Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad for the eARC.

This character driven novel really forces the reader to grapple with childhood trauma via our main character. This story really just kept a grip on me. I wanted to desperately know how everything was going to work out.

A family saga inspired by the proverb of Sankofa: Looking in back in order to move forward. A traumatic event forces Whitney - a 30 year old Londoner - to reckon with the trauma from her past. Her reticent aunt, who raised her after her mother died, is reluctant to relive her own trauma and tell Whitney the truth.

"The Rest of You" centers on the life of Whitney Appiah, a Ghanian Londoner who recently turned 30. She left Ghana as a child with her aunt, Momma Gloria, and was raised under the care of her extended family as her mother died in childbirth and her father passed away only several years earlier. Like many 30-somethings, Whitney has struggled to find her place and her identity; we follow her complicated and ever-changing friendships with Chantelle and Jak, and her work as a massage therapist. She's been gifted with the unique ability to sense and pull out her client's underlying traumas - all while still in the dark about her own.

The story alternates between the present and past, skipping back to Kumasi, Ghana in the 1990s and is told from the perspectives of sisters Gloria and Athena, as well as Maame Serwaa, the Sarpong family's hired help. From them, we learn of Tina Sarpong's unfortunate passing, and how Bobby, Whitney's father, was determined to still be a good father and part of the family - and his own unexpected passing and the suspicious events around his death, which young Whitney was present to witness. These lay the groundwork for Whitney's own story and become an essential part for her own reconciliation with her family and herself.

Maame Blue tackles a lot of heavy topics in this novel, including the themes of trauma and grief, the weight of family, and identity and self-discovery. I was initially a little thrown off by Whitney's perspective, as it's written in second person perspective, while the rest are told from third-person; it's not frequently used, but helped emphasize Whitney's own disconnect from herself and her identity. There's a number of events from the past that are revealed slowly and in the present, but the delivery of it was confusing and even towards the end, there were a number of open questions that weren't fully addressed. I struggled with the pacing as well; the novel is very much character-driven, and many passages are spent in memory or rumination, so it felt sluggish at times.

While I appreciated the themes of "The Rest of You", the execution of the writing did have its gaps for me.

Um, absolutely incredible?! I loved the story of Whitney and her auntys so much. As a Nigerian I could relate to losing some of your history because of the traumas/choices of those raising you. But there of having to understand the past in order to have a future remains so true! Def some heavy topics covered, SA, violence — but all handled well and moved the story along not just thrown in for the sake of it. Her friendships with Jaq and Chantelle do not take a backseat! Relating to trying to rekindle friendships after withdrawing in an effort to preserve yourself is so real! Would recommend

"The Rest of You" by Maame Blue dives deep into themes of memory, identity, and Black British life. Through Whitney Appiah's journey from London to her childhood in Ghana, the novel explores generational trauma and the bonds of sisterhood and family. Blue's storytelling weaves together past and present, highlighting the complexities of womanhood and the enduring impact of ancestral secrets on personal healing. While the ending left me wanting more closure, the book's exploration of trauma and identity resonates powerfully throughout.

I enjoyed the book, but my only quibble is that we kind of knew what was going on with the main character many many chapters before she did. a little anti-climactic I did like the different viewpoints and how we learned about them at different points in our life. I thought the story flowed well. I thought all the characters seemed like different complete people.

A young woman grapples with repressed childhood trauma in a family of secret-keepers steeped in patriarchal practices. On the surface, Whitney exemplifies Gen Z – she is besties with her roommate, works part-time as a masseuse while trying to figure out the challenges of both love and life. Her mother died in childbirth, so she was raised by her maternal Aunt, Gloria, who fled with her to London at an early age under suspicious circumstances surrounding her father’s death. The “mystery” of the novel is Whitney’s suppressed memories that manifest as panic attacks, nightmares, etc. It is via alternating chapters from her two maternal aunts, that one can deduce the source of the trauma – yet no one tells Whitney – instead she’s misled for years with a “cover” story, of sorts.

This is a character-driven novel - so be prepared to spend a lot of time with her interacting with friends and inside Whitney’s head where more questions are asked than answered. While the reader deduces the source of trauma early on, the breadth of the novel is Whitney’s realization of the truth – and for me, it was a tedious, overwrought journey. It’s great for those who are interested in mental health, childhood trauma, the effects of patriarchy and its shaping of family.

Thanks to the publisher, Amistad, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

Maame Blue’s second novel, The Rest of You, is an endearing and emotional story about Whitney, a 30 year old Londoner trying to find herself as an adult and understand the childhood she left behind in Ghana.

Throughout a very difficult year, Whitney tries to process death, a past abusive relationship, her family, her childhood, and maintaining friendships. I was so endeared to her, I wanted her to have all the tenderness and healing she needed.

There are also chapters throughout the book from the point of view of Whitney’s aunts in Ghana in the 90s that help us understand her family and childhood. I ate those up—I wanted to know more about Aretha in particular!!

Blue brings humor and love into every chapter, making a tough story lighter. There are some places that jump over big emotional events, to go back and process them later—it was a little jarring at first, but I think made sense in the context of how humans process our trauma and grief.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review!