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a_reader_of_book 's review for:
The Midnight Library
by Matt Haig
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
I found Matt Haig's "The Midnight Library" (TML) to be a pleasant read. I think other people were far more moved by this book than I was, but I did think it was a good story. I think it is important to note that this story discusses suicide, mental health, and family/friend death, so make sure you are in the right headspace when selecting TML.
Imagine that in the limbo between life and death, you are given to opportunity to try out your other possible lives based on various different decisions you could have made throughout your life. What kinds of adventures are possible? What family or friends are still part of your life? How happy are you? We get to come along as Nora Seed experiences these possibilities. Does she still want to end her life, or does she learn to appreciate the life she has? This is obviously a pretty deep concept. What I really appreciated was the focus on other people in Nora's life and how her decisions impacted others besides herself. You may never know how much a little decision you make can shape someone else's life. Overall, TML was a pretty emotional story. The pace of the novel was pretty quick as Nora jumped from one life to another, so if you find a particular life rather boring, you'll probably move on to a new one fairly soon. I really wanted to be very moved by this book, but it didn't hit me the way I imagined it would. Still, I enjoyed reading it, and I can understand why TML has moved so many people.
Imagine that in the limbo between life and death, you are given to opportunity to try out your other possible lives based on various different decisions you could have made throughout your life. What kinds of adventures are possible? What family or friends are still part of your life? How happy are you? We get to come along as Nora Seed experiences these possibilities. Does she still want to end her life, or does she learn to appreciate the life she has? This is obviously a pretty deep concept. What I really appreciated was the focus on other people in Nora's life and how her decisions impacted others besides herself. You may never know how much a little decision you make can shape someone else's life. Overall, TML was a pretty emotional story. The pace of the novel was pretty quick as Nora jumped from one life to another, so if you find a particular life rather boring, you'll probably move on to a new one fairly soon. I really wanted to be very moved by this book, but it didn't hit me the way I imagined it would. Still, I enjoyed reading it, and I can understand why TML has moved so many people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Vomit