Every choice in life affects our trajectory. If you don't accept a coffee date, will you miss out on marrying your soulmate? What is happiness, in the end? Are there infinite multiverses where we are simultaneously living our best and worst lives?

Sliding Doors, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol... The concept of this book isn't new. But the story is undeniably enjoyable, nonetheless. I couldn't put it down!

Midnight Library is a pleasant, life-affirming book, but it doesn’t deserve all the hype. Ultimately it's another take on It's a Wonderful Life, done multiple times, with the same message at the end.

Typically, when I finish one book, I immediately pick up the next. However, on occasion I finish a book that is too meaningful or impactful to simply move on from; a book that lingers in my thoughts for a day, or two, or more; carving out a spot for itself and temporarily forbidding any new stories from taking root. The Midnight Library was just such a book.

Thanks to It’s a Wonderful Life, we’re all familiar with the trope of a suicidal character getting to experience what if their life had been lived differently. And thanks to the multi-billion-dollar grossing Marvel Avengers franchise, the concept of a multiverse is fairly mainstream. The Midnight Library takes this old trope and a multiverse of possibilities, and weaves together a powerful human tale of regret, connection and possibility. Both message and medium flow in harmony in this one, as a story expertly unfolds with profundity and creativity. Read at the risk of experiencing personal feelings of deep self-reflection and inspiration.

I came into it with a totally different idea of what the tone would be like, and honestly I was not prepared for the dismal first half. I was certainly invested in Nora's plight, but the author was rather heavy handed in the events leading to her despair and could have entertained some subtlety in the rendering of the library. The book became far more interesting to me in the second half when some of the library-world nuances were uncovered.

Its a quick and easy read so I finished it, but its not that good. The ending was predictable and quite cliche

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020), was not what I expected. At first I thought that I was reading a knock off of Atkinson's "Life After Life," but that was not the case. Nora Seed, the protagonist, wears her depression like an anchor. It weighs upon her every thought and feeling. It is the catalyst for her entry into the Midnight Library where she experiences the life possibilities she may have missed.

I liked the linear format of the story, and the message that anything and everything is possible. Ultimately, it is a very hopeful journey. I would have enjoyed a greater fleshing out of Nora's family and friends. Most of the time they are bit players with little change or growth. I also felt that the explanatory page at the end was probably not necessary.

I will remember this novel and give it 4.5 stars. This one is a good book club choice.

Loved this book at the beginning, not so much at the end. It got repetitive and the resolution became obvious.

Initially I thought this was going to be depressing but it quickly became intriguing. It would be a good book club discussion as people consider how decisions affect our trajectory through life and what choices have led them to now.

D/l audio

The concept of this story is what drew me in initially, and it started out quite compelling. The author is especially good at describing the depths of depression. However, by midway it was pretty clear how the story was going to end and it felt a bit more like a self-help book. Definitely a quick, "feel good" read.
**TW Suicide**