Between life and death there is a library.
When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.
The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger.
Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: what is the best way to live?
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, narrated by Carey Mulligan
Published by: HarperCollins Publishers; September 29, 2020
Genres: Fiction | Fantasy | Contemporary | Magical Realism | Mental Health
Time: 8 hours 49 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Libby
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T/W: Suicide, Anxiety, Depression, Profanity, minor sex scenes (hinted or just mentioned), one LGBT character
Rated: Adult
★★★★☆ | 4 / 5
The premise of the story is quite intriguing.
On the brink of life and death, you are given a choice to revisit your life, but on a different timeline. What would you have done differently? Where would you be in life if you had made different decisions? Would you be successful or comfortable? Would you be married, single, or divorced three times? Was there anything in your life you regretted and wish you could have changed? Or done over?
“The Midnight Library” paints a picture of our main character, Nora, who is full of regrets for a life she could have had. The “what ifs” of unfinished plans, seeking family approval, insecurities, self-loathing, giving up, living out another’s dream, love, and hate.
The audiobook, narrated by Carey Mulligan, was easy to listen to. The voice changes and accents for different characters were spot on. I listen at 2x speed if the narrator is too slow, so this was a good pace for me (I was able to complete listening to the audiobook within 4 hours or so).
Overall, I liked the message this novel represented.
Do not give up hope. There is always someone in the world out there relying on you. They are thinking of you. You are not alone. Love yourself, and everything in between. The good, the bad. There is always time to make something of yourself; do not feel like it is too late. You are the one to make the changes to yourself and better yourself as a person.
If you or someone you know is suffering from mental health issues, reach out to them or someone you know and love. More often than not, we don’t realize that they are willing to do anything to help you.
★★★★☆ | 4 / 5
