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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
This was such a wonderful coming of age book. I found myself feeling heartbroken for Maddie as she was navigating heartbreak and life's unpleasant curveballs.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
It took awhile for me to get into this book, but once I did, I had to finish. I really grew to love Maddie and to try to understand her. I hate when girls are taken advantage of by their families and left to take care of everyone else. Which is what happened to Maddie and now she is trying to find her place in the world. It doesn't help her mother is absent but somehow still overbearing. Her brother is no help. And after losing her father, she is trying to be a better daughter to him. Once Maddie starts opening up about her feelings and her loss, her family starts opening up as well and she sees a whole new side of them which helps the reader dislike them a little less as well. Maddie does have good friends in Nia and Shu to help her through boy problems, family problems, work issues, and her grief. The way grief is portrayed is so real. Maddie's grief comes and goes in waves and any progress she thinks she makes sometimes slips away and she has to keep going. After reading The Rachel Incident and Adelaide, this was a beautiful edition to the genre. The writing is so sincere, I could not distinguish between Maddie and her writer, Jessica George. I can't wait to read more from George!
This book deals with grief and culture. It was funny at times which broke up the more overwhelming topics brought to light by the author. I feel like it could have been, well, more. More to deal with race or more funny or more about coming out of grief, or more dividing social norms. It is the first book by this author so I wouldn't mind checking out her future books.
emotional
reflective
Good story on growing up/grief
A top-tier coming of age (in your 20’s) story. This book was SO good at weaving together themes of grief, mental health issues, racism, and problematic family dynamics, while also making the reader burst into laughter throughout. It is poignant, funny, and thought-provoking and I will definitely be reading it again.
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
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
This is such an all-round beautiful book. The way Jessica George wrote and the way her voice comes through is truly incredible. It's approachable and easy to read. It addresses very real day-to-day issues and how these play out in people's minds. I found the way Maddie kept questioning her perception especially about racism and family issues to be incredibly relatable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide
***3.5 stars rounded up***
I’ve seen this book everywhere for months so I knew it might be challenging to live up to my pre-conceived notions. I really liked and sympathized with the main character, Maddie, whose heart of gold and naivety lead her to allow others to take advantage of her kindness (weakness?) much too easily. As a coming of age story, I enjoyed seeing her grow in maturity and independence while wrestling with her grief over the loss of her father. The strongest parts of the novel definitely centered on this idea as well as her complicated relationships with her mother and brother, which were in direct contrast to her two true friendships. However, this book lacked the same power in the parts focused on her relationships with her flat mates and “romantic” partners. Overall, the plot was a bit slow, but the character arc of Maddie made up for it.
I’ve seen this book everywhere for months so I knew it might be challenging to live up to my pre-conceived notions. I really liked and sympathized with the main character, Maddie, whose heart of gold and naivety lead her to allow others to take advantage of her kindness (weakness?) much too easily. As a coming of age story, I enjoyed seeing her grow in maturity and independence while wrestling with her grief over the loss of her father. The strongest parts of the novel definitely centered on this idea as well as her complicated relationships with her mother and brother, which were in direct contrast to her two true friendships. However, this book lacked the same power in the parts focused on her relationships with her flat mates and “romantic” partners. Overall, the plot was a bit slow, but the character arc of Maddie made up for it.