The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

"Twenty-seven hours before she decided to die, Nora Seed sat on her dilapidated sofa scrolling through other people's happy lives, waiting for something to happen."

2/13/20261 min read

white concrete building
white concrete building

Nora's a sad character, yet I found some aspects of her life relatable. I think we've all had "what if" moments. That's what The Midnight Library is about. What if you had a choice to take a different path?

In Nora's case, she has what-ifs ranging from:

  • What if she'd stayed in her brother's band?

  • What if she'd followed her passion and studied glaciers?

  • What if she'd continued competitive swimming?

There are moments when I feel the story is a bit slow going. Other times, it raced along. One thing remained true. The author knows what it's like to deal with depression and feel hopeless. It's a book that's poignant, sad, happy, and frustrating rolled into one.

In the end, I read it in one day because I really wanted to see where Nora ended up. It's a great addition to your bookshelf for that reason. Learn more about Matt Haig and his books.