Maame was such a delight to read. An unconventional coming of age story about a daughter, Maame, who has become the primary caregiver for her father who has Parkinson's. Maame (Maddie) is struggling with all of the things that come with being a young adult - job issues, romance, roommate troubles, and family. This book portrays a family that is flawed and real and really captures the feelings of isolation that come with being a carer for an aging parent. Maame is poignant and funny - I loved it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

I don't even know what to say about this book that will give it the praise it deserves. I just loved it.

Maddie is 25 but has spent her time living at home caring for her ill dad while her mom is "working" in Ghana and her brother is skirting all his familial responsibilities. She works at a job that treats her like garbage, has pretty much no social life, and then takes care of her dad. When her mom returns from Ghana, Maddie moves out, makes a few friends, starts dating, gets fired, finds a new job, and finally starts living for herself. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes, and Maddie blames herself, and has to find a way to live with her new normal while dealing with loss - and her mother, who is quite difficult.

I flip flopped from feeling terrible for Maddie and wanting to shake her. She is such a naive character, and grows so much in this book, but there were times that I was like "what EXACTLY are you doing???". I think that says a lot for a book; when you feel so much for a character, whether it's frustration, joy, sadness, hate, whatever.

Read this book. It's amazing, and will most likely be in my top books of the year.

** Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to review this book. **
Maame means woman.

The book world can’t stop talking about Jessica George’s debut novel, Maame. I have been in a slump lately, so I really wanted to read something amazing so I could give a 4- or 5-star review. With all the hype surrounding Maame, I thought that this would surely be the book to get me out of my slump.

It wasn’t.

But to be fair, I’m not the target market.

Maame is about 25-year-old Maddie, who is navigating young adulthood with some pretty heavy burdens on her shoulders. She has been caring for her dad, who has Parkinson’s Disease, by herself and funding much of his care. Her mother has been living in Ghana under the guise of helping her uncle run a business. Maddie’s brother, James, is a bit of a deadweight who doesn’t offer to help often. With no one else to tend to him, Maddie takes the burden of her father’s care on herself.
At the beginning of the book, Maddie is stuck as an executive assistant for a manager who is a bit unhinged. During this time, her mother calls her and announces that she is coming back to the United States to live with Maddie’s dad, so Maddie can finally move out. She finds a flat with two roommates, Cam and Jo. Right after signing the lease, she gets fired from her job for something that was not her fault. Luckily, she finds a job at a small publishing company. She has to begin her career doing administration, but her new boss promises her that she will have opportunities to expand her career.

Around this time, Maddie also meets Ben, a handsome (and rich) man who becomes Maddie’s second boyfriend ever. Maddie is a virgin, something she attributes to her lack of a social life. She decides to sleep with Ben after a few dates. The sex hurts, but Maddie doesn’t say anything. However, this is clearly a moral failing of Ben. There is an underlying insinuation that he should have read her mind and knew she wasn’t enjoying herself, but that kind of messaging is a pet peeve of mine. I get that Maame is about Maddie’s journey to find her voice, but that doesn’t mean those around you are guilty of crimes that they are unaware that they committed in your head. Ben ends up getting caught with another woman. I think you can make a case either way on whether he was cheating on her– I mean, they never said they were exclusive, but it wasn’t a chivalrous move by any stretch of the imagination. At any rate, whether Ben is worthy of Maddie’s intense ire is up for debate.

At the tail end of Maddie and Ben’s relationship, Jo asks Maddie and Cam to go out drinking with her one night. Maddie reluctantly agrees. She wanted to stay in and bake a cake for her father’s birthday the next day, but Jo pleads with her to go. So, Maddie relents. Once out, Maddie has a couple of drinks. The group wants to move to a new location, and Maddie tells Jo that she wants to go home. Jo again pleads with her to stay, and Maddie once again relents. At the next place, Maddie proceeds to get REALLY drunk and REALLY high off edibles.
Predictably, Maddie wakes up the next day with a massive hangover. She looks at the clock. It’s 2 p.m.– well past the time when she wanted to arrive at her dad’s house for his birthday. Then, she gets a call from her mom. Maddie’s dad passed away that morning, alone because her mom had gone out to “run an errand” (aka meet another man). Maddie is torn with guilt because she knew that she might have been able to save him if she were there. When she tells her flatmates, they are sympathetic. Then, Maddie suddenly turns on Jo and blames her for keeping her out. Because Maddie had a hangover, she was not there when her dad died. Therefore, it was Jo’s fault that Maddie’s dad died alone. Jo and Maddie have an awkward relationship from then on.

The rest of the book involves lots of depression, therapy, and anger at her new job for supposedly holding her back. I could go into more detail, but honestly, I’m already tired of writing about it. Yes, Maddie gets taken advantage of by several people around her, mainly her family. Her mother and brother expect her to pay for the majority of her father’s funeral, for example. Her boss uses one of her ideas and then doesn’t involve her on the project. Her flatmates are awkward around her after Maddie blames Jo for her father’s death. But, Maddie herself is kind of a terrible person. While she is “finding her voice,” she lays false blame at every turn. I’m sorry, but your flatmate begging you to stay out does not make her responsible for your father’s death. Your job not giving a junior employee a seat at the table right away, even if you have a great idea, is not wrong. You are not experienced in your career field– expertise and seats at the table have to be earned. In fact, her boss, in my opinion, was awfully nice for not firing her when she simply stopped working after her father’s death without any communication on a return date. They even hired a psychiatrist for her to talk to once she made it back to the office. Oh, and did I mention that she started dating Jo’s casual fling and didn’t care if it hurt her? In the process of discovering her true self, Maddie does a lot of terrible things to people, yet she never seems to suffer any consequences. There is a glorification of Maddie without any acknowledgment of her poor choices. Instead, we are supposed to focus on her trauma and her newfound discovery of self. We’re supposed to yell, “Slay, boss babe!” and ignore how unfair she is being to those around her. If it improves Maddie’s life, it is an unquestionable moral good.

As I said, I am not the target market for this book. I did not read it and walk away with good feelings about dealing with personal trauma and finding your voice. Instead, I saw a lot of themes I disagree with. I believe you shouldn’t do something as morally repugnant as blaming another person for your father’s death because you regret your own choices. I believe that success must be earned over a period of time. I believe that people can’t be blamed for the unspoken offenses that they have committed in your head.

The writing was good. The story was entertaining. I read most of the book believing that I would rate it highly at the end. But, as I closed the cover, I slowly discovered that I actually didn’t like it very much. It may not be a popular opinion, but it is my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for gifting me with an ARC of Maame by Jessica George. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

I admit the wonderful cover art initially caught my eye and then the buzz surrounding this debut led me to request a review copy. I began with the E- copy but decided to purchase the audio, which really brought the richness of George’s prose to life. Print and audio are both fantastic.

Maddie, a twenty-five year old Ghanaian girl living in London with her parents and older brother is a late bloomer. While her friends went off to uni and have begun to live out their lives, Maddie has remained home to care for her father, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease. When an opportunity arises for Maddie to move out and begin to carve out her own life she learns adulting isn’t easy but there are wonderful rewards too. This story is full of familial love, self love, acceptance, aspirations, grief, growth and ultimately happiness.

While I enjoyed plenty in this book unfortunately it felt a bit recycled. I do believe George is a new talent and an author to watch for.

I requested this arc months ago after reading the synopsis and being drawn in by the beautiful cover, so I was excited when Jenna picked it as her February selection and shared that she’s adapting it for t.v.

Did I like it? Yes. Will I watch its adaptation? Sure. Was it as amazing as Jenna made it out to be? Um, nope.

How did it rate for me on a scale of 1-5? When it comes to the writing and storyline it’s a 3, maybe rounded up to 3.5 for the cultural references and educational tidbits I scooped up throughout.

Maddie is living in London and is the primary care taker for her father who is deteriorating from Parkinson’s. Her mother spends much of her time in Ghana and her brother can’t be bothered with family responsibilities. Maame means “mother” or “woman” in Twi, a term Maddie soon comes to resent as she struggles with the burdens cast upon her.

When the time comes for her to move out, start dating, and meet new friends, Maddie must navigate this new world of “firsts.” Jenna compared this to a Bridgette Jones laugh out loud storyline, but it didn’t even come close and is much heavier in content and desperately lacking in humor.

What worked for me: Maddie is loveable. She honors her family despite having to have taken on adult roles early on and a mother who is self absorbed and absent. I enjoyed learning about their life in Ghana and family traditions.

What didn’t: The whole story felt pretty cookie cutter. You knew where every plot line was going and how every character was going to act. There wasn’t anything really new here and definitely more overhyped than I expected.

Madi a 25 yo British-Ghanaian woman living in London. She is the primary caretaker of her dad- he has Parkinson's and so she spends a lot of her time at home making sure hes tended to and pursuing a career she's not crazy about -but it's paying the bills. Unfortunately, a lot of the responsibility falls on her shoulders because her mom spends time between London and Ghana and her brother is kind of doing his own thing, so she is very much the responsible one in the family.

The book starts as Madi is finally taking a leap and moves out of her family home and tries to start her own life and find out who she is. she makes new friends and goes out on her own a bit when -unfortunately- tragedy strikes and it makes her reevaluate everything.


i cannot stress enough how much i loved this book. A comp for it would be queenie by candice carty williams, but i liked maame even more. I cant think of 1 bad thing to say about it. Madi and the other characters feel real. There are real issues and it’s not saccharine…. There wasnt a bow that resolved everything at the end…shes just a real woman finding her own way. I loved the exploration of madi’s culture and her relationship with her mom. This book is a perfect quarter life crisis book. Its about Putting yourself out there and about finding yourself. This one definitely made me cry. Be sure to check TW if youre curious- about specific scenes that could be upsetting to some readers. I have to say i think it will end up on my best of 2023 list. Maame jessica george

Uplifting and encouraging coming of age story told with real emotion and love. Spanning a brief time period, but including an amazing amount of growth and change in that short period.

Maame is a raw, moving, and at times excruciating to read story of a young woman coming to terms with grief, family, sex, mental illness, and herself.

Things I appreciated:
-How much this book made me feel things. My predominant feelings during the middle 75% of the book were *uncomfortable* and *squirmy*, with a bit of angry, which wasn't particularly pleasant but was remarkable, nonetheless...
-The way Jessica George guides Maddie, the MC, through her self-discovery, generally, and, more specifically, through her acceptance of help around mental health issues and her ability to advocate for herself.
-Maddie's friendship with Shu and Nia.
-How George writes grief.
-How George writes about racism, including fetishization and microagressions.
-The handful of very funny bits of writing peppered throughout the book.

Things I didn't appreciate:
-The concept of virginity not being challenged as a social construct.
-"Sex" seemingly being defined as penis + vagina, rather than the full suite of things it can be.
-Enthusiastic consent not being explored as much as it could have been, considering that sex and discomfort around sex was such a strong theme in this book.
-The bi-representation was disappointing, and kind of fell into negative bisexual stereotypes.

This is an impressive, well written debut novel, and I look forward to seeing what Jessica George writes next.

I really loved this book. I felt for Maddie throughout the book between the death of her father, her complicated relationship with her mother and seeking therapy and learning more about herself. A wonderful coming of age story.

Read this book in two days!!! Funny and sweet and all together an awesome read. I would recommend to all my friends! Thank you for the ATC

Maame is one of the best debut novels I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time.

This is an incredibly moving story about a young woman who finds herself in a situation that forces her to make choices and decisions causing her to grow up very quickly in order to take care of her family. Through all of this though, who is taking care of her?

Jessica George's novel will tug at your heartstrings and leave you aching for more as you immerse yourself in this beautiful story of family, love, struggle, and hope.

Beautiful book that I highly recommend.

Every once in a while you come across a book that is so good that you are shocked to find out that it was a debut. That is how I felt about Maame. The writing was excellent and Jessica George has such a strong narrative voice. I found myself relating a lot to Maddie and was really rooting for her. This book was both funny and heartbreaking at times, and I am definitely going to be thinking about it for a long time. Already a contender to make it to my top 10 list of the year.

What an impressive debut! Maddie is undoubtedly a character that will stay with me for a long time. How joyful, and at times heartbreaking, to watch her come into herself as a character. What I enjoyed most about this novel, besides Maddie herself, was the breadth George covers in terms of topic. It's impressive that she wove in family dynamics, grief, sex, racism, and mental health without any of it feeling like it was an afterthought.

The one thing that took me out of this story a bit was the interludes of Google searches. I understood their function and was happy to see Maddie rely on them less as the story continued, but they would take me out of the narrative.

Comparisons to Bridget Jones and Queenie are apt, but even if the story feels familiar, I think it is absolutely worth a read to get to know Maddie.

What an engaging yet hard to read debut novel by Jessica George. The story is both heartbreaking yet up lifting. I had a hard time connecting with it at times but think because age difference. So totally different priorities and life point of views.

Wow, this book had my hooked right away. So well written, and fresh. It had vibes from some other books I’ve loved, but felt younger and more modern. Wonderful read, that I highly recommend.

Let me start by saying I was hoping to be over the moon about this book after reading but I wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed it and the flow of it was good. I just didn’t find my self thinking about it days later. This story is about Maddie an African girl that has basically raised herself. She is very GREEN when it comes to the ways of life and the world. There are some triggers in this book mainly depression and severe anxiety. Maddie or what her family calls her Maame is beautiful, smart and funny. Too bad she doesn’t know it. She yerns to be loved but looks for it in all the wrong places. She has placed her life on hold to care for her father. She is the glue that holds this family together but even the glue can Start to crack. Crack is just what Maddie did emotionally. The author gave us Maddie’s story of growth and self discovery. My heart broke for Maddie because she like so many have to sacrifice their childhood way to early. This was a 3.5 star read for me.

What a surprisingly book that brought me so much delight. First of all, as with most books that I love, it is funny! Maddie’s wry sense of humor and internal monologue cracked me up, when they weren’t making me cry. Because yes, it’s also very sad. It’s a portrait of grief, and finding yourself when there are many factors against you. I was frequently frustrated by the things Maddie’s goes through, and though I felt like the end may have been a little too tidy, I was really happy with it. I half listened/half read the print copy of this one.

This brightly colored gem has set mockingly on my TBR shelf for some time, I think it is because I saw myself in Maddie and was not ready to confront that---yet. That said, this book will hit many of your 2023 (and beyond) markers: it is a book written by a Black woman; it is a debut novel; it is a book club pick which will be adapted; it is a coming of age story.

All told, one will have much to discuss when reading in a book club setting. And for those like me, who are dealing with grief, do take care of yourself when reading.

Maame is a beautifully written novel depicting the life of a 25-year-old woman named Maddie, who has put her life on hold to care for her father who has Parkinson’s Disease. The responsibility has fallen on her as her mother spends much of her time in Ghana and her brother is focused on his own life. When Maddie's mother moves back to London from Ghana for a year, Maddie takes the opportunity to move out and experience life as a typical woman in her 20s.
This book was fantastic. It handles so many heavy topics, including grief, depression and racism, but still manages to include many light-hearted moments. Maddie is such a wonderful character that you can't help but root for. I loved this book and definitely recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love a book when you feel like you are sitting right there with the main character. Jessica George did a great job of creating characterization in the book Maame.

Maddie, the main character, was born in England to Ghanian parents. Her mom is pretty much an absentee mom who spends most of her time in Ghana, and her brother doesn't have time for family. As an adult, Maddie stays home to take care of her dad who has Parkinson's disease. Having had a parent with Parkinson's, this book hit a little too close to home, but George does a beautiful job of describing the ailing father. "Maame" is a Ghana name for mother, woman, or responsible one. This describes Maddie perfectly.

The book takes you on a emotional rollercoaster. At times, I was laughing out loud right beside Maddie in her self-deprecating ways, and other times, my heart was breaking right along with her.

This is a growing of age book, even though it happens for Maddie in her twenties, even her first boyfriend.

I gave this book five stars. It wasn't an "I can't put this book down" kind of book, but it warmed my heart. It is filled with life lessons, and it is a book I will remember for awhile.

I was given this book for my honest review.