Maame is the coming of age story of a young black woman in London. Maddie has been stifled her whole life with an unfulfilling job, an overbearing mother and the responsibility of caring for her sick father who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease while her mother is out of country. Maddie is 25 years old and hasn’t had the chance to spread her wings. She finally realizes that it’s time to start living. She moves out and begins to focus on her own personal growth and fulfillment. Her journey is difficult yet beautiful as she learns about herself. I was rooting for the person that Maddie was becoming and the fact that she was able to overcome so many obstacles. If you enjoy coming of age novels with a slower pace and deep character development then this is the book for you.

At times I felt the book was slow moving. There were so many issues that Maddie had to tackle all at once and it felt unrealistic at times.

Thank you to St. Martin’s press and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to be honest - coming-of-age stories are not my vibe. They often feel redundant and self-serving. Maame is the exception to the rule. This was a 100 fresh take on the coming-of-age story as we follow our lead through the trials of learning how to "adult" after years of being forced to put everyone else's needs above her own. It was a joy to watch Maddie come into her own, though, truthfully again, the process was not without some seriously hard-to-watch pain. Her battles are somewhat predictable, but that does not make you root for her victories any less. Jessica George is definitely an author I will be keeping an eye out for. Anyone who can make my cynical self cheer for the underdog is a master in her craft.

**Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC**

Maame is a coming of age story that explores grief, mental health, family expectations, racial tension, and what it means to love and be loved.

Maddie has the weight of the world on her shoulders. At 25, she is in a job that undervalues and overworks her, is the sole caretaker for her ailing father, gets little support from her mom and brother, and has no time to spend with her friends much less date. Is it any wonder that she suffers from depression and panic attacks (not that she realizes it)?

Maddie is one of those characters that I just want to hug and protect at all costs. She is vulnerable, whip-smart, caring, hilarious, and unfailingly generous to a fault. As a fellow people pleaser, I related to her feelings of guilt whenever she chose to do something for herself for a change. My heart broke whenever hers did, and I cheered every time she stood up for herself. Maddie goes through so much in this book and you cannot help but root for her.

Though it explores some heavy topics, George's writing style lightens the load at key moments through Maddie's incessant Google searching for answers to her every question about life, her internal conversations with "subconscious Maddie," and her texts and phone calls with friends Nia and Shu.

I was so lucky to receive an early review copy of this book from Netgalley. Highly, highly recommended!

Maddie, nicknamed "Maame" (meaning 'woman'), has always shouldered the brunt of her family's needs. Suddenly at age 25, her life situation changes, and she is nudged out into the world to learn what being a woman in the 21st century is really about. This coming-of-age story, and its main character, were incredibly charming; at times I had to remind myself that these 'characters' were not real people. A solid debut coming to bookstores in 2023.

Maddie is a young British-Ghanaian woman whose life has been put on hold to care for her father, who has severe Parkinson's. George does a great job of putting the reader in Maddie's head, and strong emotions run through this lovely coming-of-age story. Maddie is excruciatingly naive at times, and I wasn't crazy about the device George used of having Maddie google all her angsty life questions. When Maddie joins the dating world, the story felt a little more contrived. The writing and dialogue were a little awkward and stilted at times, but overall this is a promising debut. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital review copy.

Pub date: 1/31/23
Genre: coming of age, own voices
Short summary: Maddie is stuck - stuck caring for her ailing father, stuck dealing with her mother and brother's drama, stuck working under a nightmare boss - what will happen when she decides to live life on her own terms?

I love coming of age novels, and I read a lot of them, so I was excited to give MAAME a try. Unfortunately, I'm in the minority in not loving this book. I think it may have been too dark for me at the time I read it - Maddie dealt with so much prejudice and negativity from the outside world, and I had trouble getting through the text. As a former people pleaser, it was hard for me to see Maddie repeatedly taken advantage of and used as a doormat. The ending did bring some resolution and growth for her character, so I can see why others loved it, and I think this will be a popular read in 2023!

TW: sexual assault; there are some very dark relationship scenes that I was uncomfortable reading.

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

Maame is a debut novel set in London.
A coming of age story where you will be rooting for this girl from the start.
Maame (Madeline) takes care of her father who has Parkinson’s for much of the year while her mother is away in Ghana.
She is quite reclusive and awkward around people, has just two gal pals that she doesn’t see often. Googles all her questions about life, she’s awkward and sad a lot of the time. has a very overbearing mother.. even from afar!
I loved Maame, I laughed quite a bit and also felt so bad for her at times as she comes into her own and navigates relationships.
Good ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press for the Arc!

A coming of age story that tells the tale of pain, longing, and loss. Maddie is a wonderfully written character and she’s a character that the reader will want to root for. An impressive debut novel and the author is a talented author, an author that will definitely be on my must read pile.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“..the importance of names in our culture. In many ways, they’re given to us in an attempt to speak to our future.

We could apply that thinking to the name Maame: the responsible one. The woman. The mother. Often before her time.”

In essence, this is a character-driven novel focusing on a 25 year-old Black woman Londoner, Madeline aka Maddy and Maame (Twi for “woman”) as she navigates her complicated life and unknowingly overcomes depression. She is inherently a non-confrontational introvert steeped in mediocrity at multiple levels - stuck in an unfulfilling, thankless “career/job” where it seems as if her boss is taking credit for her ideas/suggestions, has a controlling mother, a wayward brother, few friends, and struggles with dating. Her mother and brother abandon her to care for her father who suffered from and succumbs to Parkinson’s Disease; and both leave large financial burdens upon her shoulders.

The entire story is the trials and events that push Maddy into therapy and steps toward the agency of independence; to finally advocate for herself and determine her own path forward. This was an arduous process – a great deal of the novel’s episodes is Maddy being a “pushover” (of sorts) – a consummate victim of guilt and manipulation which leads to her repeatedly being taken advantage of – which at times were very laborious to read through (for me). The parts of the story I found most insightful were those that addressed the office politics, her internal monologues, and the cultural aspects: Maddy is a first-generation Londoner with Ghanaian parents, so those complex dynamics of tradition, identity, and assimilation are explored in her everyday adventures with roommates, co-workers, and clash against parental expectations. The meditations on grief and longing are touching; while the googling for advice (she seriously used google as a life coach) and online dating episodes were hilarious.

I see fans of Queenie (Candice Carty-Williams) and Such a Fun Age (Kiley Reid) enjoying Maame’s quirky adventures, layered paths toward self-discovery, and her rocky road to healing.

Thanks to the publisher, St.Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

Maddie lives in London. Her mother is overbearing and spends most of her time in Ghana. Her brother is busy and leaves little time for family. That leaves Maddie as the sole caregiver for her ailing father who has late stage Parkingsons. She is the only black person in her office job and her boss is terrible. When her mother returns Maddie takes it as an opportunity to spread her wings and move out.

Wow! This novel was stunning. I loved it from start to finish. It's a story about family, guilt, regret, grief and personal growth. The storytelling is superb. The story is raw and emotional. It also made me laugh out loud at times. Maddie's constant google searches... well I think we can all relate to that. The story covered realistic experiences in such a genuine way. Being a minority in the office, microaggressions, exploring sexual relationships, roommate conflicts and so much more. It left me feeling sad in a good way. I didn't want to say goodbye to these characters. This was one of my favorite reads this year and I think it will top charts in 2023.

4.5 ⭐️

This debut novel surprised me. It covers a range of topics, including belonging, friendship, mental health, grief, and others. But somehow, I didn’t feel like the story got lost in the author trying to do “too much.” It felt almost like reading the diary of a 20-something trying to find her way in the world. Maddie, the main character, felt so real and authentic, and even though she makes some choices that are painful to read about, you can’t help but root for her. Trigger warnings abound, but overall, this is a story that celebrates resilience and fighting for one’s place in the world. Really enjoyed!

What I loved:
-the charming google search entries
-learning from mistakes
-families are complicated
-mental health representation
-coming-of-age
-female friendship

What didn’t work for me:
-some sexual details I ended up skimming

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy.

An extremely insightful and thought provoking book from the black female point of view. Not only does this novel touch on the day struggles society and family brings on Maddie, her mental health and perception of herself is everything I needed to see represented in a novel. The writing touched my heart and soul and I didn't want it to ever end, I kept wanting to see Maddie succeed on her own. I have so much respect for the author and writing this to remind each other to be kind, there are people who need to be reminded that they are enough and can continue to work on themselves daily.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs to feel seen or has ever wanted to support their allies.

Maddie's life has been devoted to her family, including taking care of her sick father. However, when her mom announces she is coming back from Ghana, Maddie takes the opportunity to move out and start living her life. However, that is not the brunt of the book. Most of the book focuses on what happens after her dad dies unexpectedly. She must cope with that grief as well as claiming her life for her own.

I liked this book more post-tragedy because it felt more authentic to the protagonist. However, it overall wasn't my favorite because it felt more like slice of life, which just isn't my favorite style of book. I think it took a while to get to the dealing with grief and acceptance of oneself part, which I think was the most successful part.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful debut novel by Jessica George, beautifully narrated by Heather Agyepong - 5 stars!

Maddie is known as Maame to her family, which in Twi means woman. Maddie's place in her family is underlined by that meaning because she's had to take charge of her father, disabled by Parkinson's disease, both physically and financially. Her older brother, James, is too busy living his own life, and their mother mostly lives in Ghana. So while Maddie went to university, she has always lived at home taking care of everyone. When her mother moves back home, Maddie finally gets the courage to move out. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is left trying to pick up all the pieces of her life.

This was a fabulous novel, made more wonderful by the beautiful narration. I could not stop listening to the narrator's beautiful voice! There is so much here to love - Maddie is a wonderful, naive character trying to do right by her family, feeling guilty yet trying to come into her own life a little as well. It's a story of grief, trust, family dynamics, mental health, racism, navigating love and friendship. One of my absolute favorite parts is that Maddie consults google as she tries to learn how to be in this world and stand up for herself. There are serious subjects here but they are dealt with humor and truth. This would be a great book club selection. I fell in love with Maddie and this book - can't wait to read more from this author! A must read!

This was a delightful coming of age book about a 25-year-old Ghanaian woman, Maddie, who has spent much of her young adult life caring for her father who has Parkinson Disease. Her overbearing, absent most of the time mother is of little help and her older brother is no help at all to her either.

One day to her mother decides to return home to London from the Hostel she has been running in Ghana in order to look after Maddie's father. Maddie takes this opportunity to rent an apartment with two other young women. Lots of funny things happen as Maddie learns how to navigate the dating scene with clubbing and online dating. Mattie is very unsure of herself and asks Google tons of questions. I enjoyed this book but I did find that the second half slowed down somewhat, but overall it is a good book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this very delightful, witty, book.

I really enjoyed this poignant, moving family drama. On the surface, Maame is about a 25-year-old London woman who has been the primary caretaker for her father with Parkinson’s for the past several years. She is finally moving out of the house and experiencing city life and young adulthood in a more “normal” way, but also dealing with guilt over leaving her dad’s side and family issues like clashing with her mother who escapes by spending most of her time in Ghana. While very funny at parts, this book was also totally heartbreaking in a way I wasn’t prepared for. I noticed another reviewer compare it to Eleanor Olliphant is Completely Fine, and I definitely think it has a similar vibe if you enjoyed that one (which I did). Check this one out on January 31, 2023!

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the early read!

There's a piece of Maddie - Maame - that will speak to almost every reader, especially those in younger generations. This debut novel is essentially a coming-of-age novel, more YA than fully adult, including some of the grammar (there's a tendency to use "with [name] and I,' a convention that's become a pet peeve). Although 25 when the novel opens, Maddie still lives at home, is loathe to take chances, and provides most of the care needed by her father, who struggles with Parkinsons Disease. Gradually, she finds her true strengths and her true self. I found the Google searches that Maddie uses throughout the book to be an uncomfortable and sometimes jarring convention, although I think that the younger audience to whom the book will appeal, will find them more natural. There is no doubt that Jessica George can write. I look forward to seeing in what direction she takes her next efforts. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

5 rising stars
“Maame: the responsible one. The woman. The mother….It made me responsible and guilty.”
“Google: Symptoms of depression”

From the publisher: Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George's 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.”

In a world of cliched characters, Maame, aka Maddie, is fresh, honest, real, kind, generous, vulnerable, and she later adds, “cool, audacious, and carefree.” Subtle humor abounds and the contrasting emotions of hope, sadness and anger ring true, without ever being sappy or sentimental. Dialog flows in a natural way. I enjoy getting to know this complex young woman. I’d have coffee or green tea with her.

So many books just end. Jessica George gently and wisely folds this book up, and now… I must wait for more from the author. “It was so different from all the other bestsellers we’ve been reading recently. It was beautiful and raw.”

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Maddie is such a strong bibacious character. A courageous Black woman living in London. I fell in love with across the pages of this endearing and engrossing novel.

Maame should absolutely be high school required reading. What an amazing coming-of-age story, infused with moments of self-doubt, anxiety, and awakening sexuality. The cultural aspects of Madeline's life add depth and relevance. With this debut, Jessica George will surely put herself on the radar of readers looking for depth and substance.