Review by Booklist Review
Neuroscientist Genova, who has previously explored the ramifications of Alzheimer's, Huntington's disease, and ALS in fiction, now turns her gimlet eye to bipolar disorder. Maddy Banks is a sophomore in college at NYU, searching for her passion when she walks into a comedy club and discovers it. Maddy believes doing stand-up is her calling, but it also sets off a manic episode that leads her to believe Taylor Swift is looking to collaborate with her. Things come to a head when Maddy goes home to Connecticut for Thanksgiving and winds up hospitalized. Her diagnosis of bipolar disorder comes with a host of complications--medication that brings her mood crashing down, a persistent metallic taste, and skin issues and weight gain that affect her self-esteem. Maddy gradually balances out, but her fretful mother doesn't want her to return to stand-up, fearing it will trigger the whole syndrome again. 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.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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. (Jan.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A diagnosis of bipolar disorder derails a young woman's college experience. Maddy Banks has just finished her freshman year at NYU when she has her first episode, seemingly out of nowhere. High school was a breeze, though she allowed her boyfriend to monopolize so much of her time that she graduated without friends. Then he broke up with her, and she spent the next year grieving instead of partaking in college life. When mania hits, Maddy believes Taylor Swift wants her to write her biography and Netflix wants to give her a comedy special. The lows involve cutting and suicidal acts. For the next year or so, Maddy, her mother, and her older sister try to adjust to a new normal that includes medication, hospital stays, therapy, sobriety, and mood check-ins--a two steps forward, one step back dance that trips them up more than it keeps them in sync. Genova has a great grasp of bipolar disorder and how it can manifest in daily life. The story is told from Maddy's perspective, which provides a firsthand account of manic depression but also limits the book's possibilities. Maddy grew up in an affluent Connecticut suburb, and she's the definition of sheltered. The other characters, who might have provided a more rounded picture, have no depth. Maddy's mother relishes her role as a trophy wife, her stepfather is a rich afterthought, and her older brother and sister are perfect, establishing Maddy as the black sheep of the family. The setup feels stale considering how much mainstream discourse around mental illness has changed in the last decade. Selena Gomez made a whole documentary about bipolar disorder, but Maddy doesn't even seem to Google it. Genova makes Maddy's interest in standup comedy a central part of the story, meaning she had to write some funny bits for her character; she clearly studied the subject and deserves kudos for taking the risk, but the novel stays firmly in the territory of after-school specials. This story would serve young adults dealing with mental health issues and anyone who seeks to understand them. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
