This is a "window" book into the challenges of living a life with a bipolar disorder diagnosis. Maddy is a student at NYU when she unknowingly enters a manic stage - up all night, high energy, feeling like she's on top of the world and nothing can stop her. But it ends in dramatic and dangerous fashion, finally alerting her family to a serious crisis on their hands.

After Maddy crashes down and she's spent several days in a mental hospital, she has a diagnosis, medication, and a new way of life to navigate. The medications are side effects, but as they start working, Maddy thinks she's fine and no longer needs them. Again, the cycle causes her to crash, and she must start all over again.

All of these episodes finally teach Maddy what she knows in her gut: this will be a new way of living for her. She must manage the symptoms with her medication, and learn to live her life. Her dream is to be a stand-up comedian, but the hours and environment cause a lot of concern for her family. 

It is a hard year for Maddy and her family. But Lisa Genova gives her readers such insight into the complications and made me feel so much for Maddy. I was rooting for her - despite the setbacks and the comebacks. Maddy's family and friends that cared for her and demonstrated their unconditional love for her are what kept her wanting to succeed - and that was really a beautiful part of the book. It's a reminder that you never totally know what's going on in someone else's life, so it's best to lead with grace and compassion.