Trigger warning: mentions of suicide
A book in which the first sentence starts with the death of the main character; Nora Seed commits suicide and, instead of finding death, encounters a library of possibility, where every book contains the story of a life she could have lived, should she have made different choices, chosen different paths. In one, she is an Olympic swimmer; in another, she agreed to go on a date; another, she was an orphan. With every book she lives, life she visits, she begins to realize her own “wasted” potential.
We follow a single protagonist, but all at once, we find ourselves drawn into a myriad of different lives, all through the portal of Nora’s own subconscious thoughts as she goes through death. The concept is completely fictional; however, the story stays so grounded in reality, it places reflections in the reader’s mind. How would your life have changed had you taken a different path? These are the questions Nora Seed answers while making her way through the very concept of possibility.
Following the lives she could have led, Nora is filled with regrets of her unfulfilled dreams, and in this magnificent book, we question ourselves, question the possibilities we have and realize one of the most important life lessons I’ve personally learned in my entire life.
For a more personal approach to this, I’ll say that this was the first book I’ve ever cried reading. It has mixed reviews, and in taking an objective approach, I wouldn’t consider it the best book I’ve ever read in my life; however, it has changed the way I look at life, and I very much encourage you to read it.
If you like The Midnight Library, I recommend:
- The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab
- Normal People by Sally Rooney
- The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
EAC PRESS 