TL;DR
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is a massive hit with the "BookTok" crowd, but it comes with a heavy "Handle With Care" label. The story starts with a suicide attempt and spends several hundred pages exploring regret and depression. It’s ultimately life-affirming, but the journey to get there is intense. Recommended Age: 14+ (High School). Key Concerns: Suicide, self-harm ideation, and heavy existential dread. Best For: Teens who enjoy philosophical fiction and are in a stable enough mental place to handle themes of "the life not lived."
If your teen is into reading, you’ve probably seen this mint-green cover floating around. Written by Matt Haig, The Midnight Library follows Nora Seed, a woman who feels like she has failed at absolutely everything—her career, her relationships, and her dreams.
Feeling like a "burden" and drowning in a "sea of regret," Nora decides to end her life. Instead of "the end," she finds herself in a library. Every book on the shelf represents a life she could have lived if she’d made a different choice. She gets to "try on" these lives—what if she’d stayed with her fiancé? What if she’d become a glaciologist? What if she’d stayed in her band?
The book is a deep dive into the philosophy of choice, the weight of regret, and the realization that there is no "perfect" life. It’s basically Sliding Doors meets a philosophy 101 lecture, wrapped in a very accessible, modern package.
It’s not just that it’s viral on TikTok. The Midnight Library hits on a very specific type of anxiety that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are feeling: the "choice paralysis" of the digital age.
When kids spend hours on Instagram or BeReal looking at the "best" versions of everyone else's lives, they naturally start to wonder if they’re making the "right" choices. Nora’s journey validates that feeling of "I’m doing it wrong," which is incredibly relatable to a 16-year-old trying to figure out college, identity, and their future.
It also feels "deep" without being impossible to read. It’s not a 600-page slog. It’s punchy, fast-paced, and feels like a conversation.
We need to be straight-up here: this book starts with a suicide attempt. It isn't glossed over. The first chapter is a countdown of Nora’s "reasons to die." For a teen who is currently struggling with active suicidal ideation, this could be a very difficult, or even triggering, read.
However, unlike something like 13 Reasons Why, which many mental health experts criticized for glamorizing or "revenge-coding" suicide, The Midnight Library is firmly focused on the value of life. It doesn't treat the act as a way to get back at people; it treats it as a symptom of a bridgeable despair.
That said, the middle section of the book can feel a bit repetitive and bleak. Nora tries dozens of lives, and in many of them, she still finds reasons to be unhappy. For a sensitive reader, that "no matter what I do, I'm miserable" vibe can be heavy.
Ask our chatbot for more books that handle mental health responsibly
Middle School (Ages 11-13)
Generally, I’d say skip it. Not because of "adult content" (there’s very little swearing and no graphic sex), but because the existential weight of the book is usually a bit much for this age group. Most 12-year-olds haven't lived long enough to have the kind of crushing "what if" regrets that Nora has. It’s more likely to be boring or unnecessarily depressing for them.
High School (Ages 14-18)
This is the target audience. High schoolers are at the peak of "identity crisis" mode. Reading about someone navigating the pressure to be "extraordinary" vs. just being "okay" is actually a great message for them. If your teen is a mature reader, this is a solid choice, provided they aren't currently in a mental health crisis.
Let’s talk about the writing for a second. Matt Haig is a great mental health advocate, but as a novelist, he can be a little... on the nose. Some critics (and parents) find the book a bit "Pinterest-quote-heavy." It can feel like it’s trying very hard to be profound.
If your teen loves it, great! But if they come to you saying, "This is kind of cheesy," they aren't wrong. It’s a bit of a "Self-Help Book" disguised as a novel.
Content to be aware of:
- Suicide: The inciting incident.
- Alcohol/Drugs: Mentioned in some of the "alternative" lives (one where she’s a rock star, etc.), but not glorified.
- Language: Very mild. A few "sh*ts" and "f-bombs," but nothing that would shock a modern teen.
- Death of a Pet: There is a scene involving the death of a cat early on that is actually the catalyst for some of Nora's despair. If your kid is a huge animal lover, this might actually be the hardest part for them to read.
If your teen is reading The Midnight Library, it’s a wide-open door to talk about some big-picture stuff. Instead of asking "Is it good?", try these:
- "If you could enter a 'Midnight Library' for your own life, what’s one choice you’d want to see played out differently?"
- "Nora feels like she has to be a 'success' to be happy. Do you ever feel that pressure from school or social media?"
- "The book talks a lot about regret. Do you think it’s possible to live a life with zero regrets, or is that just part of being human?"
- "What did you think about how the book handled Nora’s depression? Did it feel real to you?"
Get a full list of discussion questions for your teen's book club
If your teen finished the book and wants more "existential-but-make-it-fiction" vibes, here are some Screenwise-approved picks:
Essentially the movie version of this concept, but with more kung-fu and googly eyes. It deals with the "multiverse of regret" in a way that is chaotic, hilarious, and deeply moving. Rated R for some crude humor, but a masterpiece for older teens.
A classic for a reason. It handles trauma and mental health with a bit more literary grace than Haig, and the movie version is one of the few adaptations that actually gets it right.
Another BookTok darling. It’s about two boys who get a call telling them they’re going to die today. It’s about making the most of the time you have—very similar "life-affirming" energy but with a YA romance slant.
A more grounded look at a teen checking himself into a psychiatric hospital. It’s funny, real, and less "magical realism" than the Midnight Library, which some teens prefer.
The Midnight Library is a "yellow light" book. Proceed with caution if your teen has a history of self-harm or severe depression, but for the average high schooler, it’s a thought-provoking, empathetic read that encourages them to stop comparing their "behind-the-scenes" to everyone else's "highlight reel."
It’s not a literary masterpiece, and it’s definitely a tear-jerker, but in a world where kids are constantly told they have to be the "best" at everything, its message of "it’s okay to just be human" is one we can get behind.
- Check in: If you see the book on their nightstand, just ask, "Hey, how are you liking that library book? It gets pretty heavy at the start, right?"
- Read the first chapter: It’s short. Read the first 10 pages yourself so you understand the tone of the suicide attempt.
- Offer an 'out': Tell them it’s okay to stop reading if it feels too dark. Sometimes teens feel like they have to finish a popular book even if it’s making them feel worse.
Check out our guide on how to talk to teens about BookTok trends
Ask our chatbot for a summary of the 'regret' philosophy in the book