More or Less Maddy

September 23, 2024
In the stirring latest from neuroscientist and novelist Genova (Still Alice), an NYU student’s life is changed by the onset of bipolar disorder. Twenty-year-old Maddy Banks, an aspiring songwriter and stand-up comic, is accustomed to life’s ups and downs, but at the start of her sophomore year, she feels “the opposite of okay.” During her first manic episode, she engages in risky sexual behavior, racks up $20,000 in debt, and believes she’s writing songs for Taylor Swift and a comedy special for Netflix. After threatening her mother with a knife, she’s briefly hospitalized and reluctantly moves back home to Connecticut, where she attempts to find stability. Eventually, she returns to the city, where she performs at comedy clubs and stops taking her meds. After another manic episode and hospitalization, Maddy must decide if she’s ready to follow her doctor’s orders and figure out what is “normal” happiness and sadness versus the onset of mania and depression, and what she can do to embrace her disorder without letting it define her. 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. Agent: Suzanne Gluck, WME.