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bookedbykiki's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Jessica George’s debut novel shares the story of Maddie as she balances family drama, being a caretaker for her ill dad and the corporate world. After finally deciding to move out of her family home, Maddie’s world starts to fall apart, leaving her to pick up the pieces.
This was a beautiful piece by George and was a spectacular debut novel. It felt so personal, I’ve never read a book and felt so seen in so many ways. The complexities of immigration of family, expectations within love and relationship, the life-sucking performance at the office; all of these feel overwhelming and suffocating at times as we experience them through Maddie.
rating: 5/5
genre: fiction, contemporary, literary, emotional, reflective, sad, medium-paced
cw: death, grief, mental illness, racism, sexual content, suicide
Graphic: Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
cmhillner's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
pickashelf's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
theinstabookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
However, Maddie was also very naive, and although I could relate to an extent, she needed to grow a backbone sooner when it came to her mother and brother taking advantage of her. The use of Google was a bit much and grew tedious after a while. I also felt the pacing of the story was off, as some parts held my attention, while others didn't. The writing also wasn't my favourite. It irks me when characters "talk" to the reader, and this book has a bit of that.
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
zikeyag's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a good read about coming of age as a woman of color. This book covered topics of depression and how black women are always held to this high standard not just in society, but in the household as well. As someone just starting my healing journey myself and attending therapy, I’ve become more aware of how as children we assume the role of the “woman” in the house, whether that’s caring for siblings, helping our parents, which sometimes causes us to be people pleaser or resentful. It was good to see that the FMC went to therapy and was able to process everything and turn it into something positive.
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
natjay95's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Death of parent
aksmith92's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, and Medical content
amyd8186's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
dejah_sowells's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Gaslighting, and Classism
cdzapata's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Grief, and Death of parent