir of a teenage mother. No whining, no excuses, on pity, no bragging. Just a frank exploration of her life and situation. At the end of it I felt as if the author would be someone I would love to have as a friend. Also it lead to a very good discussion about life with my daughter. I give it a high recommendation.
Sep 04, 2012
Angelbee
added it
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I do stongly suspect that you may need to be a teenage mom (or perhaps a mother, full stop!) to understand what she's on about some of the time.
Otherwise, it was a lovely, quick read that gives a nice insight into someone else's life...
I suppose it does help that I'm originally South African so the setting was familiar - it served as a nice reminder of home.
Otherwise, it was a lovely, quick read that gives a nice insight into someone else's life...
I suppose it does help that I'm originally South African so the setting was familiar - it served as a nice reminder of home.
I didn't know what I was getting into with this book. A friend was raving about it on Facebook, so I downloaded it since it was free. I figured that it was some kind of tragedy, so it sat, unread, on my phone for months. Once I started it, though, I couldn't put it down. It is funny, witty, and very much like what I went through as a teen mother. It wasn't some huge tragedy, it just was.
This book by Tracy Engelbrecht about a single mother was a very moving story. It could have been sexy, it could have been dirty, it could have been preachy, but it was none of these things. It is a story about a single mother who is trying to get by and who loves her child and then children. Thought I would not like it but I did.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
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Tracy Engelbrecht is a writer and mother of two. She lives in Cape Town and doesn’t grow freakishly large prizewinning vegetables, but she does do a nice lasagne and her children aren’t in therapy yet, so things are going well. She hardly ever drinks pina coladas or gets caught in the rain, but she’s working on it.
That’s the official story. The truth is, of course, much less exciting.
I was once Th...more
More about Tracy Engelbrecht...
That’s the official story. The truth is, of course, much less exciting.
I was once Th...more
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“Maybe the Truth of the Meaning of Life, Ancient and Arcane Knowledge of the Great Unknowable Universe is handed down only to persons presenting with the correct brand-name footwear. If you turn up wearing Shoe City knock-offs, you don't get to pass Go and collect Infinite Enlightenment.”
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updated May 29, 2012 10:10pm