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Book review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Author: Matt Haig
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Science Fiction
Publisher: Viking
Publication date: 29th September 2020
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Summary:
“Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?
In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting blockbuster novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.”
My review:
“Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices… Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?”
The Midnight Library is a moving and thought-provoking exploration of how the infinite possibilities and choices we make shape our lives. This beautifully written book takes readers on an incredible journey through the life of Nora Seed, a woman who finds herself at a crossroads and discovers a mysterious library where she can choose a vast number of books that reveal how her life may have turned out if she had made different choices.
I was particularly taken by the key theme revolving around regret and the what-ifs that we always find ourselves looking back on. After an extremely difficult period, Nora enters the Midnight Library and explores these parallel lives. Through this exploration she starts to question her identity, purpose and the true meaning of happiness. As usual waith Matt Haig’s books, the character development from start to finish is tremeandous and by the end it almost appears that Nora is a completely different person with a newfound vision of who she is.
The writing is expressive and engrossing as Matt Haig weaves in between the past, present and future with ease, capturing the emotional character of the different lives in each book. The pacing is excellent and I was constantly rushing to turn the page and follow Nora on her journey to find herself and what truly makes her happy. The other minor characters were also carefully chosen and represented different stages of her potential lives.
The Midnight Library is a treasure of a book. I sat holding this book and reflected on it a long time after reading the last page, contemplating on how the smallest decisions in our lives have the biggest impact without us consciously knowing it. With this book Matt Haig has created a timeless literary masterpeice and one that I will come back to and recommend to everyone around me for a long time. It is by far his greatest book to date and I am eager to read his next novel.
“Every life contains many millions of decisions. Some big, some small. But every time one decision is taken over another, the outcomes differ. An irreversible variation occurs, which in turn leads to further variations”
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Blog tour: Aether Ones by Wendi Coffman-Porter
Title: Aether Ones
Author: Wendi Coffman-Porter
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Brown Books Publishing Group
Publication date: 13th October 2020
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Summary:
“Leilani Falconi is a top agent for the Imperial Investigative Service, tasked with policing the veil between two realities. Long ago, the Great Sundering tore the universe into two mirrored halves; aether space, which progressed using magical energy or eldrich, and kuldain, which advanced via electromagnetic technology.
But now a series of suspicious deaths stretching back more than a decade has the agent trapped directly between secretive bureaucracies and their peoples. If she can’t solve the mysterious crimes in time, existence as she knows it could erupt into chaos.”
My review:
Aether Ones features a set of intriguing characters and a universe with limitless possibilities. Friends often become foes as fights break out in an attempt to solve unusual crimes. This upbeat pace and constant change in setting at the beginning showed promise for the rest of the book.
The main character, Leilani, is feisty and courageous and the perfect example of how a strong female lead can sometimes be enough even without the addition of minor characters. My main concern throughout the book was the huge mix of other more minor characters and I often found it difficult to understand how characters were related to each other.
The science fiction elements in Aether Ones are at times too ambitious and it felt like the author struggled to fit all the descriptions of the settings into the book. Despite the commendable effort I was sometimes lost and could not understand where one setting was in relation to another. However, the narrative for each setting was original and interesting and I was absorbed by the intensity and imagery of the world building.
Aether Ones has the potential for a sequel, especially with its impressive and original world building. I would have preferred to see less characters and a deeper focus on only a few of the species and worlds. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining read and a book which transported me to a fascinating and vivid universe.
Many thanks to Dave at TheWriteReads for providing an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Aether Ones is now out to buy!
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Book review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Title: Dark Matter
Author: Blake Crouch
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Pan
Publication date: 11th August 2016
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Summary:
“‘Are you happy in your life?’
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
Before he wakes to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
Before the man he’s never met smiles down at him and says, ‘Welcome back, my friend.’
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined – one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.“
My review:
Jason Dessen wakes up after being taken by masked abductors and his life changes drastically as he begins to question who he is and if the home and family he knew really existed. Was he ever just a physics professor or is his research revolutionary, changing the course of human history? Before he knows it he is thrown into a confusing and terrifying race against time as he struggles to battle an unknown enemy. I was immediately captivated by the intense story line and was intrigued to see how the plot would develop.
It is difficult to explore the backbone of Dark Matter without giving too much away as this is the kind of book that readers must go in without any expectations to avoid spoiling too much. Not only is the writing exceptional but the story line included the perfect mix of romance, dystopia and mystery. I was always kept guessing, eager to find out more about the theory of dark matter and conscious of the villain like characters trying to stand in Jason’s way. There were plenty of surprises along the way as new developments in the plot were introduced and characters’ intentions revealed.
As with Blake Crouch’s other novel, Recursion, there was a lot of confusion as Jason’s journey through time and space progressed and I often had to stop and recall the events in previous chapters as the pace was too fast and the space and time concept too complex. Although I enjoyed the complexity and chaos I would have preferred some more clarity and simple explanations in some of the ideas of parallel universes and I felt that this was lacking at times.
Dark Matter pushes the boundaries of the almost impossible in a brilliant attempt to explore humanity and highlight the existence of other worlds with endless possibilities. I enjoyed the ride despite several moments of confusion and am excited to read any future books by this author. Readers who enjoy deep reflections into humankind and identity will find a lot to love about Dark Matter.
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Book review: The Warehouse by Rob Hart
Title: The Warehouse
Author: Rob Hart
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Transworld Digital
Publication date: 13th August 2019
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Summary:
“Gun violence, climate change and unemployment have ravaged the United States beyond recognition.
Amid the wreckage, an online retail giant named Cloud reigns supreme. Cloud brands itself not just as an online storefront, but as a global saviour. Yet beneath the sunny exterior lurks something far more sinister.
Paxton never thought he’d be working Security for the company that ruined his life, much less that he’d be moving into one of their sprawling live-work facilities. But compared to what’s left outside, perhaps Cloud isn’t so bad. Better still, through his work he meets Zinnia, who fills him with hope for their shared future.
Except that Zinnia is not what she seems. And Paxton, with his all-access security credentials, might just be her meal ticket. As Paxton and Zinnia’s agendas place them on a collision course, they’re about to learn just how far the Cloud will go to make the world a better place.
To beat the system, you have to be inside it. “My review:
After many riots and protests in the US, Cloud is built as a way to facilitate easy access to everyday items to an entire nation. Life outside Cloud can be cruel to a normal individual with rising unbearable temperatures and thirst for jobs but life inside Cloud provides opportunities and basic needs so the competition for a job there is understandably fierce. The Warehouse contains an eerily familiar dystopian concept, not too far from current day life, which immediately made it feel relatable and chilling. I was already intrigued by the various directions the plot could take.
As the plot progressed, more details are uncovered about the background of Cloud and its creators. The first person POV by the Cloud creator in blog format created an element of mystery surrounding the company and I constantly felt like he could not be trusted. As the story line progressed and small details were revealed I became even more intrigued by the concept behind Cloud and the workings of such a monopoly. The tension never ceased and it always felt like there was something new to learn about Cloud which gave a spooky thriller-like feel to the story.
The characters were unfortunately not to my liking and I could not connect to any of them. Zinia and Paxton were dull and not engaging enough for such a turbulent plot. There was too much unresolved secrecy and deceit surrounding Zinia and I would have appreciated a more devious antagonist. Paxton was too weak and vulnerable for a main character and his presence almost always felt like it was taking away from the plot instead of adding value.
Although the idea behind The Warehouse is creative and alluring, the execution was weak and there were too many loose ends and questions left unanswered. This could merit an extension or even a possible series to compensate for the somewhat rushed and confusing ending. I would be interested to see how Cloud develops with a new set of resilient and strong-willed characters. This dark Sci-Fi novel highlights the injustices of modern day life and brings to light scenarios that society may believe are almost impossible but are entirely realistic in our future. Fans of dystopia may find a lot to speculate on after reading this book.
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Blog tour: Crossing in Time by D.L. Orton
Title: Crossing in Time
Author: D.L. Orton
Genre: Science Fiction / Romance
Publication date: 21st April 2015
My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Summary:
“When offered a one-way trip to the past, Isabel sacrifices everything for a chance to change the rapidly deteriorating present–and see her murdered lover one last time. When she arrives twenty years in the past, buck naked and mortally wounded, she has 24 hours to convince a stunned but enraptured nineteen-year-old to change their future. Definitely easier said than done, as success means losing him to a brainy, smart-mouthed bombshell (her younger self), and that’s a heart breaker, save the world or not.
This offbeat tale is about falling madly in love when one is too cynical for such things, letting go of pessimism when it’s the last life jacket on a sinking ship, and racing against the clock when one doesn’t have the proper footwear. It’s a coming-of-age story for old fogeys, a how-to-make-love guide for diehard celibates, and a laugh-out-loud tragedy with a hopeful twist.”
My review:
Unaware of the mayhem that is about to occur and change the fate of humanity, Isabel runs into her old love, Diego, and the two quickly relive their relationship. The first part of the book focused solely on the feelings and connection between these two characters, briefly pausing on their past mistakes and reflecting on their choices. Their love story didn’t seem too far fetched and I appreciated how they became a stronger couple by recognising their errors and working on their differences.
The time travel element was introduced far into the book after allowing enough time for the reader to connect with the main characters. I was dubious at first that the focus on time travel would be too forced however I was pleasantly surprised at how well developed this side of the story was.
Unfortunately I lost the rhythm at the part where Isabel travels back in time to meet Diego. There were certain moments which felt too uncomfortable as Isabel attempts to prepare Diego for the moment they will “meet” in his reality and almost drills into him how he should act and think around her. I realise that Diego was much younger here and Isabel was pressed for time as she tried to save humanity, but there were many scenes where I thought they were completely different characters.
Crossing in Time explores complex relationships and human emotions and offers the perfect mix of Science Fiction and Romance. I found a few inconsistencies between the time travel versions of the main characters however I still enjoyed the book despite this setback. It filled me with hope and positive energy and posed a series of important questions about what it means to be human.
Many thanks to Dave at TheWriteReads for providing an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Crossing in Time is out to buy now!