Review - The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

 

Hi hi hi! I know I haven't posted anything recently, and part of the reason is that I had exams. Like, a LOT of them. It was annoying, but at least now they're over! This non-exam period won't last long, but what's life if not an exam? 

Anyways, I did a little bit of reading, and today's review will be of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library. I'd seen a lot of people talk about it, and the concept seemed cool enough, so why not check it out? 

Trigger Warning: The book (and this review) contains suicide, suicidal thoughts, depression. I think it's best if you search up trigger and content warnings for the book. 

Here's the plot:

Nora Seed's life is filled with regrets. There were always so many things she could've done, but she made the wrong decisions. She therefore decides to put herself out of her misery, and commit suicide. And she does do that, except she ends up in this library. Nora's stuck in the stage between life and death. All the books in the Midnight Library show her how her life would've gone if she'd taken different decisions. 

I ended up finishing the book in like two days (which is actually fast for present-me. Fourth-grade me finished a 500+ page book in two days), because it was pretty short and easy to read. If you want to read something that's thought provoking yet doesn't require a lot of effort to read, then this might be the book for you. 

The story's really interesting, and Nora got to learn what the root cause of her problems was. There was a lot of positive character development in her. I also really like Mrs. Elm's character. It's interesting to see how Nora's relationship with different people change with every decision she makes in her different lives. It really goes to show how a simple decision made by one person can create great impacts on not just them, but people around them, too. 

"Never underestimate the big importance of small things" - Mrs. Elm

While all that's amazing, can we just talk about the library? It's probably no surprise that I love libraries. There's something magical about them, whether or not they have an infinite number of books that can transport you to perpendicular universes. Like Nora, libraries were really important for me growing up. I spent a huge chunk of my lunch period in the library back in elementary school. And librarians are really important, too. Unfortunately, there aren't many libraries where I live now, which is sad. 

Rating: 9/10

Anyways, that's all for today. Did you read this book? If yes, how was it? If not, do you want to? Also, I recently finished Rule of Wolves. Which means that I am officially done with all Leigh Bardugo Grishaverse books, minus the short stories and stuff. Pretty cool accomplishment, if I do say so myself. I really want to write a rant on the entire saga haha. Let me know if you're interested in reading it! Hopefully I'll be seeing you guys next time!

Note: Not sponsored and just my opinions. If I said something offensive please let me know.