A review by injiofthebooks
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

4.0

”Well, that’s the beauty, isn’t it? You just never know how it ends.”

this book was really good. although it started off a bit (AKA really) overwhelming, it progressed into a really simply but beautifully written book about finding your grip on reality (through a pretty surreal process).

i think it’s hard to criticize the portrayal of nora’s depression because everyone deals with and experiences mental health issues differently, and we know the author himself has spoken out about his struggles. to me personally though, the ending was a bit rushed. i’m guessing that with the positive ending, matt haig wanted to show that it can and does get better, and yes, what nora went through in the midnight library was life-changing, but most of the time depression doesn’t just disappear like that.

other than that, i really liked the glimpses into nora’s other potential lives (even though i sometimes wished they were longer). i liked how - aside from the inspirational talks - mrs. elm kinda just sat back and let nora figure it out. “You don’t have to understand life. You just have to live it.”

i like that haig went into how nora lost her sense of self. not only did her depression affect literally every aspect of her life - slowly eating her out as she felt less and less needed - but seeing (and playing) different versions of herself living different lives was sure to make her feel less like her actual self, the one she was familiar with. and i like the way she grew from that mindset, the idea that her existence only mattered if she was needed.

this book inspired me and made me rethink a bunch of stuff. i don’t think i should have picked it up now, but once i did it was hard to put down. i would have appreciated this more in another point in my life - it might resonate with me a lot better later on. we all need a mrs. elm in our lives though lol.