More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova is a poignant exploration of identity, resilience, and personal growth. Through Maddy's struggles and triumphs, Genova delves into the emotional complexities of relationships and self-discovery with her signature depth and sensitivity. This beautifully written novel is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, resonating with readers long after the final page.

Maddy Banks is a perfectly normal 19-year-old girl who is enjoying her life as a NYU college student. Although, of course she’s stressed out, between having to balance her heavy course-load, her friends, and the recent breakup with her boyfriend. But that’s normal, right?

It all seems to be, until she feels unbelievably low. So low that she goes to the school clinic and is prescribed an anti-depressant. It makes her feel better. So much better in fact, that she feels incredible, a high she’s never felt before. This leads her to do some dangerous stuff that all culminates in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. As Maddy begins to navigate her “new normal,” author Genova takes readers on the highs and lows of the world of bipolar depression in a a very real, but gentle way.

I appreciated the honesty shown of how Maddy deals with life after her diagnosis, and related a lot to it as well, after having been dealing with with my own mental health issues since I was about Maddy’s age. Lisa Genova is in a lane of her own. Five well-deserved stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books/Scout Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest release by a very favorite author, Lisa Genova. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Maddy Banks is excited to start her freshman year at NYU. But soon she finds herself totally overwhelmed and low, finally culminating in a trip to the university health center and a prescription for antidepressants. She starts feeling so great and then soon spirals into a terrifying mania, until she is finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Can Maddy figure out her new life and still fulfill her dreams?

No one can write about how medical issues affect people like Lisa Genova, no surprise seeing as she is a Harvard-trained neuroscientist. Her books are always at the top of my most-anticipated reads, and this one is the perfect showcase as to why they are always 5 star reads for me. Mental health issues are still fraught with so much stigma that it's difficult to get proper treatment when needed. While Maddy struggles to accept and deal with her diagnosis, this book highlights just how much the rest of Maddy's family and friends have to deal with as well. Genova's writing is always sensitive, understanding, and so informative that they are complete must reads. This one touched all my emotions and left me feeling brighter and hopeful for Maddy, and so many others dealing with mental health issues. Highly, highly recommended!

Long a consistent reader of the author, I know how greatly effective she is at making the reader truly inhabit the main character feeling their emotions--however, in this case experiencing Maddy's ongoing highs/lows made me feel completely anxious while reading this book.

With thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this e-ARC.

Maddy Banks is embarking on her freshman year at NYU when she is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Her highs are high, filled with delusions of becoming Taylor Swift’s opening act (as a comedian!) and manic writing, and her lows are low, complete with a doorless bedroom. Genova takes us on Maddy’s journey, pulling us into the episodes she is navigating as a newly diagnosed person with bipolar disorder and a mother who is struggling to accept what is clearly a new reality, despite it not fitting in with her perfect, suburban Connecticut life. Maddy’s story gives those on the outside a little glimpse into life on the inside of this illness.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Gallery Books for my #gifted copy and thank you Simon Audio for my #gifted listening copy of More or Less Maddy! #gallerybooks #GalleryInfluencer #MoreorLessMaddy #LisaGenova #simonaudio

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝟱★ (𝗔𝗟𝗟.𝗧𝗛𝗘. 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦.)

This book was everything. If you read one book this year, make it this one. Lisa Genova has found a way to make a complex topic like mental health so much more accessible. I won’t summarize the book, but I will say that I have never read a book that felt so REAL. The main character, Maddy Banks, had so many similarities to a friend of mine. I was literally speechless as I read and listened to this book, and saw some of the same behaviors during a manic episode as my friend. I never talk to my husband about books I read. Ever. And I could not stop talking to him about this book. I think this book did such an amazing job making the reader realize that bi-polar is a disorder, and it’s not who the person is. They are so much more than their diagnosis. Maddy is a comedian who has bipolar disorder.

This book made me laugh and it made me cry. It made me pause to think and reflect. I know I’ve said books are ‘must read’ books in the past, but I truly believe this one is a MUST READ. Lisa Genova is absolutely brilliant.

This book would make the perfect book club pick. I think there could be so much great discussion around this one!

I mostly listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by the talented Tessa Albertson. I thought Albertson was the perfect voice for Maddy. I cannot recommend this one on audio enough. You could hear the emotion in her voice, and it just felt like everything about this on audio felt right.

Posted on Goodreads on January 11, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around January 11, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on January 14, 2025
**-will post on designated date

I have been a fan of Lisa Genova since I first read Still Alice many years ago. I've loved everything that I've read by her and this was no exception. I may say this was my favorite of her books yet. I love the way that she sheds light on neurological conditions that may not otherwise be written about commonly. And she does so in a way that is accessible to those who may not understand it. This book made my heart break for Maddy. I loved her!! I felt for her so much as she was dealing with her diagnosis, and I loved that there were moments of humor throughout the book as well. This was a total 5 stars for me I HIGHLY recommend it!!!!

Between this awesome cover and that I still think of Still Alice at times, I knew I needed to read this book.

I think everyone could benefit from reading books that show mental illness from the inside. I was able to walk in Maddy’s shoes and feel her highs and lows with her. And it’s a scary thought how quickly she shifts from control to out of control. And at times how close my thoughts might be on the edge.

Maddy is such a relatable character. I connected with her right away. And I kept dreaming with her that there was an answer for her. But like I’ve always read the book does a great job of showcasing the human side of this illness. And the ups and downs and what starts out as an everyday thought slips into the extremes. I appreciated how it also showed the strain on loved ones as the illness took over.

This was a little hard at times to read and digest, but those moments with Maddy gave me a deeper understanding of what those living with the illness endure.

Tessa Albertson did a great job of narrating and making Maddy’s trials spring to life. It was a seamless experience switching back and forth from the book to the audiobook.

Powerful story about a young adult female and her journey through learning she has Bipolar 1. The main character and her story are a raw, intense, and vivid depiction of her state of mind during major mental health challenges from the very first chapter. While I give this book 5 stars for the way in which the author pulls you in and has you immersed in the character, it should also be cautioned that the material may be too much for some readers due to significant themes and scenes involving suicidal behaviors/suicidal ideation and self-harm. On the flip side, the author also does a magnificent job of how portraying how much an individual coping with significant mental health needs and benefits from supports who love them unconditionally and provide light in the dark.

I look forward to reading anything Lisa Genova because of the unique medical perspective she brings. This exploration of a bipolar diagnosis hit on so many levels. This was totally raw, with really good writing, and will educate so many readers on so much while still entertaining them. I'm so glad this book exists!

What does a normal life mean?
More or Less, Maddy is not only a raw emotional story but is educational and insightful into the mental health illness world. Maddy is a teenage college student who has just learned of her bipolar diagnosis. Maddie is making her way through the highs and lows of life living with bipolar disorder, an overbearing, controlling mother, and how to navigate societal expectations. On top of that, Maddy is thrust into medication that spirals her into manic episodes.
It was painful, complex, and utterly humanizing to read.
I loved how this book transports you into the bipolar world. I felt like I was riding the tidal waves with her. You experience every up and down with Maddy, and though I was not very familiar with this mental illness going into the book, it was truly eye-opening.
This was my first Lisa Genova book, and will certainly not be my last. The writing was beautiful and captivating.

More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova follows Maddy Banks, a college freshman, as she navigates the pressures of school, family dynamics, and life in New York City. Struggling with dizzying emotional highs and lows, Maddy discovers a passion for stand-up comedy just as her mental health spirals, leading to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Through challenges and self-discovery, Maddy learns to balance her new identity and pursue a path that feels authentically hers.

Lisa Genova has been a favorite author of mine ever since I read Every Note Played with my local book club. Her ability to weave her deep knowledge of neurological conditions into compelling and accessible narratives is unmatched. With More or Less Maddy, she has created one of the most poignant and insightful portrayals of mental illness I’ve ever encountered. Maddy’s journey through the highs of mania and the depths of depression is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, and I couldn’t help but root for her every step of the way. Her dream of becoming a stand-up comedian adds a unique layer of humor and resilience to a story that tackles such a serious subject.

This book was a deeply emotional and eye-opening experience for me. It illuminated the complexities of living with bipolar disorder in a way I had never fully understood before. Genova masterfully captures not only Maddy’s struggles but also the impact on her family, making the story feel raw and authentic. Whether you live with bipolar disorder, know someone who does, or simply want to gain a greater understanding of it, More or Less Maddy is a must-read. It’s powerful, educational, and impossible to put down—you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Genova is a high ranking author for me because her book, Still Alice, is in the top five of my all time favorite reads. The knowledge she has and the amount of research she does really shows when she is writing about mental health. She has a way of taking the reader into the minds of her main characters and helps them experience the same ups and downs that the main characters do.

More or Less Maddy is no different in this case. Maddy learns she has bipolar disorder after going through several manic episodes. Her perspective is written so beautifully as the reader truly feels the struggles and depressive moments that she goes through. The only reason I am giving this one four stars instead of five is because the comedy idea seems forced into the plot. It does not flow with everything else. That aside, it is worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lisa Genova, and Gallery Books for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy of More or Less Maddy in the return of an honest review.

I still have goosebumps over the book and movie Still Alice by this same author. If you've never read/seen it, it is a detailed account of a female professor that develops Alzheimers. In that same vein, this book is an in depth journey of a young woman as she discovers that she's bipolar while away at college.

This book was intense and so well-written. The reader is along for the ride as Maddy experiences manic and depressive episodes and how to navigate her new world where she's lost friends, disappointed her family, and just wants to live her life without someone watching her like a child. Also as a mom, I really felt for her mother and her fear for her child's safety and future.

The only element that didn't work for me as much was Maddy's journey to want to become a stand up comic. I really think the book could have stood alone as just the story of a college student struggling with a new mental illness without throwing in stand up comedy.

Once again Lisa Genova has done it. She has drawn readers into the world of a person whose brain is working differently, this time the world of Maddy who is diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, to experience how their brain works. It is messy and terrifying and enlightening to experience the world the way that Maddy does. The story is so well written that I felt like I was standing next to Maddyr and experiencing the world with her. For all of the challenges Maddy faced the story left me feeling hopeful. I highly recommend this book.

Wow! This is why we shouldn’t make ‘Best Of’ lists before the year is officially over, because this one has absolutely snagged a spot in my top 5!

From beginning to end, this book was captivating, and truly made me feel like I was in Maddy’s brain, despite the book being written in third person. At so many points throughout, I felt simultaneously heartbroken, frustrated, sympathetic, and hopeful, which is a testament to how powerful this story and its writing are. Everything about this book felt so tangible. I appreciated how the subject matter was handled with such sensitivity without having to sacrifice showing the realities of the disorder.

My sister has bipolar disorder, and Maddy’s story really made me feel like I can better understand the ways her brain operates. (To say it has not been an easy road would be an understatement.) I binged this in 24 hours, and I can pretty much guarantee you’ll do the same!

Five enthusiastic stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Amazing look inside the mind of a young person suffering from bipolar disorder, and how it affects the people around her. Once again, Genova combines her medical knowledge, extensive research, and writing talent to produce a character afflicted with a common disease, and use her to educate readers. A sequel taking place in 20 years, to show how the condition continued to affect Maddy, would work well.

Reading a Lisa Genova novel is an "interactive" experience. You don't just view words on a page, you feel what the characters feel, hear what they hear, and see what they see. It's like stepping into the story and looking out into the world instead of looking in as you do with other books. This extraordinary skill comes from Miss Genova's combined experience as a neuroscientist and accomplished author. In More or Less Maddy she tackles bipolar disorder-a neurological condition characterized by extreme highs and devastating lows. When Maddy is in a "manic" stage we feel her unrelenting need to go, do, solve, spend, analyze, and when she is in the depressed stage it's like we crawled into bed with her and refuse to come out. Bipolar disorder is a roller coaster ride that has no end. What More or Less Maddy does so well is explore bipolar disorder from the perspective of the patient, but also from her friends and family who never know when the next cycle of mania or depression will arrive. Like the disease, More or Less Maddy is a trip through both extremes, along with the cautionary periods when Maddy feels like her "old self." It is both heartbreaking and hopeful, and like her other novels dealing with neurological diseases (Still Alice, Every Note Played) you'll learn about an illness you may not have known much about. It's Lisa Genova's ability to humanize these disorders and bring them to life that makes her novels so profound.

Genova never shies away from tough topics. In this, Maddy is beautifully written and you become invested in her life. Through her, you get a glimpse of what it’s like living with bipolar disorder. Mental health isn’t addressed enough and props to Genova for giving us reads that spur the discussion.
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Definitely recommend adding this to your 2025 TBR!

The book starts with a manic tone that Lisa Genova aimed to create. She wants us inside Maddy’s head. Maddy is out of control. Chapter 2 takes the reader 18 months prior so we can see what got us to where we first met Maddy in a Las Vegas hotel room. Then progress through the highs and lows with Maddy and her family. There are tidbits of what brought on the diagnosis, but as the author relates, there could be many reasons.

Genova, with her professional background, takes the reader on both a fictionalized, as well as a medical journey. What is most disheartening is that medical professionals still don’t know how to treat this disorder and they still don’t know how most of the drugs that are prescribed work since research has shown that antidepressants are no more effective than placebos in treating depression. As long as the placebo has an active component, something that will give you a headache or an upset stomach, it will trick your body into thinking it must be good for you. Yet, they continue to throw medications at those fighting for their mental health, but it appears to only be “just throwing spaghetti at the wall and calling what sticks medicine.” Medical Science is a fascinating thing.

In the author’s notes, she displays how this book can educate, humanize, demystify, destigmatize, and engender empathy. And I wholeheartedly agree since this book shines a light on a disorder with onset typically occurring in the later teen and early twenties, that affects 6 million people, slightly more than those that are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and is the sixth leading cause of disability worldwide and is the tenth leading cause of death in the US, all while hiding in plain sight.

On its own, Maddy's story is fascinating but the research and education that Lisa Genova has shared is invaluable.