Have you ever wondered how your life could have been different depending on your decisions? Matt Haig’s fantasy, philosophical fiction novelThe Midnight Library delves into this very idea, Exploring themes of regret through the protagonist, 35-year-old Nora Seed’s perspective. The story begins on a day that just keeps on getting worse, after it leaves her without a job and a pet, she decides to take her life. Yet she wakes up and finds herself in a strange library between life and death. In this library each book is an alternative version of her life, where she made different decisions. She’s given the opportunity to hop from life to life, in order to find one life where she is truly happy.

I found The Midnight Library to be a very engaging and enjoyable read. Haig’s concept of exploring life after death by looking at what might have been is both intriguing and thought-provoking. Due to the book being written around this idea, it never really grows dull as Nora is thrown into completely new environments and adventures with every new life she chooses. One thing I enjoyed was how the author wrote about the themes of mental health and regret, giving Nora believable, real emotions and drawing the reader into the story. The writing is very fast-paced. A lot happens in the 288 pages making it an eventful story that I couldn’t put down. I felt the ending was predictable, I saw it coming from chapters away however I don’t believe this takes away from the book because despite this it still was a satisfying and enjoyable ending.

I’d rate this book 4 stars out of 5. I like all parts of this book, the story, the themes, and the characters. This was a fast read for me and I finished it in a couple of days. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a pretty quick book to read, and to anyone who enjoys the philosophical and mental health books genres.