Reviews with content warning for Grief - Maame

This was a stunning debut. The writing was wonderful and I was engaged throughout, wondering what our FMC, Maddie, would do next. I appreciated how many themes the author explored, and how they intersected: grief and guilt, identity, relationships (including female friendships, intimate partnerships, and complex family dynamics), and mental health.

It was interesting to hear how being a daughter of Ghanaian immigrants in Britain affected her sense of identity, especially her relationship with her dad who has Parkinson’s disease who she is a primary caregiver for (from the author’s bio and an interview I read, these are parts of her own experience that she pulled from while writing this book). These parts of Maddie’s life deeply affect how she shows up in work and friendships, and her hesitation to get help for her depression.

Although Maddie is 25, the story is very much a coming-of-age tale, and I really enjoyed reading a story like this that was not YA. It just reminds me that none of us are truly “grown up” and we’re all still figuring things out! I loved all of her googling throughout the book as she tried to navigate so many “firsts.”

⚠️ CW/TW: racism, familial trauma, death in the family, grief, panic attacks/anxiety, mention of suicide.

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lawbooks600's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

4.0

Representation: Black, Asian and biracial (half Asian and half white) characters
Score: Seven points out of ten.

Maame should have won Best Fiction instead of Yellowface; the former is far better. I saw this book at a library, and after noticing it was a nominee for Best Fiction, I wanted this one, so I had to pick it up and read it. Did I mention that if Maame won, a Black author would win a Choice Award? When I finished Maame, it was enjoyable and an impressive debut from Jessica George.

It starts with the first character I see, Maddie Wright, living with her father, who has Parkinson's disease, while her mother is in Ghana. Here's the catch: Maddie's central attributes are that she is naïve and never fully experienced life, even though she's in her twenties. Which is why Maame starts living her life to the fullest after her mother travels to London instead of staying at home all day caring for her father. Maame's first half goes smoothly as Maddie got the life she deserves, but I noticed Maddie saying that sometimes she's the only Black person in the room (there might be other minorities but not people like Maddie) which must make her feel isolated. However, I struggle to comprehend why Maddie's mother left Maddie alone to experience adulthood alone. Maame shines in its characters and pacing, as they are respectively relatable and engaging. Maddie develops a relationship with another person for the first time, but that didn't pan out as well as she expected. Maame said that person was racist since his new (white) partner received better treatment than Maddie. That sounds more like preferential treatment, but I can understand. Maddie, after losing her father, has had enough of her mother, calling her out for her absence in her life, occurring in Maame's latter half. The mood also changed from exciting to sombre, and later on, bittersweet, as Maddie finds a new person to start a relationship, and this time, it goes well. What a story.

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dmwpg's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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? No

4.25

TW: death and grief would have been nice

It was more Rom-com than I expected, but I liked Maddie a lot and empathized with the lost-25-year-old-feelings as she moves out, gets a new job, navigates dating. And the whole cast of supporting characters were endearing and fulsome in their own ways. I would recommend this one (as long as grief isn’t too recent and heavy in a person’s life)

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laciereadsromance's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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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corriespondent's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

A poignant depiction of a surprisingly naive young woman trying to navigate tensions between familial responsibility and people-pleasing with self actualization and seeking unconditional love. Maddie is a daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, works at a job with a terrible boss, and spends nights and weekends caring for her father who suffers from Parkinson’s disease. When she gets a chance to move out, she resolves to be a New Maddie who tries new things. Armed with Google searches, she tries to be more assertive at work, go out with friends, and venture into online dating. But betrayal, loss, and grief end up transforming her — and her relationships — in ways she would not have imagined were possible.

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happyladyjadereads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Devoured in just under 24 hours - truly heartbreaking in places with laugh out loud moments, Maddie's warm and real character voice pulled me in and I felt so very deeply how conflicted she felt with all the pressures on her, plus the insight into her experience as a young British Black woman. In a league with Queenie, the more reserved Maddie has my heart and this is the first time in a while I have been bereft at finishing a book. Beautiful work Jessica George.

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jen_nej's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book had one of the most likable narrators I’ve read. Such a great take on a coming-of-age novel. I laughed, I cried. There were times when I was frustrated or proud of the main character and it all felt very real. The pacing was a little slow for me but overall a great read.

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