Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by me_alley
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
19 year old Maddy Banks is like any other pampered college student... except that she has a diagnosis of Bipolar Personality Disorder- Type I. She dreams of having a comedy special on Netflix and writing Taylor Swift's biography, but in periods of mania she is careless with both her mind and body. And she has delusions of grandeur. Maddy comes from a well off country club Connecticut family where she is the youngest of 3. Her oldest sister Emily is engaged to be married and will marry her college sweetheart from Vanderbilt. Maddy has a somewhat strained relationship with her mother, who she thinks infantilizes her, and who doesn't quite know how to control her disorder.
Lisa Genova is famous for having well researched character studies of neurodiverse people; she has really zeroed in on this micro-genre, having written about dementia, Huntington's, autism, and more. This is perhaps her most ambitious and best work yet.... getting inside the mind of Maddy in a way that helps the reader truly empathize. To a loved one of someone with this mental illness, the helplessness and anger is understandable. This book follows Maddy through a blue period in her freshman year to several periods of mania. It touches upon the way Maddy suffers and tries to understand, the people in her life and how they cope with how to be the best support.
No spoilers here, but the ending is realistic while being hopeful. It is heartwarming, although not Polly-Anna-ish. Bipolar Disorder is not something that can be cured, but something Maddy must take responsibility for managing. The journey is not an easy one, and it is not a cookie cutter solution.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a contemporary character study; but for those that love someone with a diagnosis of Bipolar disorder, I must insist you read this. No one is saying every journey is the same, but it helps us to accept and celebrate our differences.
I was gifted a free copy of this book from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.
Lisa Genova is famous for having well researched character studies of neurodiverse people; she has really zeroed in on this micro-genre, having written about dementia, Huntington's, autism, and more. This is perhaps her most ambitious and best work yet.... getting inside the mind of Maddy in a way that helps the reader truly empathize. To a loved one of someone with this mental illness, the helplessness and anger is understandable. This book follows Maddy through a blue period in her freshman year to several periods of mania. It touches upon the way Maddy suffers and tries to understand, the people in her life and how they cope with how to be the best support.
No spoilers here, but the ending is realistic while being hopeful. It is heartwarming, although not Polly-Anna-ish. Bipolar Disorder is not something that can be cured, but something Maddy must take responsibility for managing. The journey is not an easy one, and it is not a cookie cutter solution.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a contemporary character study; but for those that love someone with a diagnosis of Bipolar disorder, I must insist you read this. No one is saying every journey is the same, but it helps us to accept and celebrate our differences.
I was gifted a free copy of this book from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.