Spoilers ahead! The Midnight Library is a book about what choices we would relive if we were given the chance. The underlying topic is suicide and the power of the mind during difficult times. If someone went through with such an act and had a chance to slightly alter past decisions, what would those be?

A particular concept that I enjoyed was that everyone has a different entrance into the “in-between.” The in-between is the point between life and death. For the main protagonist, Nora, that entry happened to be a library. For another person, it was a video store. For someone else, I could be an art gallery. I’d have to admit, it would also be books for me.

For example, if you were on the verge of death, you would enter into a library. To relive those regrets/moments you would choose a book from the shelf and read a new story of a past event. This may sound overly complicated so I’ll leave it there. The idea is each book enters into an alternate universe.

However, if you haven’t connected the dots, it is based on quantum mechanics. Don’t expect the book to be an extensive dive into the theory of quantum. Quantum in itself is an exciting topic. I’m sure you’ve heard “if a tree falls in the woods does anyone hear it?” That would be the concept of it being heard in one reality but not another; or that our perception is different when we’re something versus what we think is happening outside.

Who would you be if you could remain yourself but a “better” version? What is considered a better version?

Even in our current reality, we think that we want something until we get it. For Nora (in one alternative), she wanted to marry her boyfriend. When she lived the version of herself, marriage was not what she thought it would be and he was a cheater, they had nothing to talk about, and she wasn’t happy.

In the end, everything was tied up nicely with a big pretty bow. A perfect ending. She realized she wanted to live and the library was destroyed within itself. I can’t say I loved this ending. It’s certainly optimistic and gives people hope, so I’m not totally against it, but ironically this was the most unrealistic part of the book.

I give it 4/5 bookmarks for bringing awareness to the topic.