The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: Book Review + Notable Quotes

Hello, bookish friends! This past week I read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. This is my first read by this author and it was pure excellence. What captured my attention about this book was the title alone. I am a fool for titles that include ‘library’, ‘book(s)’, and ‘bookshop’; I am even a massive fool for books about books especially if they take place in a library! Then, I read the synopsis and I was like this is a must read. I am so happy I stumbled across this book. One of the most important stories I’ve read regarding mental illness. With that being said let’s dive into The Midnight Library!

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Title: The Midnight Library

Author: Matt Haig

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Sci-Fi Fantasy

Pages: 288

Content Warning: Depression, Suicide, Death Ideation

Rating: 4.5

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

From Goodreads

Book Review

The Midnight Library follows Nora Seed who has zero intrinsic motivation to do anything in life. She lives out her days thinking of what could have been. She has held herself back in many ways. One day she decides that she is tired and wants to die. Although dying is not as simple as it seems. Little does she know that can’t wish death on her command. Death has to come to her. She finds herself in an magical library with a kind familiar face. This familiar face turns out be her old school librarian, Mrs. Elm. The librarian reveals she is in between life and death and in this library holds books of her alternative lives. Mrs. Elm, shares secrets of the library with Nora and tells her she is able to explore these alternative lives and if she likes one she may stay but the choice is subconsciously made. The librarian continues to explain if Nora feels disappointed in a multiverse life she is to return to the library and seek out another one. But time does not go on forever in the space between life and death. Choices must be made before Nora Seed reaches the end of her life.

I resonate heavily with Nora, as someone who has struggled with their mental health I found it easy to connect with her. Nora Seed is a well-crafted character. She is fragile, emotional, intelligent, and cautious. I found myself lost in the multiple lives of Nora Seed. Each life included something she wanted or thought was needed for happiness. We follow a life of a successful Olympic swimmer, glaciologist, college professor, a rock star, and one where she marries her ex. Each life left her with new knowledge about herself and her loved ones. The character development is visible in each life. Nora is rather complex and as a reader we don’t know everything about her. All we know is that she is depressed and wants to die. But why? So, as we follow her in each life it is interesting to see how her past is revealed. I like a good reveal and non linear story.

I enjoyed the overall premise of the story and the main character. This was a page turner. The writing however didn’t have a whimsical or magical feel. Which I would have loved because of the magical realism.

This story is about regrets, life, choices, hope, and second chances. This was a beautiful read! Don’t let my enthusiasm about how much I loved this book fool you. This was a heartbreaking read. Matt Haig was able to string in bits of knowledge from philosophy, quantum physics, and his own experience with mental health to create a beautiful and meaningful story. Also, made perfect sense because Nora Seed in her original life studied philosophy. I am not familiar with philosophy or physics but this book wasn’t pretentious about the subjects. I loved how Haig made the concepts accessible to readers. Truly was a fascinating and reflective read! Oh, how I wish multiverse travel was real! An enticing magical concept!

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Notable Qoutes

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Thanks for reading! Comment below If you’ve read or are interesed in reading The Midnight Library!

Spoiler Free eArc Book Review: Fine by Amylea Murphy

Hello bookish friends! This month has been packed with exams, and loads of reading. One of those reads were Fine by Amylea Murphy!

Thank you Black Château for sending me this eArc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Genre : Mystery

Audience: Young Adult

Release Date: November 17th 2020

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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Synopsis

Six years have passed and Katie’s older sister and best friend, Anna, has yet to return home. Not a trace of her existence since her disappearance. Anna was her whole world and the most heartbreaking thing is her sister would have not left her behind, not the Anna she knew. Her disappearance has weighed heavily on Katie and no one else seems to care about Anna. Six years have gone by and still no sight of Anna. Katie believes that there things that her parents and the police aren’t telling her. The system and her parents failed Anna. The only way to truly find out what happened to Anna is to take matters in her own hands. Katie feels in her gut that something isn’t right about this disappearance. When Katie gets a hold of her sister’s missing person file she comes to realize there was more to her sister she wasn’t aware of.

Fine is a very light read with heavy content. In the sense of alcohol and drug use, possible sexual assault, and suicide ideation.

What I Liked

This was an enjoyable read and super fast-paced. I liked the inclusion of the missing person file documents within the book. The format of the book included interviews, text, journal entries, emails, flyers, and police memos regarding the missing person file of Anna. From the first chapter, I was pulled into the story especially Katie as the main character. She is headstrong, smart, and self-aware and you can tell that her sisters unresolved disappearance scared her deeply.

What Could Have Increased My Enjoyment

I wish the book did flashbacks (minus the interviews) rather than telling us about Anna. Although the author did an amazing job of giving us a glimpse of Anna’s life with her journal entries and emails. As well as how others viewed her. I would have liked to have seen it along with interactions with Katie, family, and her friends. The authors writing style was different for me I like descriptions and dialogue. I felt like some scenes were rushed like there was more to show. I did like how the author told the story, but I did have a problem with how the story was wrapped up. It felt rushed, misleading, and had me confused. Along with Katie, I have many questions that were left unanswered, even about Katie herself.

That concludes the end of this review. Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out Fine on Goodreads!

Book Review: What If It’s Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli

Can we take a moment to thank the YA Contemporary Gods for this excellent piece of work! This entire book is literally a fun time! It’s enjoyable, relatable and comical!

Also, take a moment to listen to “Only Us” from the Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen. YES, they named the book after that phenomenal song. It sets up the tone for the book perfectly.

★★★★★

Contemporary LGBT Romance, YA

Published October 9th, 2018 by HarperTeen

437 pages

Okay, it may seem like I’ve been giving everything 5 out of 5 stars lately but keep in mind I’m not too strict when it comes to rating books like if I flat-out love it to where I become borderline obsessive… it’s a 5! At first, I did give this a 4.5 but even days after reading I couldn’t stop thinking about this book. I love LOVE it!

🌈

“I believe in love at first sight. Fate, the universe, all of it. But not how you’re thinking. I don’t mean it in our souls were split and you’re my other half forever and ever sort of way. I just think you’re meant to meet some people. I think the universe nudges them into your path.”

What If It’s Us is a meet-cute comedy romance that will leave you wishing to find love in New York City. It is a cute boy meets boy story that stars off with the two main characters Ben and Arthur unintentionally meeting each other at an NYC post office. Arthur spots a cute boy with a box. He goes up to Box Boy (Ben) and unexpectedly strikes up a conversation. Before they can exchange phone numbers or even name’s something extravagant happens at the post office that causes them to separate. Arthur believes in the universe, and since Ben mentions the universe does that mean the universe wants them to be together?? Arthur believes in the universe so he decides that he has to find Box Boy. They find each other but the story does not conclude there since the universe has something big planned for them. The story is told in dual perspective, which I absolutely adore because it delivers all the feels!!

I love the trial-and-error type of romance because it is sooo realistic! Relationships aren’t perfect from the get-go, they are awkward and complex and that makes What If It’s Us so relatable. Throughout the book, each one of them faces different challenges. One is learning how the whole relationship thing works and the other is coming out of a breakup that made him insecure about being in a relationship. So they discussed many important themes and displayed: homophobia, cultural and socioeconomic differences. They deal with friendship drama along with parental drama. Basically, throughout the book, they learn about being in a relationship and the hardships that come along with them.

This book had me giggling and smiling out in public like a fool! I am in love with these characters and their friends do not go unnoticed. Such a beautiful story! This is all I will talk about for the next few months!! I need a sequel even though that is least likely going to happen.

Mini Gush- Rant

Enjoy this fan art from @ vinnie-cha tumblr

I adored every moment of this book!! All the cuteness, the pop cultural references, and how diverse the book is! I was reading reviews and I know whether if someone enjoys a book is subjective but people need to keep in mind that the intended audience is for “teens” *cough* YOUNG ADULT! Anyone can read YA but do you get what I am trying to say? I for one is not a teen anymore but still connected with Ben and Arthur’s story. There is just something about gays and musicals that captures my attention. Love how social media is included in the story, and a countless number of Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen and Harry Potter references (take a shot for every HP reference you read)! Especially if you are familiar with Adam Silvera’s work. If you love Broadway and the idea of New York City mischief romance, this book is something I think you might enjoy.

First, I read my physical copy of What If It’s Us and now I am listening to the audiobook whilst I go back and annotate. The audiobook seriously brings the characters to life. Like Arthur sounds like Arthur and Ben sounds like Ben! The voice actors: Arthur voiced by Noah Galvin, who played Evan a few times on Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway (do you hear me yelling!!), and Ben voiced by Froy Gutierrez (an angel).

Thanks for Reading!

Have you read What If It’s US what? Let me know your thoughts!

Book Review: Sadie by Courtney Summers

And it begins, as so many stories do, with a dead girl.

This is the first book I’ve picked up from Courtney Summers not knowing exactly what I was getting myself into, yet I couldn’t wait to get my hand on it because of all the hype. So this is my verdict did Sadie live up to the hype? Yes, she did! This story let a strong bitter yet powerful taste in my mouth. Courtney Summers beautifully wrote about an important issue that usually gets brushed off. This not an easy read to get through, it is an emotional rollercoaster especially since it deals with topics like drug addiction, drug abuse, child abuse, pedophilia, rape, and death. Sadie is overall disturbing, but the story is powerful and beautifully executed when dealing with this topic.

“Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meagre clues to find him.

When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

Published: September 4th, 2018 by Wednesday Books

pages: 311

Genre: young adult mystery

Rating: ★★★★★

Purchase here or Check it out at your local library!

✤

Not growing up in a stable home and playing the mother role for her little sister is already a lot for a child to do. Sadie has dealt with a lot of traumas because of her mother’s drug addiction. At the time when her sister was breathing it was her and Sadie against the world. Without a question, the audience/readers know how deep Sadie’s love is for her little sister, Mattie. Since she can’t bring her back to life Sadie is willing to go near the heights for her sisters’ death, and what best way to do that is to avenge it. Throughout her journey, she stumbles across a few people who may lead her to her main destination. Those people that she encounters along the way also never forget who she is mainly because of her stutter and her determination.

This is a mystery because right away it keeps the reader guessing. How does Sadie know who murdered her sister? Who is this man she’s trying to track down? Why can’t she call the police? The narrative of this book is why I fascinate it most. The story has two perspectives: Sadie’s narrative and journey and the podcast dedicated to finding out why Sadie disappeared. As the story unravels and what falls through is saddening and shocking and ties the story together. This book is a constant page-turner. Other may have found the ending disappointing, but I thought it was as realistic as it could get… 

What I loved is that Courtney Summers made sure she brought each character to life, especially Sadie. Sadie is unforgettable, dangerous, badass, and edgy. And Summers writing is real and heart-breaking. One of my favorite reads of the year!

Have you read Sadie? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading!