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A review by ida_ree
Maame by Jessica George
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
I don't put stars on my reviews for reasons.
George bestows a terrific voice on her main character, Maddie Wright, a 25-year-old Londoner who still lives with her dad because she has become his main caretaker since his Parkinson's diagnosis. Maddie's mother spends months at a time in Ghana, purportedly helping with a family business. And Maddie's brother James is just too busy. In fact, Maddie has always taken care of everyone else, a tendency indicated by her nickname-since-childhood of "Maame", which means woman, bestowed because she's so responsible.
When the chance finally arises for Maddie to move out on her own, she has a lot of lost time to make up for. She's an extremely relatable character, and her struggles, adventures, and misadventures resonate, as she tries finally to discover who she really is and sets out to experience everything she's missed - dating, for instance.
Somehow the story manages to be funny, heartbreaking, and hopeful all in one package. The ending felt the tiniest bit too tidy for me, but only by a smidge.
George bestows a terrific voice on her main character, Maddie Wright, a 25-year-old Londoner who still lives with her dad because she has become his main caretaker since his Parkinson's diagnosis. Maddie's mother spends months at a time in Ghana, purportedly helping with a family business. And Maddie's brother James is just too busy. In fact, Maddie has always taken care of everyone else, a tendency indicated by her nickname-since-childhood of "Maame", which means woman, bestowed because she's so responsible.
When the chance finally arises for Maddie to move out on her own, she has a lot of lost time to make up for. She's an extremely relatable character, and her struggles, adventures, and misadventures resonate, as she tries finally to discover who she really is and sets out to experience everything she's missed - dating, for instance.
Somehow the story manages to be funny, heartbreaking, and hopeful all in one package. The ending felt the tiniest bit too tidy for me, but only by a smidge.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Death of parent