More or Less Maddy: A Novel

The powerhouse New York Times bestselling author and Harvard-trained neuroscientist returns with a breathless, exhilarating, and heartbreaking novel about a young woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder and the ripple effects her mental health has on her family and her pursuit of a career in stand-up comedy.

Maddy Banks is just like any other stressed-out freshman at NYU. Between heaps of homework, finals, and navigating life in the city, it’s normal to be feeling the pressure. It doesn’t help that she’s always felt like the odd one out in her “perfect” Connecticut family: her blonde, toned, and tanned mother; her flawless, high-achieving, engaged sister, Emily; and her always popular, athletic, easygoing brother, Jack. Yet lately, Maddy’s highs seem dizzyingly high, and the lows seem terrifyingly low. Suddenly, the things that used to make her happy are becoming harder and harder to grasp.

When a spontaneous visit to a comedy club opens her eyes to a new hobby just as her mental health begins to spiral and an incident at a family Thanksgiving dinner leads to a terrifying breaking point—and to a new diagnosis—Maddy’s life starts to look quite different. As she struggles to accept her bipolar disorder and attempts to navigate her burgeoning stand-up career, she’ll have to figure out how to manage being both too much and not enough.

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.

ISBN: 9781668026779
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: January 14, 2025

“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 New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name“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 I’ve Tried Being Nice and The Foundling“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 The Leftover Woman