The Midnight Library
By: Matt Haig
My Rating: Three out of five stars
Best for: 18 and up

It’s A Wonderful Life. Again.

This is the second Matt Haig book I’ve read. The first was The Humans. While that and The Midnight Library are seemingly miles apart, I’m feeling a whole lot of connection between them in tone, style, perspective…and their ability to keep me awake

The Midnight Library is about a women named Nora who finds herself at her lowest and decides the cost of her life is greater than its benefit, so she kills herself. She wakes in a library shelves with endless books–and each book contains a different life she could have chosen. What would Nora’s life be like if she hadn’t given up music? If she’d married that guy? Moved to Australia? Said yes to that coffee date? She gets to try on each life (think Quantum Leap), desperately searching for the one that fits just right. Does she find it?

That’s RAFO. (Read and find out!)

I WILL tell you that as Nora travels through her lives via The Midnight Library, she–and we along with her–learns valuable lessons about what is truly valuable and what is it that makes life worth living, sadness and all. It’s A Wonderful Life, redeux.

The story was sweet and full of meaning, and I can see how it inspires. I’m certain there are many who will discover personal peace in its pages. I was a bit bored though. It reminded me of the Alchemist: lots of cheesy wisdom, very meta, and about as exciting as a 5-year-old’s dance recital. Believe me, I know.

This story is primarily about suicide, from beginning to end. There are several instances of strong language. I’ll say best for 18 and up.

Get your copy here

Happy Reading!