by Kaylie Seed
*Content Warning: suicide, self-harm*
Matt Haig has created a world that sits between life and death, one that is unknown and experienced by few.
As the story begins, Nora Seed is just going through the motions of life. Feeling like there is not a lot going for her and that she has let everyone down (including herself), Nora’s life is nothing but regret and sadness. When bad thing after bad thing begins happening to Nora, she decides there is no point to sticking around in this life, and she attempts suicide. And then Nora wakes up to find herself inside a library with the librarian from her high school—and she has no idea what she is about to get into. The reader will learn that Nora is in between life and death while in the library, and then follow her as she has the opportunity to try out different versions of her life that could have happened, had she made different choices.
The concept of The Midnight Library is fascinating, however the characters lack depth, and the reader may find it difficult to connect with Nora. Nora can leave one feeling annoyed by her whiny demeanour, and because of this she is not an easy character to like. All of the characters feel very one dimensional, making it hard to feel empathy towards any of them as the story progresses.
While the story fell short, the themes in The Midnight Library are well-thought out and interesting. Haig focuses on Nora learning from her regrets as she tries out different versions of her life. This allows her to let go of those expectations she had for herself and find peace in who she is. Haig also focuses heavily on mental health and suicide, two topics that still have stigma attached to them.
It is a notable aspect of this book that it attempts to normalize conversation surrounding mental health and suicide and allow for conversation between readers. While these topics can be difficult for some to read and reflect upon, if you’re in the right mindset, this is a lovely book to use as a tool to reflect upon your own life. All in all, the story itself fell short and the characters were unsatisfying, but the concept was interesting. The Midnight Library feels like a tale that wasn’t quite fully formed yet has the potential to be something amazing.
Readers who enjoyed The Time Traveller's Wife would enjoy this read!