More Or Less Maddy

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.