this book was hard to put down.

the writing style, pacing & specificity elevate what could've been a mundane tale of a young, ghanian-british woman.

i was *invested* in maddie's situation and the way she looked at the world.

🧡🩷❤️Book Review:
Title: Maame
Author: Jessica George
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

I saw many 5 star reviews for this book, and while it was pretty good, it just wasn't a favorite for me. I did get bored at times reading it.

The main character, Maddie, is a people pleaser. Her father is suffering from an advanced stage of Parkinson's, and she is his primary caregiver. Her mother, while still being married to her father, mostly lives in Ghana while leaving Maddie in London to take care of everything, including the finances. She has even loaned large amounts of money to both her mother and brother throughout her adulthood. That was hard to read about. Freeloaders!

Eventually, enough is enough, and Maddie starts to live her own life, they way SHE wants to, not the way everyone else thinks she should. Sometimes, the most toxic people and situations can come from your own family. That can be very difficult to break free from.

Thank you, @netgalley and @stmartinspress, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Published: January 31st, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Maame known as Maddie is late bloomer and her life is filled with responsibilities. She is the sole caregiver for her father who is in late-stage Parkinson's. Her mother is absent as she mainly is in Ghana and her brother is always too busy and hardly visits. She is the only black person in her job. her boss is awful and it seems she's always blamed for something as well as not appreciated for the work she does. She learns that her mom is returning from Ghana and Maddie decides this is her chance to start living her life. She moves into a flatshare, starts dating (she's still a virgin) and pushes for more recognition at her job. But then tragedy strikes forcing her to deal with her dysfunctional family and figure out what is her worth and what does she want in life. This story deals with family duty, racism, coming of age as an adult and the complexities of relationships, friendships and how to have self love and balance that with family. In their culture, parents name daughters for what they hope they will become - patient, kind, etc. Maame means woman in their language. Is that why she's left with all the responsibilities and also why she prefers to be called Maddie? A line that stood out to me: "Some things you're not meant to be saved from. Some things have to be lessons."

What an amazing debut novel! Jessica George knocked it out of the park with this one. The writing is phenomenal. What I loved most about this book is Maddie's character, she was warm and endearing, so loyal to her family! Maddie had a lot of ups and downs, and I experienced all the emotions while reading this one. An added bonus of this one, is that I really enjoyed learning more about the Ghana culture.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley, for a copy in return for my honest review.

This one was a dud for me; it was underwhelming and boring. The author tried to throw a whole bunch of topics (racism, grief, depression, bisexuality, family struggles, online dating...) in the book, but each one was mostly just mentioned for a chapter or two and then never discussed again. The book felt like it consisted of the main character googling everything or talking to herself. Not for me and I do not recommend.

“They were talking around each other, not to each other” maame

First five star of the year!

This debut is a slice of life, coming of age immigrant story that completely stole my heart. Maddie is a mid-twenties black British woman caught between an unfulfilling job and familial duties of caring for her father with Parkinson’s. As a 30-year old first generation Chinese immigrant, I related so much to her struggles with work/career and her relationships with her family and culture (though thankfully I don’t have the experience of a terminally sick parent.) The nuanced discussions of filial piety, responsibility, self-preservation were all so well done, and the representation in this book all felt so authentic. I was rooting for Maddie all the way, and I cried at multiple points throughout the second half.

A decent read and a unique perspective I have not had the pleasure of reading before. There were absolutely moments I loved and also a lot of moments that I just didn’t. A good read overall.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I wasn't able to engage with the story so I'm setting it aside for now.

I really loved this book. There are likable characters and unlikable characters. The characters are very well done. I also loved the writing style.

A really fun and light hearted read! Something we all can relate to is finding yourself while balancing your family’s expectations.

Stunning book. Beautifully written, nuanced, and heart wrenching. I'm excited to see more of this author's work, because there are stories like these that need to be told.

Maame is one of those rare reads that is both hilarious as well as incredibly poignant and heart warming. Maddie has been the caregiver for her father and held her family together while her mother lives in Ghana and her brother stays with friends. At 25 her life is dedicated to working, paying the bills, and meeting the needs of her father and others. She is given the opportunity to move out when her mother returns and finds her own apartment, the first of many firsts in her life. From living with roommates to dating to clubbing a new world opens up to Maddie. Through many ups and downs, her love for family remains the strongest force in her love. I laughed, I cried, and I loved this book. 5 stars.

Truly heart-wrenching and beautiful...the story captured me by the heart from the very beginning. This is one of those books that will have a lasting impact on me.

What a book! This is one I'll be thinking about for a while. Maddie's life in London is complicated. She is the primary caretaker for her father, who has Parkinson's, as her mother and brother are rarely around to help...though the former still proves to be overbearing. As life begins to shift for Maddie and her Ghanaian family, she must decide when and how to put herself and her dreams first, but a sudden tragedy may derail the bright plans she has for the future.

Maame was a stunningly accurate depiction of grief, anxiety, and depression. I related to Maddie's character so much, and despite our cultural differences, felt that her inner monologue was very akin to how those grappling with trauma and mental health issues think. The way author Jessica George displays Maddie's anxiety and depression symptoms, and how they manifest, was beautifully handled. I felt so endeared to Maddie as a character and found some of the most heartfelt moments arise as she navigates the dating world as a woman in her 20's. This is a coming of age story for anyone who has felt exhausted or under-appreciated but at it's core, it is a story of resilience, strength, and taking back autonomy in one's life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the book that I wished had existed 8 years ago when my father died. Jessica George’s Maame is an unforgettable protagonist who has to navigate her complicated feelings around grieving and her family while also dealing with the messiness that is our 20s—dead-end jobs, frenemy roommates, and relationships that turn squicky.

***Thanks to St. Martin's press and Netgalley for this e-arc***

Wow, this debut knocked me out. Maame is the story of a young woman in London finding her way after suffering a major loss. We follow Maddie on her journey moving out of home and trying to make it on her own. It's often hard and frustrating to watch her make mistakes but only because we've all been there and made the same ones. She is an incredibly relatable character. The writing is excellent and engaging and I found all of the characters to be believable. As someone who also deals with difficult family dynamics and eldest daughter syndrome, I was really touched by the conversations and the healing done within the story.

I'm late to review this book and am glad to see that I am not alone in rating this story 5 incredible stars!

4.5 stars. What a great story and beautiful main character! Probably one of my favorite main characters this year. This is a coming-of-age novel told through the eyes of Maddie. In her 20’s and has not left her sick dad’s side, this is a story of grief and accepting changes. It’s sad, raw, funny, and beautiful all at once. Maddie is a character you can’t help but love.

This book took me a bit to get into. I'm old enough to be the main character's mom and I think that had a lot to do with my reluctance to get into the story. I'm glad I continued though. Maame is a coming of age story about Maddie, who has been left by her mom and brother to deal with her dad, who suffers from Parkinson's. Maddie is only in her early twenties, but she's been a caretaker for her dad since she was a teenager. With all this adult responsibility she has never really had a time to find out who she is outside of her house. Her mom moves back and Maddie moves out with flatmates, Cam and Jo.

Maddie finding out who she wants to be was a relatable tale. Figuring out how to become your own person and not take care of everyone around you is difficult when you've always been put in the role as a caretaker. I enjoyed Maddie's journey to a new job, new life, and new relationships. The writing style was engaging and rooting for Maddie to become her own person. Her trials and triumphs felt real and she was a flawed, but wonderful character.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Maame by Jessica George from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinions. Oh my heart - this book is lovely! I seriously ignored everything once I started to read this book and had to pull myself away to go to bed. It's absolutely fantastic. Jessica George has a writing style that you will fall in love with. I'm adding her to my list of must read authors and can't wait for the next one to be published. Do yourself a favor and read this now!

Torn between two worlds, Ma’ame is the story of a young girl who has to grow up too fast as she becomes the primary caretaker for her father suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Her mother is in absentia most of the time and she has little interactions with her daughter. This is a story of a young girl trying to come of age when her childhood has been stripped from her.
Recommended for readers of coming off age stories especially as it pertains to those adapting to different cultures.