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.

I really enjoyed this story. One of my favorite parts was when Maddy realized that she was talking to her mother as the daughter of her grandpa, not just her mom. I think this was an important story to shine a light on the ways our parents' upbringing affects how they parent us, and how they see and view the world. I enjoyed watching Maddy "grow up" and loved the justice at the end with her father's will.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Maame is a sweet coming of age story of Maddie, a 25-year-old used to bearing the weight of the world (mostly her family) on her shoulders. As a first generation Brit (her parents are Ghanaian), she has a strong allegiance to her ailing father while her mother works for months at a time back in Ghana and her big brother James is MIA. When Maddie finally has the chance to move out and make some changes in her life, things don’t turn out as perfectly as she anticipated.

While this one moved slowly for me at the beginning, once all the plot points began to connect I was really invested. I loved the characters and was especially drawn to Maddie and her mother.

As a therapist, I loved the depiction of therapy in the novel and the support mental health professionals provided for several of the main characters. The stigma of seeking out mental health therapy was also well-represented. There are some difficult scenes to read but also some touching moments interwoven into the story. The importance of connections with family and chosen family is a lovely underlying theme.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Maame in exchange for my unbiased review.

Jessica George’s debut novel MAAME is a vivid and emotional journey through a young girl’s life. From an early age, Maddie is called Maame, a native name that means woman, and throughout her life, she bears the burden and responsibility of that name. Maddie is the primary care giver for her father who suffers from Parkinson’s, while her mother spends most of the time in Ghana, and her brother James seems to feel no responsibility to help. Maddie’s job is as unfulfilling as her love life.

Her dominating Mother is quick to criticize or quote a Bible verse but is absent when Maddie needs her most. The major portion of the book describes Maddie’s experiences with roommates, with men she dates, and with her workmates. In her relationships, references are made to race and sexual orientation. Maddie was an interesting character, and it was rewarding to see her become her own woman.

This story was described as humorous, but I did not find it to be funny at all. Maame is a serious, coming-of-age work, a story of the responsibility of family and the high cost of love.

Pros: I enjoyed this own-voices book. This book examines the main character’s (an introverted woman in her mid-20s) relationships—with her Ghanian immigrant parents, her irresponsible brother, her best friend, her new roommates, her sort-of boyfriend, and her workmates. It also examines her personal growth, which begins with a sheltered woman who needs to consult google for all social interactions and who neglects her goals to be a dutiful daughter. I am curious if portions of this book are autobiographical because the author shares biographical similarities with the main character.

I listened to this book and really enjoyed the audiobook because, as it is told in first person, it seemed like the main character is telling the reader about herself and her life.

Cons: The only thing I can think of is that this book might not be for every reader. I can see how some readers will not understand the naïve/sheltered/introverted main character, but at the same time I think many readers will relate to her and very much enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read to this book.

⭐️: 4.5/5

Maddie has spent half of her 20s living at home, unhappy in her job, taking care of her father who is suffering from Parkinsons, while her mother spend a lot of time back in Ghana running the hostel that was left to her by her father. When her mother comes back home and is able to take over the care of her father, Maddie takes the opportunity to leave home for the first time and embark on all the things she has never had the opportunity or courage to do before, including living in a shared flat, dating, and being social, all in an effort to find happiness and her place in the world.

I was about 10% into this book and I thought I had already made up my mind about it. The tone is unusual and a little hard to get used to, due to the main character being so sheltered and in her head, and I was concerned the whole book would sound as annoyingly juvenile as the start. However, by the end, I found my self incredibly moved and deeply invested in Maddie’s story and development as a character. This book truly sneaks up on you, and I applaud the author for being so deliberate in the progression of Maddie’s voice as she grows as person and becomes less naïve to the world. This was partially a coming of age book, partially a hard look at the realities of being a person of color in spaces that are primarily white, and partially a picture of grief and the different ways people manage the loss of a loved one. Maddie was a really unique and memorable narrator, even if I’m not the biggest fan of books breaking the fourth wall by inserting quips like “my friend, more on her a little later, and prepare yourself” or “now that you’ve briefly met my mother, you will understand…”, but the Lizzie McGuire reference was 100% on point and appreciated. I could definitely see this being one of the big books of 2023, so I definitely recommend getting your hands on it when it comes out!!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

There's a point in the story where Maddie self-referentially mentions she's been told that she writes like she speaks, like she's in the room. That definitely holds true for the book itself as well. The plot was driven and compelling, conveyed with expansive compassion, but the YA-like writing style (the Google searches always threw me off) kept ejecting me from staying immersed in the story.

What a beautiful coming of age story ❤️ Maddie is the caretaker of her father, who has Parkinson’s, and honestly has been the caretaker of her entire family for most of her life. When her mother returns from Ghana, Maddie (at 25) finally moves out and starts to experience life as a young single woman.

After moving out, Maddie experiences so much fun and joy as well as profound guilt, confusion, and sadness. This story deals with many important topics: familial duty, finding independence, racism, cultural responsibilities, grief, and sexuality as a woman.

Maddie and I are so different in our backgrounds but I found myself relating to a lot of her story. I know all of you “responsible daughters” can identify at least part of this story. The parts about Maddie being a caretaker really spoke to me.

I listened to this one on audio and I would 100% recommend it. I think it made Maddie come to life. She has such a unique, smart, funny voice and I didn’t want to leave her when the story ended.

This is one of the best books I read this year. Emotional, moving, and well written. Audiobook narrator was very enjoyable.

Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.

Maame by Jessica George is such a special book - right off the bat the voice of our protagonist, Maame aka Maddie, was so unique and exciting that it immediately drew me in. Maddie is a young adult living in London strapped with the responsibilities of someone far beyond her years - she cares for her ailing father while sending money back to her mother in Ghana. She works hard at a job where she feels like she always one step behind and generally has never had the opportunity to exist in the world as many young people do - carefree, promiscuous, and social. All of that changes when her mother comes to London to care for her father - Maddie moves out and starts to spend her time doing the things she has been dreaming of. Soon after, everything changes and she is forced to grapple with some big challenges and questions as she continues to find her way.

Wow! I loved this book - the tone was simply unmatched compared to my other reads this year. Maddie’s voice and perspective is so memorable and I really felt like I went through this experience of tremendous growth with the character. The book explores meaningful themes of familial duty, racism, female pleasure, love, friendship, culture, and connection. All readers will be better for picking this one up.

Maame is out 1/31/23 - thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

A well-crafted and moving story about a young adult navigating complex familial relations, grief, and her own social and professional independence.

Madie, nicknamed Maame, is one of those fictitious book characters that you want to hug, continue to spend time with, and stay in touch with. She’s absolutely precious, has a heart of gold (almost to a fault), and proves during this charming book that she is already the version of herself that she has always wished for.
Madie’s father is sick and dying. Her mother and brother are gone and place all the responsibility on young Madie. She’s never dated, never gone out for drinks with the girls, never worn cute clothes, and is still a virgin at the old age of 25.
We follow Madie as she attempts to correct these wrongs, laughing with her at some events, getting mad at others, and feeling deep compassion endlessly.
This is a feel-good book, but our protagonist faces some cruel struggles along the way. Pleasantly written and a joy to read, I look forward to enjoying more of Jessica’s books.
A sincere thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 31, 2023.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for letting me enjoy this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I had a hard time with this book because of the writing style. It took some getting used to - the googling in particular always took me out of the flow.

The thing that had me connected with this book throughout was Maddie and getting to root for her. The parts of tenderness with her and her sick father had me by the throat. I also really connected with the the “well if not me, who?” kind of mindset when you’re the only one stepping up to the plate.

I did find Maddie’s inexperience a little harder to relate to and believe. Especially when you take into account the fact that she has a job, she has friends, she’s clearly headstrong and responsible… it just didn’t compute that she would be so ignorant to things like dating and instead of figuring it out for herself or asking her friends, she would google everything.

Overall, this is a really sweet coming of age and it may work for you!

The main character, Maddie, is working hard to find her own voice. After years of being the caregiver for her father, she ventures out to discover herself. This book has it all; family relations, self discovery and subtle racism.
This book would be good for a high school class.

I loved this novel. If I had to choose one word to describe it, that word would be real. Everything about this book felt real. The main character, while a bit naive about certain things, grows and tackles heavy issues with strength and resilience. A book about all the struggles a person can face: Grief, death, racism, sexism, workplace drama, being single and navigating the world of dating. Maddie was easy to root for. I devoured this book, I didn't want to put it down and now that I've finished I can't stop thinking about it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

I absolutely loved this tender novel about Maddie and her road to finding herself. Highly recommend.

This book was okay. I felt bad for Maddie many times throughout the book. She was forced to grow up but at the same time she was still so naive.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.