Men must be attracted to fun, to simplicity, to a lack of baggage. Or at least to someone who can hide their baggage well. My problem is that I’m not simple; I’m not a good time, unless I’m lying or pretending to be okay… I’m sure there was a time when I was happy… But how do you measure that? How do you know if you’re genuinely happy or if you’re mostly all right, with sprinkles of laughter and occasional shit storms of sadness? Maybe I’ve only ever been all right?

Jessica George, My Name is Maame

This. Freaking. Book. I really thought I was going to hate it. I had the impression that it would be a cheesy, try-hard attempt at appealing to young, chronically online readers, but it’s easily my favourite book of April 2025. Let’s break it down.

The book is a witty account of the life of Maddie, who struggles to find herself at 25 while battling with the grief of losing her father. It reads like a charming coming-of-age novel, as the protagonist experiences many of her ‘firsts’ well into her adult life. For this, she feels like she’s lagging behind her peers, to whom sex, dating and the idea of having a good time, all come more naturally than they do to Maddie.

This is juxtaposed with how she was forced to ‘grow up’ early and shoulder a lot of family responsibilities. The name “Maame,” with which her mother calls her, encapsulates the expectation of maturity that was placed on her.

Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi, but in my case, it means woman.

Jessica George, My Name is Maame

In the book, Maddie expresses anger about having had to be a woman ever since she was a little girl. This presents an interesting contradiction; Maame felt ‘too grown up’ due to her family responsibilities, yet she felt stunted and immature in other parts of her life. This reminds me of a lyric from “But Daddy I Love Him,” by Taylor Swift; “Growing up precocious sometimes means not growing up at all.” Forcing people to grow up too soon and shoulder a lot of responsibilities on their own may deprive them of the opportunity to learn and grow in other ways.

While the book is mostly light-hearted and funny, it does not trade off depth. Its exploration of grief, loneliness, depression and the complicated nature of family dynamics makes it a very poignant book. Stylistically, I enjoyed the fact that there were text threads and google search bars scattered throughout the pages. They gave me a window into Maddie’s personal thoughts. It felt really confessional and self-introspective. The ending also gave a beautiful resolution, where she put a positive spin on “Maame” and learned to view her parents as the imperfect humans they were. This book is perfect for readers looking for books that are funny, quirky and relatable. It’s also a great book for people who like messy books with clean resolutions.

Check out my storygraph page for my detailed reading stats.