This certainly isn’t a bad thing, as any story that makes you think is a gift. In other words, it takes effort to keep the story straight. I had to remind myself of certain things and certain people, and it was this approach that allowed me to stay on top of the conflicting realities. On more than one occasion, I had to go back to previous pages. Instead, I’ll share what I experienced while reading this wild story. I have a feeling I’m doing more harm than good with this explanation. Which persona will win? Which reality is real? And for the love of Pete, does he wind up with his love?

The goofy and hapless person he was at first is now shrewd and awful. In other words, after Tom “wakes” in the resulting reality that he created from his rather insane trip into the past (people he knew previously were now not born… key inventions were left off the map) he is an entirely different person. Prepared to deal with the possibility of impacting the fabric of the universe… not so much. If ever there was someone who should avoid time-travel, it’s Tom Barren. Remember all those books and movies that warned the time-traveling protagonist to avoid, at all costs, being seen in the past, lest the future be irreparably altered? Well, turns out that not only should you not be seen, but you probably shouldn’t touch stuff either. Ok – that’s somewhat accurate, but not quite.Īll Our Wrong Todays takes place in an alternative present that is only a reality because a goofball hurled himself into a time machine and botched up the past. All Our Wrong Todays takes place in the present.

A touch dizzying and muddied? For this reader, yes.įirst, my attempt at a synopsis. The only reason my rating hit the 3.5 mark was because I found the book to be jarring and somewhat disjointed. That in no way is meant to dissuade you from picking up this fascinating and often funny debut novel. Congratulations to Elan Mastai for keeping me on my toes.ĭon’t be confused by that 3.5 overall rating. This whirlwind novel kept me guessing and reeling until the very last page, and the more I think about the plot, the more brilliant I believe the author to be. Before I get this review straight in my head (might take a moment or two), I need to thank Dutton for sending a copy of All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai.

All our wrong todays