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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this one! Maddie is endearing and relatable, and I liked bearing witness to her growing into and standing up for herself. I also really enjoyed the writing style.
Maddie lives in London and cares for her father who has Parkinson's. Her mother lives mostly in Ghana running a family business, leaving Maddie on her own to deal with her ailing father. Her brother is no help either, always claiming to be too busy or too broke to lends a hand. Her career is not going well either, with an erratic boss who makes her job impossible. Maddie's mother return home from Ghana and Maddie takes this opportunity to really start her own life. She moves out, gets a new job, and makes a list of things she needs to try to break out of her shell, including online dating apps. As she begins to enjoy her new life, her father suddenly dies, leaving her feeling guilt and loss about leaving him and losing him.
What a journey the reader takes with Maddie as she navigates family tensions, cultural differences, the online dating world, and the friendships that bring us through even our worst times. With each generation, the idea of the "coming of age" novel changes to reflect the times, and this debut novel perfectly captures the world as it is today, with heart, humor and tremendous insight and wisdom.
What a journey the reader takes with Maddie as she navigates family tensions, cultural differences, the online dating world, and the friendships that bring us through even our worst times. With each generation, the idea of the "coming of age" novel changes to reflect the times, and this debut novel perfectly captures the world as it is today, with heart, humor and tremendous insight and wisdom.
ugh, soooo much of this book resonated with me! i wanted to give maddie the biggest hug the entire way through. it's been on my list for quite some time; i'm glad i finally read it!!
Wow this got me in my feelings. I love stories of sad black girls trying to navigate life in the wake of all this fuckery. This was moving and poignant and so real.
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
What an emotional read! It’s been a while since a book made me cry and this book unexpectedly opened the flood gates.
Maddie was such a great character to explore the nuances of being the eldest/only daughter in an African household, an anxious overthinker just wanting to belong and be loved, and a young woman just trying to figure out what life she wanted to live outside of her parents expectations.
The story initially painted Maddie’s mother in quite a negative light and I’m thankful that the author revealed more of her mothers background and story to help us better understand how she evolved into the mother she is today. The older I get, the more empathy I have for parents, particularly mothers trying to reconcile their own hopes and dreams with the duty of the motherhood.
This book was so layered in tackling mental health and its misunderstandings in African culture, then juxtaposing Maddie’s relationship with her mental health and her feelings to that of white women. I always find it fascinating how differently white women are able to acknowledge and express their full range of emotions and be welcomed with love and support while often black and African women accept that they won’t be received with the same kindness and care.
The author packed so much into this book and wrote about it so naturally.
Maddie was such a great character to explore the nuances of being the eldest/only daughter in an African household, an anxious overthinker just wanting to belong and be loved, and a young woman just trying to figure out what life she wanted to live outside of her parents expectations.
The story initially painted Maddie’s mother in quite a negative light and I’m thankful that the author revealed more of her mothers background and story to help us better understand how she evolved into the mother she is today. The older I get, the more empathy I have for parents, particularly mothers trying to reconcile their own hopes and dreams with the duty of the motherhood.
This book was so layered in tackling mental health and its misunderstandings in African culture, then juxtaposing Maddie’s relationship with her mental health and her feelings to that of white women. I always find it fascinating how differently white women are able to acknowledge and express their full range of emotions and be welcomed with love and support while often black and African women accept that they won’t be received with the same kindness and care.
The author packed so much into this book and wrote about it so naturally.
emotional
sad
fast-paced
This was really good. It dealt with a lot of heavy emotions.
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
sad
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