Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

9 reviews

justovereherereading's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

This book was interesting, I found the beginning really sad, but I loved how it set the scene for the rest of the book. The idea of the Midnight Library is kind fun and scary at the same time…left me wondering what other lives I could be living! 😆 
An enjoyable read overall. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Animal cruelty, and Medical trauma

Minor: Vomit and Terminal illness

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

---

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

raem414's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Car accident, Toxic relationship, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Terminal illness, Addiction, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Homophobia, and Cancer

vii_412's review

adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"And that sadness is intrinsically part of the fabric of happiness. You can’t have one without the other. Of course, they come in different degrees and quantities. But there is no life where you can be in a state of sheer happiness for ever. And imagining there is just breeds more unhappiness in the life you’re in."

Me gustó el libro? Sí 
Lo disfruté? Sí 
Pero por alguna razón se sintió vacío, este es un libro de autoayuda, y entiendo porque a mucha gente no le gustó, sin embargo, ese es el propósito del libro, el dar una perspectiva optimista sobre la vida, el cómo nosotros decidimos sobre nuestro destino y el lugar en el que estamos, sin embargo, hay que tener en cuenta que la depresión es un tema MUY COMPLEJO, las personas no experimentan el mismo grado de depresión y estoy segura que sí hay personas que han llegado a la misma conclusión que Nora. 

Sí me parecieron algunas partes un poco lentas y aburridas, pero en general me gustó, me sentí un poco identificada con Norma, yo también perdí a una de mis gatita y sentí que el mundo se me iba de las manos, me siento en una posición en la que no sé qué hago con mi vida y que estoy estancada, y por supuesto que me gustaría saber cómo son las vidas de mis otros yo, pero eso sólo quedaría en mi imaginación. 

Sí te gusta este hype por los multiversos y quieres una historia optimista sobre la vida y la muerte, tal vez te guste este libro. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Cancer, Gaslighting, Medical content, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Suicide, and Vomit

Minor: Alcoholism, Addiction, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Abandonment, and Alcohol

purplehulk713's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

This is one of the most exquisite and compelling books I’ve ever read, and it spoke to me on such a direct, spiritual level. It felt like truth. From beginning to end, it was insightful, and so readable, too. While many books with existential themes like these can come off as dense and tedious to read, this novel was wildly engaging and incredibly uplifting. Haig was remarkably poetic in his prose, and many of his quotes will always echo in my soul. Like

Spoiler

”The paradox of volcanoes was that they were symbols of destruction but also life. Once the lava slows and cools, it solidifies and then breaks down over time to become soil—rich, fertile soil. She wasn't a black hole, she decided. She was a volcano. And like a volcano she couldn't run away from herself. She'd have to stay there and tend to that wasteland. She could plant a forest inside herself.”

Spoiler

I think it cured most of my existential anxiety (as long as I remember these quotes). “‘You don't have to understand life. You just have to live it.’” Nora’s journey, finally realizing that life gives meaning to life, as Wendy Mass says in Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, and

Spoiler

realizes that perspective of your life is what matters, not the nature of it.

Spoiler

But the most important thing is that you are alive. Life isn’t to be lived to please others and fulfill their dreams. You will gain a much greater understanding of your regrets and how to resolve them. Nora Seed embodies so many of the things with which we find ourselves uncomfortable, so it’s all of us can empathize with her journey. Come, check out a book—there are plenty of lives to live in the Midnight Library.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Self harm, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Alcoholism

teddy_moon's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent

mandi4886's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense 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

Wow! This is not the type of book that I usually read but I ended up falling in love with it. I will warn that there are a lot of heavy storylines within it but I felt like it ended perfectly 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Cursing, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Infidelity

madmilliner's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This book is the hug and the cuppa that I desperately needed.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria, Death of parent, Death, Animal death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug use, and Mental illness

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Car accident, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Self harm

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Terminal illness

spearly's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.0

This novel didn't destroy me as thoroughly as I was expecting. Which is not a bad thing! Just not quite what I was expecting.

The first few chapters, the before, were difficult to read. Haig captured those feelings of despair, of loneliness, of emptiness exceedingly well. Too well, in fact, that I wondered if this was something I should really be reading. But as we explored more of Nora's infinite lives, the novel turned away from the deep dive into Nora's mental health issues and focused more on her what ifs, her potential, her choices. And while there were still very strong themes of depression in all her infinite lives, it was no longer the main focus, rather, these chapters delved into what Nora thought would make her happy. And she really tried it all.

Famous rockstar? check. Olympic swimmer? check. Married to the man she left at the alter? check. Living in Australia with her best friend? check...sort of. 

While this divergence was appreciated, I also felt this is where the story lost some of it's punch. I don't know... I feel bad even saying that because there was so, so much that I loved about this book.

I loved that even the most seemingly perfect life wasn't the answer Nora was looking for. Even when she begged and pleaded for it to be. I loved how small choices Nora never thought impacted anything came back around in her other lives in ways we didn't expect. I loved Nora's arc in general, honestly. I cried for her. I laughed with her. I cheered for her. 

A great read. Truly. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, Self harm, Suicide, and Vomit

Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Sexual content