I loved this book! It was a coming of age story for a young Black woman. Her life was so complicated because of her family’s situation. The feelings in this book were tangible and really pulled at my heart strings. There is an element of found family which I love in a book.

The story does deal with a parent struggling with debilitating illness, and this part really resonated with me. The writing was so strong.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Jessica George, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I've been seeing so much buzz about Maame, and I'm thrilled to say that it lived up to all of its hype! This was a beautifully heartbreaking story that enamored me from the very beginning. Part coming-of-age, part study on grief, I resonated so much with Maddie throughout. My life looks very different from hers in many ways, but George perfectly captured many big feelings of being 25. Maddie was loveable, sincere, and relatably flawed while being a narrator I rooted for until the end. George's writing style is absolutely stunning as well, and I am shocked that this is a debut novel for her. I already anticipate reading whatever she comes out with next. My only and biggest complaint overall is that the book felt a little disjointed at times due to its short nature (hence me rounding down to 4 stars instead of up to 5 from my true rating of 4.5). I was confused at first why I had seen so many people say it was an emotional read because the book is so strictly a more "fun" coming-of-age read focused on a young woman moving out for the first time and trying new things for the first half. Then it takes a sharp turn into grief, depression, and finding who you are through difficult familial situations and trauma. I feel like the book could have benefitted from a bit more blending of these two topics, and I would have liked to see more overall examination of Maddie's relationships with both her Mom and James as well. The ending was wrapped up a little too nicely for my liking (and I think Maddie came about to self-realization a lot quicker than I would expect to happen in real life), but for the book, it did work overall and probably works more for the audience as a whole than it did me. This was a great read as a whole that will be sticking with me for a while.

Full disclosure- I did not finish all the way before my copy expired but immediately purchased my own copy to finish!

UPDATE: 3.5 stars. Maddie felt like the little sister I never had throughout this book. I just wanted to give her a hug and have a good talk the whole time. I also thought all the characters were really well thought out and fleshed out, even down to the first terrible boss who’s only in the first chapters of the book. My issue with this was the pacing. What felt like should have taken months was crammed into a few weeks. Half the action seemed to be going too fast (online dating, finding a therapist) while the other half too slow (funeral planning).

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins for an opportunity to read this e-ARC!

REVIEW: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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READ IF YOU-
⚡️Enjoy self-discovery stories
⚡️Love characters that “hop-off” the pages
⚡️Enjoy thought-provoking subjects
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This book is easily now one of my favorite reads. It is an engaging and powerful novel that will take you on a whirlwind of emotions with the most lovable character leading the way.
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Maddie or “Maame” is a London born daughter to Ghanaian immigrants who is the primary caretaker of her father who has Parkinson’s. When her mum returns from Ghana, Maddie is ready to take on new adventures never experienced before.
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A sweet, sad, humorous, heartfelt book that will leave you with the question, are you truly where you belong?
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If you’ve read it, what did you think?! 🌟
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A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing the ARC!
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Loved this book and the main character Maddie. A great story of moving away from home and starting to find yourself. Relationships between parents and adult children are complicated and the author did a wonderful job pulling those apart.

Maddie is an absolute gem. She is basically a saint and to meet her is to love her. I enjoy d joining her in her journey, and learning about life along with her. However, I am very mad at her mother and brother- they seriously suck. As does Jo and a few others. I guess not everyone is perfect and Maddie’s acceptance of this, and my apparent refusal, is one of many reasons I adored this book.
Thank you NetGalley for this wonderful read.

Thanks to @stmartinspress + @macmillanusa for the publicity review copy - Maame is already out {and a #ReadWithJenna pick if that's your jam}

I loved every single page of Maddie's story in Maame. From her relationship with her family to her struggles at work to dating and friendship as well Maddie's Ghanaian culture and her grapplings with racism.

I did not want this one to end and cannot wait to read what Jessica George writes next.

Maame, aka Madeleine “Maddie” Wright, age twenty-five, lives in her parents’ home in London, works at an administrative assistant job she hates, and spends the rest of her time caring for her father who suffers from late-stage Parkinson’s Disease. In Twi, “Maame” means many things, including mother, woman, and “bring up a child with love and care.” In Maddie’s case, she has had to grow up too fast and is an old soul, a grown woman even as a child who was forced to take care of herself. Her mother returned to Ghana when she was twelve to run her grandfather’s hostel after he passed away, staying for a year at a time while making excuses that her brother could not be trusted with the hostel. Knowing Maddie was always smart with money, calls to her in London often had to do with her mother asking for money. In London with her dad, who was non-demonstrative, and her mother, who was incredibly controlling even from afar, Maddie’s life consisted of being the only black face in the room at work, and running home to care for her dad, leaving her no time for friends or a social life. Her older brother James is no help to her; though he lives in London, he consistently makes excuses to avoid coming home. Her mother arrives back in London, and pushes Maddie to move out. When she is unexpectedly let go from work through no fault of her own, she takes the opportunity to search for and find an editorial assistant position at a small publishing house. Finally, Maddie can explore who she is, with new friends, meals at restaurants, drinking alcohol and experiencing marijuana for the first time, and navigating the online dating scene.

Maddie is a brilliant character, and she is so easy to cheer for as she experiences many aspects of life for the very first time. I found her to be believable and endearing, and her inner struggles with life before and after her father’s death are utterly relatable. She becomes the unsung hero of her own story, and by the end we feel as though Maddie finally has the gumption, vocabulary, and quiet confidence to ask for and get what she needs. I also found it clever when author Jessica George broke the fourth wall with Maddie talking directly to her readers in the beginning. It was very easy for me to relate to and I genuinely loved Maddie by the conclusion. She progressed such a long way to understanding her family, and found it in herself to accept that they were no superheroes, but ordinary people. Most importantly, she accepted help, and also began to accept Maddie, and her ability to change or espouse what she needed to be a better version of herself. The books is full of a myriad of emotions—it’s got dry humor, sadness, bitterness, joy, love, and hope. It’s a coming-of-age novel, a tale which illustrates the quote from George Eliot: “it’s never too late to be what you might have been.” It’s not my usual genre, but “Maame” captured my heart from the beginning, and I found myself tearing up, nodding, and inwardly cheering for Maddie. I cannot recommend it enough, and if you are at all interested in anything I’ve described, please read this work. It will stay with you for a very long time.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Jessica George, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

4.5 ⭐️. Thank you Sr. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of Maame by Jessica George. It was such a pleasant experience reading Maame. Also I am in my mid-40s and Maddie is in her mid-20s, I saw so much of my 25 year old self in her trials and tribulations. I loved Maddie’s character and her ability to just keep going, despite the many difficulties and disappointments that she endures in such a short period. I felt for her with the crushing responsibility that she bore taking care of her dad, with her helplessness with dealing with her mom and her brother James. I was so proud of her when she finally stood up to her mom and James, even though it took so much out of her. I loved her relationships with her friends Nia and Shu, and how they unequivocally supported and loved her. Although there were aspects of Maame that reminded me of Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams, I very much preferred and appreciated Maddie’s arc and growth. I so wish that we had an equal amount of time with her after her process of healing, as we had during her self discovery and hurt. I wish that the epilogue was much longer; it seemed a bit rushed. Regardless, I loved this story and can’t wait to read Jessica George’s next novel.

A young woman finally moves out on her own after caring for her father who has Parkinson's disease and is devastated when he dies a short time later. Grief, family obligations, first romantic relationship, and a new job overwhelm her as struggles to take control of her life.

It was hard to read about someone being used by so many people, but such a realistic picture that so many woman experience. In the end, this was an inspiring and satisfying story.

This coming-of-age novel shows with heart, humor, and poignance what it's like to be torn between two worlds. Nicknamed Maame by her mother, Maddie was born in London, but her "blood and DNA is in Ghanaian soil."
"Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman."
Since she was a child, she has been the responsible one in her family, who depends on her to care for her father, who is ailing from advanced-stage Parkinson's, while her mother runs a family business in Ghana and her brother runs around England and beyond, overspending money he doesn't have. Maddie's boss gives her nightmares, and she doesn't have much of a life beyond her dreaded job and care-giving at home. When her mother announces she's returning to London from Ghana, it seems like Maddie will have the chance to start living her own young life. Circumstances put her on a rockier than anticipated path to figuring out where and with whom she belongs. This is a well-done debut by author Jessica George, whose work I will follow in the future. In the meantime, I will look forward to the series adaptation due to be developed by George, Universal International Studios, and Jenna Bush Hager’s Thousand Voices.

[Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

Maame is a fantastic debut novel from Jessica George. It sucked me in right away, but it wasn't an easy read by any stretch. Definitely some heavy topics at play here. Maddie is forced to grow up and take care of herself and her ailing father from a very young age. The flip side of this growing up is arrested development. She's 25, still lives at home, has never been in a relationship, and is simply a bit lost when it comes to what she wants for herself out of life.

I'm glad to have read it and seen the world thru Maddie's eyes. Read with care as it deals with grief and depression.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very raw and emotional coming of change story for me. I think it falls around the same genre of Such a fun Age, but Maame brings so much more gene to a final trauma and trying to navigate your own culture in your light. It also brings in mental health and how important it is to find your own path regardless of the stigmas. 5 star read for me!

“We grow up fast. Not by force, but because we are needed.”

Wow. What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Absolutely stunning debut. DEBUT! 🤯

Maame is a coming of age novel that covers topics of grief, relationships, love & regret, self discovery and heartbreak. The author weaves such a beautiful story of the dynamics of growing up too fast and the emotional depth that can hold.

This is a story that I could say endless things about, but the experience of reading it for yourself is unmatched. I think there is something for everyone inside. I will think about this book for years to come and I can’t wait to have a copy on my shelf to pick up for a future reread.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martins press as well as Libro.fm and MacMillian Audio for advanced copies of this book. I highly recommend the audiobook if that’s your thing!

A friend told me Maame would wreck me, but honestly, I think it helped put me back together instead. Her grief over her fathers death, as well as her people-pleasing ways, were both very relatable to me and finishing this book in tears felt more cathartic then anything.

At the heart of it, Maame is a stunning coming-of-age story about a 25 year old woman who has served as a caretaker to her ailing father and how she navigates leaving home and living on her own. Her growth is stunning and the focus on her therapy sessions was insightful, heart-breaking, and reaffirming all at once.

I especially loved how Maddie navigated all of the relationships in her life. From her dad, her mother and brother, to her best friends, roommates, co-workers, and men - from hesitancy at first to becoming more assertive and stronger, it was one of my favourite threads to follow in this story.

Though I wish we could have gotten more from her relationship with Sam (I feel like these were the scenes we saw the most growth from Maddie), I still wouldn’t change a single thing about this story. A must read that will definitely be one of my favourites of the year. ♥️

This was a good book with a likable main character. Maame is a young woman navigating her father's illness, work and dating. She in some ways is very mature but naive about other things. Following her trials would have been even more relatable as a younger reader but is charming as an older reader. I liked the cultural references and the other characters.

Copy provided by the publisher and. NetGalley

I DNFd at 35%. Although it seems like it was building a good story, I felt the pacing to be too slow. Ultimately, this adult book read very much like a YA book which led to me being less and less interested by the choices/opinions of our main character.

I’m sure this is great, just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley at St. Martins Press for the eARC.

I could not put this book down. I read it in a single day. I have potentially never rooted for main character more in my whole life. Maddie Wright deserves the whole world.

This book tackles grief in such a real way. It was unbelievably good. Will recommend to everyone who will listen.

This is a good coming-of-age debut novel about 25-year-old Maddie (aka, "Maame") who's living and working in London while also serving as the primary caregiver for her ailing Ghanian father who has Parkinson’s.

Maddie's mother is mostly out of the picture as she still works in Ghania part of the year. (She's a piece of work).

Meanwhile, Maddie has the weight of the world on her shoulders while she is thrust into adulthood. She has barely any time to figure out who she is vs. who she wants to become.

What she needs is freedom. Then she gets it unexpectedly, and it's not all that it's cracked up to be. Because it adds additional stress.

That said, she also gets the chance to be 25.

Sometimes, Maddie is hilarious. Other times, she's stressed and struggling and feeling behind her peers.

She must endure racism, cross cutural familial issues, guilt and grief. (Themes young adults must go through, especially young women of color, but Maddie has them all happen to her at a very young age!)

But thank goodness for friends and overcoming failure.

"'Maame’ has many meanings in Twi, but in my case it means ‘woman.’ I’ve been called Maame ever since I can remember and I loved being referred to as a woman when I was still a girl.”

Overall, I think this is a very recommendable read from debut novelist Jessica George.

3.5 🌟 rounded up

This book is brilliant. It will absolutely be one of my top 2023 reads. Yes, I know I read it in February. It was THAT good.

I related to Maddie so much. I went through many similar life experiences in my late 20's. The author beautifully handles som very difficult emotions, and I enjoyed the Ghanian perspective as well. I could write a lot more about this one but I don't want to give too many spoilers, so I'll just say that this is a must read! This is an emotional read but so, so good.

What I'm adding here that's not in my public review due to spoilers--the author brilliantly illustrates the path of early grief from the loss of a parent. I lost my dad at age 29 from vascular dementia and felt SO many of the same feelings Maddie did. I loved how Maddie received support from unexpected people (coworkers, Sam, etc) and her rollercoaster of emotions were so on point. I felt like I knew Maddie. I LOVED what Sam said to her in the end of the book about how you don't get "better' you adjust your life to living without that person.

This book deserves ALL THE STARS. Brilliant!

Also, I was offered this title to review many months before it released. However, my mom passed away in late 2021 and I didn't think I could handle it sooner than now. I'm glad I waited to read it.