THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY

 : The Midnight Library

✍️ : Matt Z Haig

 : 288

 : #fantasy #philosophy

⭐ : /5

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  How often have you wondered how would your life have been had you taken a different decision, a different choice? Would it have made your life better or worse? That one cannot guarantee, but can influence what follows next!

 Coming to this book, it follows Nora as she goes through her different ‘lives’, experiencing life lessons along the way. As Nora plummets into depression following the death of her pet cat Volts, she takes her own life. However, before she can actually die, she wakes up and finds herself in the midnight library, a sprawling labyrinth of books and various possibilities of her life that she can choose from and experience. As long as the clock stays fixed at midnight, she can try out an infinite number of these lives to see what it would be like if she’d made alternate choices. 

 As Nora opens her Book of Regrets and chooses to undo her life full of them, she gets to see and experience what would have been had she not regretted a decision and gone forth with it! We get to experience each of her vastly different lives and I was left laughing and crying with her. Mrs Elm, her school librarian is always at the midnight library, helping her to pick a book life of her choice and guiding her across, thereby ensuring a smooth transference! When Nora feels immediately disappointed with a new life, she’s back at the library and has to choose a different life.

 The author takes us on an interesting journey of reflection and hope while reminding us that outside approval is nothing compared to the inner joys of life! I loved the concept of a library with infinite possibilities based on our life choices. I felt the ending is predictable and a bit cliched.

 Overall a feel-good book with a touching story that handles suicide on a delicate note. This book isn’t for everyone, but worth giving a shot and I assure you’ll be taking a beautiful message and be grateful for this life of yours!

PS: Swipe to see my letter to Nora Seed (protagonist)