Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

123 reviews

laurenmaria422's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I can understand why the book is divisive. It is quite linear, moving smoothly along despite the complex nature of the setting, but for me, fiction is often an escape from some of the complexity of life that can be overwhelming. Others have criticized the book as a heavy-handed attempt at being a self-help book in disguise. I didn't quite see it as that. The book certainly doesn't have all the answers - mindfulness and gratitude are great and being proactive and trying to have a positive outlook are all good things to do, but they certainly don't solve clinical depression or being poor alone.

That said, the book still resonated with me. I don't think the point is "Suddenly Nora was cured of depression." I don't think that was meant to be the message, or at least that's not what I took away from it. As someone who was diagnosed with ADHD at 26, my life has been full of both excitement and paralysis at how many possibilities there are. Wanting to do everything and feeling I need to be as good as I possibly can to make up for the lost years. Feeling regret over dropping out of engineering in university, turning down the offer to go to one of the best math and science high schools and wondering if I'd maybe have gotten into MIT and become an engineer had I done that, even though my life would have turned out different. Regret at friendships I lost. It's easy to drown in self-pity. 

I appreciated the message of the book, however simplistic. It's a good reminder to slow down, be kind to others, and stop to really look at things, and to have hope, even when things really suck (and they do, often). I've been depressed before and I've had suicidal thoughts before, and sometimes these thoughts come up again, even years after I finally got out of the despair I was in. The only way to get out of that pit was to live. To engage with the world despite the fact that I felt like I didn't know how to live, and eventually I was able to feel something other than numbness. It's not some instant transformation over night and I still struggle with needing to do everything and be everything. We don't get to live a million lives instantly and change overnight like Nora, but I saw myself in Nora. Not really knowing what I wanted. Avoiding opportunities. Letting life happen to me instead of being decisive and present. It's not a perfect book, but it's one that will stick with me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death

Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, Vomit, Stalking, and Drug abuse

butlerebecca's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I love the idea of going to an alternate universe where you use hand cream

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Cancer, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Stalking and Infidelity

margaxrete's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Suicide, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Stalking, Mental illness, and Infidelity

anj's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Animal death, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abandonment, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Cancer, Infidelity, and Self harm

alliejm00's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Moderate: Animal death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, and Vomit

Minor: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Toxic friendship

gaillypoo's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

There was no warning about the self harm and that would have been an easy and helpful thing to add

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Mental illness, Cancer, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Car accident, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit, Addiction, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Mental illness, Stalking, and Medical content

sweetchocolatez's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Stalking, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, and Cursing

nquinlan's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A well paced and well written book, like a warm hug.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Abandonment and Death of parent

Minor: Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Stalking

reginacattus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A lesson in finding hope within despair, and also embracing the many worlds theory in physics.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Animal death, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Self harm, Alcohol, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity

Minor: Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Homophobia, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Cancer

craftysnailtail's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I understand why this book is popular, but it just wasn't for me. The writing sometimes waxed poetic in a way that felt forced to me. I knew how it would end within the first few pages. The overall message is important, but I couldn't connect with the main character and well, this book is all about her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, Alcoholism, Stalking, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Animal death, and Car accident