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The Midnight World #2
Die Mitternachtsreise
Win a free print copy of this book!
7 days and 21:37:33
20 copies available
U.S. only
Das Buchereignis des Frühjahrs 2026: Der neue Roman vom Autor des internationalen Millionen-Bestsellers und der TikTok-Sensation Die Mitternachtsbibliothek.
Wenn das Leben im Zeitraffer an dir vorüberzieht – welchen Moment würdest du festhalten?
Die Vergangenheit kann niemand ändern, doch der Mitternachtszug kennt den Weg dorthin: Zur Chance, die bedeutsamsten Momente noch einmal zu durchleben – und zu erkennen, wer man wirklich war. Am glücklichsten war Wilbur mit Maggie, der großen Liebe seines Lebens. Damals, in ihren Flitterwochen in Venedig. Bevor er alles aufs Spiel setzte. Nichts wünscht er sich sehnlicher, als die Zeit zurückdrehen und einen anderen Weg einschlagen. Aber damit könnte er alles zerstören, was ihm je etwas bedeutet hat.
Eine zauberhafte Liebesgeschichte aus der Welt von “Die Mitternachtsbibliothek”.
Wenn das Leben im Zeitraffer an dir vorüberzieht – welchen Moment würdest du festhalten?
Die Vergangenheit kann niemand ändern, doch der Mitternachtszug kennt den Weg dorthin: Zur Chance, die bedeutsamsten Momente noch einmal zu durchleben – und zu erkennen, wer man wirklich war. Am glücklichsten war Wilbur mit Maggie, der großen Liebe seines Lebens. Damals, in ihren Flitterwochen in Venedig. Bevor er alles aufs Spiel setzte. Nichts wünscht er sich sehnlicher, als die Zeit zurückdrehen und einen anderen Weg einschlagen. Aber damit könnte er alles zerstören, was ihm je etwas bedeutet hat.
Eine zauberhafte Liebesgeschichte aus der Welt von “Die Mitternachtsbibliothek”.
368 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 26, 2026
About the author
Matt Haig
77 books50.8k followersMatt 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 590 reviews
May 15, 2026
In the simplest words from my romantic heart: I truly, deeply adored this book.
Even though you can sense where the story is heading, the beauty lies in its simplicity and sincerity. The writing doesn’t try to be clever or complicated—it’s genuine, and that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. Many of the emotional moments resonated with me in a way that felt almost personal, and because of that, I loved this story even more.
This novel is both sensational and quietly inspirational. It gently reminds us of life lessons we already know, but too often forget to actually live by: to slow down, to be present, to forgive, to let go. Life is not a marathon—it is a collection of moments, and sometimes we rush past the very ones that matter the most. Letting go isn’t something any of us ever fully masters, because we’re human. We make mistakes, we hurt each other, and we choose wrong when choosing right would have been harder. Pain is part of loving, and this book understands that deeply.
Maybe if I had read this story twenty years ago, Wilbur Budd’s journey wouldn’t have touched me so strongly. But as we grow older, the truths in this novel feel sharper and more real. We start thinking about time, about regret, about what we would change if we were given another chance. And we also start wondering about death—what comes after, if anything. Is it darkness? Heaven? Another beginning? A second life in another body? This book dares to explore those questions in the most tender and imaginative way.
Wilbur Budd is a wealthy bookstore owner who dies alone in his house, just after losing the love of his life once again. He reads Maggie’s farewell letter, collapses, and suffers a fatal heart attack. It feels final. Devastating. But that’s not where his story ends.
Wilbur becomes a ghost and boards the mysterious Midnight Train, guided by the unforgettable Agnes Deborah Amaryllis Bagsdale—the eccentric, magical owner of the bookshop where Wilbur first fell in love with reading as a child. She was the kind of woman who could place the perfect book into your hands and somehow know exactly what your soul needed. Years later, Wilbur would work in that very same shop and eventually inherit it, carrying on her legacy.
Now, Agnes becomes his guide through eternity, taking him through the most important moments of his life. We witness the tragedies that shaped him, the losses that broke him, and the love that defined him. One of the most beautiful memories is his honeymoon in Venice with Maggie—wandering through the labyrinth of narrow streets, lost together, discovering what happiness truly feels like.
But Wilbur is heartbroken even in death. And a question begins to haunt him: what if he could go back? What if time isn’t as fixed as we think? What if, by risking eternity itself, he could correct his mistakes and save the love he lost? His old friend Charlie believed that time is relative—that the past might still be part of the future. But interfering with time comes with a terrifying cost. Could Wilbur change his fate without erasing himself?
This story is romantic in the purest sense of the word. To me, it is much more a love story than a fantasy—an emotional, inspirational, beautifully tender drama about regret, devotion, and second chances. I loved its simplicity and its directness. It warmed my heart from the very first page to the last, and it earned every one of its five stars.
It was also one of my fastest, most absorbing reads—easy to fall into, impossible not to feel.
Highly recommended. 💫
A million thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Viking for sharing one of the most anticipated books of 2026 with me in exchange for my honest thoughts, which I truly and sincerely appreciate.
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Even though you can sense where the story is heading, the beauty lies in its simplicity and sincerity. The writing doesn’t try to be clever or complicated—it’s genuine, and that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. Many of the emotional moments resonated with me in a way that felt almost personal, and because of that, I loved this story even more.
This novel is both sensational and quietly inspirational. It gently reminds us of life lessons we already know, but too often forget to actually live by: to slow down, to be present, to forgive, to let go. Life is not a marathon—it is a collection of moments, and sometimes we rush past the very ones that matter the most. Letting go isn’t something any of us ever fully masters, because we’re human. We make mistakes, we hurt each other, and we choose wrong when choosing right would have been harder. Pain is part of loving, and this book understands that deeply.
Maybe if I had read this story twenty years ago, Wilbur Budd’s journey wouldn’t have touched me so strongly. But as we grow older, the truths in this novel feel sharper and more real. We start thinking about time, about regret, about what we would change if we were given another chance. And we also start wondering about death—what comes after, if anything. Is it darkness? Heaven? Another beginning? A second life in another body? This book dares to explore those questions in the most tender and imaginative way.
Wilbur Budd is a wealthy bookstore owner who dies alone in his house, just after losing the love of his life once again. He reads Maggie’s farewell letter, collapses, and suffers a fatal heart attack. It feels final. Devastating. But that’s not where his story ends.
Wilbur becomes a ghost and boards the mysterious Midnight Train, guided by the unforgettable Agnes Deborah Amaryllis Bagsdale—the eccentric, magical owner of the bookshop where Wilbur first fell in love with reading as a child. She was the kind of woman who could place the perfect book into your hands and somehow know exactly what your soul needed. Years later, Wilbur would work in that very same shop and eventually inherit it, carrying on her legacy.
Now, Agnes becomes his guide through eternity, taking him through the most important moments of his life. We witness the tragedies that shaped him, the losses that broke him, and the love that defined him. One of the most beautiful memories is his honeymoon in Venice with Maggie—wandering through the labyrinth of narrow streets, lost together, discovering what happiness truly feels like.
But Wilbur is heartbroken even in death. And a question begins to haunt him: what if he could go back? What if time isn’t as fixed as we think? What if, by risking eternity itself, he could correct his mistakes and save the love he lost? His old friend Charlie believed that time is relative—that the past might still be part of the future. But interfering with time comes with a terrifying cost. Could Wilbur change his fate without erasing himself?
This story is romantic in the purest sense of the word. To me, it is much more a love story than a fantasy—an emotional, inspirational, beautifully tender drama about regret, devotion, and second chances. I loved its simplicity and its directness. It warmed my heart from the very first page to the last, and it earned every one of its five stars.
It was also one of my fastest, most absorbing reads—easy to fall into, impossible not to feel.
Highly recommended. 💫
A million thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Viking for sharing one of the most anticipated books of 2026 with me in exchange for my honest thoughts, which I truly and sincerely appreciate.
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February 9, 2026
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
If you could ride a midnight train through your life, how many moments would be worth reliving? How many moments would be too painful to stop for? How many mistakes would you yearn to fix?
It’s an apt time for me to read this, as I reflect on my life and the fraught path I travel. I’d definitely skip over this part of my journey, starting straight forward, hoping against hope I’ll never have to look back.
A tender, heartwarming l novel, it reminds us that these individual moments we live all add up to a life. And in that life, we have regrets, we have things we take for granted, we have magical memories we wish to live in on a loop.
But we ultimately get none of that, and we have to come to terms with the elusiveness of joy to understand the importance of savoring it. I think we can all learn from Wilbur, and by realizing that we are dying in stages as we walk this earth, perhaps we can spend less time grieving the passing of your previous versions, and more time celebrating the current one.
Live life like today is the moment you’d return to if you could change only one day.
If you could ride a midnight train through your life, how many moments would be worth reliving? How many moments would be too painful to stop for? How many mistakes would you yearn to fix?
It’s an apt time for me to read this, as I reflect on my life and the fraught path I travel. I’d definitely skip over this part of my journey, starting straight forward, hoping against hope I’ll never have to look back.
A tender, heartwarming l novel, it reminds us that these individual moments we live all add up to a life. And in that life, we have regrets, we have things we take for granted, we have magical memories we wish to live in on a loop.
But we ultimately get none of that, and we have to come to terms with the elusiveness of joy to understand the importance of savoring it. I think we can all learn from Wilbur, and by realizing that we are dying in stages as we walk this earth, perhaps we can spend less time grieving the passing of your previous versions, and more time celebrating the current one.
Live life like today is the moment you’d return to if you could change only one day.
Want to Read
October 17, 2025Matt Haig is one my all-time favorite authors.
I’m really looking forward to The Midnight Train being released and having the opportunity to read it.
Can’t wait!
I’m really looking forward to The Midnight Train being released and having the opportunity to read it.
Can’t wait!
January 11, 2026
If you read and enjoyed the Midnight Library, you will love this book as well. It is poignant, reflective, and fraught with the perils and plights of life. While the storyline feels very much like A Christmas Carol by Dickens, it does also include moments that really make the reader think. There are several quotes in this book that you’ll want to remember in your own life. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Want to Read
February 8, 202607 Feb 2026. Oh my God! I need it now!
I loved, luvvved, LOVED the Midnight Library, even though it's such a sad story (now that I think of it once again). I expect this one to be equally transformative as well!!
Godspeed to this book's publication!
I loved, luvvved, LOVED the Midnight Library, even though it's such a sad story (now that I think of it once again). I expect this one to be equally transformative as well!!
Godspeed to this book's publication!
May 16, 2026
Another beautiful and magical book from Matt Haig. I loved The Midnight Library and jumped at the chance to read another book set in this universe. This isn’t a sequel, it is a story that makes the reader stop and think about what moments in their own lives would important enough to visit again after your death.
All aboard the Midnight Train. Wilbur Budd is 81 years old when his life suddenly ends, and he is alone. Some might think he had a fabulous life, he is rich beyond his wildest dreams but he is alone and has regrets, so many regrets. Before he can pass to his afterlife he is taken on a journey through his own life where he can see it with a fresh perspective, as much as it is going to hurt.
I loved this reflection on what is important in this life. Wilbur grew up poor and had so much tragedy in his life. He wanted a better life for himself and his bride Maggie. But money and a chain of bookshops are not the be all and end all in life. It is about the little things, the people that you love and who love you.
Wilbur was a tough character to warm to at times, he really did make some bad decisions. He is a book seller and loved nothing more than to recommend books to people and see them love it too. But as he gets older his focus changes and he loses what made him the man he was.
A story of loss and love, of life and death, or what matters the most, and of books. What’s not to love.
Thanks so much to Allen and Unwin for my early copy to read and the amazing box of goodies to open as I went, so fun and so appreciative
Get on board the midnight train on May 26th,
All aboard the Midnight Train. Wilbur Budd is 81 years old when his life suddenly ends, and he is alone. Some might think he had a fabulous life, he is rich beyond his wildest dreams but he is alone and has regrets, so many regrets. Before he can pass to his afterlife he is taken on a journey through his own life where he can see it with a fresh perspective, as much as it is going to hurt.
I loved this reflection on what is important in this life. Wilbur grew up poor and had so much tragedy in his life. He wanted a better life for himself and his bride Maggie. But money and a chain of bookshops are not the be all and end all in life. It is about the little things, the people that you love and who love you.
Wilbur was a tough character to warm to at times, he really did make some bad decisions. He is a book seller and loved nothing more than to recommend books to people and see them love it too. But as he gets older his focus changes and he loses what made him the man he was.
A story of loss and love, of life and death, or what matters the most, and of books. What’s not to love.
Thanks so much to Allen and Unwin for my early copy to read and the amazing box of goodies to open as I went, so fun and so appreciative
Get on board the midnight train on May 26th,
Want to Read
December 12, 2025I was so happy to see that Matt Haig has written another book.
I love getting lost in Haig's magical world.
I've requested the ARC on NetGalley. Fingers crossed!!!
I love getting lost in Haig's magical world.
I've requested the ARC on NetGalley. Fingers crossed!!!
April 27, 2026
Am primit un exemplar în avanpremiera și m-am bucurat tare mult să mă întorc în acest univers.
“Trenul de la miezul nopții”, de Matt Haig a fost un reminder să trăiești în prezent, să nu te lași copleșit de nefericire și să accepți greutățile vieții, nu să fugi de ele.
Cu același ton blând cu care ne-a obișnuit Haig, trenul îl duce pe personajul nostru principal într-o călătorie a vieții sale - să o înțeleagă și să o accepte pentru a păși ulterior spre eternitate.
Profundă, caldă și realistă, povestea aceasta te va alina și te va îndurera deopotrivă.
“E sfâșietor. Dar uneori trebuie să-ți lași inima să se frângă ca să poți ramane in viață”
“Nu știu unde se ascunde trecutul, dar te voi întâlni acolo.”
“Cărțile sunt oglinzi pentru suflet. Așa că, dacă surprinzi o frântură din sufletul cuiva, vei ști care e oglinda potrivită pentru el.”
“Există zile în viață care trec și la care nu te mai gândești niciodată. Și există și zile care îți sunt atât de dragi sau importante, încât conțin în ele tot ce urmează. Zile-matrioşka, mereu cuibărite în viitorul care se tot lărgește.”
“Cụ cât fugi mai tare de ceva, cu atât acel ceva te găsește mai repede.”
“Că ai nevoie de întuneric uneori ca să faci celelalte lucruri mai luminoase.”
“Nimic nu e la intâmplare, și-a dat seama Fantoma. Chiar și cea mai nechibzuită acțiune era doar rezultatul a ceva anterior.
Totul era o consecință a ceea ce se întâmplase înainte, așa cum fiecare greșeală zgomotoasă din lume era produsul unei dureri tăcute și ascunse.”
“Lumea asta e plină de oameni care privesc, dar nu văd”
“O viață fără durere nu e în meniu, băiete. O viață în care eviți durerea devine o viață definită de durere. De durere și regret. Şi tu ai trăit deja durere. Ai supraviețuit după moartea lui Dougie....
Vei supraviețui tuturor greutăților pe care ți le aruncă viața. Trebuie doar să scapi de mentalitatea asta prăpăstioasă.”
“Trenul de la miezul nopții”, de Matt Haig a fost un reminder să trăiești în prezent, să nu te lași copleșit de nefericire și să accepți greutățile vieții, nu să fugi de ele.
Cu același ton blând cu care ne-a obișnuit Haig, trenul îl duce pe personajul nostru principal într-o călătorie a vieții sale - să o înțeleagă și să o accepte pentru a păși ulterior spre eternitate.
Profundă, caldă și realistă, povestea aceasta te va alina și te va îndurera deopotrivă.
“E sfâșietor. Dar uneori trebuie să-ți lași inima să se frângă ca să poți ramane in viață”
“Nu știu unde se ascunde trecutul, dar te voi întâlni acolo.”
“Cărțile sunt oglinzi pentru suflet. Așa că, dacă surprinzi o frântură din sufletul cuiva, vei ști care e oglinda potrivită pentru el.”
“Există zile în viață care trec și la care nu te mai gândești niciodată. Și există și zile care îți sunt atât de dragi sau importante, încât conțin în ele tot ce urmează. Zile-matrioşka, mereu cuibărite în viitorul care se tot lărgește.”
“Cụ cât fugi mai tare de ceva, cu atât acel ceva te găsește mai repede.”
“Că ai nevoie de întuneric uneori ca să faci celelalte lucruri mai luminoase.”
“Nimic nu e la intâmplare, și-a dat seama Fantoma. Chiar și cea mai nechibzuită acțiune era doar rezultatul a ceva anterior.
Totul era o consecință a ceea ce se întâmplase înainte, așa cum fiecare greșeală zgomotoasă din lume era produsul unei dureri tăcute și ascunse.”
“Lumea asta e plină de oameni care privesc, dar nu văd”
“O viață fără durere nu e în meniu, băiete. O viață în care eviți durerea devine o viață definită de durere. De durere și regret. Şi tu ai trăit deja durere. Ai supraviețuit după moartea lui Dougie....
Vei supraviețui tuturor greutăților pe care ți le aruncă viața. Trebuie doar să scapi de mentalitatea asta prăpăstioasă.”
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"I can’t fix you. I can’t even fix myself." When a Matt Haig book starts you off with tears in chapter 1, you know you're in for an emotional rollercoaster of a book. The Midnight Library focused on the endless directions and possibilities, where The Midnight Train is more reflective on the life we've already lived.
The midnight train takes the reader through all seasons of life: The mundane moments, life-changing seconds, and memories we wish to never revisit. Similar to A Christmas Carol, we follow Wilbur as he witnesses all the core moments that made up his life and created who he was at the end of his journey. But what if you could change what happens along the way?
Thank you NetGalley for this arc. Pub day: May 2026
The midnight train takes the reader through all seasons of life: The mundane moments, life-changing seconds, and memories we wish to never revisit. Similar to A Christmas Carol, we follow Wilbur as he witnesses all the core moments that made up his life and created who he was at the end of his journey. But what if you could change what happens along the way?
Thank you NetGalley for this arc. Pub day: May 2026
April 18, 2026
Thank you Matt Haig, Net Galley, and Viking for this ARC - 4.5 Stars.
‘A train through life after death’. What a great concept, executed with heart, sadness, and wisdom to chew on as well.
As stated, this isn’t a true sequel to Midnight Library but the author’s ability to ‘take you on a ride’ on this train with one poignant line after another lets you know it’s still a part of that world.
“Life can only be understood backward; but it must be lived forward”. That’s the gist of this, after having a massive heart attack Wilbur takes the train to view how he lived his life. Most of the time spent on the bad days, as good days didn’t leave much to learn.
The story of how he views his life, tries to disrupt his past to change the way it ended up, and live like his true self is probably one we can all learn from, or at least one we should sit and reflect on.
Loved this and I hope for more as Matt Haig is an amazing author, and person it seems.
‘A train through life after death’. What a great concept, executed with heart, sadness, and wisdom to chew on as well.
As stated, this isn’t a true sequel to Midnight Library but the author’s ability to ‘take you on a ride’ on this train with one poignant line after another lets you know it’s still a part of that world.
“Life can only be understood backward; but it must be lived forward”. That’s the gist of this, after having a massive heart attack Wilbur takes the train to view how he lived his life. Most of the time spent on the bad days, as good days didn’t leave much to learn.
The story of how he views his life, tries to disrupt his past to change the way it ended up, and live like his true self is probably one we can all learn from, or at least one we should sit and reflect on.
Loved this and I hope for more as Matt Haig is an amazing author, and person it seems.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did Not Finish
May 8, 2026This is another unique story from Haig, but unfortunately it just didn’t bring the intrigue like the first one did. Haig has a strong, effortless writing style that made the first 50% a fast read for me but (as with its prequel) I was fairly certain where it was going once I got to the middle and I just didn’t feel invested.
This explores similar themes of loss, regret, choice, as “The Midnight Library” in a similar package. I think fans of Matt Haig and “The Midnight Library” will enjoy this, I just would have liked to see something new.
Thanks to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This explores similar themes of loss, regret, choice, as “The Midnight Library” in a similar package. I think fans of Matt Haig and “The Midnight Library” will enjoy this, I just would have liked to see something new.
Thanks to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2026
I'm a big fan of Matt Haig and an avid follower on social media. I think fans of The Midnight Library will really enjoy The Midnight Train. The book was a little on the nose for my taste but I appreciated how it was succinct and didn't drag on. I definitely enjoyed the book the further I got into the story. I think my favourite Matt Haig book will always be The Humans.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced eARC of this book.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced eARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Oh, this book! After the first chapter, I just knew I was going to love it. I’ve been a Matt Haig fan for a long time and was very pleased to receive this advance review copy. I found myself trying to save this book because I didn’t want it to end. I was highlighting the beautiful writing, and when I do that, I just know it’s a book for me. Conceptually linked to The Midnight Library, which I also loved. Perfect pacing, fabulous characters, and I absolutely adored Wilbur Budd. This book brought me to tears, I can't champion it enough!
January 19, 2026
Gosh what a great story about how all the moments of life - big and small - make us who we are. Matt Haig took us back to the world of The Midnight Library and did an amazing job imparting nuggets of wisdom about living life well. Great premise, well thought out middle, and a beautiful wrap up.
Hop on the train with Wilbur; you won't regret it!
[Note for the mems: this is my first physical ARC - Thanks to Kerri at Penguin Random House!]
Hop on the train with Wilbur; you won't regret it!
[Note for the mems: this is my first physical ARC - Thanks to Kerri at Penguin Random House!]
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Just finished this advanced copy, it was such a comforting and insightful read. It really makes you think about life and all its little moments. I felt like I was on a journey with Wilbur, and it was a beautiful one. If you're looking for something that will leave you feeling a bit more hopeful, definitely pick this one up. It's one of those books you don't want to end.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is one of those books that might just change your life.
Bear with me while I gather my thoughts for a full review.
Bear with me while I gather my thoughts for a full review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
5🌟
Thanks to Netgalley, Matt Haig, and Viking Penguin for sending me an Arc to review.
Wow! I knew I would enjoy this book, but I ended up absolutely adoring it. This one will stay with me for awhile. The first half is background story, learning about Wilbur and his life. Why he has made the choices he has made, how he has dealt with traumas and experiences he has survived. The second half I could not put down. I ignored everything I was supposed to do tonight because this took priority. Zero regrets. I won't give spoilers, but I will say, the journey this takes you on is something all people should consider. It's raw emotion and relatable. If only everyone did get a midnight train. I highly recommend this book and personally will probably reread it at some point.
While this is set in the same World as The Midnight Library, it is not necessary to read (or reread) the first book. Although that one is also a great read. I'm hoping there will be more to come in this world!!
Thanks to Netgalley, Matt Haig, and Viking Penguin for sending me an Arc to review.
Wow! I knew I would enjoy this book, but I ended up absolutely adoring it. This one will stay with me for awhile. The first half is background story, learning about Wilbur and his life. Why he has made the choices he has made, how he has dealt with traumas and experiences he has survived. The second half I could not put down. I ignored everything I was supposed to do tonight because this took priority. Zero regrets. I won't give spoilers, but I will say, the journey this takes you on is something all people should consider. It's raw emotion and relatable. If only everyone did get a midnight train. I highly recommend this book and personally will probably reread it at some point.
While this is set in the same World as The Midnight Library, it is not necessary to read (or reread) the first book. Although that one is also a great read. I'm hoping there will be more to come in this world!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a copy from netgalley to read and review.
The second book in the Midnight series. Not an actual sequel, but it takes place in the same kind of world. I really enjoyed this book. The writing is very pleasant and I really loved the story. This is also a book that makes you stop and think about your own life (choices).
The second book in the Midnight series. Not an actual sequel, but it takes place in the same kind of world. I really enjoyed this book. The writing is very pleasant and I really loved the story. This is also a book that makes you stop and think about your own life (choices).
May 13, 2026
I just finished The Midnight Train by Matt Haig and it did not disappoint. I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Allen & Unwin and Netgalley.
This isn’t just a story; it’s the kind of book that quietly reaches into something deep inside you. Matt Haig has such a beautiful way of blending emotion, reflection and hope into his writing. The book serves as a reminder not to lose sight of what truly matters in life- connection, purpose, love and appreciating moments we take for granted.
I absolutely loved The Midnight Library and this gave me the same feeling. It’s the kind of story that makes you pause and reflect on your own life while still being incredibly engaging and heartfelt.
Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys books that leave you feeling changed in some small way by the end. Another unforgettable read from Matt Haig.
This isn’t just a story; it’s the kind of book that quietly reaches into something deep inside you. Matt Haig has such a beautiful way of blending emotion, reflection and hope into his writing. The book serves as a reminder not to lose sight of what truly matters in life- connection, purpose, love and appreciating moments we take for granted.
I absolutely loved The Midnight Library and this gave me the same feeling. It’s the kind of story that makes you pause and reflect on your own life while still being incredibly engaging and heartfelt.
Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys books that leave you feeling changed in some small way by the end. Another unforgettable read from Matt Haig.
Want to Read
May 5, 2026 ⋮ ⌗ ┆ pre-release :
HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS BOOK 😓 I LOVED THE FIRST BOOK SO I CANT WAIT TO READ THIS ONE 🙏
HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS BOOK 😓 I LOVED THE FIRST BOOK SO I CANT WAIT TO READ THIS ONE 🙏
January 17, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up
“Obviously this isn’t a sequel to The Midnight Library, in any traditional sense. But conceptually, it follows on. The Midnight Library was a library between life and death. This is a train through life after death. “ Matt Haig
I fell in love with the Midnight Library when I read it back in 2023 so when I saw this I knew I had to read it. So let me start off by saying thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this before its release date.
These books are always a great way for me to start my year as they give you a perspective on how to live and look at your life. To appreciate what’s important. It was a nice touch that Nora made a guest appearance in the Midnight Train and had glimpses back into the Midnight Library.
There were more than a few lines that I had to write down as I want to continue to revisit them time and time again to remind myself on the important things in life and I know I will revisit this story again and again.
“Obviously this isn’t a sequel to The Midnight Library, in any traditional sense. But conceptually, it follows on. The Midnight Library was a library between life and death. This is a train through life after death. “ Matt Haig
I fell in love with the Midnight Library when I read it back in 2023 so when I saw this I knew I had to read it. So let me start off by saying thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this before its release date.
These books are always a great way for me to start my year as they give you a perspective on how to live and look at your life. To appreciate what’s important. It was a nice touch that Nora made a guest appearance in the Midnight Train and had glimpses back into the Midnight Library.
There were more than a few lines that I had to write down as I want to continue to revisit them time and time again to remind myself on the important things in life and I know I will revisit this story again and again.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is the second book in Matt Haig’s Midnight World, and I went into it with very high expectations because I loved The Midnight Library. In that book, the quest felt expansive—like many lives were touched by the choices being explored. (Though I may be romanticizing it and should probably reread.)
The Midnight Train is beautifully written. I highlighted something on almost every page, and there’s no denying how thoughtful and quotable it is. But by the end, I realized I didn’t actually care much about how the story resolved. It felt like everything ultimately narrowed back down to whether he was happy. Maggie, too, sure—but the broader ripple effect didn’t land for me the way it did in The Midnight Library.
I also didn’t realize until I’d finished that I didn’t really like Wilbur, which… explains a lot. It made sense of why I never fully settled into the story, even with how lovely the writing is.
I liked this book. I admired it. I just didn’t feel much once it was over—and after loving the first book so much, that surprised me.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC.
#TheMidnightTrain #MattHaig
The Midnight Train is beautifully written. I highlighted something on almost every page, and there’s no denying how thoughtful and quotable it is. But by the end, I realized I didn’t actually care much about how the story resolved. It felt like everything ultimately narrowed back down to whether he was happy. Maggie, too, sure—but the broader ripple effect didn’t land for me the way it did in The Midnight Library.
I also didn’t realize until I’d finished that I didn’t really like Wilbur, which… explains a lot. It made sense of why I never fully settled into the story, even with how lovely the writing is.
I liked this book. I admired it. I just didn’t feel much once it was over—and after loving the first book so much, that surprised me.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC.
#TheMidnightTrain #MattHaig
May 2, 2026
4.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Vibe check: Whimsical, Sliding Train Doors
full review ⬇️
I can’t believe I’m saying this… but I really enjoyed a book involving sci-fi and trains. Who even am I!? 😅
The Midnight Library was one of the first books that got me back into reading a few years ago and I loved it so of course I went into The Midnight Train with high hopes and it definitely delivered that same reflective, slightly magical feel.
This story leans into Matt Haig’s signature style of a touch of the surreal mixed with very real, very human emotions.
It’s imaginative without being overwhelming, and the train concept actually adds to the sense of journey and possibility rather than taking away from it.
What I loved most was the way it explores choices, alternate paths and those quiet sliding doors ‘what if’ moments as a man goes back to view his life through a train journey. all wrapped up in a story that feels both comforting and thought provoking.
If you enjoy slightly whimsical stories with a dash of love that blend everyday life with a hint of the extraordinary and make you think about the paths you’ve taken (and the ones you haven’t), this is a really lovely story. It compliments The Midnight Library but can absolutely be read as a standalone.
A kind thank you to Allen and Unwin and NetGalley for the sneak peek of this one.
Vibe check: Whimsical, Sliding Train Doors
full review ⬇️
I can’t believe I’m saying this… but I really enjoyed a book involving sci-fi and trains. Who even am I!? 😅
The Midnight Library was one of the first books that got me back into reading a few years ago and I loved it so of course I went into The Midnight Train with high hopes and it definitely delivered that same reflective, slightly magical feel.
This story leans into Matt Haig’s signature style of a touch of the surreal mixed with very real, very human emotions.
It’s imaginative without being overwhelming, and the train concept actually adds to the sense of journey and possibility rather than taking away from it.
What I loved most was the way it explores choices, alternate paths and those quiet sliding doors ‘what if’ moments as a man goes back to view his life through a train journey. all wrapped up in a story that feels both comforting and thought provoking.
If you enjoy slightly whimsical stories with a dash of love that blend everyday life with a hint of the extraordinary and make you think about the paths you’ve taken (and the ones you haven’t), this is a really lovely story. It compliments The Midnight Library but can absolutely be read as a standalone.
A kind thank you to Allen and Unwin and NetGalley for the sneak peek of this one.
April 26, 2026
firstly a big thank you to the netgalley for blessing me with an arc of this lovely lovely book!
would you give up your eternity to fix mistakes you made in the past?
this book was everything! i had very very high expectations for this after loving the midnight library so much and i’m glad to say it exceeded all my expectations. matt haig is a brilliant writer who knows exactly how to write such beautiful books filled with impactful meaning, his writing heals you in ways you didn’t even think possible. and even though you could see exactly how the book was going to end you can’t even wish for it to end any other way and i think there’s something so perfectly simplistic in that. i would highly recommend this book especially if you loved the midnight library!
would you give up your eternity to fix mistakes you made in the past?
this book was everything! i had very very high expectations for this after loving the midnight library so much and i’m glad to say it exceeded all my expectations. matt haig is a brilliant writer who knows exactly how to write such beautiful books filled with impactful meaning, his writing heals you in ways you didn’t even think possible. and even though you could see exactly how the book was going to end you can’t even wish for it to end any other way and i think there’s something so perfectly simplistic in that. i would highly recommend this book especially if you loved the midnight library!
May 8, 2026
Didn’t pull me in, RTC
March 16, 2026
4.3 ⭐️
Your life flashes before your eyes - What will you see?
Wilbur is a hugely successful bookstore owner who dies alone at 81. Instead of simply dying, he is taken on the Midnight Train and revisits key points from his life. He reassesses and decides to take matters into his own hands.
This is both poignant and painful at times. I felt deeply for many of the characters. I found it sad that Ghost Wilbur had to endure many of the painful memories because there is "little to be learned from happiness".
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC copy in return for my honest review.
Your life flashes before your eyes - What will you see?
Wilbur is a hugely successful bookstore owner who dies alone at 81. Instead of simply dying, he is taken on the Midnight Train and revisits key points from his life. He reassesses and decides to take matters into his own hands.
This is both poignant and painful at times. I felt deeply for many of the characters. I found it sad that Ghost Wilbur had to endure many of the painful memories because there is "little to be learned from happiness".
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC copy in return for my honest review.
March 11, 2026
The Midnight Train by Matt Haig ⭐️⭐️⭐️
When Wilbur has a heart attack, he finds himself in a train station boarding the Midnight Train; his last chance to journey through the important moments of his life. There’s one person who is in each happy memory, Maggie.
I have to admit that my expectations for this were very high, since we all loved The Midnight Library so much. Haig has a way with words and that clearly showed with this one as well. Personally I just didn’t feel the connection with the main character that I felt before. I enjoyed the story. It is an emotional and powerful tale, showing the missed opportunity of living every moment to the fullest. I just feel I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t loved Library so much!
“Maybe.. the world was full of this. Chaos trying too hard to be order. Violence trying to be peace. Maybe sometimes bad actions were just good motives without a map.”
Read if you like:
-Magical realism
-Second chance stories
-The Midnight Library
The Midnight Train comes out 5/26.
When Wilbur has a heart attack, he finds himself in a train station boarding the Midnight Train; his last chance to journey through the important moments of his life. There’s one person who is in each happy memory, Maggie.
I have to admit that my expectations for this were very high, since we all loved The Midnight Library so much. Haig has a way with words and that clearly showed with this one as well. Personally I just didn’t feel the connection with the main character that I felt before. I enjoyed the story. It is an emotional and powerful tale, showing the missed opportunity of living every moment to the fullest. I just feel I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t loved Library so much!
“Maybe.. the world was full of this. Chaos trying too hard to be order. Violence trying to be peace. Maybe sometimes bad actions were just good motives without a map.”
Read if you like:
-Magical realism
-Second chance stories
-The Midnight Library
The Midnight Train comes out 5/26.
February 8, 2026
I was lucky enough to read this pre-publication in return for a review. Thanks to the publishers, NetGalley, and MH for the privilege!
If you’re familiar with Matt’s voice and his previous work, you’ll get what you’re expecting with this. It’s his usual reassessment of the mundanity of life, with a reminder that it’s all an experience to cherish. I feel like I have to read something like this every once in a while to remind myself not to take everything for granted.
A heartwarming, gently challenging, quick read. Of course I recommend!
If you’re familiar with Matt’s voice and his previous work, you’ll get what you’re expecting with this. It’s his usual reassessment of the mundanity of life, with a reminder that it’s all an experience to cherish. I feel like I have to read something like this every once in a while to remind myself not to take everything for granted.
A heartwarming, gently challenging, quick read. Of course I recommend!
February 13, 2026
Incredibly corny and predictable. A few good lines and sentiments here and there but basically a more magical/modern version of A Christmas Carol. I read the Midnight Library years ago and gave it 5 stars but now I’m suspicious of my own review. All characters are completely one dimensional, I felt no emotional depth in this story. Sorry but Matt Haig should not be near any historical fiction.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC
May 7, 2026
Thank you to Canongate Books, the author and NetGalley for a DRC in return for an honest review.
Matt Haig’s The Midnight Train isn't really a sequel, in the true sense of the word, to The Midnight Library - it's more of a philosophical companion piece. Whereas the first book in The Midnight World explored the infinite possibilities of lives unlived, The Midnight Train asks a quieter, sadder question: what happens when you realise you were not fully present for the life you actually had?
After his death, 81-year-old Wilbur Budd boards The Midnight Train, travelling backwards through the defining moments of his life. Along the way he revisits love, ambition, grief, regret and the gradual emotional drift that led him away from the people and moments that mattered most. Like The Midnight Library, the novel uses speculative metaphysics as emotional metaphor rather than hard science, but here the focus is less on alternate timelines and more on hindsight, memory and the painful clarity that often arrives too late.
What fascinated me most about this novel was an ironic parallel I haven't seen many other reviewers discuss. There are some negative reviews complaining that Wilbur is boring, emotionally distant, repetitive or difficult to connect with. But this mirrors exactly how Wilbur himself experiences his own life. He spends decades treating ordinary moments - conversations, music, books, holidays, love itself - as background scenery while he chases success, productivity and some future version of happiness. In other words, both Wilbur and some readers fail to recognise the emotional significance of an ordinary life until it is already slipping away.
I suspect this is partly intentional.
This book isn't interested in spectacle or plot twists. It is interested in attentiveness. In slowing down long enough to notice the emotional texture of a human life. However, this slower, reflective rhythm is dividing readers. Some are finding it repetitive or sentimental, while for others it is quietly devastating.
I also think age and life experience are shaping some responses to this book. From what I have seen so far, it seems to me as though younger readers prefer The Midnight Library’s more dynamic structure and sense of possibility. The Midnight Train is much more concerned with hindsight than potential. It speaks to accumulated regret, drifting away from people you love, work eclipsing presence and the unsettling realisation that years can disappear while you are busy planning for the future. Readers who have experienced grief, loss, ageing parents, divorce or simply the strange acceleration of time may find Wilbur’s journey deeply affecting in a way younger readers may not yet fully connect with.
Many reviewers have compared the novel to A Christmas Carol - structurally the comparison is understandable: an older man revisits the defining moments of his life and is forced to confront the emotional consequences of his choices. However, emotionally and philosophically, I think the stronger parallel is actually the Michael Sheen film Last Train to Christmas. Both works use a train not simply as a supernatural device, but as a metaphor for momentum, hindsight and the strange sadness of realising your life continued moving forward while you were emotionally elsewhere. Both protagonists mistake success for fulfilment and gradually come to understand that the ordinary moments they overlooked were the very substance of life itself. Like Last Train to Christmas, The Midnight Train is less interested in moral redemption than in emotional presence.
The novel repeatedly returns to the idea that there is no perfect life waiting somewhere else. Every possible life contains both pain and joy. Wilbur’s tragedy is not that he chose the 'wrong' life, but that he spent too much of it emotionally elsewhere - in ambition, anxiety, projection and future-thinking - instead of inhabiting the present moment whilst it was happening.
That is what gives the ending its emotional weight. The revelation is not that life can be perfected. It is that meaning was already there in the ordinary moments he failed to notice.
The Midnight Train will not work for everyone. Some readers will find it too sentimental, too predictable or too reminiscent of A Christmas Carol. But for readers willing to surrender to its sincerity and reflective pace, it becomes a thoughtful meditation on regret, presence and the frightening ease with which we abandon our lives while trying to improve them.
Ultimately, The Midnight Train argues that a meaningful life is not one without suffering or mistakes. It is simply one in which we remain emotionally awake enough to experience it while it is happening.
#TheMidnightTrain #NetGalley
Matt Haig’s The Midnight Train isn't really a sequel, in the true sense of the word, to The Midnight Library - it's more of a philosophical companion piece. Whereas the first book in The Midnight World explored the infinite possibilities of lives unlived, The Midnight Train asks a quieter, sadder question: what happens when you realise you were not fully present for the life you actually had?
After his death, 81-year-old Wilbur Budd boards The Midnight Train, travelling backwards through the defining moments of his life. Along the way he revisits love, ambition, grief, regret and the gradual emotional drift that led him away from the people and moments that mattered most. Like The Midnight Library, the novel uses speculative metaphysics as emotional metaphor rather than hard science, but here the focus is less on alternate timelines and more on hindsight, memory and the painful clarity that often arrives too late.
What fascinated me most about this novel was an ironic parallel I haven't seen many other reviewers discuss. There are some negative reviews complaining that Wilbur is boring, emotionally distant, repetitive or difficult to connect with. But this mirrors exactly how Wilbur himself experiences his own life. He spends decades treating ordinary moments - conversations, music, books, holidays, love itself - as background scenery while he chases success, productivity and some future version of happiness. In other words, both Wilbur and some readers fail to recognise the emotional significance of an ordinary life until it is already slipping away.
I suspect this is partly intentional.
This book isn't interested in spectacle or plot twists. It is interested in attentiveness. In slowing down long enough to notice the emotional texture of a human life. However, this slower, reflective rhythm is dividing readers. Some are finding it repetitive or sentimental, while for others it is quietly devastating.
I also think age and life experience are shaping some responses to this book. From what I have seen so far, it seems to me as though younger readers prefer The Midnight Library’s more dynamic structure and sense of possibility. The Midnight Train is much more concerned with hindsight than potential. It speaks to accumulated regret, drifting away from people you love, work eclipsing presence and the unsettling realisation that years can disappear while you are busy planning for the future. Readers who have experienced grief, loss, ageing parents, divorce or simply the strange acceleration of time may find Wilbur’s journey deeply affecting in a way younger readers may not yet fully connect with.
Many reviewers have compared the novel to A Christmas Carol - structurally the comparison is understandable: an older man revisits the defining moments of his life and is forced to confront the emotional consequences of his choices. However, emotionally and philosophically, I think the stronger parallel is actually the Michael Sheen film Last Train to Christmas. Both works use a train not simply as a supernatural device, but as a metaphor for momentum, hindsight and the strange sadness of realising your life continued moving forward while you were emotionally elsewhere. Both protagonists mistake success for fulfilment and gradually come to understand that the ordinary moments they overlooked were the very substance of life itself. Like Last Train to Christmas, The Midnight Train is less interested in moral redemption than in emotional presence.
The novel repeatedly returns to the idea that there is no perfect life waiting somewhere else. Every possible life contains both pain and joy. Wilbur’s tragedy is not that he chose the 'wrong' life, but that he spent too much of it emotionally elsewhere - in ambition, anxiety, projection and future-thinking - instead of inhabiting the present moment whilst it was happening.
That is what gives the ending its emotional weight. The revelation is not that life can be perfected. It is that meaning was already there in the ordinary moments he failed to notice.
The Midnight Train will not work for everyone. Some readers will find it too sentimental, too predictable or too reminiscent of A Christmas Carol. But for readers willing to surrender to its sincerity and reflective pace, it becomes a thoughtful meditation on regret, presence and the frightening ease with which we abandon our lives while trying to improve them.
Ultimately, The Midnight Train argues that a meaningful life is not one without suffering or mistakes. It is simply one in which we remain emotionally awake enough to experience it while it is happening.
#TheMidnightTrain #NetGalley
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