A review by idk_indigo
Maame by Jessica George

Did not finish book. Stopped at 70%.

I wanted to be able to finish this but I am not enjoying it, I'm having so much trouble even picking it up and I hate every single character except for Nia. Maddie herself is outrageously annoying, she acts like she lives under a rock despite being 25, living and going to uni in London, working in the publishing industry... I've just stopped because I can't with the biphobia while perusing dating apps and meeting a bisexual man... one of her best friends is a lesbian and I kinda just can't... perpetuating oversexualized bisexual stereotypes just because you're doing it to a man is still ignorant... and having a lesbian friend doesn't excuse you from queerphobia 

Also her non-black friend helping explain to her that she's being fetishized by a white man just kinda rubs me the wrong way a bit, like she's a child. I think her lack of experience with dating in general is understandable considering childhood neglect + still living at home, but, like I'm finding it a tiny bit hard to believe that this woman has never once heard about things like consent, racism in dating, bisexuality... 

All that being said, the storyline itself is interesting, and I can already see where it's going and it seems cool and whatnot. I'm also sure it gets better and she learns from her mistakes and also realizes what she needs from a partner and figures out how to stand up for herself; so it's too bad I won't be there to see it.