Marya Hornbacher’s first memoir, Wasted, told the story of her protracted and painful battle with anorexia and bulimia. Brutally honest, the author poured out her struggles in intimate detail, resulting in a candid look at the disease.

As it turns out, Hornbacher suffered from an underlying illness. Diagnosed with rapid cycling type 1 bipolar disorder (the severest form), Hornbacher soon had two quite formidable opponents battling for her life.

The next leg of Hornbacher’s journey, chronicled in Madness: A Bipolar Life, proves even more harrowing than the first. Again told in a straightforward and gut-wrenching fashion, Madness drives home the difficulty of not knowing whom you may wake up as each and every day.

Grade: B

Madness: A Bipolar Life is currently available.