A review by msbarnesela
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

This book reminds me of The Five People You Meet in Heaven and It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s ok, but not really my kind of book. I knew how it was going to end from pretty much the second chapter, and I found the plot to be really predictable. I also feel like it in some ways downplays the impact of mental illness, suicide, and depression, in that
Nora decides after experimenting with a lot of different lives that she really does want to live after all, is able to wake herself up from her overdose, and suddenly just gets over her depression, and everyone reconciles with her, and she just decides to be happy. I don’t think real life is ever that simple, and I don’t think depression suddenly becomes manageable just because you choose to be happy. I don’t like when books use suicide as a plot device.
Overall, it just wasn’t the right book for me. It wasn’t what I was looking for. 
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