Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - This Is How You Lose the Time War

Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

15 reviews

nimeneth's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a second attempt with this one. I picked this up the first time about a year ago, but it was the wrong time for it and I didn't make it far. This time was apparently just right, so thank you book club for dropping this back on my radar.

This little book was WEIRD, and I enjoyed it a lot. It was sometimes a little hard to keep track of what was going on, but I think in a way that makes the book better? It definitely didn't take anything away from the experience of reading it. Trying to track some of the terminology in the context was challenging at first but considering the book is a multi-verse time-travel long-con of a heist, it also adds a bit to the charm. It was also very melancholy in the second half, until that twist at the very end where it turns around and winds up reframing some of the bits woven throughout. Very skillful planning and execution for the tale, and I think the twist is my favorite part.

Part of me would love to see a sequel, but another part of me wants this to stand alone with the ending open to possibility and interpretation, because it's just that interesting.

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tlindhorst's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This book will reward re-reading, mulling over & reading outside reviews. It is complex, romantic, full of hope & despair all at the same time. Is the conclusion that

we must break away from more collective identities correct

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chris_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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dannothedino's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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gabriella_'s review

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I’m gonna be honest I found this book kinda pretentious. I don’t like a “learn on the job” approach to lore/world building when I barely have time to get a sense of what the actual setting is - and the mental mindfuck of added details made me feel even more lost at sea.

I loved the letters and the main characters’ dynamic. Some scenes had prose-writing so beautiful it read like poetry. The final quarter of the book had me in its grasp.

This book had a dreamlike quality to it, like a fairy tale. It feels like if 1984 meets Snow White meets Revolutionary Girl Utena meets Camus’ The Stranger.

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broccoli_j's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

In the words of bigolas dickolas:
„read this (book)“

I, and the internet, know with my whole heart that this is going to be a classic.

This book is pure genius, you don’t need to like sci-fi or love story’s or wars to like this story. This story will make you like it.
If you love literature, you will love this book. This is just the rule!

So, enjoy reading!

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lenz's review

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adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Short and sweet and impossibly romantic. Though I don’t personally enjoy romance stories like this, I appreciate that this story is told with little distraction so it was easier to get through. This story is a

series of love letters, and the ending was happy.

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