Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

520 reviews

saliwali's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Addiction, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

I made it 30 minutes into this book last spring and stopped because, trigger warning,

it starts with suicide because someone is losing everything and I was afraid it would push me over the edge.

But the last category on my 2023 reading challenge is "a book you started but didn't finish," So I gave it a another shot this week. I wish so much that I had made it to minute 36 last spring, which is oddly the whole point of this unbelievably beautiful and hopeful book. Spoiler alert: she thrives.

ash_bees's review against another edition

reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"Where there are books, there is always a temptation to open them."

Reminiscent of the movie "It's A Wonderful Life," except instead of only experiencing one alternative, the protagonist experiences many.  It does get a bit preachy, but so did "It's A Wonderful Life."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Death of parent, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Vomit, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

teslis's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I read this at the end of my 2 month inter rail trip and I feel like it was a good time! The book talks a lot about the importance of living the life you have, everything around you is happening because of all the small things you do in life. 

The main character is regretting allot of thing and is given a chance to visit all those life’s. It’s a nice idea but I felt like she was allot. I get that she is scared and sad, but it was something with her not trying to understand that made me annoyed. 

I would love to read other books from Matt Haig in the future. 

I would still recommend the book, it has a good and important massage!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders

pau_line's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ich hatte tatsächlich sehr hohe Erwartungen an das Buch, die leider nicht so ganz erfüllt werden konnten...

Es geht um Norah, die in ihrem Leben keinen Ausweg mehr sieht und beschließt, sich umzubringen. Nach ihrem Suizidversuch landet sie in der "Mitternachtsbibliothek", einem Zustand zwischen Leben und Tod, in dem sie die Möglichkeit bekommt, verschiedene Entscheidungen rückgängig zu machen und so den Lauf ihres Lebens zu verändern und ein potenzielles Leben zu finden, mit dem sie glücklich werden kann.

Das Konzept ist super spannend. Die Idee der Mitternachtsbibliothek hat mich von Anfang an abgeholt udn die ist meiner Meinung nach super umgesetzt.
Ich mochte eigentlich auch den Schreibstil, das Buch konnte man flüssig weglesen.
Ich mag, dass es zum Nachdenken bringt und so unglaublich wichtige Botschaften transportiert, die eigentlich so offensichtlich sind, die man aber oft einfach vergisst.

Trotzdem muss ich gestehen, dass ich einfach viel eher davon ausgegangen bin, dass das Buch mich durch Emotionen abhomen wird, und das war nicht so richtig der Fall. Ich michte das Buch, keine Fragem ich fand die Handlung und Norahs Entscheidungen spannend. Aber ich war nicht so sehr emotional involviert, wie ich gehofft hatte

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Grief

jg34's review against another edition

hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Mixed reviews of this left me with weird expectations but I think I liked this! Some of the first trips Nora took were kind of weird to me and it did get a bit boring at time but I really enjoyed the ending.

I thought it was odd that people had to die in her other lives, like if she went to Australia her friend would die?? I mean I guess not everything had to have a deep meaning. The whole message seems to be appreciate what you have and I can see that being a tired topic but it worked for me!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, and Addiction

Minor: Homophobia, Car accident, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Alcohol

nimslibrary's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide

Moderate: Animal death and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Grief

Nora's depression is quite intense to read, particularly in the first few chapters, but the book does have a happy ending.

earthie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Excellently wonderful book that made me sob like no other. It made me feel emotions I didn't and seen in a way similar books have not made me feel before. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death and Grief

Minor: Sexual content

croquetadepapa's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

the one by taylor swift if it was a book

i persist and resist the temptation to ask you if one thing had been different, would everything be different today?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Cancer, Addiction, Animal death, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, and Suicide

grace_cr1's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

reginacattus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A lesson in finding hope within despair, and also embracing the many worlds theory in physics.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Animal death, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Self harm, Alcohol, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity

Minor: Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Homophobia, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Cancer