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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
Oh Maame…
Never had a read a book that had me rooting for the main character so much. I see so much of myself in Maame and the way she acts. This book allowed me to look at my own life in an objective way and think about my interpersonal relationships with family and friends and how I treat them. I loved that the author took the time to write about Maame and how she treats her friends. That reflection was so important for her journey.
I’m glad she found Sam and I’m glad her dad left her all the money. I love love LOVE this book!
(How can I go back in time to when I didn’t read this book just so can experience the joy of reading it again?)
Never had a read a book that had me rooting for the main character so much. I see so much of myself in Maame and the way she acts. This book allowed me to look at my own life in an objective way and think about my interpersonal relationships with family and friends and how I treat them. I loved that the author took the time to write about Maame and how she treats her friends. That reflection was so important for her journey.
I’m glad she found Sam and I’m glad her dad left her all the money. I love love LOVE this book!
(How can I go back in time to when I didn’t read this book just so can experience the joy of reading it again?)
emotional
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:
No
fast-paced
I found this book really charming and endearing in a very relatable way. The audiobook was bomb and I would definitely recommend
hmmm. as a whole i definitely enjoyed maame, i had a good time while reading it and i liked the plot and the characters. for the most part at least. the portrayals of grief and complicated family relationships were well done, and i enjoyed reading about maddie’s character growth/development. however: maddie was honestly somewhat annoying a lot of the time. obviously i get that she’s meant to be a little oblivious and inexperienced and whatever, but her interactions with men were absolutely painful to read about. her having a problem with one of her dates being bisexual was so weird?? and the way she navigated these relationships felt like she was 14, idk :( i also didn’t like the way the book basically ended with her finally having a boyfriend and incredible sex for the first time. it just felt a little cliché that a perfect happy relationship is such a big part of the female mc’s happy ending.
but! nonetheless i’d recommend this book. it was still a fun read.
but! nonetheless i’d recommend this book. it was still a fun read.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was well-written and I personally really appreciate how the author talks about the anxiety and struggles that eldest/only daughter can feel when it comes to caregiving responsibilities (real or implied) for elderly or infirmed family members. As a fellow "responsible" daughter, I feel for Maddie's struggle to both care for her father and have her own life and I feel that the author did a great job in highlighting the deep struggles that come with that kind of role.
I also enjoyed and appreciated the overarching narrative of the book in how Jessica George crafted the relationships that Maddie/Maame has with those in her life, particularly in how she balances the sometimes competing social/cultural expectations of her Ghanian relatives and her British life and how deeply those often-contending forces affect her.
However, because of the naiveté of the main character, this book ultimately felt a bit superficial at times and much more like a YA book than an adult novel. I have no doubt that there are many people who love this coming of age novel, but it was a bit of a miss for me.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
I also enjoyed and appreciated the overarching narrative of the book in how Jessica George crafted the relationships that Maddie/Maame has with those in her life, particularly in how she balances the sometimes competing social/cultural expectations of her Ghanian relatives and her British life and how deeply those often-contending forces affect her.
However, because of the naiveté of the main character, this book ultimately felt a bit superficial at times and much more like a YA book than an adult novel. I have no doubt that there are many people who love this coming of age novel, but it was a bit of a miss for me.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
Complicated
emotional
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:
Complicated
One of the best books I have ever read.
Here it is, my favorite book of the year so far. I loved Maame. It is superb.
Maame is a first gen, late bloomer story. And while there are dozens of topics and themes that make this a solid book club choice, one of the more endearing ones is that the 25 year old protagonist is facing a lot of life’s “firsts” a decade later than her peers while simultaneously balancing family responsibilities that typically fall on women twice her age. What we aren’t emotionally equipped to handle, she handles. She finds her voice. I love her voice. And when I tell you I cackle laughed within the first three pages, I had to brace myself and find my composure.
Read this if you are a fan of Yaa Gyasi or Amber Ruffin. The easy readability, humor in imperfect situations, and conversational tone made it impossible not to cheer for Maddie.
Themes worth noting: coming of age, late bloomer, child of immigrants, grief, and depression. Beautifully handled in a way that invites the reader in without trauma dumping. Hard balance, but George nailed it.
Skip this if: You don’t like nice things. This book has standards.
Overall: enthusiastically recommend.
I read a print copy but think any version would be great.
Maame is a first gen, late bloomer story. And while there are dozens of topics and themes that make this a solid book club choice, one of the more endearing ones is that the 25 year old protagonist is facing a lot of life’s “firsts” a decade later than her peers while simultaneously balancing family responsibilities that typically fall on women twice her age. What we aren’t emotionally equipped to handle, she handles. She finds her voice. I love her voice. And when I tell you I cackle laughed within the first three pages, I had to brace myself and find my composure.
Read this if you are a fan of Yaa Gyasi or Amber Ruffin. The easy readability, humor in imperfect situations, and conversational tone made it impossible not to cheer for Maddie.
Themes worth noting: coming of age, late bloomer, child of immigrants, grief, and depression. Beautifully handled in a way that invites the reader in without trauma dumping. Hard balance, but George nailed it.
Skip this if: You don’t like nice things. This book has standards.
Overall: enthusiastically recommend.
I read a print copy but think any version would be great.