Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Maame by Jessica George

57 reviews

moriahleigh's review

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emotional 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

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jamfam's review

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emotional reflective 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

4.75

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siobhanward's review

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emotional 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? It's complicated

3.5

 I'm right around Maddie's age, so maybe that's why I found her so frustrating. While she definitely had her own unique challenges, she was her own worst enemy. I was glad to see her grow and change and come into her own, but oh man it took her a while to get there. Her constant Googling obviously did her no favours - I'm mostly just shocked that someone who had grown up with Yahoo Answers is still trying to find answers on internet forums. Like didn't we all learn that is a terrible source for answers.

However, I definitely could sympathize with Maddie at times. Being in your mid-20s is weird. It's a lot to navigate at one time and she had even more going on with her family than most. I kind of wished there had been a bit more focus on her friendships, but overall the book was solid 
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annreadsabook's review

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challenging emotional 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

4.25

I loved that this book examined the pressures of being a twenty-something that are compounded by the weighty and often unrealistic expectations of family, particularly when your family expects you do to all the heavy lifting with virtually zero support. Maddie (referred to as Maame, or “woman,” by her Ghanaian parents) juggles caring for her father and providing financial assistance to her family with the daily struggles of being a Black British woman in her mid-twenties.

One of the more stand-out aspects of the book was its exploration of how Black immigrant communities view mental health; I loved seeing Maddie becoming more aware of the ways in which she was taught to make herself smaller. Over the course of the book, we watch Maddie grow into a more self-assured woman who understands that she is more than her family’s limited definitions of who she is in the world.

My one gripe, however, is that Maddie’s naïveté about life steadily shifted from endearing to grating. While at first her frequent Googling was silly yet relatable (e.g., “jobs with the happiest employees,” “back pain in your mid-twenties”), as the book progressed some of her unawareness struck me as incredible. Maddie seemed unbelievably infantile in her engagement with the world even though she was effectively the sole family member charged with her father’s care and her family’s financial wellbeing. And, at one point, a confused Maddie is lectured by her friends about how someone can be racist even if they don’t appear to outwardly hate Black people…this struck me as bizarre.

With all that being said, though, I greatly enjoyed Maame and think this is a great book for folks in their early- and mid-twenties who are just breaking into themselves, especially Black women. Personally, I know I would’ve loved having this book after graduating from undergrad.
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purplepenning's review

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emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

This is an exceptionally written character-driven book (with a couple of plot-driven gut punches) that captures the current moment in a way that reminds me of Such a Fun Age. For some reason, I didn't realize the depth of the grief and loss that would be explored, so definitely check those content notes. It also explores racism in the workplace and relationships, pressures of first gen immigrants, modern dating, Google as parent/mentor/friend, loneliness, sexual pressure and pleasure for women, found family, mental health, and more. It's all packed into a deceptively simple story about a daughter with an overly developed sense of responsibility and an underdeveloped support system. 
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foreverbookwandering's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective 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? No

3.75

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spongebobbiii's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense 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

Maame by Jessica George is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a well-crafted story that delves into the complexities of culture, grief, mental health, and family systems. This book is a true gem that you won't want to miss. It's so good that you might even regret not having a physical copy on your shelf to showcase its brilliance.

The plot, characters, and narration are all on point, making this a perfect page-turner. What sets this book apart from others is how thought-provoking it is. You'll find yourself lost in contemplation as you navigate the intersections of the themes that George so skillfully weaves into the narrative.

Overall, Maame is a fantastic book that deserves all the praise it's getting. 

Enjoyment: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Thought Provoking: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Ending: 5/5

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rljenn's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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hayleymcquaid17's review

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emotional hopeful 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

2.75

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narbine's review against another edition

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emotional 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

3.75

I just don’t care for sex scenes. And then men were trash (I know it’s on purpose but still). She had to deal with all these micro aggressions. But talking about death & grief had me crying, which shows a good emotional tug. I wondered if the main character was coded as autistic also.
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