The Midnight Library: Matt Haig

 This was an interesting take on the "after-life" as some have predicted it to be. It explores the idea that every choice we make leads to an alternate life where we make the opposite decision. Haig explores the possibility of living each life after death to pick the best version. It's a pretty cool concept, and it leads to fun thinking of all the alternate lives we could have.

One review of this book calls it a "feel-good" book that will lift your spirits. I find I completely disagree. Sure, there's the potential for a happy ending (we can't be sure of that fact, based on the history of the main character), but I find the overall story disheartening and a little depressing (how can you not with such a person for a main character?).

The main character is just a sad person. We start the book with basically a list of all that's gone wrong in her life, all the relationships that are broke, all the loved ones who died, all the people who ignore her, the boss who hates her, the dreams she gave up on, etc. And from the first page on (and I mean, until maybe the last paragraph of the novel), nothing is good enough for her. Nothing makes her happy. Nothing gives her joy. Nothing is ever enough. 

That type of character is boring and uninspiring. Nora never changes. There's always only a bleak side. While the course of the book supposedly leads us to believe that she's developing as she "lives" each alternate life, I found that hard to believe. In fact, one of the main points of the book is that Nora remains herself in each life she begins. She's always the same Nora. And that's not entertaining for me. I want a character who grows with the story. Who learns something. Who has motivation. Who develops. Who does something (something other than whine, complain, and moan about her whole life, past, present, and future).

It was also disappointing, then, that the only character was Nora. Sure, there were background characters, but because of the style of book, no character stuck around enough to connect to. All we had was Nora, and Nora was utterly lacking as a character. 

The reason I gave this book four stars, however, is the writing style. It was very well-written and easy to fall into. Each chapter blended together to make the book float by. Haig has a very captivating way of writing. I also give him points for his creativity. The concept of the book and the content he created was very imaginative. I appreciate that greatly. I just wish his character was a little more positive or became a little more positive.