Maddy Banks is like most students in college, stressed out and trying to have fun. She is attending NYU, but she is feeling overwhelmed with life, college and NYC. She comes from Connecticut and her family has their own expectations for her life.

But, now Maddy has been diagnosed with Bipolar and realizes this is a life long diagnosis. She seeks help, but has to start navigating her life in a different way.

She is obsessed with Taylor Swift, and is hiding a dangerous secret. Her highs and loss are self-destructive.
I found this one realistic. I can see the author Lisa Genova has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University, so she is well informed with this diagnosis.

Triggers: Mental health, cutting, disorders

Thank you Book Lovers The Buzz and author Genova for this gifted e-ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy for review, all opinions are my own.

Wow. I loved this book so much, and was heartbroken at the same time reading Maddy’s story. This is raw and there are many trigger warnings, but done so well! 5 stars!

Genova's book proved to be profoundly engaging, drawing me fully into Maddy's intricately woven world. Through the highs and lows, heartaches, and the intricate dynamics of her relationship with her mother, the author skillfully crafted an experience that resonated deeply. Despite its fictional nature, the narrative felt profoundly significant, warranting a broader audience. As a librarian, I am enthusiastic about recommending it widely, particularly for stimulating book club conversations. The story's compelling nature was such that I found myself discussing it fervently even before reaching its conclusion. The prospect of featuring it in a podcast excites me. Undoubtedly a five-star read and then some!

I am sincerely grateful to Lisa Genova for tackling bipolar disorder as she has done so with many other subjects- with an incredible amount of research, kindness and the depiction of the individual first. One of the things that Maddy, the main character who is an aspiring comedienne, grappled with was the distinction of whether she “has bipolar” or “is bipolar”. She draws the parallel to a person with cancer and indicates they do not say, “I am cancer.” Her discussion with her Gramma was especially freeing as she was one of the few people who saw Maddy and accepted her for who she was.

This book weighed on me greatly as I needed to take short breaks as I read. The gravity of Maddy’s situation and struggles described accurately what I have seen individuals near to me experience. Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Lisa Genova for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC. I love Lisa Genovas books for their discussion and story telling about medical disorders. Maddie has bipolar disease which takes her from sky high to rock bottom. Bipolar is difficult to treat and she ends up in.treatment facilities several times.. The book also does a good job of how this affects her family as they have to drop everything to come bail her out. Good reading.

Excellent peek into the mind of a person living with bipolar disorder, engendering understanding and compassion in the reader. Lisa Genova does a fantastic job bringing the science and humanity of neurological disorders to the wider public. Her focus in this book is on the main character who has bipolar disorder, but Genova does a great job of highlighting effects of the disorder on caregivers and loved ones. I found it hopeful and heartbreaking at once.

I have read EVERY book that Lisa Genova has written. This one hit me a little closer to home, as there is mental illness in my family. OCD, not Bipolar but still, mental illness. I LOVED this book. I was so impressed with the accurate portrayal of the feelings, symptoms, tragedies, etc that were shown in this book. I left with a much clearer understanding of the illness, and more importantly, a more supportive understanding of what people and families experiencing this go through. This book is a must read, for everyone, just to understand what some people around us might be experiencing.

I have waited and waited not so patiently for another Lisa Genova book. I read and enjoyed all of her previous titles. Books addressing mental health are important and I seek them out. So it saddens me to say this was not a winner for me. The story just never engaged me. I didn't find the comedy act part entertaining. Also I love books written through the perspective of people of all ages. But this felt like it had a Young Adult quality which I wasn't expecting. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

More or Less Maddy was a very well written story of a young college student going through the challenges of bi-polar diagnosis. I appreciate the research that went into the writing. I appreciate the ARC and will be purchasing this title for our library

5 plus stars-Lisa Genova is stellar at researching her topics before she writes about them. In this case, Maddy is a college student whose bipolar diagnosis leads to a love for stand up comedy. What is different is that we see the real Maddy during her mania and depression. Her actions and conversations are so authentic and raw that I became immersed in the story to the point where I lost what was going on around me. There is no sugarcoating or skimming the surface here. The characterizations are deep, emotional, and sometimes heartbreaking. I loved this book so much! (I honestly don’t think there is one by this author that I didn’t love, though.) Thank you to the publisher and author for the privilege of the arc in exchange for an honest review.

More or Less Maddy tackles a huge topic in the mental health world- Bipolar Disorder- through the lense of Maddy, a college freshman. As a therapist, I went in extra cautious about how the diagnosis would be portrayed. But the author pulls strongly from her own background in neuroscience and individual stories to give a full view of daily life. Written in novel form, it's interesting and real.

The only challenge is that I really, really did not like the main character. She came off as unwilling to take responsibility, oblivious to the pain she was causing her family & friends, and spoiled in her options- throughout all of her mental states. Perhaps that was the intent, to reflect how Bipolar Disorder is often a 'self-focused" illness purely due to the symptoms, but it made parts hard to stick with.

Regardless, a great topic and lovely read by Genova. Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC!

This is the story that I think is an important story to tell. I think people who have bipolar disorder like the main character Maddie in the book often times have the same issues that she has in the book. Lisa Genova is an author that I enjoy reading. She always has books about important topics and tells them in realistic ways. I highly recommend this book.

Lisa Genova is well known for her fictional yet accurate accounts of living with illness. In her latest book, she takes on bipolar disorder. Maddy is a young woman who has a breakdown one Thanksgiving, is hospitalized, and thereafter is closely monitored by her mother and older sister. As the book progresses, Maddy leaves hospital and moves in with her sister and the sister's fiancee, hoping to develop a career as a stand-up comic. The world of comedians consists of late nights, drugs, alcohol, and plenty of self-doubt. Yet she persists, despite the lack of support from her family.

Living with bipolar and disorder alongside persuing ones goals and dreams is the focus of this book.. Once again, Genova does a wonderful job.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

I love Lisa Genova’s books. I have bipolar disorder. What Maddy experiences in this book is so far outside the realm of anything I have ever experienced that I’m torn about this book. Perhaps Maddy’s case is an extreme case of bipolar? I don’t know. It makes me uncomfortable to think that people reading this book will think that this reflects the experiences of everyone with the disorder, and it certainly makes me feel far less comfortable about telling anyone that I have it.

For that reason I will not be leaving a review or rating this book on Goodreads, though I will indicate that I’ve read it. Thanks for allowing me to read this title.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

I've long been a fan of Lisa Genova, and was excited to read this one. A deep dive into bipolar disorder, this was a hard read. As the reader, you're an outsider looking in and to some degree know how things can go, so it is a tense read, but an important first-person (albeit fictionalized) glance at the challenges of this disorder. It's an important read, and worth the discomfort it may cause some readers.

I love Lisa Genova and will read any book she writes. Like all of her other books, this was so well-researched. I thought it was a very quick read (finishing in less than 2 days). I look forward to recommending this book to library customers. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I received a temporary digital copy of More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova from NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After being dumped by her high-school sweetheart right before leaving for college, Maddy Banks finds her freshmen year at NYU challenging and barley completes the year with decent grades. Now in sophomore year, she is trying to find what interests her and stumbles upon a comedy club. There, she realizes that comedy could be her future, but a manic episode leads her straight to a bi-polar disorder diagnosis. Her new future looks nothing like what her or her family expected for her. The Banks family have to navigate their new normal with a lot of challenges along the way.

I love Lisa Genova and her writing as she so clearly creates characters that truly embody their diagnosis. More or Less Maddy does not fall short of this; I was continuously feeling as if I was struggling alongside her. Another great novel by Genova that I recommend reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm always looking for books on mental health and I knew this would be a good one since it's written by Lisa Genova.
I know quite a bit about bipolar disorder from my psychology degree and having a close friend who has bipolar. Genova really hit the mark as far as showing the symptoms and how quickly a person can cycle and how the medication treatment is often stopped by patients when they "feel better". There was a bit more language in this than I'd expect but it did portray the character.

Incredibly well written as all of Lisa Genova's work but it was honestly too painful for me to read. Way too real. I identified more with the mother and my heart broke at how to try to help this girl. But I could not finish as I found it too upsetting.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Maddy is in a deep dark depression after her relationship ends. But surely that’s normal, right? When her mind starts to fill with racing thoughts about Netflix comedy specials and potentially ghostwriting Taylor Swift’s memoir, things get out of control fast and she ends up with a diagnosis of bipolar. Family drama ensues, rinse, repeat. I really enjoyed reading this but found it very tedious at the same time…which I think may have been the point? When struggling with diagnoses and medications, it’s typical for people to fall back into unhealthy habits, thinking they don’t need medication, etc, so I think that was what the repetitiveness of these storylines tried to convey.

I know we were meant to root against the mother, and while I didn’t agree with how she spoke about her daughter’s diagnosis, I could definitely see how difficult it would be watching your child struggle with this. While I have enjoyed some of Genova’s other works more, this seemed highly realistic and was a fast and compelling read.