I loved this story. I laughed, I cried and I even cringed. Maame is a term of endearment, but holds a heavy place in Maddie’s life. Her relationship with her dad was sweet, sincere and heartbreaking. Her mom seemed awful, but then you learned more towards the end that made you question that feeling. Her living situations and work life made me eye roll at how typical and relatable they were. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone. Truly loved it and absolutely 5 stars from me.

🌺REVIEW: Maame by Jessica George🌺

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Digital
Length: 320 pages
Read: Jan 16-20, 2023
Pub date: Jan 31, 2023
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Bildungsroman

““Maame” has meant meanings in Twi but in my case, it means “woman.””
“Maame. The responsible one. The woman. The mother. Often before her time.”

Madeleine Wright, Maddie, is a very naive 25 years old. She lives in London with her father who she helps to care for since his Parkinson’s diagnosis 10 years prior. Her mum lives part of the year in London with them and the rest of the year back in their homeland of Ghana where she runs a hostel with her brother. Maddie’s brother James is a music manager and travels. Therefore, most of the responsibilities have fallen to Maddie to care for the house, bills, and most importantly- caring for her father.

Now, Maddie’s mum has come home for a year (we hate her😏) and she is moving out with new flatmates and essentially living for the first time as an adult. She is trying to find her way in friendships, dating, her sexuality, and in a new job where as a black person in a white dominated industry she can’t seem to find her footing and then begins to wonder if she’s being discriminated against. When tragedy strikes Maddie has enormous guilt and anxiety along with having to be responsible all over again.

I absolutely fell in love with Maddie. Her voice is so strong. She is funny and endearing and just like us (those Google searches y’all!) and then the next minute she’s breaking our hearts. I wanted to curl her up in my arms and give her the biggest hug.

Jessica George has written a love letter to children who care for their parents. This may be a coming of age story, but as a 51 year old who lost my mother last year and lived with her for the last three years of her life to help care for her I was SO moved by Maddie’s story. There is so much guilt in wanting to live your own life and wanting to care for them at the same time while also thinking you’re not doing enough. Reading this has been total catharsis for me, so thank you for that Jessica.
“What everyone fails to mention about the grieving process— I still have to live.”

Out January 31st! I believe this will be a huge success this year and based on the artwork on their site will be a BOTM pick for February. Don’t pass up your chance to meet Maddie.

I wasn’t a fan of this one. I found the writing to be a little too cheesy in its attempt to be “modern”—it was very direct and conversational, with occasional Google searches and excerpts from the protagonist’s Notes app. One example is a list named “The New Maddie”, which included the item “Have different experiences (Travel? Brunch?)”. I don’t know—overall, despite dealing with important and at times dark subjects, I thought it was a bit surface-level.

Wow, what an incredibly stunning debut from Jessica George. Family dynamics, racism, cultural assimilation, mental health - all of these are explored on the page as we follow Maddie through the trials of losing her Dad, living on her own for the first time, changing jobs, and pulling herself out of a hole she hadn’t realized she had fallen into. I already know this is going to be one of my favorite books of 2023 and I highly recommend you add it to your reading list!

With themes of familia dirty and racism, Maame follows Maddie’s life as she struggles to find herself before and after her father’s death. This was a very powerful read that I would recommend. Extraordinary character development had me hooked a few pages in.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review

Maame is a modern coming-of-age story that explores many themes that young adults struggle with today: belonging, pressure, motivation, anxiety, loneliness, sexuality, dating, self-worth, and confidence, along with themes of loss, guilt, familial duty, home, and culture.

Maddie, a young British woman from a Ghanaian family, has a lot on her plate for only 25. She cares for her father, who is in the advanced stage of Parkinson's, and a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana but always needs money from Maddie, a job she is unhappy in, and her unrewarding life. She is a likable character you will feel sorry for, a little too agreeable for me with no flaws of her own. She is perfect, and all the conflicts she experiences are from outside forces that affect her well-being, like an unsympathetic mother to hate that pulls at your heartstrings. She has no one looking out for her and relies on google for life answers.

Maddie grows from her experiences and learns plenty from them. There are so many important and meaningful messages here; however, the pacing is off, and when it all comes together, it is too easy, simple, and fast for how complex all the themes are.

While this is one to please many readers, it was too perfect, likable, and pleasing for me. I wanted less time to spend on all those outside forces and more on seeing how Maddie grows rather than being told as the story wraps up.

I should have loved this, and I feel bad I didn't.

This was a Traveling Friends group read and everyone loved it but me.

Maame by Jessica George was so much more than what I expected. I agreed to review this book based on its very brief summary: "Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong."

What I did not realize about this book is that is begins with Maame/Maddie as the sole caregiver of her father whose health is declining due to Parkinson's. To read this book less than a month after my father passed away was risky. I didn't realize the strong thread of Maddie's relationship with her dad and subsequent grief would be woven into the other aspects of her life. I strongly believe we respond to books based on our own experience and I have to say this a solid five star read for me. My heart hurts and is happy at the same time.

The story of Maame/Maddie is a coming of age story that addresses so many themes in such a seamless way. This book will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Look for this to release 1.31.23.

I love character driven novels, and Maame was an amazing example of that! What a debut novel!!

Maddie (Maame) is in her mid 20's and lives at home with her dad. Her mom spends every other year in Ghana and her brother spends his time with his friends families. So when Maddie's dad is diagnosed with Parkinson's it is left to Maddie to be his caregiver. But as Maddie thinks, it has always been up to her to take care of everything, even when her dad didn't have Parkinson's. She has been responsible for so many things that should have never been her responsibility, and she thinks she has handled it .... but as she discovers later, she really hasn't.

I will not say anymore about the book, and believe me there is so much more to this book! I have a feeling that this one will be in my top 5 at the end of the year. 4.5⭐

This was a great, emotional coming-of-age story. Maddie is trying to figure out her life in London. The daughter of immigrant parents from Ghana, she’s the primary caretaker for her dad and solely responsible for him while her mother runs the family business in Ghana. With her mom’s return to London, Maddie decides to set out on her own and try to forge a life for herself independent of her parents.

I enjoyed the different messages of the book, especially the focus on family and faith. Lots of reviewers have compared this book to Queenie, another book I enjoyed, but I found Maddie to be much more grounded of a character. That said, she was also incredibly frustrating at times. She’s meant to be 25 but it sometimes felt like she was actually 15. She’s incredibly naive and after awhile her bizarre google searches got a little annoying. Does anyone actually search for some of the things she did?

Despite that, the way that grief and depression was portrayed was very powerful. Anyone who has lost a family member could relate to what Maddie goes through as she navigates the loss.

I definitely look forward to seeing what Jessica George writes next!

What a raw, emotionally gripping, and passionate debut! I read this quickly, needing to know what happens to Maddie. Maddie is guarded, weighted, and incredibly thoughtful and I found myself rooting for her and being so impressed by her strength. There are so many moments of vulnerability between the characters that are so impactful. I think at some point we have all felt alone and Maddie really makes us feel understood. Maame is an empowering coming of age story with themes of family dynamics, the process of grief, and going after what you truly want. I can’t wait to see more from @jessicabgeorge

4.5⭐️

Terrific. This is in many ways a coming of age novel- or coming into your own novel- as well as a novel about grief. Maddie has been called Maame by her mother since she was a child, when her mother first left the family to spend time in Ghana forcing Maddie to care for her brother and her father. She's now 25 and she's always lived at home, now caring for her father, who has advanced Parkinsons's, and she's working for a woman she hates. And then just as she takes a step to rent a room in a group home, she's fired, which turns out to be a positive because she finds a new one that's more suited. And she has a date, a man who wooes her. But not all is good because, well, no spoilers except that her father's death forces her to take a hard look not only at herself but also at others and to finally stand up for herself. She's a well drawn, relatable, sympathetic character who deserves so much more than. she gets from most of those around her. This has wonderful storytelling and it sings in small moments as well as large. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A marvelous debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely yet profound read, and I especially loved how the author included the themes of identity and how the legacy of one's blood family can shape who we are. I truly sympathized with Maddie and was rooting for her the whole time. I also must say that it was really refreshing to read a book centred around a Black character that didn't revolve around trauma or racism.

I would recommend this book to people who Google anything and everything, those with overbearing mothers, and folks who love to see a good character arc.

📚📚 BOOK REVIEW 💫 💫

Rating : 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
We come across the meaning of the term “Maame” multiple times throughout the book and each time the word takes a new gravitas based on the mood of the protagonist. “Maame” in Twi means “woman” and it’s this name which has been tied up to our protagonist, Maddie’s destiny.

Maddie, born in London to Ghanaian parents, is introduced to us as a simple 25 years old girl, devoted to taking care of her Parkinson’s affected father and the household, in the absence of her mother (on a recurring Ghana visit) and a brother James (running away from his responsibilities). A spur of the moment decision to move out and live her own life, unfair termination from job, a failed relationship while losing her virginity in the process, an insane night of smoking pot and Maame finds her questioning her choices when she wakes up late on her dad’s birthday to find him dead and having missed the last opportunity to meet him. A bout of depression and self searching follows- whether Maddie recovers and does she finds herself form the rest of the story.

Maame as mentioned above is a coming of age fiction which has a lot of heart. Each incident feels like a page out of your own diary- you cry with Maddie, you root for her to come out victorious and therein lies it’s biggest positive. The mother daughter relationship is another highlight and it’s endearing to see the evolution as the narrative proceeds. While the first half of the book has enough humor sprinkled in, it’s the 2nd half where the emotional quotient really hits the mark. The only negative is the romance which didn’t really connect with me. Overall the mother daughter and Maddie’s ode to her father will resonate with you- too early into the new year but definitely one of my favourites for the year!

Thank you Netgalley, Jessica George and St. Martin’s Press for the arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #Maame #BookReview

Thanks to St.Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Maame follows Maddie, a young 20 something year old through her trials and tribulations. This book deals with some heavy topics, yet I did find there were some light moments which helped outweigh the heavy. I can’t exactly pinpoint what about this book I struggled with, but it took me forever to get through. I found it to be long and tedious at times. I think it is a book I could easily revisit later and I do think there will be strong praises for this book, it just was not my favorite! 3 stars!

I feel like all I can say is, wow! This is such a different novel and so important for people to read. I immediately felt immersed in the tension and voice and it just didn't let go. High five out of five stars!

Really liked this one. I was meh until about 100 pages in, when there is a big plot event and the tone really shifts. I appreciated Maddie and her many layers. Her struggles were relatable. She was a very sympathetic character and I think many would enjoy this lovely coming of age story of a young women from a Ghanian background living in London and balancing family, work (in publishing), love and friendship. Feels like many this is a bit of autofiction? I've shared this with many people since reading. Thanks to both Netgalley and Goodreads for the early copies!

I absolutely adored this book. I think it will most definitely be on my best of 2023 list and if the year continues this way I am in for a real treat! The book explores the evolution of Maddie, a 25 year old Ghanaian woman who is a devoted daughter and people pleasure to the detriment of her own needs and wants. Maddie lives with her father who has early onset Parkinsonism and is declining steadily day by day. Maddie's absent mother spends most of her time in Ghana and has retreated there since Maddie was a teenager. Maddie's older brother is also absent. Maddie is left holding the bag the majority of the time. She loves her father dearly but also yearns to live the normal life of a 25 year old. She finally gets the opportunity when her mother returns from Ghana, giving Maddie the choice to move out into a flat with roommates. The choices and mistakes she makes while on this journey of discovery are sometimes hilarious and many times painful to watch. However the growth that she makes as she learns to stand up for herself were a joy to experience.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review.

Wow, this books made me feel all the feels! Maame, by debut novelist Jessica George, is a beautiful coming of age story about a young black woman in London making her first foray into the adult world in her mid-twenties. Maddie is paradoxically naive and mature for her years, after not having been afforded the opportunity to fully live during her teens and early twenties due to taking care of her ill father while her mother spends much of her time in Ghana. You'll fall in love with Maddie as she tries to navigate the confusing world of dating and climbing the professional ladder, often seeking advice from the modern-day magic eight ball of Google searches. These searches provide an intriguing window into Maddie's thoughts, shining a light on those things many of us wonder about. (How did we ever solve problems and sate our curiosity before internet search engines?)

Nicknamed Maame (which can be translated as woman, in Twi) by her mother, Maddie has complicated feelings about her nickname as well as her fraught relationship with her mother. Her mom's pathological insistence on secrecy kept Maddie from ever having anyone to talk to.  Finally at her breaking point after tragedy strikes, Maddie sees a therapist and explores her family's dysfunction and how it has affected her development. She is a people-pleaser who has to learn how to stand up for herself in her personal and professional lives. Maddie's character is so relatable to anyone who has experienced depression, grief, racism, family drama, or career frustration. You'll be rooting for and crying for Maddie along her heartbreaking journey.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for my ARC.

This was a wonderful book. Maddie was a wonderful main character that really showed the struggles of a women in her early 20s. I really enjoyed all the themes and felt it was perfectly tied together in the end! This will be one everyone talks about this year.

Thank you to St Martins Press for the advanced copy!

Maame by Jessica George is an intense and emotional look at a young woman's life, neglected by her parents, and yet giving her life to caring for her father.

Story Recap:
Maggie’s life in London is far from what she expected to be doing as a young woman. She mostly cares for her father, who is suffering from advanced-stage Parkinson’s. Her mother spends most of her time in Ghana, and her brother has his own life on the other side of the city, leaving Maggie to be the primary caretaker of her father.

When her mother returns from Ghana, Maggie takes her chance to live again in London finally. She finds a flatshare and moves in with two other young women. They go out for drinks, and Maggie finally feels like she’s starting to live the life she’s always wanted. But, when tragedy strikes, Maggie is forced to re-evaluate her life and move forward.

My Thoughts:
Maame is an intense and emotional book, that took me on a very satisfying emotional journey. Maggie’s parents are both Ghanaian immigrants and I enjoyed and was fascinated by the look into Ghana culture.

The characters are all very different, some I liked, and some I didn’t. But, Maggie is a beautiful, well-developed character that I couldn’t help rooting for. Her father doesn’t talk much anymore and her mother is out of the picture for the first part of the book. I wondered why her mother and brother left her to care for her father on her own. They are both oblivious to the amount of work and time that goes into caring for her father. This book highlights the needs and issues of being a caregiver.

When Maggie finally gets the chance to go out and live in the “real world” her naivety and vulnerability were beautifully described, and like Maggie, I felt both excited and afraid for her as she entered the world of dating and friends.

Even the characters I didn’t like, like Maggie's mother, were well-developed with emotional backstories, which made the book deep and full-bodied. The pacing was good, I never felt like I needed a break, nor did it ever feel like it dragged.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Maame to anyone who enjoys fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.