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sophiecam92's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
4.5
bookabecca's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really enjoyable book! Though the protagonist is in her twenties, it is very much a coming-of-age novel in all the best ways: getting your first apartment, working in an entry-level job where you feel unappreciated, figuring our friendship and love and sex. Layer onto those pivotal moments of identity formation a complex postcolonial identity as a Ghanaian-American with a semi-absent mother and a father with Parkinsons, and you have quite the unique journey.
My only complaint is that a few coincidences seemed a little too improbable. I much more related to the protagonist when she rose up against the chaotic world and found herself.
There is so much to love about Maame: her innocence-meets-experience moments, her desire to see the good in the world, and her openness to change. It’s really quite a lovely book.
My only complaint is that a few coincidences seemed a little too improbable. I much more related to the protagonist when she rose up against the chaotic world and found herself.
There is so much to love about Maame: her innocence-meets-experience moments, her desire to see the good in the world, and her openness to change. It’s really quite a lovely book.
anoriega's review against another edition
3.0
Maddie has lived a sheltered life for the majority of her adolescence and now as a 25-year-old. Her conservative Ghanan roots have led her to live a relatively private and isolated life. Affectionally nicknamed “Maame” from the time she was a little girl, Maddie takes on the weight of being the responsible one from a young age especially as her family dynamics start changing. She has an interesting relationship with her father, an introverted silent man who keeps to himself and barely talks to his own wife or kids. When he’s diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Maddie takes on the role of caregiver dutifully tending to her father for several years at the expense of her own social life and growth. I liked how depression, grief, mental health, and generational trauma were explored and discussed. Maddie was relatable and I laughed at the text exchanges between her and her mother. I don’t know much about Ghanan culture but it was interesting getting a glimpse into their traditions and values (I thought there were a lot of shared similarities with Latin American countries). I think I enjoyed the beginning and last half of the book overall; the middle seemed to move a bit fast and had a lot going on. Overall a solid read and I’m glad it was selected for my book club!
eelkin's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
maame is worth reading for its insight about grief and love in all its complicated forms. however, the book is so clearly majorly drawing from the author’s own experiences that i wondered through most of the book why it wasn’t just written as an autobiography. some of the stories felt like they meant a lot to the author but added little to the reflections within the book, like her relationship with alex. however, i did cry about 3 separate times regarding maddie’s relationship with her dad so i’d recommend it for that alone.
anarobin's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.25
Charming, honest, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. Maddie’s journey through self discovery and navigating grief consumed me.
“We all grieve in different ways, you know?…Losing someone is universal, but I think that’s about it, really. The rest is our own thing.”
“When someone doesn’t understand you, how you are, why you are, you will find yourself fighting losing battles everyday.”
“My parents are not special people, they’re ordinary, and one of my problems is that I’m expecting perfection from ordinary people. They are not saints or masters of knowledge, just people, people who have children…People who continue to make mistakes, attempt to learn from them and repeat, until death.”
“We all grieve in different ways, you know?…Losing someone is universal, but I think that’s about it, really. The rest is our own thing.”
“When someone doesn’t understand you, how you are, why you are, you will find yourself fighting losing battles everyday.”
“My parents are not special people, they’re ordinary, and one of my problems is that I’m expecting perfection from ordinary people. They are not saints or masters of knowledge, just people, people who have children…People who continue to make mistakes, attempt to learn from them and repeat, until death.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
lauvinz's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
3.5
anahammack's review against another edition
4.0
Never read something that effortlessly depicts the pure absence that comes with chronic depression like this. More thoughts to come
bayleerobards's review against another edition
3.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
(3.5 rounded up)
Living in London and the daughter of two Ghanaian immigrants, our main character, Maddie, has a lot on her plate. Not only is she the primary caregiver for her father, but she also hates her job, doesn’t have many friends, and her romantic options seem non-existent. In sum: she feels miles behind where she, and others, expected at 25. After (FINALLY) moving out and starting to live life for herself, tragedy strikes and Maddie blames herself. The rest of the novel follows as she navigates her own grief, abandonment of her mother (and to some extent, brother), career, and relationships.
(3.5 rounded up)
Living in London and the daughter of two Ghanaian immigrants, our main character, Maddie, has a lot on her plate. Not only is she the primary caregiver for her father, but she also hates her job, doesn’t have many friends, and her romantic options seem non-existent. In sum: she feels miles behind where she, and others, expected at 25. After (FINALLY) moving out and starting to live life for herself, tragedy strikes and Maddie blames herself. The rest of the novel follows as she navigates her own grief, abandonment of her mother (and to some extent, brother), career, and relationships.
hje_thomas's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! The author really portrays the complex mix of raw emotions of a girl dealing with her fathers fatal illness and caring for him while trying to become an adult experiencing the world. I loved her 2 best friends and disliked almost everyone else. Good story, good conclusion, and good movement in a difficult family dynamic.