Title: This Is How You Lose The Time War
Authors: Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Source: Pasco County Library System
Publication Date: July 16, 2019
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

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Why did I choose to read this book?

For a brief time this book was very famous on the internet, Twitter specifically, by, and I am not joking here, someone called “bigolas dickolas wolfwood.” The infamous tweet helped put this book on the New York Time Bestseller list. Since it was so popular even after being viral, I decided to take the time to read the short 198 page story.

What is this book about?

A grower (Blue) and a reaper (Red) are soldiers in enemy factions that look to win a war across time, up and down and across threads of history and future. They taunt each other with letters written in odd ways as they cross paths, both each other’s equal in combat. As they thwart each other time and again, their letters become more thoughtful, appreciative, and caring. This book is about connection, even when who we are seems to be so extremely opposite.

What is notable about this story?

This story is written as letters and observations. You will feel like you are reading war reports, summaries of battles, listening to a Ken Burns documentary when they have actors read the letters sent home from the battlefields. Fitting to the time traveling theme, your reading of this cannot embed you into the action because it’s all already happened. So while Red and Blue are compelling characters, this book is plot-driven and action packed. If you like to get swept away by what’s happening, this book will be an amuse-bouche for your psyche.

Was anything not so great?

Books like these always feel like they are keeping me at arms length. I don’t like memoir and I don’t enjoy non-fiction, so when I encounter books written in this style my reaction to them mimics these other genres – it’s a reading assignment. When I read I like to envision myself as the characters, I want to care about what they do, the choices they make, so that what happens matters because of who it is happening to. This style doesn’t allow me to be a part of the action, so it’s difficult for me to care enough to read it. It took me almost a week to read a 198 page book (that’s insane btw) because I just wasn’t compelled to pick it back up.

But this comment was about what was not so great for me. If you asked me to find something about this book that was not so great in general I wouldn’t find anything. The storylines are tight as a drum, the writing is beautiful and evocative, and it’s so short that it’s worth reading to see if you like it. It’ll take you like a day, two tops.

What’s the verdict?

I’m gonna 4 star it on Goodreads so people don’t get pissy with me and because I want to rate it for the general public, but for me personally it was only a 3 out of 5. It’s short, sweet, and you should definitely pick it up in between your next two library holds. Let me know what you think!