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The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 

By  BookishBearx

Nora’s life has been going from bad to worse. Then at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived.

Which raises the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live?

The Midnight Library is a fantasy fiction novel set in Bedford, England. Published by Cannon gate in 2020 and also Viking in 2020 it spans just under 300 pages. It is a short book that follows Nora Seed, a young woman who feels like she has failed in almost everything she has done and has a lot of regrets. The Midnight Library was also the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction 2020 as well as being The no.1 Sunday Times Bestseller.

This book came highly recommended to me by a lot of people. I have read many books by Matt Haig in the past, and I’ve always loved his work. His non-fiction/memoirs being some of my favourite books. Upon reading this my initial feelings towards it was that it carries a lovely message. There is a lesson to be learned from the story. This book teaches people that even though we have regrets in our lives, that doesn’t mean our lives would be perfect if we could undo our decisions and do them differently.

Like anything that Matt Haig has written, it was written beautifully. The language choice and plot was great. It did a lot to keep you interested. I found myself interested in the ending, what life Nora would choose and why. It’s a short and easy read with a lovely sentiment and lesson to it.

I didn’t love it as much as I thought I was going to, though. Originally, I was unsure as to why. Upon reflection, I think I found Nora to be slightly unlikeable for the majority of the book. I didn’t feel myself drawn to her, there didn’t seem to be much character growth that made her feel real enough for me to be drawn to her. For me, I feel like she was quite a stagnant character for most of the book and then she was suddenly this different person in the end. I just didn’t click with her.

That aside though, this book is amazing. I will always, always recommend Matt Haig’s books. He’s an amazing writer with an important voice and message. If you like fantasy or books that center on mental health, this one will definitely be for you.

Star Rating /5

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