I love character driven novels, and Maame was an amazing example of that! What a debut novel!!

Maddie (Maame) is in her mid 20's and lives at home with her dad. Her mom spends every other year in Ghana and her brother spends his time with his friends families. So when Maddie's dad is diagnosed with Parkinson's it is left to Maddie to be his caregiver. But as Maddie thinks, it has always been up to her to take care of everything, even when her dad didn't have Parkinson's. She has been responsible for so many things that should have never been her responsibility, and she thinks she has handled it .... but as she discovers later, she really hasn't.

I will not say anymore about the book, and believe me there is so much more to this book! I have a feeling that this one will be in my top 5 at the end of the year. 4.5⭐

This was a great, emotional coming-of-age story. Maddie is trying to figure out her life in London. The daughter of immigrant parents from Ghana, she’s the primary caretaker for her dad and solely responsible for him while her mother runs the family business in Ghana. With her mom’s return to London, Maddie decides to set out on her own and try to forge a life for herself independent of her parents.

I enjoyed the different messages of the book, especially the focus on family and faith. Lots of reviewers have compared this book to Queenie, another book I enjoyed, but I found Maddie to be much more grounded of a character. That said, she was also incredibly frustrating at times. She’s meant to be 25 but it sometimes felt like she was actually 15. She’s incredibly naive and after awhile her bizarre google searches got a little annoying. Does anyone actually search for some of the things she did?

Despite that, the way that grief and depression was portrayed was very powerful. Anyone who has lost a family member could relate to what Maddie goes through as she navigates the loss.

I definitely look forward to seeing what Jessica George writes next!

What a raw, emotionally gripping, and passionate debut! I read this quickly, needing to know what happens to Maddie. Maddie is guarded, weighted, and incredibly thoughtful and I found myself rooting for her and being so impressed by her strength. There are so many moments of vulnerability between the characters that are so impactful. I think at some point we have all felt alone and Maddie really makes us feel understood. Maame is an empowering coming of age story with themes of family dynamics, the process of grief, and going after what you truly want. I can’t wait to see more from @jessicabgeorge

4.5⭐️

Terrific. This is in many ways a coming of age novel- or coming into your own novel- as well as a novel about grief. Maddie has been called Maame by her mother since she was a child, when her mother first left the family to spend time in Ghana forcing Maddie to care for her brother and her father. She's now 25 and she's always lived at home, now caring for her father, who has advanced Parkinsons's, and she's working for a woman she hates. And then just as she takes a step to rent a room in a group home, she's fired, which turns out to be a positive because she finds a new one that's more suited. And she has a date, a man who wooes her. But not all is good because, well, no spoilers except that her father's death forces her to take a hard look not only at herself but also at others and to finally stand up for herself. She's a well drawn, relatable, sympathetic character who deserves so much more than. she gets from most of those around her. This has wonderful storytelling and it sings in small moments as well as large. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A marvelous debut.

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

This was a lovely yet profound read, and I especially loved how the author included the themes of identity and how the legacy of one's blood family can shape who we are. I truly sympathized with Maddie and was rooting for her the whole time. I also must say that it was really refreshing to read a book centred around a Black character that didn't revolve around trauma or racism.

I would recommend this book to people who Google anything and everything, those with overbearing mothers, and folks who love to see a good character arc.

📚📚 BOOK REVIEW 💫 💫

Rating : 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
We come across the meaning of the term “Maame” multiple times throughout the book and each time the word takes a new gravitas based on the mood of the protagonist. “Maame” in Twi means “woman” and it’s this name which has been tied up to our protagonist, Maddie’s destiny.

Maddie, born in London to Ghanaian parents, is introduced to us as a simple 25 years old girl, devoted to taking care of her Parkinson’s affected father and the household, in the absence of her mother (on a recurring Ghana visit) and a brother James (running away from his responsibilities). A spur of the moment decision to move out and live her own life, unfair termination from job, a failed relationship while losing her virginity in the process, an insane night of smoking pot and Maame finds her questioning her choices when she wakes up late on her dad’s birthday to find him dead and having missed the last opportunity to meet him. A bout of depression and self searching follows- whether Maddie recovers and does she finds herself form the rest of the story.

Maame as mentioned above is a coming of age fiction which has a lot of heart. Each incident feels like a page out of your own diary- you cry with Maddie, you root for her to come out victorious and therein lies it’s biggest positive. The mother daughter relationship is another highlight and it’s endearing to see the evolution as the narrative proceeds. While the first half of the book has enough humor sprinkled in, it’s the 2nd half where the emotional quotient really hits the mark. The only negative is the romance which didn’t really connect with me. Overall the mother daughter and Maddie’s ode to her father will resonate with you- too early into the new year but definitely one of my favourites for the year!

Thank you Netgalley, Jessica George and St. Martin’s Press for the arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #Maame #BookReview

Thanks to St.Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Maame follows Maddie, a young 20 something year old through her trials and tribulations. This book deals with some heavy topics, yet I did find there were some light moments which helped outweigh the heavy. I can’t exactly pinpoint what about this book I struggled with, but it took me forever to get through. I found it to be long and tedious at times. I think it is a book I could easily revisit later and I do think there will be strong praises for this book, it just was not my favorite! 3 stars!

I feel like all I can say is, wow! This is such a different novel and so important for people to read. I immediately felt immersed in the tension and voice and it just didn't let go. High five out of five stars!

Really liked this one. I was meh until about 100 pages in, when there is a big plot event and the tone really shifts. I appreciated Maddie and her many layers. Her struggles were relatable. She was a very sympathetic character and I think many would enjoy this lovely coming of age story of a young women from a Ghanian background living in London and balancing family, work (in publishing), love and friendship. Feels like many this is a bit of autofiction? I've shared this with many people since reading. Thanks to both Netgalley and Goodreads for the early copies!

I absolutely adored this book. I think it will most definitely be on my best of 2023 list and if the year continues this way I am in for a real treat! The book explores the evolution of Maddie, a 25 year old Ghanaian woman who is a devoted daughter and people pleasure to the detriment of her own needs and wants. Maddie lives with her father who has early onset Parkinsonism and is declining steadily day by day. Maddie's absent mother spends most of her time in Ghana and has retreated there since Maddie was a teenager. Maddie's older brother is also absent. Maddie is left holding the bag the majority of the time. She loves her father dearly but also yearns to live the normal life of a 25 year old. She finally gets the opportunity when her mother returns from Ghana, giving Maddie the choice to move out into a flat with roommates. The choices and mistakes she makes while on this journey of discovery are sometimes hilarious and many times painful to watch. However the growth that she makes as she learns to stand up for herself were a joy to experience.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review.

Wow, this books made me feel all the feels! Maame, by debut novelist Jessica George, is a beautiful coming of age story about a young black woman in London making her first foray into the adult world in her mid-twenties. Maddie is paradoxically naive and mature for her years, after not having been afforded the opportunity to fully live during her teens and early twenties due to taking care of her ill father while her mother spends much of her time in Ghana. You'll fall in love with Maddie as she tries to navigate the confusing world of dating and climbing the professional ladder, often seeking advice from the modern-day magic eight ball of Google searches. These searches provide an intriguing window into Maddie's thoughts, shining a light on those things many of us wonder about. (How did we ever solve problems and sate our curiosity before internet search engines?)

Nicknamed Maame (which can be translated as woman, in Twi) by her mother, Maddie has complicated feelings about her nickname as well as her fraught relationship with her mother. Her mom's pathological insistence on secrecy kept Maddie from ever having anyone to talk to.  Finally at her breaking point after tragedy strikes, Maddie sees a therapist and explores her family's dysfunction and how it has affected her development. She is a people-pleaser who has to learn how to stand up for herself in her personal and professional lives. Maddie's character is so relatable to anyone who has experienced depression, grief, racism, family drama, or career frustration. You'll be rooting for and crying for Maddie along her heartbreaking journey.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for my ARC.

This was a wonderful book. Maddie was a wonderful main character that really showed the struggles of a women in her early 20s. I really enjoyed all the themes and felt it was perfectly tied together in the end! This will be one everyone talks about this year.

Thank you to St Martins Press for the advanced copy!

Maame by Jessica George is an intense and emotional look at a young woman's life, neglected by her parents, and yet giving her life to caring for her father.

Story Recap:
Maggie’s life in London is far from what she expected to be doing as a young woman. She mostly cares for her father, who is suffering from advanced-stage Parkinson’s. Her mother spends most of her time in Ghana, and her brother has his own life on the other side of the city, leaving Maggie to be the primary caretaker of her father.

When her mother returns from Ghana, Maggie takes her chance to live again in London finally. She finds a flatshare and moves in with two other young women. They go out for drinks, and Maggie finally feels like she’s starting to live the life she’s always wanted. But, when tragedy strikes, Maggie is forced to re-evaluate her life and move forward.

My Thoughts:
Maame is an intense and emotional book, that took me on a very satisfying emotional journey. Maggie’s parents are both Ghanaian immigrants and I enjoyed and was fascinated by the look into Ghana culture.

The characters are all very different, some I liked, and some I didn’t. But, Maggie is a beautiful, well-developed character that I couldn’t help rooting for. Her father doesn’t talk much anymore and her mother is out of the picture for the first part of the book. I wondered why her mother and brother left her to care for her father on her own. They are both oblivious to the amount of work and time that goes into caring for her father. This book highlights the needs and issues of being a caregiver.

When Maggie finally gets the chance to go out and live in the “real world” her naivety and vulnerability were beautifully described, and like Maggie, I felt both excited and afraid for her as she entered the world of dating and friends.

Even the characters I didn’t like, like Maggie's mother, were well-developed with emotional backstories, which made the book deep and full-bodied. The pacing was good, I never felt like I needed a break, nor did it ever feel like it dragged.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Maame to anyone who enjoys fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved his book from first page to last.A story of a young girl trying to find her way.The writing is so wonderful so entertaining there were moments I laughed out loud.I predict this will be s bestseller as people fall in love with Maddie#netgalley #st.martins

Maddie is 25 and still living at home. She cares for her father with Parkinson’s while her mother spends every other year in Ghana running a family business. When she finally decides to take the plunge and move out, it seems like it’s one unfortunate event after the other. Riddled with guilt and depression, she is forced to confront the root of her people pleasing tendencies and figure out who she is.

There were definitely some things I liked about this book. I love a female lead who finds her voice, and Maddie definitely learned how to stick up for herself. Also the constant compulsive googling was so funny, definitely a relatable anxious millennial experience. But there was something missing for me. Maybe it was the writing, maybe it was the pacing, but it took me forever to read this because I just wasn’t hooked. I was rooting for Maddie, but for most of the book I was bored.

Twenty-Five year old, Maddie, feels like she’s stuck in her life. She is the caretaker of her father who has advanced stage Parkinson’s Disease, her mom alternates between Ghana and their home in London and puts all the financial burden on Maddie, her brother is always off on some trip, and she hates her dead-end administration job. So when her mom comes back to London for a year, Maddie jumps at the opportunity to move out and start living her life! She gets a new flat, starts dating guys, quits the job she hates and finds a new one with more potential, but just as she starts to think that she might be able to be a normal girl, tragedy strikes, and Maddie’s world is turned upside down.

The story was interesting and definitely pulled me in. All the characters were well rounded and felt very real. I loved Maddie. She was so relatable and her struggles felt all too real. I loved her voice and the inner dialogues she had with herself.

I also, appreciated how the author handled the subject matter. There were some heavy topics, but they never felt overwhelming. They felt real and grounded, and the questions surrounding them were educational while still making sense for the story.

I did feel that it was a bit too long. There were some sections that I didn’t feel needed to be there and didn’t help move the story forward or give insights into character. I also, was kind of turned around by the middle of the book. The beginning felt like it was going to be a very different book than it ended up being.

Overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

Maddie is a character you can’t help but root for. Does she make mistakes? Yes, but that makes her journey all the more compelling. Maame is perfect for anyone looking for a well-rounded, fully developed character’s journey to find herself.

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

maddies nickname is maame, the Twi word for woman. maddie is the rock of her family, the always dependable, responsible one. at 25, she hasnt had much time for a life of her own as she is the primary caretaker for her father with advanced stage parkinson’s. her mother and older brother are largely absent and offer no support or help financially. when given the chance to move out, she jumps at the opportunity to be on her own. but its harder than she expects, who is she when she isn’t being maame?

i loved maddie as a protagonist and she was so easy to empathize with. jessica george’s portrayal of a ‘late bloomer’ who comes of age and finds independence in her mid-twenties, as opposed to in her teenage years, was excellent. i felt all the emotions alongside maddie as she struggled to be the perfect ghanian daughter while living in london and watching everyone her age do all the things she cant. this is a stellar debut and i cant wait for more from jessica george.

many thanks to st. martins’s press and netgalley for the chance to read and review this title

This review will be posted on Instagram on January 23, 2023.

MAAME was a deeply touching and beautiful debut novel. I thought Maddie was such a real character; her struggles with family, mental health, love, grief, and friendship were incredibly raw and the way she navigated them felt really poignant and insightful.

When we meet her, Maddie is twenty-five years old and works in London as a personal assistant. She lives at home with her father, who is battling Parkinson’s. Since her mother spends years at a time in Ghana and her brother has adopted his friends as family, Maddie has become her father’s primary caretaker and shoulders the responsibility of running their home, paying their bills, and managing her father’s treatment. Exhausted, lonely, and disillusioned, Maddie is desperate to be a normal twenty-something.

I particularly enjoyed the first-person perspective of this novel, which isn’t something I normally notice about a book. But in this case, I felt like I was on FaceTime with a friend. I felt like I was coming with her to work and really enjoyed getting to know her. I found her google searches to be extremely relatable and humorous, and I grieved with her when life dealt her some of the most unimaginable hands. Reading the author’s bio, I noticed that Jessica George shares a lot in common with her main character, Maddie, and I’m so curious how much of this novel is autobiographical!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend for a read that will have you in your feels!

Maddie is a 25-year-old living in London. and her life is less than ideal. Not only does she have a job she doesn’t really like, she’s her father’s caretaker. Why? He’s in the advanced stages of Parkinson’s, and her mother is off to Ghana for a year at a time. Maddie struggles to balance her life as caretaker of her critically ill father, target of her mom’s verbal tirades, and a difficult career. When her mom finally returns from one of these extended trips to Ghana, Maddie moves out on her own. As soon as she moves out, she loses her job, making her hustle to find another. She lands at a publishing house as an editorial assistant.

This is a coming-of-age novel for adults. Because Maddie has had the responsibility of her father’s care on her shoulders all these years, she’s finally got an opportunity to have life experiences and enjoy things that most people do at a younger age. She even opens herself up to dating, something she’s never done before, with mixed results. Because of her inexperience in the dating world, and because she never really had the time to explore her sexuality, she stumbles through a couple of dating experiences.

Maddie not only has the aforementioned problems she also faces life as a black woman in mostly white settings. She’s got a few close friends that have stuck by her since they met, and I really enjoyed those interactions. She’s also navigating the publishing world, and where she works, black women are few and far in-between. I won’t say I enjoyed this part of the book, but as a lily-white woman from the United States, I appreciated learning more about a black woman’s perspective. Despite not being a black woman from Ghana transplanted to England, I could totally relate to Maddie and her struggles to be taken seriously as a woman in the workplace, as well as a daughter dealing with a sick parent.

Don’t get me started with Maddie’s mother, who goes to Ghana every other year for the entire year to help with her family’s hostel. This, despite the fact that her husband needs care and attention. She just leaves it up to Maddie. When she does check in from Ghana, and when she returns, she’s an overbearing God-fearing woman who can’t keep her opinions to herself. Even while at a distance, she smothers Maddie with her advice. Lest we forget that Maddie has a brother who lives in town and rarely visits or helps out.

There’s tragedy in this book, which hit me hard for personal reasons, so I found this a very emotional book, but in a good way, too. I can’t say enough about Maame, which left me with all the feels when it was over. This is an incredible debut novel, and I highly recommend it!