Have y’all read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig? I read it a few weeks ago and I still don’t know how I feel about it.
On one hand, I loved it.
I love books that have the storyline of the road not taken. It made me really think. The idea that you can see how someone’s life could be different if they did something else has always fascinated me. There are also so many wonderful lines and quotes in this book. I tabbed so many parts when I was reading The Midnight Library because the words were so thought provoking.
But on the other hand, I didn’t really enjoy it.
There were some parts to this book that were just way over my head. It dealt with philosophy and a little sci fi, and while I loved some parts of that, the science side of things just didn’t make sense to me which made the book hard to follow. I also felt it went on a little too long and that Nora tried way too many different life paths. I would have been more into the story if she had maybe stuck to a few. I also didn’t love the part with Hugo. I didn’t see where that had any relevance to Nora’ s story and it just distracted the reader. And the ending was a little confusing as well. I thought once she found a life she wanted to live, everything would be fixed. And I understand why she was taken from that life and how she needed to build a path to that on her own, but I just didn’t understand why it didn’t happen the way the rules said it would when she first arrived at the Midnight Library.
Can you see where I have mixed feelings on this one? 🙂
When I finished this one, two books stuck out to me that would be great follow up reads if you liked this book and wanted more similar books like it or if you wanted to love The Midnight Library, but you just didn’t.
If you loved it, I suggest Dark Matter by Black Crouch
This one is extremely similar to The Midnight Library, but leans itself more to the mystery/thriller genre rather than the philosophy side. It’s very science-y which I didn’t love, but it was an interesting story. I read this several years ago and while a lot of it was over my head, I enjoyed the plot.
If you didn’t love The Midnight Library, but you love the idea of that type of storyline, I highly suggest Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
This one is much easier to read and understand-at least it was for me anyways! It’s about a woman who is 29 years old and doesn’t really know what she wants to do with her life. She goes out with her friend one night and runs into her high school boyfriend, who offers her a ride home.
The story spilts into two parts from there. You get to see what happens if she says yes and goes home with him and then you get to see what happens if she says no and leaves with her friend.
This is my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book (besides Daisy Jones, of course!) It gives you that same storyline as The Midnight Library, but in an easier to understand/follow, more entertaining/less serious way.
Have you read any of these books? I’d love to hear your thoughts on them!
