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A review by brudanos
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This is a story that was written with good intentions and deals with subject matter that I believe is immediately relatable to almost everyone, regret. The questions of, "what could my life have been, if only..." and the coming to terms with what that really means and how life is simply influenced by perception.
Although the author wants you to believe it is dealing with dark and emotional themes, it never fully commits to digging deep into those to make you actually feel for the protagonist. I've said this before and I'll say it again, this reminded me of the film Bedazzled where Brendan Fraser, wishing he had a different life, makes wishes to embody that dream only to run into problems based on unforseen outcomes to what he asked for. Not the greatest film but one I feel had more heart, emotion and entertainment value than what I got here.
With that said, the second half of the novel makes improvements to the story after a tedious first half and the ending ties everything up nicely.
Although the author wants you to believe it is dealing with dark and emotional themes, it never fully commits to digging deep into those to make you actually feel for the protagonist. I've said this before and I'll say it again, this reminded me of the film Bedazzled where Brendan Fraser, wishing he had a different life, makes wishes to embody that dream only to run into problems based on unforseen outcomes to what he asked for. Not the greatest film but one I feel had more heart, emotion and entertainment value than what I got here.
With that said, the second half of the novel makes improvements to the story after a tedious first half and the ending ties everything up nicely.