Another novel that was not quite what I expected, but enjoyed anyway.
Synopsis: Nora Seed is tired of her life. She is filled with regrets and feels as though all she has done is disappointed others with her decisions. In an attempt to end her life, Nora finds herself instead in the Midnight Library. A place where she can "check-out" and "try-on" alternate lives of hers to find one she wants to live in.
Plot: I went into this thinking this was a bookish and literary inspired story. But was definitely wrong, as this leads more existential crisis than a charming read about novels. However, sometimes I like to read stories that make me think, and Nora trying to find what will make her happy in life while learning how to live with her regrets did that. Everyone can relate to something in this book and it really makes you think about what it means to have a life well lived. Stories like this can often lead to being preachy really easily and Haig did a good job with allowing you to discover the meaning mostly on your own, which I appreciated. There wasn't a ton plot wise, besides the different lives Nora tried on but it was enough to keep me flipping pages.
Characters: I think a huge reason I liked this story so much is because Nora is so relatable to me. Regretting decisions or struggling with living for others instead of yourself or worrying about making other people happy. They're all very common struggles and it was very easy to find myself in Nora which made me think about my own life. The novel wasn't the most profound or entertaining EVER but I walked away reflecting which I think is what this novel set out to do.
I've seen that many people don't like this book and I can agree that it is not for everyone. A lot of it is quite repetitive as Nora tries on life after life and finds something not to like. For me though, despite the repetition and possible frustration I did enjoy it and find a lot of meaning in the text.
4/5 stars.
TW: attempted suicide, suicidal thoughts.
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