I never wanted this book to end.

Jessica George has a brilliant writing style that I could not get enough of. I adored the characters, the plot- everything.

It was an incredibly powerful, engaging novel that I will not forget for an every long time. Maddie’s character written in such a way that was entirely relatable, she was so vibrant and real that I found myself aching for her- as if she was a real friend of mine.

Maame is a coming-of-age story featuring a GenZ woman navigating a complicated family, chronic depression, early career struggles, dating, and navigating London as a Ghanaian immigrant. All of these plot elements integrate nicely into a compelling story. Maddie is a very likable character - I was rooting for her for my entire reading time. Women interested in complicated family dramas, especially involving immigrants, will like the book.

The writing is generally excellent, but one aspect didn't work for me. Maddie frequently turns to Google to answer questions, so there are sections with the question posed and a list of random people answering (sort of like Quora). I found these interludes distracting and didn't contribute much to the story. They weren't distracting enough to downgrade my rating, and some readers may enjoy these asides.

I look forward to reading future works by this author.

I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

▫️REVIEW▫️

Maame ~ Jessica George

QUICK TAKE:
* Genre: contemporary fiction
* Pub Date: January 31, 2023
* Pages: 320
* Gist: “the responsible one” comes of age

Maddie’s life is a far cry from what other twenty-somethings in London are living. She is primary caretaker for her father who is suffering from Parkinson’s, while her mother and brother are seemingly absent. When she finally gets the opportunity to move out on her own, she decides this is her chance to finally live - roommates, after work cocktails, and internet dating. But Maddie, or Maame (“woman” or “responsible one) realizes that responsibility means not only taking care of others, but also taking care of oneself.

Sincere, insightful, relatable, and endearing - I absolutely loved this book! This is Jessica George’s debut novel and I truly believe she is one to watch. Her portrayal of Maddie as a character who desperately wants to know more about herself pulls every emotion out of the reader. She’s the girl you were friends with in college, or your first roommate, or your favorite colleague or she’s you - I wanted to root for Maddie, cry for Maddie, and learn from Maddie. It’s a must get - out January 31!

Maame is a beautifully written and emotionally powerful novel by Jessica George. The story follows the life of a young Ghanaian girl named Maddie (also called Maame by her family), who is forced to navigate the complexities of her heritage and identity as she grows up in the United States. The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants settled in London, Maddie, working a dead-end administrative job is responsible for the care of her father, whose Parkinson's Disease is now at an advanced stage. Her mother, who alternates between Ghana and London, is constantly critical of Maddie, asking Maddie for monetary help and asking her to send money to her in Ghana where she runs a hostel with her brother. Maddie’s brother who lives separately is self-absorbed and never seems to be around.

When her mother comes back to London Maddie decides to move out and hence starts Maddie's journey as she navigates her way through professional ups and downs, old and new friendships and romantic relationships.

The author does a fantastic job of exploring the cultural and personal struggles that Maddie faces, and the novel is both deeply moving and thought-provoking. Maddie is such a well-developed and relatable character, and the writing is both poetic and evocative.
The novel is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of race, identity and belonging. Overall, it's a powerful, thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

I would rate it a 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars. Kudos to the author for writing such a compelling debut novel.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica George's debut, Maame, brings to life the struggles and triumphs of moving out of your parents' home and living life as an independent adult for the first time. Maddie is a lovable, sweet and somewhat awkward heroine whose inner conflict over leaving her role as her father's caretaker to become the 'new Maddie' will resonate with readers of any age.

I especially enjoyed the resolution of Maddie's relationship with her mother and how she came to terms with the nickname she had live with for most of her life. Most readers will recognize aspects of themselves in the characters and their relationships.

This book is a strong debut, and I predict that it will become quite popular, particularly with fans of Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine and similar novels. I look forwarded to reading future books by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy of Maame by Jessica George. The opinions in this review are my own.

Maame is a beautifully unique and powerful coming-of-age story.  Nicknamed Maame (which means "woman," "responsible" in Twi) by her Ghanaian family, Maddie was simultaneously forced to group up too soon and a late bloomer. Now in her mid-twenties, living in London and feeling stuck and overburdened in life, she is questioning who she is and who she is meant to be.

Maame is about relationships, the ties that bind us to family and friends, grief and love. I loved the format of Maddie's POV, she has an amazing narrative voice that drew me in, sprinkled with emails and her all-too-innocent-for-her-age Google searches. 

Ordinarily, I strongly dislike books with heavy topics and sad plots. I just don't like to feel overwhelmingly sad or have my heart broken watching a protagonist go through the wringer. However, Maame is the exception to my rule. Jessica George artfully and adeptly weaves a tale of illness, loss, grief, loneliness, depression, racism and even the "bread and butter" life challenges such as career, love and friendship struggles. Yes, this is quite the list of heavy topics...and yet, I loved this book. There is truly something special about Maddie, she's one of the best characters I've ever read. I couldn't help but love and root for her.

George's writing is exceptional. Mid-story I realized that although I was reading quickly (because I was so enthralled), I still absorbed and felt the power of every single word. The books that have accomplished this are few and far between for me.

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC. Maame will be out this Tuesday, January 31!

*This review will be posted to my Bookstagram account @theonewhereaimeereads.

Maame by Jessica George

Published: January 31, 2023
St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 314
Genre: Women’s Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of Bloomsbury, UK. Maame is her first novel.

“They just won’t understand, you know? We’re Ghanaian, so we do things differently.”

Maddie is a doting daughter. She does everything to care for her ailing father since her mother spends every other year in Ghana, and her brother is busy living his life. When her mother comes home, Maddie moves out and decides to start living. When her dad dies unexpectedly, everything changes, and now Maddie feels like she is drowning. She’s angry but can’t express that; she’s anxious and told to pray. Secrets and expectations are tearing her apart.

This novel was beautiful. I wish I had more eloquent words, but this was a work of art.

I loved Maddie and her journey of self-discovery. She has such a beautiful heart and has spent so much time worrying about others she hasn’t allowed herself to worry.

I found the discussion and processing of grief in this book relatable, and when Maddie found out her dad died, it immediately punched me in the heart.

I loved Nia and Shu. They were the best friends and support system Maddie could have, and their love for her was pure. I loved their protective, honest way of caring for her.

I loved how culture and race were discussed in this novel. And the conversation about “playing devil’s advocate” was perfect and true.

This was a powerful book and a beautiful read. I am happy to recommend this stunning debut.

So much more than a coming-of-age novel following Maddie, a 25 year old living in London but pulled by her Ghanaian descent. Maddie faces typical challenges for her age, but also some extremely unique ones. And though the reader (this reader at least) may not alway agree with her choices, I think most will unite in their support of her. Navigating familial duty as caretaker for her ailing father, a nagging yet absent mother, her first attempts at online dating, moving out of her childhood home, and a difficult job market, Maddie remains relatable and wholly human. An excellent debut from the author.

*I was honored to read an ARC of this book via NetGalley and the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.*

Whew! So much going on in this book. A mash-up of coming of age, family dynamics, grief/depression, friendship, romantic relationships, and Ghanaian culture.

This book had my emotions all over the place. I found myself relating to Maddie a bunch after dealing with a recent elder family member illness/loss. I wanted to be mad for her for her mom not stepping up and being absent. The struggle is definitely real when it came to new romantic relationships/heartbreak and trying to be proven worthy in a career.

I knew very little about the culture and customs in Ghana going into this book. I found that some of the little culture aspects and customs made this book feel more real. The fingernail/toenail custom was interesting to say the least.

The only thing that seemed a bit awkward was the ending, well at least the romance portion. It didn't give me that warm fuzzy wrap up I wanted more of and more like a misplaced piece of plot.

I enjoyed the variety and emotions this book brings to the table. Maddie is one tough cookie for hanging in there through all of life's unexpected moments.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

Maddie’s life in London is not as exciting as you would think a single, 25 year old woman’s would be. Maddie has had to grow up pretty quickly…her mom lives in Ghana a year at a time, her father has advanced stage Parkinson’s disease, and her brother James just isn’t any help at all.

Then Maddie’s mother comes home. Maddie takes this opportunity to move out and find out who she is. Maddie starts a new job, moves out and even starts dating….not all of her experiences have been great but she’s certainly learned a lot.

Then tragedy happens and Maddie’s world is turned upside down. Through the pain that she endures, she finds the strength ton finally come into her own…to have real conversations with her friends and family. She still has a long way to go but at 25, I think Maddie’s finally started living her life for her.

I LOVED this story. Maame(Maddie) was just such a sweat and relatable character. Always there to do whatever she can to help her family and friends only to realize that somewhere along the way…she lost who she was.

Will definitely pick up more from this author.

I laughed. I cried. I sobbed. I smiled. So many heartwarming and heartbreaking moments in this one. This is a beautiful coming-of-age story about love, loss, hope, and finding your way in the world.
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Maddie has been her father’s caretaker ever since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. She was forced to grow up and take on a lot of responsibility at a young age. Maddie may be 25, but she hasn’t had the same experiences as many of her peers. When her mother returns from Ghana, Maddie decides it’s finally time to move out and start living her own adult life. She moves into a flat with roommates, tries online dating, pushes for more in her career, and agrees to go out for drinks with new friends. But when tragedy strikes, her new life and next steps are thrown into question.
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Maddie is a relatable MC who you can’t help but root for. Her best friend, Shu, is a bad a*s feminist who had me cackling 😁. Maame deals with themes of cultural identity, racism, and workplace discrimination. She also deals with loss. Anyone who’s ever dealt with grief will recognize George’s words.
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Y’ALL, this is now one of my all-time favorite books ❤️. You need to read it!
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I read and listened to this one. The narration by Heather Agyepong amazing and mesmerizing. Thank you to @librofm @macmillan.audio @netgalley and @stmartinspress for these digital ARCs in exchange for an honest review.
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Maame - Jessica George
5/5⭐️
Pub Date: 🎉January 31, 2023🎉

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's funny how the books I put off reading are often the ones that I enjoy the most. The book stays true to the synopsis, but it offers so much more. I felt like we really got to know Maddie and it was so rewarding watching her come of age and truly start to find herself. A lot of serious topics are covered, but it all flowed and felt relevant. This debut novel is honest, raw, humorous and just an excellent read. Jessica George is so talented and is off to an incredible start!

3.5ish?/5 -- I am struggling to rate this book. Coming of age stories are usually a hit for me; I am sad I can't proclaim this as a new favorite. Maame is a character driven story where we follow 25-year old Maddie's road to self-discovery after spending years of putting others first. I personally felt like this book jumped all over the place in a chaotic way. There were some really emotionally intense scenes followed by playful inner dialogues and Google searches that didn't seem realistic for someone in their mid twenties. If Maddie was even 20 years old I think it would've been more believable. I understand that in a way she had to "grow up" fast to care for her sick father, but she felt too naive and sheltered.

Don't get me wrong, there are definitely shining moments in this book. I appreciated Maddie's journey and there were some laugh-out-loud moments that helped lighten the mood. The themes around the Ghanaian culture, grief, family and mental health were presented in a tasteful way. It just didn't "click" for me and that's okay. I've seen many glowing reviews for this one, especially for the audiobook. I do think it's worth the read!

Awkward Black Girl meets Eleanor Oliphant meets Chewing Gum (Michaela Coel’s character) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ easily a 5 star read!

Amazingly written story of Madeleine who goes by Maddie but is known to her family as Maame (mah-meh).
I’ve highlighted so many quotes in this story and really felt like it came full circle.

Maddie was such a lovable character and I found myself laughing out loud, wallowing in sadness and googling random phrases and questions right along with her!

I’ll be recommending this book so much!

This story was a little hard to get into at first. But stick with it, after the first few chapters I was able to enjoy the story.

Maddie Wright is a 25 year old, Black, socially naive woman who has been taken advantage of by her Mom and brother, James, in all ways possible. Their father has Parkinson's disease and Maddie has been living at home in London taking care of him for years, she's never had a childhood. Her mother has a life in Ghana and James travels the world and can't be bothered to visit. When Maddie's at work there's a nurse to help out, but she has to put him to bed a few nights by herself.

Her mom only calls her for money, to criticize her life, and to make sure that she's reading her Bible daily. James is no better, he rarely picks up his phone and only when he needs money, he comes to her. I felt terrible for Maddie's home life. The only person who smiled in her presence was her dad. Maddie felt unloved by her own family, except her dad.

Maddie's mom comes home once every other year. This time she pushes Maddie to move out and be social, date, etc. Maddie's still a virgin, has 2 best friends that she can count on, but she's always been a wallflower. So she moves in with two flatmates and starts a new job. Hoping to find herself as well. Maddie meets a white guy who dates her in secrecy, so they won't be seen socially but she doesn't realize that's what he's doing. She relies on Google for answers about everything relating to things she doesn't know what to do. Like what she should talk about on a date, etc.

The night before her dad's birthday, she planned on staying in and making him a cake. But Jo, one of her roommates convinces her that it will be a short night. Maddie reluctantly goes and Jo gets her drunk and high on pot without Maddie's knowledge. The following morning, while hungover, her Mom calls her to tell her that her father just died. Full of so much guilt, she lashes out at Jo. Maddie never got to say goodbye to him.

In the end, she spirals into a horrible depression, which is where her two best friends from college step in to take care of her. Her family expects her to pay for the funeral, which is when she finally puts down her foot and lets out years of neglect and anger she's been holding onto to both her mom and brother. She finally tells off her mom for abandoning her at 14 years old to take care of her father, that was her mom's job.

But to everyone's shock, Maddie's dad secretly set aside a lot of money only meant for Maddie's future. Letting his wife and son see how much she was loved and appreciated by her own dad.

This was a good story once you were able to get into it. Then you become curious about how things turn out for Maddie.

Good read!

DNF in chapter 6. I really struggled with the narrative voice of our MC, and the formatting was a big hard to follow when phone conversations, texting, google searches, etc. were happening.

Maddie has dedicated her life to taking care of her family and now she's ready to go make her own way--or is she? I so enjoyed this story of Maddie/Maame as she comes into her own. The author writes in such an engaging way that I kept wanting to get back to my book so spend some more time with the characters. There are a lot of topical issues here that would make it a good book club choice and my biggest recommendation is that the author made me feel for Maddie even when I didn't agree with her choices. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really charming coming of age story for an immigrant daughter struggling with her parents' unconventional marriage, family responsibilities, and her own desire to become her own person.

Maddie, or Maame, as her family calls her, is in her twenties, but still living at home as the caregiver to her ill father, while her mother spends every other year away in Ghana. With much guilt Maddie decides to move out and find flatmates, and then loses her job, not that she liked it anyway. She decides she will become a new person, and makes a list. The new Maddie is ready to grow, experience new relationships and sex, and career options. But her family obligations pull her back.

This book approaches some big subjects in simple, yet relatable ways. It's sweet to watch Maddie google questions that maybe the rest of us would already have answers to, and take some solace or advice from the responses. Tragedy hits, and it turns Maddie's world upside down, and she confronts how she really wants to be in the world, and how she can live authentically.

Love that this is a debut book. Excited to read more from Jessica George.

This is a good book, definitely enjoyable.

This review will be posted on January 31, 2023 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

What. A. Story. This contemporary novel is a heartfelt tale of a young women coming into the person she was meant to be. Written in the first-person, her headspace was an insightful place to be. Her Google searches and worries were wildly familiar, capturing the struggle of being a post-college in the workforce. She's keenly aware of her struggles: a sick father, and absent but highly overbearing mother, a dead end job, and racist microaggressions. It's a horrid and untenable situation. Her journey has high and lows, but I never stopped rooting for Maddie. Her journey to her best life and using her voice is beautiful. #Maame Rating: 😊 / really liked it
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This book is scheduled for publication on January 31, 2023. Thank you @stmartinspress for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The main character of this novel, Maddie, is a woman in her mid-20s living in London, the daughter of parents who came from Ghana. When the book starts, she’s kind of stuck in her life - she was forced to take a lot of responsibility at a young age since her mom spent a lot of time in Ghana, she never moved out of her house and has been taking care of her dad with Parkinson’s, and never had a real relationship. As the book unfolds, she finally starts to open up her life a little, emotionally, socially, and more - basically a coming of age novel but a little later than typical.

The writing and Maddie’s character are both really sharp and fresh, funny but also very sad. Hard to believe it’s a debut novel. My ARC did not have an author’s note, but my guess from some clues at the end and seeing her bio is that it’s at least a little autobiographical. It’s already getting rave reviews and I’m sure you’ll be seeing even more of it once it is published. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a celebrity book club pick either - I know I’m looking forward to discussing with two different book groups I’m in.