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jaclynrei's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The themes of this book do not become obvious until 3/4s of the way through. The author tells, not shows, the themes through the main character's narration. I still enjoyed this book and felt that the themes were important and original.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Rape, and Sexual assault
calamitywindpetal's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault
jjha's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide and Vomit
martapsalvado's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Took me more than a month to read and several in-between books because it's so sad and intense and I'm not in the right headspace 🥲
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Medical content, Death, Racism, Death of parent, Sexual content, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Minor: Drug use, Suicide, and Alcohol
emjay2021's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Maddie lives in London. She is the 25 year old daughter of Ghanaian immigrants but is an odd mix of much older and much younger. On the one hand, her family has piled a lot of responsibilities on her that she shouldn’t have had to handle on her own, and on the other, her upbringing has left her too anxious and scared to take the risks involved in developing her own identity separate from her family.
There are a few things that make this book stand out from other coming of age novels. First of all, Maddie is very loveable despite being a frustrating character. I also appreciated the book’s perspectives on racism, grief, and familial/cultural expectations. The writing is simple and the plot pretty straightforward, but there are also bits that are really quite beautiful. I am glad I read it and would happily read another book by this author. I think Maame is quite autobiographical, and the author’s experiences will lead to some rich literature to explore in future.
There are a few things that make this book stand out from other coming of age novels. First of all, Maddie is very loveable despite being a frustrating character. I also appreciated the book’s perspectives on racism, grief, and familial/cultural expectations. The writing is simple and the plot pretty straightforward, but there are also bits that are really quite beautiful. I am glad I read it and would happily read another book by this author. I think Maame is quite autobiographical, and the author’s experiences will lead to some rich literature to explore in future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Death, Bullying, Sexual assault, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
awhitson's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
michelles_books9's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Death of parent, Chronic illness, and Grief
karo_g's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide
heart_inaprairie's review
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicide
aksmith92's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I laughed! I cried! I loved it!
The setup: This book follows Maddie Wright, also known as Maame, to her Ghanaian mother. We meet Maddie when she is living with and taking care of her father, who unfortunately was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's. He needs full-time care, and Maddie seems to be the only one stepping up to help. Even though her parents are technically married, Maddie's mother is off in Ghana helping her family's business, and her brother lives a somewhat lavish lifestyle in the music industry. Maddie is working at a local theater that is very uninspiring and is taking care of her dad. Because of this, she realized she had forgotten to grow up. So, when her mother makes her way back to London for her usual visits, Maddie decides that it is time to reinvent herself and become the 25-year-old woman that she actually is. She moves out and tries to make a life for herself.
We witness Maddie navigate a career, friendships, relationships, grief, and mental illness. The story follows her in an almost coming-of-age story, even though she is already "grown up." She spends a lot of time Googling things and trying to be something she is not, which we can all relate to as we grow up. Maame intertwines family ties, dating, and meeting new people, all while threading it to her father's illness and what it means to be maame (woman).
What I loved: Everything! This novel showcased storytelling at its finest. Maddie seems to be a soft, fragile character, but we learn just how resilient she could be. I loved learning about Maddie and then watching her go through the stages of life quite quickly. Maame just hits with fantastic character development. I felt like I was standing by Maddie's side, watching her go through happiness, adventures, and grief. As someone who most certainly didn't come from a Ghanaian family, I also thoroughly enjoyed learning a bit about the culture and understanding some of the nuances of family in Ghana. Her unique situation and complicated relationship with her family members were incredible to read about. I just really loved how we watched Maddie go from sad to happy to depressed to not sure. It was highly relatable yet still nuanced. I also loved her friendships with Nia and Shu and messy conversations with her mother.
Anything not so good? Nothing for me. I loved this for the storytelling, learning about a culture, and someone's unique situation. I would imagine that some folks might think this errs on the side of YA because we are watching a 25-year-old live her life for the first time, but I think that whole "coming of age" thing was done well. I've also seen some folks say that they didn't love all the Google searches in the narrative, but I loved them and found them funny and quirky. I laughed out loud at some of them and then Maddie's response to the responses. However, to each their own.
Overall, I just had such a good time with this book; it made me feel all the feels. Getting to know Maddie, her friends, and her family along the way was an absolute delight. I'm looking forward to reading more from Jessica George.
The setup: This book follows Maddie Wright, also known as Maame, to her Ghanaian mother. We meet Maddie when she is living with and taking care of her father, who unfortunately was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's. He needs full-time care, and Maddie seems to be the only one stepping up to help. Even though her parents are technically married, Maddie's mother is off in Ghana helping her family's business, and her brother lives a somewhat lavish lifestyle in the music industry. Maddie is working at a local theater that is very uninspiring and is taking care of her dad. Because of this, she realized she had forgotten to grow up. So, when her mother makes her way back to London for her usual visits, Maddie decides that it is time to reinvent herself and become the 25-year-old woman that she actually is. She moves out and tries to make a life for herself.
We witness Maddie navigate a career, friendships, relationships, grief, and mental illness. The story follows her in an almost coming-of-age story, even though she is already "grown up." She spends a lot of time Googling things and trying to be something she is not, which we can all relate to as we grow up. Maame intertwines family ties, dating, and meeting new people, all while threading it to her father's illness and what it means to be maame (woman).
What I loved: Everything! This novel showcased storytelling at its finest. Maddie seems to be a soft, fragile character, but we learn just how resilient she could be. I loved learning about Maddie and then watching her go through the stages of life quite quickly. Maame just hits with fantastic character development. I felt like I was standing by Maddie's side, watching her go through happiness, adventures, and grief. As someone who most certainly didn't come from a Ghanaian family, I also thoroughly enjoyed learning a bit about the culture and understanding some of the nuances of family in Ghana. Her unique situation and complicated relationship with her family members were incredible to read about. I just really loved how we watched Maddie go from sad to happy to depressed to not sure. It was highly relatable yet still nuanced. I also loved her friendships with Nia and Shu and messy conversations with her mother.
Anything not so good? Nothing for me. I loved this for the storytelling, learning about a culture, and someone's unique situation. I would imagine that some folks might think this errs on the side of YA because we are watching a 25-year-old live her life for the first time, but I think that whole "coming of age" thing was done well. I've also seen some folks say that they didn't love all the Google searches in the narrative, but I loved them and found them funny and quirky. I laughed out loud at some of them and then Maddie's response to the responses. However, to each their own.
Overall, I just had such a good time with this book; it made me feel all the feels. Getting to know Maddie, her friends, and her family along the way was an absolute delight. I'm looking forward to reading more from Jessica George.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Dementia, Chronic illness, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism, Medical content, and Sexual content