When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop?
No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there. The chance to re-live the moments that meant most. To see what kind of person you really were.
For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life. On his honeymoon in Venice.
Before he gave it all away.
He wishes he could go back and live differently. But to do so risks everything . . .
A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.
No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there. The chance to re-live the moments that meant most. To see what kind of person you really were.
For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life. On his honeymoon in Venice.
Before he gave it all away.
He wishes he could go back and live differently. But to do so risks everything . . .
A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.
Title: The Midnight Train (The Midnight World #2)
Author: Matt Haig
Publisher:
Expected Publication Date: May 26, 2026
Review:
Thank you to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I really enjoyed The Midnight Library when I read it. It made me think, a lot. I was thinking the two books might be related, but they really are not. You can read either first. Of course I needed to read this second installment to see where it would take my brain and I was not disappointed in the least. Haig, once again, has made me think!
Wilbur is a ghost watching his life literally flash before his eyes. Watching the great things that have happened as well as all the mistakes he made. The Midnight Train helps Wilbur relive all the moments in his life that meant the most. Moments that changed the trajectory of where he ultimately ended up. But he's not allowed to mess with these moments. He is only to watch. But when he's given the chance to alter things, he takes it. Will this interference really change things or will it destroy all he's ever known? Is his life on the right track (get it, Midnight train) or has it gone off the rails somewhere?
Do you like Scrooge? Are you anxious to see how the past, present, and future might shape your life? Hop about The Midnight Train, a time traveling vehicle for the recently departed that helps take them through their lives. I absolutely loved this idea. And, while it's not A Christmas Carol, per se, if you love that type of story, you'll love what Haig does with this one. There's happiness and heartache strewn throughout the pages of this story. I laughed in many parts as much as I teared up in others. Haig made me feel the human emotions associated with loss and grief as well as those associated with joy and elation.
I really liked how Haig build Wilbur out as a character. Initially, he's truly focused on succeeding in his life and making something of himself. He is obsessed with ensuring he has everything he will ever need materially, even at the detriment of what it means for his relationships and emotional well being. As he experiences his past, he slowly realizes his focus was always aimed at the wrong thing, But in the moment he was unable to see the forest for the trees.
It was impressive how Haig introduced us to so many characters throughout the story through the flashbacks Wilbur gets to experience. His mother, his brother, the love of his life. Plus friends who had always stood by his side no matter what. With every character introduced, I thought about who I had in my life and who was gone. Who I missed and who I knew I would never see again. Who I may have wronged and how I might amend for that. Haig digs deep into your conscience and makes you think hard about what your life has meant to you and what those in your life have given as well as taken away. His story is thought provoking and his writing is almost poetic.
Haig's story makes you look at your life and think about slowing down to enjoy all the great moments that happen but also think about those that may have been a bit. To not let the good times slip you by without enjoying them as much as you can. But also to pay attention to how you treat others and what priorities are most important in living a true and authentic life. If you're looking for a book with well thought out and developed characters, emotional punch, and thought provoking ideas, pick this one up!
Author:
Matt Haig is the author of novels such as The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Humans, The Life Impossible and now The Midnight Train. He has also written books for children, such as A Boy Called Christmas, the memoir Reasons to Stay Alive and also The Comfort Book.
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