A breathless, riveting novel about a young woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder who rejects the stability and approval found in a traditionally “normal” life for a career in stand-up comedy.

Maddy Banks is just like any other stressed-out freshman at NYU. Between schoolwork, exams, navigating life in the city, and a recent breakup, 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 Maddy’s latest low is devastatingly low, and she goes on an antidepressant. She begins to feel good, dazzling in fact, and she soon spirals high into a wild and terrifying mania that culminates in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

As she struggles to find her way in this new reality, navigating the complex effects bipolar has on her identity, her relationships, and her life dreams, Maddy will have to figure out how to manage being both too much and not enough.

With her signature “deep empathy and insight” (Booklist), Harvard-trained neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author Lisa Genova has crafted another profoundly moving novel that makes complicated mental health issues accessible and human. More or Less Maddy is destined to become another classic like Still Alice.

About The Author

credit to Greg Mentzer

Lisa Genova

Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, Lisa Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O’Briens, and Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar–winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She is featured in the documentary films To Not Fade Away and Have You Heard About Greg. Her TED talks on Alzheimer’s disease and memory have been viewed over eleven million times.

Product Details

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press (January 14, 2025)
Length: 368 pages
ISBN13: 9781668026168

Raves and Reviews

“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