A lovely, unique coming of age tale. I quite liked Maddie as the protagonist of this story and found a lot of her behavior to be relatable given these circumstances; I especially understood the constant desire to Google answers to burning questions as they present themselves. The story allows for Maddie to see not only herself in a new way through her journey, but also life as well as her friends and family to ultimately figure out who exactly she wants to be as an independent woman. I appreciated the inclusion of Ghanian culture and customs into Maddie's perspective.

What I liked about this book was how much I loved the main character Maddie. Her internal dialogue shows a mature young woman who is wise beyond her years in so many ways and immature for her age in so many others. She is also unabashedly human and oh-so-funny. She has two good friends who have her back and are wonderful side characters. I loved how fierce they were and how they helped and stood up for Maddie.

This is impeccable storytelling, in every sense of the word, with themes of family dynamics, sexuality, race, feminism, and growing as a person as well as up. I hated Maddie's mom, and on a smaller scale her brother, with a passion. Her mother was absent, condescending, and just plain rude. Although she has her reasons, to me they just weren't good enough and came across as excuses.

I enjoyed so much about this wonderfully written, heartfelt, and captivating story. I really loved being on Maddie's journey. What a wonderful debut. I can't wait to see what Ms. George comes up with next!

You will NOT want to miss out on this book. If I had a crystal ball, I would see Maame as a number 1 choice in books to read in 2023. This book is about Maddie, a 25 year old Londoner whose parents are from Ghana. Even though she had a mother and father, and an older brother, she was the responsible one. At a young age, she was responsible for taking care of bills, her sick father and the household while her mother spent time in Ghana. She was also told that family does not tell outsiders about private family matters. Quite the weight to bear for someone still in middle school. When her mother finally comes home to take care of her husband, Maddie is told that it is her turn to live her life, get married and have children. What follows is a year in Maddie's life as she works as a PA and assistant editorial staff. She meets men, makes friends but never really feels happy with herself. Her dad dies, she gives up her virginity and tries to come to terms with her grief. This is not a sad book, but rather the book of a fighter who doesn't give up. She also realizes that she is MORE than she thought she was, which makes this novel rather inspiring. The bits about Ghana culture were very interesting to read. Just a really fantastic book that I couldn't put down once I began reading. This book will undoubtably be put in the category of "coming of age" but don't let that deter you from reading it. I shy away from "coming of age" novels, but this one is SO MUCH MORE. I was blessed to receive an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. This opinion is my own.

Maddie is ready to start her own life…while her mother is off in Ghana, Maddie is left to take care of her ailing father who has become debilitated from Parkinson’s disease. She’s twenty-five years old, never lived on her own, and hasn’t even had sex before. Her wings are itching to spread, so when her mom comes back to help with her dad, she takes the opportunity to move out. She is forced to figure out how she wants her life to look and quickly finds her voice. Not only did I love Maddie’s character development, I especially loved how George weaved in so many instances of the Black experience and how Maddie was expected to weave her UK identity in with her Ghanaian background. This was a strong coming-of-age debut and I’m looking forward to George’s future works! (This one comes out January 31, 2023!)

In this story the main character Maddie struggles with many heavy topics, racism, familial duty, mental health, and sexuality. Though the book dealt with a lot of difficult topics, it always kept a hopeful note. I really appreciated the portrayal of mental health issues, and what it feels like to struggle and have people in your family encourage you to ignore it and deny it instead of seeking help. I think so many struggle silently this way and don’t feel like they can seek help or talk about it, and I love how the author addresses this. Maddie was such a likeable character, that I was rooting for from the beginning. This was a beautiful coming of age story. My first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. I received ab ARC from netgalley, and this is my honest review.

Maame follows the life and blossoming independence of a young woman, who finally has the chance to jump out on her own, get some flat mates, and a new life, when her whole world comes crumbling down. How will she navigate her new world? Will dating finally begin to make sense? Can she finally stand up to those around her?

Maame was flawed in the most human way possible. Instead of exuding immediate resilience in the face of adversity, she crumbled before rebuilding a foundation built to hold up those around her. She learned what it truly meant to be loved, and respected by others, even though it took hurt to get to that point.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #stmartinspress for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful debut by Jessica George!

I am a white woman in her 40s with degrees in science. From the outside looking in, I have nothing in common with the main protagonist. Maddie is a Black, 25-year-old with Ghanaian roots living in London, trying to find her way in life and the publishing world...and herself. However, I'm not sure I've ever resonated this much with a character before; I felt incredibly seen by Ms. George, something I've struggled with my entire life. I spent a lot of time reading about Maddie's coming of age against the backdrop of grief and guilt through very teary eyes (and some laughter). Maddie is an incredibly endearing, authentic, and strong protagonist (even when she doesn't realize it) and you will spend this whole book rooting for her and the people that support her and actually SEE her. It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Ms. George writes with such a gentle touch, especially on topics of depression/mental health, race, and of course, grief. I still have some complicated feelings about Maddie's mother, but I suppose that's kind of the point. Maddie deals with that relationship with much more grace than maybe her mother deserves, but I think it also speaks to a certain level of maturity that Maddie has had for a long time despite her young age.

This is one of those books that I will end up buying a hard copy of because I want it to live on my shelves with my other favorites. I look forward to adding more novels from Ms. George as she writes them!

Wow, what an incredible read! It's amazing how you can feel a strong connection to a character even if you don't necessarily have a lot in common. The level I was invested in Maddie and understood where she was coming from is a testament to good writing. Judging by the other early reviews, I'm not the only one who fell in love with Maddie.

With her mother spending most of her time in Ghana, and a brother who is never around, Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father who is suffering from Parkinson's. With work and responsibilities at home, she hasn't exactly been out there living her life to the fullest. But with her mom back in London, Maddie is determined to push herself and maybe finally experience some important "firsts". But nothing ever comes easily, right?

Maddie getting a somewhat late start in truly living for herself is something that really resonated with me and why I rooted for her every step of the way. I ran the gamut of emotions with this one. The bits of humor helped lighten the tone so the story wasn't quite as heavy as it could have been given the subject matter.

My review can't do this book justice as it was such a meaningful reading experience that I can't quite put into words. Just go out and read the book!

Oh how I wanted to love this book. The cover is beautiful and the synopsis is promising. However, most of it was just ok for me. I struggled with Maddie the MC. As a 25-year-old who has run her family for years, she's beyond naive. Within her family, she was able to care for her ailing father and shoulder all of the struggles associated with being the parent figure but her life outside her family was fairly frustrating. Perhaps it was intentional that she presented as a teen because her development was stunted due to familial obligations but it made her fairly intolerable for 70% of the book.

I devoured this book in one sitting! Jessica George totally submerged me in Maddie/Maame’s mind from the first moment. I felt her frustrations and sorrow being left alone to care for her ailing father while trying to take care of herself. From such a young age, her emotions and needs were pushed to the bottom, from without and within. When we meet her, she doesn’t know who she is and who she wants to be. That journey was so real and so raw, in almost equal parts naive and profound. I was rooting for her as she connected to her feelings, found her voice to express herself, and ultimately learned to love herself and her life.
Thank you, Jessica George. Your work is a masterpiece and in my top 10 books of 2022! 🏆
*Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance ebook for review.

**Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy of this book.

Jessica George's first novel is a powerful one. There is so much happening in this book, from traditional and cultural values coupled with family dynamics to self-growth, independence, navigating romantic situations, and more. Beautifully woven together, the novel follows Maddie, a 20-something Ghanaian woman living in London and taking care of her ailing father, who is battling late-stage Parkinson's. With an absent mother and brother, the physical and financial burden falls on Maddie, or "Maame's," shoulders.

To see Maddie grow, learn, pivot, and grow some more throughout the course of the book feels so incredibly real. Her internal struggle is one that feels incredibly relatable. Family is complicated, establishing your independence and finding your place in the world is complicated, romance is complicated, friendships are complicated... there's so much explored throughout this novel that is sure to resonate with many readers. I'm also a stickler when it comes to how books end, and this one ended in a really satisfying way—which I don't say often!

You will not regret picking up this book. I can't wait for her to write more!

4.5 I absolutely loved the voice of our protagonist, Maddie. Maddie is in her mid-twenties, living in London and lives a pretty dull life. She is the caretaker for her father who has Parkinson's while her older brother always seems to have more important things to do and her mother lives in Ghana to run the family hostel business. This leaves Maddie to take care of the things that really matter and need to be done, because no one else will do it.

Maddie has little to no social life, and her career isn't what she had hoped for with her undergraduate degree. She 100% cares most for the comfort of her father, to take care of him, to cook for him and do all the basic household needs. Maddie is such an outstanding woman. She is quiet, responsible, cares more about others needs over her own, she is smart, she is considerate, and she's a bit socially unaware. Unaware because she has been so confined to her family by her own choice, but also need.

Maddie decides she needs to move on and do something for herself. Take care of herself, live on her own etc. With that she learns many hard lessons, perhaps a little late in life.

The writing was so easy to read. The words basically slipped off the page as I was so interested in Maddie and her wellbeing. I almost feel like she's a family member now that I've finished the book. I just love her and want the best for her. She learns what true friendship looks like. She is put in some really hard situations and I wept for her as she navigated those.

This is such a heartfelt, hard, yet loving book. This would make for a great book discussion at book club. I don't say this much, but I didn't want the book to end!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance e-copy of this book.

I absolutely loved this novel. The story deals with family dynamics, grief, depression, guilt, regrets, and growth. The main character, Madeline/Maddie touched my heart, and her story and experiences are something that will stick with me.

Maddie is also called Maame by her mother, which in the Twi language can mean woman. For most of Maddie's life, she has been the woman of her family and that title has translated into the responsible one, the caretaker, the fixer, the family's financial resource, etc. Having those roles has really denied Maddie a childhood and being free to live her own life. For the past several years, Maddie has been the primary caretaker for her dad, who has Parkinson's disease. Maddie's mom spends most of her time in Ghana taking care of a family hostel and her older brother is off living his own. life. Because of this, Maddie spends most of her time at home and doesn't date, have very many close friends or the normal experiences of a 25-year-old.

As the story unfolds, we watch Maddie denying her own true feelings, pleasing others and suppressing her own anger/grief. At a point in the story, a tragedy unfolds, and we watch Maddie hit her breaking point and all of the emotions associated with it.

Maddie is a strong person and although her life isn't easy, she is resilient. You don't want to miss this inspirational story and find out more about Maddie's journey.

Really enjoyed this one. Maame has interesting and memorable characters and a story that made me laugh out loud and tear up. Looking forward to the next one from this author. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Maddie is 25 years old, but in some ways she stopped maturing at 17 when she became the primary caregiver to her father, who has Parkinson’s. Her mother spends most of her time in Ghana, and her older brother has spent as much time as possible away from home since he was 15. Now that Maddie’s mother says she’s coming back for at least a year, Maddie finally moves out of her home and tries normal young-person stuff like dating and drinking too much and staying out too late.

There is a lot of sadness in this story as Maddie has essentially had to raise herself and is trying to learn to live but making a lot of painful mistakes along the way. Customs of her Ghana heritage conflict with her London life. She has to accept the failings of her family, but it’s hard to read. Then there is racism and the challenges of trying to begin a career with wages that leave a lot to be desired.

This is an interesting, heartbreaking story.

NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this novel, which RELEASES FEBRUARY 7, 2023.

I have mixed feelings about this book, but overall it didn't work for me. It was primarily her inner thoughts and not that much happened. Some of it was interesting and she did grow but she was so young for her age, I felt like I was reading a teenager's thoughts. It was best for me to read this in small doses, go read something else and come back for it. I had hoped to learn more myself about her culture and there was some of that and of course the racism that she had to deal with

This book wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great either. It was sort of a coming-of-age novel since the 25-year-old narrator had lived such a sheltered life. I was really hoping to have more of a cultural immersion than the book provided, her African culture only providing a minor role in her character. Maddie’s trials and tribulations were mostly familiar and ones that are common fodder for fiction. The family trope had some unique qualities, but this book doesn’t really stand out as being unique or powerful. It did highlight her African religion as being as full of hypocrisy as our Western counterpart. So, in a word, meh. The author’s style of writing is highly readable, so there’s that. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for this early reader, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Maame is a captivating coming of age novel. This story covered so many different topics but it never felt overwhelming. I absolutely love Maddie’s character. The way this character was written felt real. You will root for her the entire time. This was a great read and an incredible debut novel!

This book had a little bit of everything, and especially an engaging main character on a journey of personal growth. There is grief, heartache, and family conflict; but there is also joy, friendship and hope. It's about a young woman coming out of her shell and figuring out who she wants to be.

I loved Maddie and her journey and felt this book had great insights into the struggle of growing up and becoming who you want to be. I was worried about her, frustrated by her, and joyful for her at different times throughout the book - which makes this a very good story in my world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this.

“Maame” by Jessica George follows Madeleine Wright, a British young woman and daughter of Ghanaian immigrants who—due to familial responsibilities that kept her at home and because of her reserved nature—has only started to truly experience life in her mid-twenties. When we first meet Maddie, she is unsatisfied with her career as an administrative assistant, suffering from caregiver fatigue, and longing for connection with others. When the opportunity comes to finally move out of her parents’ house and try a different job, she takes the chance—and that’s when the story really begins.

I admit that I had trouble getting into the novel at first. At 25, Maddie is very naive and it seems like she is Googling constantly to figure out how to deal with common problems. But once I realized that this book falls under New Adult fiction and got to know her background and personality better, her innocence and ignorance became less annoying to me. The novel deals with important topics like mental health, racism, and familial relationships that are interesting to read about from Maddie’s perspective as a young, black, second-generation, introverted woman. We do not often get novels with this point of view, and I think it’s a well-written, valuable story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted online on Goodreads on November 10th, 2022 at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5017249112.