Reviews with content warning for Panic attacks/disorders - The Midnight Library

Summary
In The Horse and His Boy, Aslan tells Lucy, "To know what would have happened, child? No. Nobody is ever told that." This book turns that sentiment upside-down. What if we could know what would have happened?

Following a similar trajectory to the classic movie, It's a Wonderful Life, Nora Seeds decides to end her life. In the nowhere between life and death, she finds herself in "The Midnight Library." As George Bailey was presented with the opportunity to observe a world where he was never born, Nora is given the chance to see what life might have been like if she made different choices along the way. What will she learn from stepping into the pages of a myriad of what ifs?

My Thoughts
This book was, most defininately, literary fiction ... which I typically don't care for. However, The Midnight Library provided a clearer path than most literary fiction and swirled it together with enough fantasy that I enjoyed the journey. Nora's "inciting incident" is depressive despair and the implied "promise to the reader" is that the lessons of the Midnight Library will renew her appreciation of life. A bit "preachy"? Perhaps. But whimsically and, even, compellingly so.

The consistent, prevalent swearing prevented this from rating higher in my personal preference.

Overall, I would say this is a good book for anyone who enjoys It's a Wonderful Life or In 27 Days, but is okay with more mature content and a liberal-leaning worldview.

Content
Romance: Overall, minimal. Nora somewhat regretfully/somewhat bitterly remembers a former fiance. As she explores other lives, she sleeps with three different men. Two are her husband in that life, one is not. In all of the encounters, she simply states that action occures with minimal commentary. Topics like s*xting are mentioned briefly. Her brother's sexuality (gay) comes up several times throughout the story, and she is supportive of his relationships both in her real life and in the possibilities she explores.

Language: This isn't a book where there are curse words on every page, but Nora does swear with steady consistency and is not shy about employing f-bombs (once used in a steady stream). J*sus and G*d are both employed as curses.

Violence: Almost non-existent and always non-graphic. Nora's cat dies. She notices self-inflicted scars on her body in various lives. Obviously she makes an attempt to end her life.

Religion: Nora's worldview is entirely secular.

Quotes I Liked
"The game is never over until it is over. It isn't over if there is a single pawn left on the board. If one side is down to a pawn and a king, and the other side has every player, there is still a game."

"...she had managed to convince herself there was no way out of her misery. That, she supposed, was the basis of depression, as well as the difference between fear and despair. Fear was when you wandered into a cellar and worried the door would swing shut. Despair was when the door closed and locked behind you. But with every life she saw that metaphorical door widen a little further as she grew better at using her imagination."

"All this was meaningless without love."

Content Warnings

peasandpancakes's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

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

2.25

I love the idea of the midnight library, a library that contains your infinite possibilities at life. It is interesting to think who you would be as a person if you made a different choice earlier in life.

But… there we have Nora. Someone I could sort of relate to or at least feel for in the beginning, feeling lost and lonely and sad. Unfortunately she is also as dense as they come and needs a thousand in your face, super clear, spelled out lessons about life to get it.

Finally when she gets the perfect life, she realises her actions had consequences (gasp) and influenced other people’s lives. So she leaves her new found happiness to go back to her root life where she immediately gets everything she wanted and is now super happy and cured from depression! Which is totally how that works and not at all hurtful for people who are going through depression, “just change your outlook on life people” (hope you can pick up the sarcasm).

Also, if you do not wish to read a self-help inspirational type book, don’t read this one!

Content Warnings