A review by evergrn
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

 The concept of this book is not entirely unique, but the way it’s written really stands out. It’s both engaging and thought-provoking. The idea of exploring multiple versions of our lives based on the choices we’ve made, makes you pause and reflect on all the “what ifs” we often find ourselves pondering.

 “You don’t have to understand life. You just have to live it.” 

The beginning of the book is pretty heavy, as we’re introduced to Nora, who is in the depths of a depressive spiral.  She feels completely unhappy with her life, burdened by regret over the choices she’s made, and trapped in a cycle of regret over the choices she feels have led her down the wrong path.  Nora believes that ending her life is the only way out of the overwhelming disappointment she feels. However, just as she’s about to take that drastic step, she finds herself in the Midnight Library—a surreal place where she has the chance to experience different versions of her life, shaped by different decisions she could have made.
  

“It is easy to regret, and keep regretting, ad infinitum, until our time runs out. But it is not lives we regret not living that are the real problem. It is the regret itself. It's the regret that makes us shrivel and wither and feel like our own and other people's worst enemy. We can't tell if any of those other versions would of been better or worse. Those lives are happening, it is true, but you are happening as well, and that is the happening we have to focus on.” 

This book taught us that we often spend too much time dwelling on the paths we didn’t take, wondering how our lives might have unfolded if we’d made different choices. But in reality, those missed opportunities are just stories we tell ourselves, not truths. The life we’re living is the one we’ve chosen, and it’s beautiful in its own way. Every choice, no matter how small, has brought us to where we are now, and that’s something to cherish.
 

I absolutely loved this book and was ready to give it a perfect 5-star rating, but I couldn’t overlook one major issue: the ending, it felt a little rushed and too simplistic.  Nora started out as such a deeply layered and troubled character, struggling with depression and regret, and then, almost out of nowhere, her life seemed to completely transform, as if everything suddenly became perfect. It just didn’t feel realistic, especially given how heavy her struggles were earlier in the story. The shift felt too sudden, and I wished the resolution had been more gradual.