Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

46 reviews

nquinlan's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious fast-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

A well paced and well written book, like a warm hug.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Abandonment and Death of parent

Minor: Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Stalking

c_ary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Car accident, Addiction, Self harm, and Drug use

kat1105's review against another edition

adventurous 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: Death, Alcohol, Cancer, Addiction, Drug abuse, Grief, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Vomit, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Abandonment

tahdens's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

 In a world where the multiverse and parallel timelines have become the new 'thing', The Midnight Library is about the middle of the pack. It was nice. As someone who identified strongly at one point in my life with 'beginning of the book' Nora, I do admit I had to restart a book a few times over the course of the last year.

The book didn't really hook me in until probably 60% through. About half of it I listened to with Carey Mulligan and her performance really helped me stick with it more than the content of the book itself, I think.

The ending was a little too cookie cutter. I mean, we all knew from the first page how it was going to end, right? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Vomit

pageafter_paige's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

Wow I can’t believe I haven’t read this book sooner! I absolutely love the concept of this book because I’m always thinking about parallel universes. I think it’s so easy for us to idealize what we think we should’ve, could’ve, or would’ve, done but this book is a good reminded that those thoughts can become a type of prison. 

I can’t lie, I’ve been that prisoner before. Like Nora, I think we all are have a book of regrets buried deep. The Midnight Library really made me think of my own “what ifs” and it was a little depressing but I feel that that is part of the point. What if I was an actor? What if I had never quit hockey at 14? What if I hated dogs? What if I never cared about grades? What if I had kids? What if I said yes to a different job two years ago? 

Some of those I automatically think “yeah that would’ve been sweet” but by watching Nora try on different lives I realize that’s me idealizing and assuming. No life is 100% perfect and by assuming there is a perfect life out there, I could be missing out on the life I’m living right here and now. Life really is about the little things, not the big “what ifs” and as someone with anxiety I think that I need that reminder sometimes.

While my past may have many “what ifs” so does my future but I can be excited about making those decisions. Nora reminds me that there are infinite possibilities with every decision we make and none of them are right or wrong. Where we go from right here is up to us and we can always decide to switch it up. Will we keep reading our book of regrets, or will we start a new book filled with choices?

Anyways, that’s for coming to my Ted talk lmao
If you’re struggling this is your reminder to hold on

4.5 stars because it was obvious she was gonna be going back to her root life

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Grief, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Suicide

hersafehaven_'s review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcoholism, Grief, Self harm, Animal death, and Death of parent

madeleine726's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Moderate: Abandonment, Suicide, Death of parent, Mental illness, Alcohol, Animal death, Cancer, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

kimmy0__0's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mental illness, Death of parent, Death, Suicide attempt, and Self harm

Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Minor: Cancer, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

stardustmelody's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Self harm, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Grief, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Cancer, Car accident, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, Medical content, and Infidelity

Minor: Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Vomit, and Stalking

mayze's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

Interesting concept but the execution could have been better. 

The last half of the book feels rushed and predictable. The characters were well written and it's still a decent read. 

I feel that this is a self-help book disguised as a work of fiction, the last two chapters were pretty blatant about it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abandonment, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Grief, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood