More or Less Maddy: A Novel

by Lisa Genova

Overview

The Harvard-trained neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice returns with a breathless, page-turning, and heartbreaking novel about a young woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder and the complex effects this has on her identity, her relationships, and her dreams of a career in stand-up comedy.

Maddy Banks is just like any other stressed-out freshman at NYU. Between homework, finals, and navigating life in the city, it’s normal to be feeling overwhelmed. It doesn’t help that she’s always felt like the odd one out in her picture-perfect Connecticut family. But lately, it seems that Maddy’s highs seem dizzyingly high, and the lows are terrifyingly low.

Between a visit to a comedy club opening her eyes to a new hobby and a disruptive incident at her family’s Thanksgiving dinner leading to a terrifying diagnosis, Maddy’s life suddenly looks very different. As she struggles to accept her bipolar disorder, and attempts to navigate her burgeoning stand-up career, she’ll have to figure out how to manage being both too much, and not enough.

With her signature “deep empathy and insight” (Booklist), Lisa Genova has crafted another profoundly moving novel that makes complicated health issues accessible. More or Less Maddy is destined to become another classic like Still Alice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797188751
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication date:	01/14/2025
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 5.40(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Lisa Genova is the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including Still Alice, which was adapted into an Oscar-winning film. She graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. Combining her knowledge as a neuroscientist and skills as a storyteller, she is also a sought-after speaker and edutainer. Her TED Talks on memory have been viewed over 11 million times, and she was featured in the PBS special Build a Better Memory Through Science. Visit her website LisaGenova.com or follow her on Instagram or Facebook @AuthorLisaGenova.

Editorial Reviews

Albertson’s youthful timbre and expressive intonation perfectly convey Maddy’s myriad symptoms…[A] dynamic pairing of neuroscientist Genova’s perceptive writing and Albertson’s thoughtful performance. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”

AudioFile

09/23/2024

In the stirring latest from neuroscientist and novelist Genova (Still Alice), an NYU student’s life is changed by the onset of bipolar disorder. Twenty-year-old Maddy Banks, an aspiring songwriter and stand-up comic, is accustomed to life’s ups and downs, but at the start of her sophomore year, she feels “the opposite of okay.” During her first manic episode, she engages in risky sexual behavior, racks up $20,000 in debt, and believes she’s writing songs for Taylor Swift and a comedy special for Netflix. After threatening her mother with a knife, she’s briefly hospitalized and reluctantly moves back home to Connecticut, where she attempts to find stability. Eventually, she returns to the city, where she performs at comedy clubs and stops taking her meds. After another manic episode and hospitalization, Maddy must decide if she’s ready to follow her doctor’s orders and figure out what is “normal” happiness and sadness versus the onset of mania and depression, and what she can do to embrace her disorder without letting it define her. Maddy is a well-drawn character, offering readers a sympathetic look at what it’s like to live with a bipolar diagnosis, and Genova’s signature empathy and insights are on full display. It’s a remarkable achievement. Agent: Suzanne Gluck, WME. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Genova paints a realistic and often painful picture of the toll mental illness takes on both the affected person and loved ones, making for a visceral, harrowing, and undeniably powerful read.” —Booklist

"As ever, Genova brings both an expert understanding of the neuroscience and a masterful eye for compelling characters in an emotionally textured narrative. Maddy's story is completely absorbing; it may keep readers up all night... Affecting, harrowing, beautiful, and enlightening, as well as a great pleasure to read." —Shelf Awareness

“Stirring . . . Maddy is a well-drawn character, offering readers a sympathetic look at what it’s like to live with a bipolar diagnosis, and Genova’s signature empathy and insights are on full display. It’s a remarkable achievement.” —Publishers Weekly




"Quite simply, there is no one like Lisa Genova when it comes to exploring the mysteries of a human brain in a way that allows you to feel like you’re living through the experience with the character. In her latest foray into what makes our minds tick, she dives into what it means to have bipolar disorder, by brilliantly allowing us to empathize with a young up-and-coming comedian who - like all of us — is trying to understand what makes us normal, what makes us special, and what makes life worth living.” — Jodi Picoult, #1 NYT bestselling author

"In her poignant and fearless new novel, Lisa Genova masterfully navigates the intricate web of emotions that accompany a family grappling with the unforeseen challenges of a mental illness diagnosis. Genova's deft blend of humor and compassion grabs the reader from the very first page even as she unveils the hidden ripples that reverberate through a seemingly idyllic facade, interrogating themes of familial bonds, love, resilience and the expectations placed upon women. A riveting page-turner that will touch your heart!"—Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE

"MORE OR LESS MADDY is a riveting, deeply empathetic examination of a bright young woman’s struggle to understand and accept a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Lisa Genova’s discerning, scientific mind and remarkable gifts as a novelist are at their finest as she reveals the thrilling heights and devastating lows of this often-stigmatized condition. Sparkling with humor and at times, heartbreak, this roller coaster ride of a novel will have you holding on for dear life, while never wanting it to end." —Ann Leary, New York Times bestselling author of THE FOUNDLING

From the Publisher

Narrator Tessa Albertson captures the turmoil experienced by Maddy, a college student who is grappling with a recent diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Albertson's youthful timbre and expressive intonation perfectly convey Maddy's myriad symptoms, which include obsessional thinking and self-harm by cutting. Albertson's varied pacing helps listeners sense Maddy's intense discomfort and confusion. Secondary characters, including Maddy's concerned mother and sister, as well as her sympathetic friends, Sophia and Simone, are presented with nuance and depth. While some listeners may find a subplot involving Maddy's foray into stand-up comedy distracting, the important topic of bipolar disorder is handled with sensitivity and clarity by the dynamic pairing of neuroscientist Genova's perceptive writing and Albertson's thoughtful performance. M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2024 - AudioFile

2024-11-09
A diagnosis of bipolar disorder derails a young woman’s college experience.

Maddy Banks has just finished her freshman year at NYU when she has her first episode, seemingly out of nowhere. High school was a breeze, though she allowed her boyfriend to monopolize so much of her time that she graduated without friends. Then he broke up with her, and she spent the next year grieving instead of partaking in college life. When mania hits, Maddy believes Taylor Swift wants her to write her biography and Netflix wants to give her a comedy special. The lows involve cutting and suicidal acts. For the next year or so, Maddy, her mother, and her older sister try to adjust to a new normal that includes medication, hospital stays, therapy, sobriety, and mood check-ins—a two steps forward, one step back dance that trips them up more than it keeps them in sync. Genova has a great grasp of bipolar disorder and how it can manifest in daily life. The story is told from Maddy’s perspective, which provides a firsthand account of manic depression but also limits the book’s possibilities. Maddy grew up in an affluent Connecticut suburb, and she’s the definition of sheltered. The other characters, who might have provided a more rounded picture, have no depth. Maddy’s mother relishes her role as a trophy wife, her stepfather is a rich afterthought, and her older brother and sister are perfect, establishing Maddy as the black sheep of the family. The setup feels stale considering how much mainstream discourse around mental illness has changed in the last decade. Selena Gomez made a whole documentary about bipolar disorder, but Maddy doesn’t even seem to Google it. Genova makes Maddy’s interest in standup comedy a central part of the story, meaning she had to write some funny bits for her character; she clearly studied the subject and deserves kudos for taking the risk, but the novel stays firmly in the territory of after-school specials.

This story would serve young adults dealing with mental health issues and anyone who seeks to understand them.

Kirkus Reviews