Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for gifting me with an ARC of Maame by Jessica George. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

I admit the wonderful cover art initially caught my eye and then the buzz surrounding this debut led me to request a review copy. I began with the E- copy but decided to purchase the audio, which really brought the richness of George’s prose to life. Print and audio are both fantastic.

Maddie, a twenty-five year old Ghanaian girl living in London with her parents and older brother is a late bloomer. While her friends went off to uni and have begun to live out their lives, Maddie has remained home to care for her father, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease. When an opportunity arises for Maddie to move out and begin to carve out her own life she learns adulting isn’t easy but there are wonderful rewards too. This story is full of familial love, self love, acceptance, aspirations, grief, growth and ultimately happiness.

While I enjoyed plenty in this book unfortunately it felt a bit recycled. I do believe George is a new talent and an author to watch for.

I requested this arc months ago after reading the synopsis and being drawn in by the beautiful cover, so I was excited when Jenna picked it as her February selection and shared that she’s adapting it for t.v.

Did I like it? Yes. Will I watch its adaptation? Sure. Was it as amazing as Jenna made it out to be? Um, nope.

How did it rate for me on a scale of 1-5? When it comes to the writing and storyline it’s a 3, maybe rounded up to 3.5 for the cultural references and educational tidbits I scooped up throughout.

Maddie is living in London and is the primary care taker for her father who is deteriorating from Parkinson’s. Her mother spends much of her time in Ghana and her brother can’t be bothered with family responsibilities. Maame means “mother” or “woman” in Twi, a term Maddie soon comes to resent as she struggles with the burdens cast upon her.

When the time comes for her to move out, start dating, and meet new friends, Maddie must navigate this new world of “firsts.” Jenna compared this to a Bridgette Jones laugh out loud storyline, but it didn’t even come close and is much heavier in content and desperately lacking in humor.

What worked for me: Maddie is loveable. She honors her family despite having to have taken on adult roles early on and a mother who is self absorbed and absent. I enjoyed learning about their life in Ghana and family traditions.

What didn’t: The whole story felt pretty cookie cutter. You knew where every plot line was going and how every character was going to act. There wasn’t anything really new here and definitely more overhyped than I expected.

Madi a 25 yo British-Ghanaian woman living in London. She is the primary caretaker of her dad- he has Parkinson's and so she spends a lot of her time at home making sure hes tended to and pursuing a career she's not crazy about -but it's paying the bills. Unfortunately, a lot of the responsibility falls on her shoulders because her mom spends time between London and Ghana and her brother is kind of doing his own thing, so she is very much the responsible one in the family.

The book starts as Madi is finally taking a leap and moves out of her family home and tries to start her own life and find out who she is. she makes new friends and goes out on her own a bit when -unfortunately- tragedy strikes and it makes her reevaluate everything.


i cannot stress enough how much i loved this book. A comp for it would be queenie by candice carty williams, but i liked maame even more. I cant think of 1 bad thing to say about it. Madi and the other characters feel real. There are real issues and it’s not saccharine…. There wasnt a bow that resolved everything at the end…shes just a real woman finding her own way. I loved the exploration of madi’s culture and her relationship with her mom. This book is a perfect quarter life crisis book. Its about Putting yourself out there and about finding yourself. This one definitely made me cry. Be sure to check TW if youre curious- about specific scenes that could be upsetting to some readers. I have to say i think it will end up on my best of 2023 list. Maame jessica george

Uplifting and encouraging coming of age story told with real emotion and love. Spanning a brief time period, but including an amazing amount of growth and change in that short period.

Maame is a raw, moving, and at times excruciating to read story of a young woman coming to terms with grief, family, sex, mental illness, and herself.

Things I appreciated:
-How much this book made me feel things. My predominant feelings during the middle 75% of the book were *uncomfortable* and *squirmy*, with a bit of angry, which wasn't particularly pleasant but was remarkable, nonetheless...
-The way Jessica George guides Maddie, the MC, through her self-discovery, generally, and, more specifically, through her acceptance of help around mental health issues and her ability to advocate for herself.
-Maddie's friendship with Shu and Nia.
-How George writes grief.
-How George writes about racism, including fetishization and microagressions.
-The handful of very funny bits of writing peppered throughout the book.

Things I didn't appreciate:
-The concept of virginity not being challenged as a social construct.
-"Sex" seemingly being defined as penis + vagina, rather than the full suite of things it can be.
-Enthusiastic consent not being explored as much as it could have been, considering that sex and discomfort around sex was such a strong theme in this book.
-The bi-representation was disappointing, and kind of fell into negative bisexual stereotypes.

This is an impressive, well written debut novel, and I look forward to seeing what Jessica George writes next.

I really loved this book. I felt for Maddie throughout the book between the death of her father, her complicated relationship with her mother and seeking therapy and learning more about herself. A wonderful coming of age story.

Read this book in two days!!! Funny and sweet and all together an awesome read. I would recommend to all my friends! Thank you for the ATC

Maame is one of the best debut novels I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time.

This is an incredibly moving story about a young woman who finds herself in a situation that forces her to make choices and decisions causing her to grow up very quickly in order to take care of her family. Through all of this though, who is taking care of her?

Jessica George's novel will tug at your heartstrings and leave you aching for more as you immerse yourself in this beautiful story of family, love, struggle, and hope.

Beautiful book that I highly recommend.

Every once in a while you come across a book that is so good that you are shocked to find out that it was a debut. That is how I felt about Maame. The writing was excellent and Jessica George has such a strong narrative voice. I found myself relating a lot to Maddie and was really rooting for her. This book was both funny and heartbreaking at times, and I am definitely going to be thinking about it for a long time. Already a contender to make it to my top 10 list of the year.

What an impressive debut! Maddie is undoubtedly a character that will stay with me for a long time. How joyful, and at times heartbreaking, to watch her come into herself as a character. What I enjoyed most about this novel, besides Maddie herself, was the breadth George covers in terms of topic. It's impressive that she wove in family dynamics, grief, sex, racism, and mental health without any of it feeling like it was an afterthought.

The one thing that took me out of this story a bit was the interludes of Google searches. I understood their function and was happy to see Maddie rely on them less as the story continued, but they would take me out of the narrative.

Comparisons to Bridget Jones and Queenie are apt, but even if the story feels familiar, I think it is absolutely worth a read to get to know Maddie.

What an engaging yet hard to read debut novel by Jessica George. The story is both heartbreaking yet up lifting. I had a hard time connecting with it at times but think because age difference. So totally different priorities and life point of views.

Wow, this book had my hooked right away. So well written, and fresh. It had vibes from some other books I’ve loved, but felt younger and more modern. Wonderful read, that I highly recommend.

Let me start by saying I was hoping to be over the moon about this book after reading but I wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed it and the flow of it was good. I just didn’t find my self thinking about it days later. This story is about Maddie an African girl that has basically raised herself. She is very GREEN when it comes to the ways of life and the world. There are some triggers in this book mainly depression and severe anxiety. Maddie or what her family calls her Maame is beautiful, smart and funny. Too bad she doesn’t know it. She yerns to be loved but looks for it in all the wrong places. She has placed her life on hold to care for her father. She is the glue that holds this family together but even the glue can Start to crack. Crack is just what Maddie did emotionally. The author gave us Maddie’s story of growth and self discovery. My heart broke for Maddie because she like so many have to sacrifice their childhood way to early. This was a 3.5 star read for me.

What a surprisingly book that brought me so much delight. First of all, as with most books that I love, it is funny! Maddie’s wry sense of humor and internal monologue cracked me up, when they weren’t making me cry. Because yes, it’s also very sad. It’s a portrait of grief, and finding yourself when there are many factors against you. I was frequently frustrated by the things Maddie’s goes through, and though I felt like the end may have been a little too tidy, I was really happy with it. I half listened/half read the print copy of this one.

This brightly colored gem has set mockingly on my TBR shelf for some time, I think it is because I saw myself in Maddie and was not ready to confront that---yet. That said, this book will hit many of your 2023 (and beyond) markers: it is a book written by a Black woman; it is a debut novel; it is a book club pick which will be adapted; it is a coming of age story.

All told, one will have much to discuss when reading in a book club setting. And for those like me, who are dealing with grief, do take care of yourself when reading.

Maame is a beautifully written novel depicting the life of a 25-year-old woman named Maddie, who has put her life on hold to care for her father who has Parkinson’s Disease. The responsibility has fallen on her as her mother spends much of her time in Ghana and her brother is focused on his own life. When Maddie's mother moves back to London from Ghana for a year, Maddie takes the opportunity to move out and experience life as a typical woman in her 20s.
This book was fantastic. It handles so many heavy topics, including grief, depression and racism, but still manages to include many light-hearted moments. Maddie is such a wonderful character that you can't help but root for. I loved this book and definitely recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love a book when you feel like you are sitting right there with the main character. Jessica George did a great job of creating characterization in the book Maame.

Maddie, the main character, was born in England to Ghanian parents. Her mom is pretty much an absentee mom who spends most of her time in Ghana, and her brother doesn't have time for family. As an adult, Maddie stays home to take care of her dad who has Parkinson's disease. Having had a parent with Parkinson's, this book hit a little too close to home, but George does a beautiful job of describing the ailing father. "Maame" is a Ghana name for mother, woman, or responsible one. This describes Maddie perfectly.

The book takes you on a emotional rollercoaster. At times, I was laughing out loud right beside Maddie in her self-deprecating ways, and other times, my heart was breaking right along with her.

This is a growing of age book, even though it happens for Maddie in her twenties, even her first boyfriend.

I gave this book five stars. It wasn't an "I can't put this book down" kind of book, but it warmed my heart. It is filled with life lessons, and it is a book I will remember for awhile.

I was given this book for my honest review.

🎧📱 “Maame” by Jessica George

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
published January 31, 2023

I really loved this book- great character development and a relatable, easy writing style. The novel is emotional- sad, but yet uplifting and hopeful, filled with great messages.

Maddie is a 25 year old Ghanian woman living in London, while trying to figure out who she is. A people pleasing, self-proclaimed late bloomer, having spent most of her life caring for others. Her life consists of work and home. She is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s disease. Her mother spends most of her time in Ghana, and always has an excuse as to why she needs more from Maddie. At work, her boss is a nightmare- Maddie is overworked, overwhelmed and tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.

When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie is excited to get out of the family home and finally start living. She finds some roommates and a flat, says yes to after-work drinks, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. I laughed, cried and rooted for Maddie as she discovers who she is, what she wants, the complexity of love, and friendship. A family tragedy forces Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and who she is.


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For a debut novel, this one wasn't bad! I am fairly reserved with my stars, and this one was awarded three simply by the fact that the middle of the novel seemed to drag on, and on for me.
I was engrossed with the first and last quarters of the book, but I feel with a firmer edit - this book could have easily moved towards 4, or 5 stars.
The "google" references were overdone for me. It was a cute quirk the first few times, but it got boring as they continued. This would have been better if it was a simply been a paraphrased answer by the narrator, along the lines of "according to google this is [fill in the blank]".
I emphasized deeply with the MC and the guilt she felt not being there for her father, having lost my own mom to illness and understanding her guilt, but I think her inability to function in her day to day was lost on me and I couldn't help but become frustrated that she had a new job that she just checked out of, and immediately upon her determination to return it was all sunshine and roses. I guess what I'm trying to say is the middle of the story dragged and the end seemed rushed. The pacing of the book just felt off to me.

Overall, did I enjoy it? Yes. I think George has the potential to be a brilliant author, but much like the manuscript that Maddie submits in the novel, I'd like to see a version that she's put more time into perfecting.

This stunning portrait of grief and healing hit me right in the gut. Maddie is such a multidimensional character, and her growth throughout the story was beautiful to see, even if it took a heartbreaking loss to find it. Jessica George’s prose is gorgeous without being overly flowery, and despite being a character driven novel, it still moved at a steady pace. I really loved that this is a coming of age story, but the main character is several years older than is generally found in this type of book. I also really enjoyed how much Ghanaian culture was included, and that the author shows how sometimes the traditions that make us who we are can also stifle growth and hold us back. Maame is a truly breathtaking story that kept me captivated from beginning to end.