Maame by Jessica George

Review By Sheri (@afictionalinterlude)

The story follows Maddie also known as Maame as she navigates familial expectations and a life yet unlived having grown up putting everyone before herself.
I don't think I have the words to articulate how much this book affected me. I don't think Jessica George knew just how many people would find themselves in the pages of this book. This hit me straight in the feels. It is beautifully written, evocative and heartfelt with a super relatable main character that you can't help but empathise with. You feel everything Maddie feels, you hurt when she hurts, you feel her anguish, you grieve with her and rage with her.

The storytelling is captivating and I loved the subtlety with which the author conveyed certain character traits through Maddie's reactions. She doesn't tell you a character is controlling, she shows you with Maddie's discomfort. She doesn't tell you a character is imposing, she shows you with Maddie's increasing agitation. All these so obvious to the reader and yet downplayed by Maddie at the time and so validating when she eventually stands up for herself. I thought it was brilliant.

I found Maddie's relationship with her family the most difficult aspect to read, a relationship that took and took but never poured into her. I needed her to be selfish, callous in the pursuit of her own happiness as her mother and brother had been, but that would not be the character I had come to love. I loved that she had such a strong duo of friends, loved that she eventually pushed through of everything that had so weighed her down and in that regard, I absolutely adored how this story ended. In all honesty, this book was everything and is definitely a story that will stay with me for a long time.
RATING: 5/5 

"It cannot be your responsibility, your burden, to reshape people into someone you'd like them to be. Ultimately, you must either accept a person for who they are, how they behave, how they express themselves emotionally, and find a healthy way to live with them, or let them go entirely. Either way, you must release yourself from that responsibility."

Review by Tee (@teesbookjourney)

📚 Oh, buckle up for the Maddie rollercoaster! Navigating family, friends, and mental health - she's the superhero who can handle it all, but who's helping our girl out? 🦸‍♀️💪

Dad's got Parkinson's, Mom's giving unsolicited advice from who-knows-where, and her brother's MIA on the bills – talk about juggling like a pro! But when the chance to escape and live a little arises, things take a wild turn. 🎢

What got me hooked? As a Caribbean descendant, I feel that burden Maddie's carrying. We're raised to handle it all early on, and it's a whole mood. This book dives deep into mental health in our communities, shining a spotlight on a topic too often swept under the rug.

This, my friends, is a romance – not just with a love interest, but with Maddie finding love within herself. 💖✨ Highly recommend this gem – it's a *chef's kiss* kind of read! 👩‍🍳📖 Kudos to narrator Heather Agyepong for bringing those accents and emotions to life – she's the real MVP! 🎤🌟