More or Less Maddy

Lisa Genova

@authorlisagenova is one of my favourite authors because of her incredible talent for writing books that explore neurological conditions. Genova makes an understanding of these complex disorders accessible for readers and fosters empathy for people with these conditions through her exquisite character development. It is easy for readers to connect with the main characters and their family/caregivers, understand the many challenges faced as a result of the given neurological condition, and have a new perspective when hearing about or seeing people with these disorders in their communities.

More or Less Maddy follows a young adult, Maddy, who has just started college and is struggling with (mostly) typical college student challenges such as: break ups, weight gain, strained long distance relationships with friends and family, and depressive symptoms. When birth control and antidepressants are introduced, Maddy's body and brain start to react, and slowly these challenges that seemed normal given the transition to adulthood, begin to have a bigger and bigger impact on her daily life. In her manic states she believes she's working on Taylor Swift's biography, and writing a Netflix comedy series, cheats on her boyfriend and steals the family car, but in her depressive states she can't get out of bed and struggles with compulsive thoughts related to self-harm and suicide. At a time in her life where her peers are just starting to experience the freedom of adulthood, the thrill of trying new things and growing into their personalities, Maddy finds herself under constant supervision by her mother and/or hospital staff and confused about who she is really meant to be.

More or Less Maddy is an incredible book that completely altered my understanding of Bipolar Disorder. Having a window into the mind of someone with this condition, as well as the views of her family and friends, helped form a new perspective for me. I felt like a close friend of Maddy's, wanting the best for her, but also watching helplessly when she started to spiral. As I fully expected, this was an amazing book and one I would highly recommend. I was SO appreciative of the chance to read this book in advance of it's upcoming publication date in January, and would like to thank @netgalley, and @simonschusterca for the copy.

This book was incredibly well written and thought provoking. In classic Lisa Genova style, the book was well researched and painted a detailed picture of what it is like to live with bipolar disorder. Maddy is a compelling character and it was very interesting to see her navigate her diagnosis and treatment journey. Maddy also had great character growth throughout the book. This book was immersive and very emotional. It was, at times, uncomfortable to read because it was such a realistic depiction of depression and mania, but this was a necessary discomfort and needed to help to destigmatize bipolar disorder and mental health as a whole. I thought the supporting characters were great as well, particularly Maddy's mom. Overall a wonderful, important read and one I will be recommending to all of my patrons when it is released.