Maddy Tanner's life hangs in the balance between an unstable, abusive home life and a chaotic existence as a young girl who struggles daily with mental illness.

Maddy's diary tells the tale of a girl who grew up in a treacherous, alcoholic family while facing the unknown terrors of manic depression. The story unfolds as Maddy grows up into adulthood, suffering in isolation with a mental illness no one around her can see and that she does not understand.

In Memoirs of a Manic-Depressant by Michelle McConnell we experience empathy for a girl who has become isolated from family, friends, and society due to her bipolar manifestation. Maddy risks her life without realizing the consequences in this mesmerizing tale, filled with increasing tension and danger.