Winner - Maskew Miller Longman 2013 Literature Awards. "Time seemed to stand still as she cried her heart out. As each tear fell it washed away the illusions that she'd held over the past weeks. Slowly her tears dried. In their place was a renewed clarity. Thembi knew what she needed to do to get her life back on track." Thembi loves to read and dreams about becoming a doctor. Her plans for her future are roughly interrupted when she discovers the devastating truth about her father - and Thembi becomes increasingly attracted to an exciting lifestyle of money, parties and fast cars. What will it take to shock Thembi into taking control of her life again - and will it be too late? "Second chances witnesses the tough challenges and choices facing young people growing up in urban South Africa today. The novel engages with important issues such as friendship, awakening sexuality, sugar daddies, and the danger of HIV and Aids. The main character, Thembi, has to cope with disappointment and her disillusionment, poignantly explored in this coming-of-age novel." Colleen Higgs, judge of the MML Literature Awards (English novel). The story is followed by notes, questions and activities to help readers deepen their enjoyment and understanding of the text.