Jessica George

There was a lot of sadness in this book, watching Maddie hit rock bottom, and I think what bothered me most about it was actually the pacing. The trope of a character hitting low point after low point until finally being able to rebuild themself is a tried and true one, but when the downward slide is as slow and takes as long as this one did, it starts to become dull. I wanted to like Maddie, but it was hard, especially when, as a 23-year-old woman who'd been to college, she was still show more needing to ask Google about the most basic of things that many teenagers have absorbed through media osmosis.

The writing was well-done, and I appreciated the look at the inner workings of the publishing industry, but that wasn't enough for the book to leave a good taste in my mouth, particularly with not enough attention given toward counteracting the biphobia Maddie felt, along with the (probably unintentional, but still) implication that all Maddie needed to do was to give up on dating white men. I might have been inclined to dismiss these things, but since I was already taken out of the story, they stood out more than they might have otherwise. show less

Platonic female friendships, once established, are hard to dissolve. However, when life circumstances arise that break friends apart by distance, both geographically and emotionally, how do you cope with the newfound loneliness? And how do you go about finding new, true, friends as an adult while also trying to maintain some semblance of your other friendships? It’s a thing, and it's complicated.

George tackles this painfully relatable experience with a plot that is interconnected and well show more done. The characters draw you in and hold you throughout, making you feel the weight of their losses and the hope in their attempts to rebuild. George speaks to those who have felt the ache of friendship drift and the struggle with the vulnerability of making new connections in adulthood. (It’s not as easy as when you were on the playground as a kid!) She captures the loneliness and the resilience needed to navigate those shifts with honesty and heart.
*I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review. show less

Maddie has a lot on her shoulders; absent mother, distant brother, caretaker of her ailing father, dead end job with a horrific boss, very few friends. When her mother returns, she jumps at the chance to move out and start living. But, fate steps in. She must face harsh reality and cruel lessons.

Beautifully written book that touches on so many hard hitting subjects; racism, dating in a modern world, friendships, family obligations and growing up In an ethnic family, mental illness. To see show more Maddie grow and find her voice is done beautifully. Such a wonderful debut novel by an author I look forward to reading again! May be a little slow at the beginning, but before you know it you are immersed in Maddie’s life. Don’t let the hard subjects turn you off, the author handles these with wisdom and some wit. You’ll find yourself tearing up and cheering Maddie on. This book is so different than my normal reads, but so glad I read it. It will stay with me for a while.

Thanks to Ms. George, NetGalley, Edelweiss, St. Martins Press for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone show less

Maame is a heartbreaking yet lovely read. It’s full of pain, sorrow and missed chances yet offers hope and opportunity. I couldn’t wait to read to crack open this novel each day and read, read, read.

Maame is a Twi word meaning woman to Maddie and it’s what her mother calls her. Maddie hates it. She’s at home looking after her father in between working while her mother spends most of her time in Ghana and her brother is off being part of an entourage. It’s Maddie who has to deal show more with the bills, looking after the household while she works to make ends meet. But then she has an opportunity to leave home and she takes it. Suddenly, a new home, workplace and a boyfriend all beckon. Then tragedy strikes and Maddie is left questioning her choices from one night. Can she forgive herself and attempt to rebuild her life?

There is a lot of pain in Maddie’s life. She has been deserted by both her mother and brother, and although she loves her father deeply, their relationship has been distant. She’s also unfairly dismissed from her job for not being able to fix the unfixable and treated badly by what she thought was her first real boyfriend. One of her new friends turns out to bear a grudge and money is a constant problem as others ask for it. She’s been treated incorrectly by a lot of people and when she first starts to fight back, she’s put on the back foot by some cruel characters. It’s hard to read at times as Maddie suffers setback after setback, but there are also good times and some humour sprinkled in between. The novel ends on a tone of possibility and hope. I hope that Maddie’s life became brighter after the last page. She was a likeable, flawed character and she certainly deserved it.

Jessica George certainly knows how to write rawness and grief. There were times that I felt frustrated with the way others were treating Maddie and others where I rejoiced at one of her wins. The emotions jumped off the pages and I really didn’t want to leave the book to do ordinary life things. Maddie’s coming of age is complicated by grief, racism and nasty people. I loved how she would often Google her problems, giving the story a millennial edge and also showing her naivety. The words flow easily and it’s easy to get lost in the story as the chapters fly by. A highly recommended debut novel.

Thank you to Hachette for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

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