How You Lose is a remarkable work of fiction in which a constellation of artfully linked stories follows a young woman named Melody， the man who shot her—Alex—and several people whose lives intersect briefly with Melody s in a succession of meaningful coincidences. A wise and penetrating debut novel about the life-altering repercussions of a crime—for the perpetrator and victims alike—How You Lose plumbs the psychological depths of empathy， redemption， and identity. Distinguished not only by its compelling themes and all-too-human characters， How You Lose is remarkable for its elegant orchestration of the stories: They stand alone， but as the book progresses， they build into a whole that emerges as a deeply resounding and unified depiction of both the fragility and resilience of the human condition.