YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar will be one of our GBRs for August 2025.

Please read at your own pace, and hide any spoilers ☺ You are welcome to join at any time during the month ☺

Happy Reading Everybody!

Pre-Reading Questions -

Anybody got any thoughts on this one before we start?

Has anyone read anything similar to this before?

Anybody read anything else by this author previously?

This has been recommended to me by so many friends, im excited to start reading it

27%: (view spoiler)[ its a very interesting plot and one i dont feel ive read before. This back and forth between red and blue, i love reading their letters to each other. But i do have to say that i am still trying to wrap my head around the world and how it works (hide spoiler)]

50%: (view spoiler)[ ok i think im getting it a little more. I still dont know who this seeker is though. Is she from red or blues side? And what exactly are they there for? (hide spoiler)]

77%: (view spoiler)[ so red's side knows that blue has been following her. This cant be good. Which side is the seeker on and what do they want? Im still confused on the world itself but i love the letters to each other (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[ the seeker was Red. I had started to think that it was one of them early on but couldn't figure out how or why so i just moved on. This was a very interesting concept. The best part were the letters fo sure (hide spoiler)]

Started this one today! Quite short so I reckon I'll read it very quickly!

25% (view spoiler)[I'm really enjoying the letters, Blue and Red have quite distinct personalities which is excellent! Agree with you Jenn that there is very little context for what is actually going on, but I'm piecing enough together I think and am enjoying it regardless! (hide spoiler)]

50%: (view spoiler)[ Yeah look I really thought I would be less confused at this point in the book! Like I do feel like I get the big picture, but I am also a little confused about the seeker and the Garden as well?

I really liked the bit where Blue saved Red! And the letters after that were extra good too! (hide spoiler)]

75%: (view spoiler)[ Oh my gosh noooo Red's side is onto them! I actually don’t know how they’re going to get out of this one! Red’s last ‘real’ letter to Blue now that they’re going to start being monitored was so wholesome and so sad! (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[ Definitely agree with Jenn that the letters were the highlight of this one, they were so good and I really loved how they were so clearly written by different people!

I also loved the ending and how it all came together, but I never guessed that Red was the seeker! I feel like right until it was happening I really had no idea! So I very much enjoyed that! (hide spoiler)]