Nora Seed, the main character in this thought-provoking fantastical read, has decided her life is not worth living anymore. But before her life ends, she finds herself in a library looking at a book of life's regrets and choices not made. As she is transplanted into some of those alternate lives of different career choices, romantic partners, and family paths, she contemplates the things she sees in each life.

This book was so good. It really made you think. And of course I loved the library. Beautifully written.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was interested to start on this book because the cover and the title immediately drew me in. I liked the main character, Nora, but that's about it. I just couldn't get into this book. I liked the idea of the book, but I just didn't like the execution of it. Now fantasy isn't quite my genre, so if you like fantasy you may enjoy the book.

As a school librarian, I couldn't help but feel like this book was a bit of a love letter to us! :) This is the book I will be giving as a gift all year! I think there is a little something for everyone here. I think a lot of us spent 2020 wondering "how did I get here?" and wondering if we would make different choices about our lives with different information. This book helped me remember that everything happens for a reason and I am right where I am supposed to be even if it isn't exactly comfortable.

What a lovely read! A great exploration of regret, the choices we make in life, do-overs and the both/and of most of our choices. I read it 24 hours and still think about Nora and the library.

A story that takes the dark and oppressive sensation, or shroud, of depression and manages to find ways to let in glimmers of possibility and light. I found Nora's story very relatable. I have spent a fair amount of time day-dreaming about what my life could be like if I had made different choices or simply if things had happened differently, and this story opens up so many possibilities for Nora. It reminded me that life can change at the drop of a hat and that joy and satisfaction with your life depend on your heart and your head, rather than just one or the other.

This was such a great read! It was tough to put down and I ended up finishing it in about three days. I just had to find out how it ended! It was a compelling story, well written. Haig did a great job delving into character while keeping the story moving.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My imagination was ignited with all the possibilities of different lives I could have lived. The imagery of the actual Midnight Library will stay with me for a long time. It was a fabulous place, full of possibilities. The author used wonderful descriptions to make the library come to life for me.

Nora Seed, the main character in The Midnight Library, gets the opportunity to see what her life would have been like if she had made different decisions. I went on this strange journey with her and while it was interesting and engaging, it was just too unimaginable a journey for me.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Nora broke up with her fiancé, got fired from her job, and her cat died. Her parents are gone, and she is estranged from her brother. Even her elderly neighbor doesn’t need her help any more. She figures she has nothing to offer the world, so she decides to kill herself. And that is when things get interesting.

She awakes from her suicide attempt to find herself in a library with Mrs. Elm, her school librarian who once showed her kindness. Mrs. Elm explains that she is in between life and death and has the option the try out any of an infinity of alternate lives to see if she can find the one she wants.

I love Matt Haig’s writing, and this is no exception. He writes characters with flaws and depth that make you care for them. The magic of undoing regrets, trying on new lives, and learning what you loved about your old life is the very heart of this story.

Nora is not living her best life. She is not happy with the way things have turned out and thinks there is no point on living anymore. She decides to take her own life, but it met with the Midnight Library. A library where each book is a different life based off a different decision she has mad. It shows how one small decision can really make a huge difference in how your life's path goes. Mrs. Elm the librarian guides Nora along her new journey at finding a life she can be happy with. This is beautifully written and love the concept. One of my favorite books of 2020!

This has got to be one of the best books I read in 2020. This book made me change the way I think about life. 🤯

A book that can be enjoyed multiple times in a lifetime is a worthy read! This one covers that need. Each time you read this book you'll be coming from a new place in your memories which will influence your feeling about the main character. I know that I read this one at the right time in my life to connect and feel moved. While this book might make others triggered, I was empowered and moved to continue to look for the good in my life.

Free ARC provided by NetGalley
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This book sucks you into Nora's life (well, lives) and you don't want it to end. I have not read anything else from this author and look forward to check out their other works.

Great writing, but this was just absolutely not what I wanted it to be. I always love things about libraries, but this didn’t do it for me.

I am late to review this one. I didn't get to reading this until I had time on my hands (self- quarantine). I read this in one sitting. I found it to be charming, yet not cutesy. Every life that Nora lives brings her closer and closer to realizing where she needs to be.

I enjoyed this book. The idea that all our tiny regrets throughout life (which we all have, and we all dwell on endlessly) create an infinite number of different lives for us in the multiverse is such a .. fun? terrifying?! idea. I connected with the main character and really felt her struggle throughout the story, and I loved the slightly ambiguous but hopeful ending.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig was not what I was expecting. I did like it, but there wasn't much library to it. Nora loses her job and her cat dies. Her only piano student quits. She called off her wedding. She is contemplating all of the things that she could have done differently, all of the different paths she could have taken, all of the people she disappointed. Then she is allowed to choose alternate lives. She regrets quitting competitive swimming - what would her life look like now if she hadn't. She gets to "quantum leap" into her other timelines. Part Dark Matter, part Its Wonderful Life. Gets you thinking about regrets and how maybe we just need to let it go.

Nora has decided she isn’t worth the carbon footprint she is leaving and and takes a drastic step to end her life. She finds upon awakening that she is in a library, caught between life and death. In the library are the various volumes of her life where she has made different choices and lives very different lives. Her old school librarian is there to guide her though looking at all the options which are available to her.
Well, what’s not to love? Different universes where different lives are lived out and chances abound to undo all those regrets. The catch- 22 is that in every alternate universe, some regrets are still bound to exist.
Highly recommended for fans of fantasy and sci- fi.

This is an enthralling book. It is all about potential and exploring possibilities. We have all thought back to moments in our lives when we could have made different choices and wondered how our lives would have turned out if we had. A thought-provoking read, and while some dark themes are covered, including depression, it ends on a high note. It is definitely worth your time and would make for a great book club discussion.