The Midnight Library by Matt Haig ~ 288 pages ~ published August 13, 2020 by Viking
Goodreads Synopsis:
Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?”
A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.
Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?
In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.
What I Thought:
I am always a sucker for a book about books, so this title immediately appealed to me. Upon reading it, however, it is not so much about books as it is about life and the choices we make. I found this so utterly fascinating that I didn’t mind one bit that it wasn’t what I was expecting!
This book really makes you think. How would my life be different if I had only made one tiny decision differently in my past? It is such an interesting concept to contemplate, and in Nora’s case something she gets to actually experience. While it seems like it would be really fun to get to experience all of these different versions of yourself, I also feel like it could be incredibly lonely, if not a bit discouraging.
Nora was an interesting character. She was someone I was able to relate to in her feelings of not feeling like she was enough. I have never gotten to the low point she did where she wanted to die, but I could see why she got to the place that she did. She was very believable, and she also grew a lot throughout the course of the story. These are all of the makings of a great character in my humble opinion. I really felt for her with each book that she opened, and was rooting for her to figure out that her regrets were not everything.
All in all, this book is a rousing endorsement of being thankful for what you currently have in your life, as well as taking what life has given you and running with it. If you don’t like where you are, or where you are going, then make some decisions to do something about it. You are not as stuck as you think you are. There are endless possibilities before you. You just have to pick one.
*Trigger Warning for suicidal ideation.*
My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I gave The Midnight Library 5 Stars!! It was thought provoking and beautifully written.
Are you interested in learning more about this book? Check out the links below!
The Midnight Library on Goodreads
Purchase The Midnight Library on BN.com
Have you read The Midnight Library? Are you a fan of magical realism? If you could choose to go back and make a different decision in your past, would you?
Let’s chat in the comments!
Love and happy reading,
Whitney
Whit Reads Lit 
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