What do you think?
Rate this book
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Goodreads Choice Award
Winner for Readers' Favorite Fiction (2022)An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.
In this exhilarating novel by the best-selling author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry two friends--often in love, but never lovers--come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.
On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.
Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.
In this exhilarating novel by the best-selling author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry two friends--often in love, but never lovers--come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.
On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.
Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.
418 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2022
About the author
Gabrielle Zevin
23 books17.3k followersGABRIELLE ZEVIN is a New York Times best-selling novelist whose books have been translated into forty languages.
Her tenth novel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was published by Knopf in July of 2022 and was an instant New York Times Best Seller, a Sunday Times Best Seller, a USA Today Best Seller, a #1 National Indie Best Seller, and a selection of the Tonight Show’s Fallon Book Club. Maureen Corrigan of NPR’s Fresh Air called it, “a big beautifully written novel…that succeeds in being both serious art and immersive entertainment.” Following a twenty-five-bidder auction, the feature film rights to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow were acquired by Temple Hill and Paramount Studios.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry spent many months on the New York Times Best Seller List, reached #1 on the National Indie Best Seller List, was a USA Today Best Seller, and has been a best seller all around the world. A.J. Fikry was honored with the Southern California Independent Booksellers Award for Fiction, the Japan Booksellers’ Prize, and was long listed for the International Dublin Literary Award, among other honors. To date, the book has sold over five-million copies worldwide. It is now a feature film with a screenplay by Zevin. Young Jane Young won the Southern Book Prize and was one of the Washington Post’s Fifty Notable Works of Fiction.
She is the screenwriter of Conversations with Other Women (Helena Bonham Carter) for which she received an Independent Spirit Award Nomination for Best First Screenplay. She has occasionally written criticism for the New York Times Book Review and NPR’s All Things Considered, and she began her writing career, at age fourteen, as a music critic for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Zevin is a graduate of Harvard University. She lives in Los Angeles.
NOTE: Apologies, but Gabrielle doesn't reply to messages on Goodreads.
Her tenth novel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was published by Knopf in July of 2022 and was an instant New York Times Best Seller, a Sunday Times Best Seller, a USA Today Best Seller, a #1 National Indie Best Seller, and a selection of the Tonight Show’s Fallon Book Club. Maureen Corrigan of NPR’s Fresh Air called it, “a big beautifully written novel…that succeeds in being both serious art and immersive entertainment.” Following a twenty-five-bidder auction, the feature film rights to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow were acquired by Temple Hill and Paramount Studios.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry spent many months on the New York Times Best Seller List, reached #1 on the National Indie Best Seller List, was a USA Today Best Seller, and has been a best seller all around the world. A.J. Fikry was honored with the Southern California Independent Booksellers Award for Fiction, the Japan Booksellers’ Prize, and was long listed for the International Dublin Literary Award, among other honors. To date, the book has sold over five-million copies worldwide. It is now a feature film with a screenplay by Zevin. Young Jane Young won the Southern Book Prize and was one of the Washington Post’s Fifty Notable Works of Fiction.
She is the screenwriter of Conversations with Other Women (Helena Bonham Carter) for which she received an Independent Spirit Award Nomination for Best First Screenplay. She has occasionally written criticism for the New York Times Book Review and NPR’s All Things Considered, and she began her writing career, at age fourteen, as a music critic for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Zevin is a graduate of Harvard University. She lives in Los Angeles.
NOTE: Apologies, but Gabrielle doesn't reply to messages on Goodreads.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136,398 reviews
July 11, 2024
This is one of those well-lauded books that I felt a bit hesitant going in. I assumed it was targeted for a certain audience—either those who gravitate towards stories about complicated friendships, or gamers. I'm not sure either of those are me, so what would I get out of it?
And when I first started, I thought for sure I'd made a mistake. The first chapter was so overwritten, coming across as both pretentious and off-putting, and I cringed my way through it. I thought to myself, this is it. The book that everyone loves, I'd either have to give up on or end up writing a lowly-rated review and be subjected to comments about brain deficiency.
I took a break and then decided to give it another chance. Chapter 2 was a little bit better. And then we come to Chapter 3, and bam! I was hooked. It's not an understatement to say that the scene with Dov teaching the Advanced Games seminar class was my favorite of the whole book and it's what sold me on reading it.
From then on, every moment related to designing or making video games, I was totally there for. Before I started, if you'd told me that that would be the part I'd enjoy the most, I would've been surprised. I wouldn't categorize myself as a gamer since I've probably only loved one video game my whole life. (That was Animal Crossing, first on the GameCube and then almost 20 years later as Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch.)
But then when I think about it, I shouldn't have been surprised. The way this book talks about games, they're really presented as more like stories, albeit ones where the reader can participate in and influence the direction and outcome. And I'm certainly a reader of the most passionate sort.
I'm also a software engineer with a little bit of experience making video games on the side, so of course the technical aspects of Sam and Sadie's ventures totally appealed to me. Reading about their projects is more or less like reading about work—which I normally avoid like the plague—but somehow this book made it exciting.
I can't help but wish the games were real. I want to play them and capture the feelings reading about them evoked in me. And I also want to know everything that went into making them. If this were a biography on a real video game company, I would've loved it from cover to cover and completely gobbled it up.
But it wasn't, and as a result, this wasn't a perfect story for me. It very much centers around Sam and Sadie's friendship, and that was pretty much the weakest part. I didn't really connect with either of the characters. All their issues were the result of the dreaded miscommunication trope, where one or the other refuses to say what they mean, leading to misunderstandings. And this went on and on, through many years.
My other issue with the story is that it includes a certain development that comes out of nowhere, seemingly for no other reason than to beat down the characters, thus eliciting tugs of the heartstrings and upping the emotional ante. And I'm just not a fan. It doesn't add anything to the story and it left me feeling somewhat emotionally manipulated.
I also have to point out that the story at times feels like it's a bit too clever with its verbiage. Like at one point, this book conjured up the only two literary characters who know what "jejune" means and put them in a conversation with each other. While that's an impressive use of the thesaurus, it detracts a bit from the story being told.
But I don't think my experience with the book is typical. A lot of other readers praise the depiction of Sam and Sadie's relationship and declare their love for the book despite the video game segments. I'm pretty much the complete opposite. But even coming from two different directions, it seems we have all reached the same conclusion, and that's our collective enjoyment for this supremely interesting story. And in the end, that's all that really matters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
This was a pick for my Book of the Month box. Get your first book for $5 here.
And when I first started, I thought for sure I'd made a mistake. The first chapter was so overwritten, coming across as both pretentious and off-putting, and I cringed my way through it. I thought to myself, this is it. The book that everyone loves, I'd either have to give up on or end up writing a lowly-rated review and be subjected to comments about brain deficiency.
I took a break and then decided to give it another chance. Chapter 2 was a little bit better. And then we come to Chapter 3, and bam! I was hooked. It's not an understatement to say that the scene with Dov teaching the Advanced Games seminar class was my favorite of the whole book and it's what sold me on reading it.
From then on, every moment related to designing or making video games, I was totally there for. Before I started, if you'd told me that that would be the part I'd enjoy the most, I would've been surprised. I wouldn't categorize myself as a gamer since I've probably only loved one video game my whole life. (That was Animal Crossing, first on the GameCube and then almost 20 years later as Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch.)
But then when I think about it, I shouldn't have been surprised. The way this book talks about games, they're really presented as more like stories, albeit ones where the reader can participate in and influence the direction and outcome. And I'm certainly a reader of the most passionate sort.
I'm also a software engineer with a little bit of experience making video games on the side, so of course the technical aspects of Sam and Sadie's ventures totally appealed to me. Reading about their projects is more or less like reading about work—which I normally avoid like the plague—but somehow this book made it exciting.
I can't help but wish the games were real. I want to play them and capture the feelings reading about them evoked in me. And I also want to know everything that went into making them. If this were a biography on a real video game company, I would've loved it from cover to cover and completely gobbled it up.
But it wasn't, and as a result, this wasn't a perfect story for me. It very much centers around Sam and Sadie's friendship, and that was pretty much the weakest part. I didn't really connect with either of the characters. All their issues were the result of the dreaded miscommunication trope, where one or the other refuses to say what they mean, leading to misunderstandings. And this went on and on, through many years.
My other issue with the story is that it includes a certain development that comes out of nowhere, seemingly for no other reason than to beat down the characters, thus eliciting tugs of the heartstrings and upping the emotional ante. And I'm just not a fan. It doesn't add anything to the story and it left me feeling somewhat emotionally manipulated.
I also have to point out that the story at times feels like it's a bit too clever with its verbiage. Like at one point, this book conjured up the only two literary characters who know what "jejune" means and put them in a conversation with each other. While that's an impressive use of the thesaurus, it detracts a bit from the story being told.
But I don't think my experience with the book is typical. A lot of other readers praise the depiction of Sam and Sadie's relationship and declare their love for the book despite the video game segments. I'm pretty much the complete opposite. But even coming from two different directions, it seems we have all reached the same conclusion, and that's our collective enjoyment for this supremely interesting story. And in the end, that's all that really matters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
This was a pick for my Book of the Month box. Get your first book for $5 here.
June 25, 2022
This book is so utterly pretentiousness and trying so hard to be woke that I should have given up on it instead of seeing it to the end. I would have if the beginning hadn’t been so beautifully done. There’s a line in the book about a video game sequel being awful because it was farmed out to Indian programmers who had no interest in the game and that’s how this book feels after the incredible start. The beginning was layered, nuanced and artfully done. I hate flashbacks but this book had managed to layer the present, past and future in such an incredible way before it fell off a cliff and suddenly feels like an entirely different writer took over.
The story began with Sadie and Sam central to the story. We found out about them in a narrative that skipped around in time to let us understand them and their relationship. Sam was the obviously the more sympathetic of the two and the one you as a reader care about. Sadie was often annoying and then fell apart in a ridiculous way. I hoped her awful college self with the horrible college boyfriend would evolve and grow up but she never does. Even worse for the story is the tangents that from that point became the story. We suddenly get a new character who is rightly called boring later on. He is a NPC. He’s just too good and uninteresting to take up so much space. We get his backstory we don’t need. In a similar way later on we get two new characters that happen to be gay that bring nothing to the story other than a celebration of their sexuality which apparently is worth their inclusion. Much like tangents about their game that take up unnecessary page time and continue to dilute any attempt at storytelling. There’s plenty of politics, even to a ridiculously degree like actual comical bad guys intent on violence against those in favor of gay relationships and marriage. Ironically for a book full of wokeness with characters never being straight, celebrating gender fluidity, the book managed to ridicule cultural appropriation. The book is very focused on the race of the characters but never explores them in more than a superficial way.
One of the author’s worst faults was her pretentious word choices. Instead of writing in way that flowed she chose to constantly check her thesaurus for jarring words like jejune and verdigris every couple of pages. Ironically much like the criticism of a game her character created this book is pretentious and full of itself. The worst part is that could have been amazing if it had stayed as focused as it was in the beginning. This is not a story worth the journey so do not push play. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The story began with Sadie and Sam central to the story. We found out about them in a narrative that skipped around in time to let us understand them and their relationship. Sam was the obviously the more sympathetic of the two and the one you as a reader care about. Sadie was often annoying and then fell apart in a ridiculous way. I hoped her awful college self with the horrible college boyfriend would evolve and grow up but she never does. Even worse for the story is the tangents that from that point became the story. We suddenly get a new character who is rightly called boring later on. He is a NPC. He’s just too good and uninteresting to take up so much space. We get his backstory we don’t need. In a similar way later on we get two new characters that happen to be gay that bring nothing to the story other than a celebration of their sexuality which apparently is worth their inclusion. Much like tangents about their game that take up unnecessary page time and continue to dilute any attempt at storytelling. There’s plenty of politics, even to a ridiculously degree like actual comical bad guys intent on violence against those in favor of gay relationships and marriage. Ironically for a book full of wokeness with characters never being straight, celebrating gender fluidity, the book managed to ridicule cultural appropriation. The book is very focused on the race of the characters but never explores them in more than a superficial way.
One of the author’s worst faults was her pretentious word choices. Instead of writing in way that flowed she chose to constantly check her thesaurus for jarring words like jejune and verdigris every couple of pages. Ironically much like the criticism of a game her character created this book is pretentious and full of itself. The worst part is that could have been amazing if it had stayed as focused as it was in the beginning. This is not a story worth the journey so do not push play. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
July 16, 2022
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow I will still be thinking about this brilliant book.
Fair warning that I am predisposed to adore coming-of-age novels about protagonists of my generation (Gen X), apparently even if I don’t have much in common with them other than birth year. In this case, the protagonists are Sadie and Sam, two friends whose lives intertwine up, down, and around their love of gaming.
It must be said that this book is VERY MUCH about video games. Sadie and Sam play them, talk about them, design them, and promote them over the span of thirty years. What a testament to author Gabrielle Zevin’s writing that I could be glued to the pages of a story about a topic that typically bores me to tears! Because I loved Sadie and Sam so much, I never lost interest in their worlds - either the real one of their day-to-day existence or the virtual ones they were building.
They are, without a doubt in my mind, the two characters I’ve cared about the most over the past decade of my reading life.
I do say that with a bit of trepidation, as I know some readers of this review who love me (shout out to my mom again!) will want to read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow to meet my new literary best friends. I must therefore point out that while the novel is a masterpiece in my eyes, some people are not going to be able to get through it. Zevin is a fan of obscure words, there are risky techniques used (such as an occasional second-person chapter and dropping readers into a video game world), sad and unsavory things happen in the plot, and the text is fairly dense. This is a long 416 pages.
Also, having read (and enjoyed) Zevin’s previous two novels, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Young Jane Young, this feels like it’s from an entirely different author. I breezed through those others in a day, but Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow took me a week. I know that’s because I savored every word and often reread entire paragraphs, but that’s my point. If her prior books were hamburgers, this one is a steak.
I feel a bit bad for the upcoming books I’ll be reading in the wake of this novel, since I know nothing will compare for a very long time. In case it’s not clear enough already, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow has a well-earned place on my all-time favorites shelf. When you finish the final page of a book and hug it to your chest, where else would it go?
My sincere thanks to the author and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the gifted review copy via NetGalley. Now available.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
Fair warning that I am predisposed to adore coming-of-age novels about protagonists of my generation (Gen X), apparently even if I don’t have much in common with them other than birth year. In this case, the protagonists are Sadie and Sam, two friends whose lives intertwine up, down, and around their love of gaming.
It must be said that this book is VERY MUCH about video games. Sadie and Sam play them, talk about them, design them, and promote them over the span of thirty years. What a testament to author Gabrielle Zevin’s writing that I could be glued to the pages of a story about a topic that typically bores me to tears! Because I loved Sadie and Sam so much, I never lost interest in their worlds - either the real one of their day-to-day existence or the virtual ones they were building.
They are, without a doubt in my mind, the two characters I’ve cared about the most over the past decade of my reading life.
I do say that with a bit of trepidation, as I know some readers of this review who love me (shout out to my mom again!) will want to read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow to meet my new literary best friends. I must therefore point out that while the novel is a masterpiece in my eyes, some people are not going to be able to get through it. Zevin is a fan of obscure words, there are risky techniques used (such as an occasional second-person chapter and dropping readers into a video game world), sad and unsavory things happen in the plot, and the text is fairly dense. This is a long 416 pages.
Also, having read (and enjoyed) Zevin’s previous two novels, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Young Jane Young, this feels like it’s from an entirely different author. I breezed through those others in a day, but Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow took me a week. I know that’s because I savored every word and often reread entire paragraphs, but that’s my point. If her prior books were hamburgers, this one is a steak.
I feel a bit bad for the upcoming books I’ll be reading in the wake of this novel, since I know nothing will compare for a very long time. In case it’s not clear enough already, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow has a well-earned place on my all-time favorites shelf. When you finish the final page of a book and hug it to your chest, where else would it go?
My sincere thanks to the author and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the gifted review copy via NetGalley. Now available.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
December 14, 2022
***5 Stars***
This was one of those books where, when someone asks you what the book you are reading is about, you are kind of at a loss for words. Because, as the blurb stated, this was essentially a book about two good friends making a video game together.
But was it?
Not gonna lie, I wasn't sure where I would land on this when I decided to pick up late via BOTM add-on. (See, I even skipped over it when it was one of the monthly picks).
Despite being a child of the 80's and 90's, I never played videogames. I know, I know...the horror, some of you might be thinking. But, whelp, my dad was adamantly against us playing them, convinced it would make us lazy and turn our minds into mush.
Well, while I can't say that I'm not lazy or that my mind isn't mush despite never being a gamer, I can say that, based on the one or two times I played it at a friends' house, I really sucked at Mario Kart anyway.
But I digress.
Like I said, never having been a gamer, I was worried about how that might play into my enjoyment of a book which, on the surface, was centered around video games.
But again...was it really?
Yes and no.
This was about so much more than video games, folks. So much more than standard friendship. I can't even explain what I mean here...It just encapsulated so much of the human experience in such a bold, yet nuanced way.
In today's western culture--which is seemingly insistent upon everything having to be a social justice/political statement that slams you over the head on exhausting repeat--the way this book handled said topics felt...organic.
Showing not telling.
Allowing me to absorb the message instead of simply beating me over the head with self-righteousness.
So refreshing.
Also, there are so many elements of the book that felt personal to me...that struck a chord with me. I won't get into them; but, suffice to say that, again, this book was very much about the human experience. And the way the author used video games as a platform for it all was super creative. And super well executed, in my opinion.
Originally, I rated this 4.5 instead of 5 stars; however, I've thought about this book a lot since finishing it several days ago. And anything that makes me self-reflect...that moves me enough to contemplate the facets of it days later...deserves the full five.
P.S. You don't need to be a gamer to love this book.
P.P.S. You do need to love Marx.
This was one of those books where, when someone asks you what the book you are reading is about, you are kind of at a loss for words. Because, as the blurb stated, this was essentially a book about two good friends making a video game together.
But was it?
Not gonna lie, I wasn't sure where I would land on this when I decided to pick up late via BOTM add-on. (See, I even skipped over it when it was one of the monthly picks).
Despite being a child of the 80's and 90's, I never played videogames. I know, I know...the horror, some of you might be thinking. But, whelp, my dad was adamantly against us playing them, convinced it would make us lazy and turn our minds into mush.
Well, while I can't say that I'm not lazy or that my mind isn't mush despite never being a gamer, I can say that, based on the one or two times I played it at a friends' house, I really sucked at Mario Kart anyway.
But I digress.
Like I said, never having been a gamer, I was worried about how that might play into my enjoyment of a book which, on the surface, was centered around video games.
But again...was it really?
Yes and no.
This was about so much more than video games, folks. So much more than standard friendship. I can't even explain what I mean here...It just encapsulated so much of the human experience in such a bold, yet nuanced way.
In today's western culture--which is seemingly insistent upon everything having to be a social justice/political statement that slams you over the head on exhausting repeat--the way this book handled said topics felt...organic.
Showing not telling.
Allowing me to absorb the message instead of simply beating me over the head with self-righteousness.
So refreshing.
Also, there are so many elements of the book that felt personal to me...that struck a chord with me. I won't get into them; but, suffice to say that, again, this book was very much about the human experience. And the way the author used video games as a platform for it all was super creative. And super well executed, in my opinion.
Originally, I rated this 4.5 instead of 5 stars; however, I've thought about this book a lot since finishing it several days ago. And anything that makes me self-reflect...that moves me enough to contemplate the facets of it days later...deserves the full five.
P.S. You don't need to be a gamer to love this book.
P.P.S. You do need to love Marx.
May 11, 2022
Complicated and Memorable
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, is a multilayered novel about friendship, love, and video games.
Sam and Sadie met when they are kids and quickly bonded over their love of video games. They develop a friendship that spans almost 30 years. The novel follows the highs and lows of their friendship, including falling in love, falling out, a love triangle, successes, and failures. Throughout it all, the one constant in their lives is video games.
The narrative alternates primarily between Sadie and Sam's POVs. Sam and Sadie are both loveable, arrogant, infuriating, and flawed. The dynamics of their friendship are complicated by love, jealousy, and misunderstanding. I got a little sick of the friends to frenemies cycle between Sadie and Sam (more of Sadie’s anger towards Sam, but I understood her point of view). I loved them, but I also wanted to shake some sense in them.
Sam’s mother, Anna; Marx, Sam’s college roommate; Dov, Sadie's professor; are some additional characters who make an impact. My favorite characters were Sam’s grandparents, Dong Hyun and Bong Cha.
The novel blends reality and game worlds, and parts of the narrative take place in a virtual open world.
All characters are well-developed and multidimensional. Even the avatars are multidimensional.
I am not a huge fan of video games, but this book made me nostalgic for the video games of my childhood. I got all of the Oregon Trail and Mario references, but there were times that I was a little lost, but I didn’t mind because I learned so much about gaming. The reader doesn’t need to know much about video games to enjoy this book (but it might help!). There are also a lot of 80s, 90s, and early 2000s pop culture references mixed in. I loved reading the details behind creating a game and the gaming industry as I was introduced to a whole new world.
This is a well-written, complex, thought-provoking, and original novel. I was invested in the characters, and some moments hit me on an emotional level. I got teary-eyed towards the end. I won't forget these characters; this is a book that is going to stay with me for a long time.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, is a multilayered novel about friendship, love, and video games.
Sam and Sadie met when they are kids and quickly bonded over their love of video games. They develop a friendship that spans almost 30 years. The novel follows the highs and lows of their friendship, including falling in love, falling out, a love triangle, successes, and failures. Throughout it all, the one constant in their lives is video games.
The narrative alternates primarily between Sadie and Sam's POVs. Sam and Sadie are both loveable, arrogant, infuriating, and flawed. The dynamics of their friendship are complicated by love, jealousy, and misunderstanding. I got a little sick of the friends to frenemies cycle between Sadie and Sam (more of Sadie’s anger towards Sam, but I understood her point of view). I loved them, but I also wanted to shake some sense in them.
Sam’s mother, Anna; Marx, Sam’s college roommate; Dov, Sadie's professor; are some additional characters who make an impact. My favorite characters were Sam’s grandparents, Dong Hyun and Bong Cha.
The novel blends reality and game worlds, and parts of the narrative take place in a virtual open world.
All characters are well-developed and multidimensional. Even the avatars are multidimensional.
I am not a huge fan of video games, but this book made me nostalgic for the video games of my childhood. I got all of the Oregon Trail and Mario references, but there were times that I was a little lost, but I didn’t mind because I learned so much about gaming. The reader doesn’t need to know much about video games to enjoy this book (but it might help!). There are also a lot of 80s, 90s, and early 2000s pop culture references mixed in. I loved reading the details behind creating a game and the gaming industry as I was introduced to a whole new world.
This is a well-written, complex, thought-provoking, and original novel. I was invested in the characters, and some moments hit me on an emotional level. I got teary-eyed towards the end. I won't forget these characters; this is a book that is going to stay with me for a long time.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2022
I feel... really disappointed by this. I've loved Zevin's books in the past and I was lured in by some of the early starred reviews that promised I would be enchanted by this book. I can see the many interesting themes the author is juggling here and have highlighted a few passages I thought were noteworthy, yet a few moments of brilliance just couldn't make this book any less tedious for me.
The story is essentially about gamers and video games, throwing up constant references to the history of gaming and gaming culture. The two main characters, Sadie and Sam, bond over playing video games when the pair meet in the children's ward of a hospital and later conceive of, and program, games of their own. Their own personal stories-- involving family, friends, sexism in the industry and abusive relationships (contains emotional manipulation and sexual assault) play out alongside this.
I will confess that maybe it is just my disinterest in the world of gaming that drives my apathy towards this story. I have played my fair share of certain games-- caught them all in Pokemon, explored the worlds of Final Fantasy VII onwards, built a fabulous neighbourhood in Sims, employed some questionable antics in Grand Theft Auto and, to a lesser extent, tried my hand at Tomb Raider, Resident Evil and The Last of Us.
That being said, I do not consider "gamer" to be a defining term for me. I would always rather read. And my interest in games does not extend beyond the games to the culture surrounding it.
Kirkus assured me that even those who "have never played a video game in their lives" will love this book, but I feel like that probably isn't true. I found it a struggle just to make it through and I kept finding excuses to check my email, google something random that occurred to me, or just do household chores instead of reading this.
Some people have commented on it being a long book, but 400 pages isn't all that long. It feels much longer.
The story is essentially about gamers and video games, throwing up constant references to the history of gaming and gaming culture. The two main characters, Sadie and Sam, bond over playing video games when the pair meet in the children's ward of a hospital and later conceive of, and program, games of their own. Their own personal stories-- involving family, friends, sexism in the industry and abusive relationships (contains emotional manipulation and sexual assault) play out alongside this.
I will confess that maybe it is just my disinterest in the world of gaming that drives my apathy towards this story. I have played my fair share of certain games-- caught them all in Pokemon, explored the worlds of Final Fantasy VII onwards, built a fabulous neighbourhood in Sims, employed some questionable antics in Grand Theft Auto and, to a lesser extent, tried my hand at Tomb Raider, Resident Evil and The Last of Us.
That being said, I do not consider "gamer" to be a defining term for me. I would always rather read. And my interest in games does not extend beyond the games to the culture surrounding it.
Kirkus assured me that even those who "have never played a video game in their lives" will love this book, but I feel like that probably isn't true. I found it a struggle just to make it through and I kept finding excuses to check my email, google something random that occurred to me, or just do household chores instead of reading this.
Some people have commented on it being a long book, but 400 pages isn't all that long. It feels much longer.
December 29, 2024
Obviously, I'm in the minority here, but I wasn't particularly enthralled.
A lack of concentration plagues Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, a novel I found to be lacking. The narrative jumps from the present to various points in the past without providing the reader with an opportunity to get emotionally invested in any of the protagonists, except maybe Marx.
In general, the overall writing was pleasant. Particularly interesting to me was the genuineness of the content concerning game design and production.
Unfortunately, as someone who has spent a large portion of their adult life working in the gaming industry, I found the protagonists' talks of game design and development outside the scope of their debut game Ichigo to be tedious.
The story was dull and I found the author's constant urge to stay woke to be obnoxious. While I respect her intention to raise awareness about pressing social concerns, I found that her preachiness frequently derailed the narrative and detracted from the plot. I find it fascinating when authors of fiction skillfully weave explorations of societal concerns into the fabric of their narratives. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Zenin did not carry out this action.
Finally, while the first half of the book is interesting and well written, the second half falls apart under the weight of its own ambitions.
Should you still read it? Probably based on all the other reviews.
Rating: 3
Follow me on Instagram!
A lack of concentration plagues Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, a novel I found to be lacking. The narrative jumps from the present to various points in the past without providing the reader with an opportunity to get emotionally invested in any of the protagonists, except maybe Marx.
In general, the overall writing was pleasant. Particularly interesting to me was the genuineness of the content concerning game design and production.
Unfortunately, as someone who has spent a large portion of their adult life working in the gaming industry, I found the protagonists' talks of game design and development outside the scope of their debut game Ichigo to be tedious.
The story was dull and I found the author's constant urge to stay woke to be obnoxious. While I respect her intention to raise awareness about pressing social concerns, I found that her preachiness frequently derailed the narrative and detracted from the plot. I find it fascinating when authors of fiction skillfully weave explorations of societal concerns into the fabric of their narratives. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Zenin did not carry out this action.
Finally, while the first half of the book is interesting and well written, the second half falls apart under the weight of its own ambitions.
Should you still read it? Probably based on all the other reviews.
Rating: 3
Follow me on Instagram!
January 13, 2024
My thoughts before finding out about Zevin's plagiarism and Zionism: I understand the hype. The book is well-written with a lot of heart. From the moment the characters meet in chapter 2, I loved their friendship. I especially enjoyed seeing their creative process in making video games and the level of thought put into storytelling and quality of work. This is something that would appeal to any creative person, regardless if you're a video game designer or not. I was not a fan of certain romantic developments, since they were unnecessary and felt like an easy way to create drama, but still very solid overall.
My thoughts now: I'm disappointed that Zevin didn't give credit to Brenda Romero's undistributed game, 'Train,' when she gave credit to plenty of other game creators in her acknowledgements. It wouldn't have been difficult to simply add another name, and crediting wouldn't have detracted from the story either. It's sadly ironic that for a story about women being underrepresented and overlooked in the gaming industry, the author would do the same to Romero. Doubly disappointing is Zevin's ties to Hadassah, a US-based Zionist women's organization. I'd hoped that the mention of Israel in the book was because Zevin wanted to add more flaws to her antagonist character, but it appears that she shares the same beliefs. As such, despite my original rating & positive review for this book last year, I will not be reading any more of her work.
My thoughts now: I'm disappointed that Zevin didn't give credit to Brenda Romero's undistributed game, 'Train,' when she gave credit to plenty of other game creators in her acknowledgements. It wouldn't have been difficult to simply add another name, and crediting wouldn't have detracted from the story either. It's sadly ironic that for a story about women being underrepresented and overlooked in the gaming industry, the author would do the same to Romero. Doubly disappointing is Zevin's ties to Hadassah, a US-based Zionist women's organization. I'd hoped that the mention of Israel in the book was because Zevin wanted to add more flaws to her antagonist character, but it appears that she shares the same beliefs. As such, despite my original rating & positive review for this book last year, I will not be reading any more of her work.
July 31, 2022
this was a hard pass for me. I know I'm in the minority, but I do not need to be emotionally and traumatically destroyed while reading. The prose was pretentious and unnecessary. Both characters are rather insufferable, immature, and showed no growth. For a book supposedly celebrating friendship, this was the definition of a TOXIC, unhealthy platonic relationship between male & female. I'm honestly not sure what the moral of the story was? Other than let's make sure to include every single controversial issue possible and make our stance known. I also really despise murky endings.
every CW imaginable: gun violence, death, suicide, grief, car accident, toxic relationship, shooting, injury jury, homophobia, chronic illness, racism, sexism, toxic friendship (and more…)
every CW imaginable: gun violence, death, suicide, grief, car accident, toxic relationship, shooting, injury jury, homophobia, chronic illness, racism, sexism, toxic friendship (and more…)
November 16, 2022
this book made my heart ache.
the lives of sam and sadie are raw and complicated and messy. the narrative is such an accurate depiction of human growth and the adjustments friendships have to go through because of those changes. and, just like real life, not everything goes according to their plans. there were life choices of theirs that i didnt agree with and moments when i was 110% rooting for their successes. some sections where i was bored with the uneventfulness of their careers and other chapters that had me riveted by the worlds they created.
while i do wish there was more of a traditional plot and quicker pacing at times, theres no denying that i came to care about sam and sadie.
↠ 4 stars
the lives of sam and sadie are raw and complicated and messy. the narrative is such an accurate depiction of human growth and the adjustments friendships have to go through because of those changes. and, just like real life, not everything goes according to their plans. there were life choices of theirs that i didnt agree with and moments when i was 110% rooting for their successes. some sections where i was bored with the uneventfulness of their careers and other chapters that had me riveted by the worlds they created.
while i do wish there was more of a traditional plot and quicker pacing at times, theres no denying that i came to care about sam and sadie.
↠ 4 stars
July 28, 2022
My gosh, this book was never ending. It felt like the same story over and over: friends fight, make up and make a video game together, fight again, everyone switches partners, make another game…I’m sorry, but none of the characters were convincing—would you really call your unborn child a parasite? Would you really not talk to your business partner for months? Not talk to your best friend for years because of one little tiff? Everyone is reviewing this book as some great example of friendship, but that’s not how I’d treat my friends. I kept hoping it would get better, but it never did.
March 16, 2024
three things:
1) i did not like any of these three main characters to start, and i grew to intensely dislike them
2) i could not put this book down
3) it has been 4 months since i read this book, i cannot in good faith put this review off any longer, and i still do not know if i liked this or not.
that's all i got.
bottom line: you take the wins with the losses in this life.
--------------------
tbr review
suddenly decided i NEED to read this
1) i did not like any of these three main characters to start, and i grew to intensely dislike them
2) i could not put this book down
3) it has been 4 months since i read this book, i cannot in good faith put this review off any longer, and i still do not know if i liked this or not.
that's all i got.
bottom line: you take the wins with the losses in this life.
--------------------
tbr review
suddenly decided i NEED to read this
July 16, 2024
Starts off super strong and readable. It felt like YA but for adults. Falls apart as it goes on. Lots of cliche in the 2nd half which starts to feel irritating by the end. It could’ve been 100 pages shorter easily.
December 20, 2022
I love you. Terribly.
December 31, 2023
De mis favoritos del año: 4.5 estrellas.
October 8, 2024
edit 02/20/2023: bumped this up to a 5 because my mental stability is gone
occasionally, i would read a book that leaves me speechless, unable to grasp my emotions. this is one of those times.
i won't give a summary of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow because i am incapable of doing it even if i want to. in my opinion, the synopsis doesn't do it justice, either. the best way to understand this book is to experience it yourself.
this is a tragedy intertwined with a love story, but not any love story. i went into this expecting to read something like Alone With You in the Ether, and i closed this book knowing that no story resembles this one.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is an incredible tour de force. to write something as meta as the process of making video games with a lyrism this profound is no easy task. Zevin's descriptions of the process, so technical, transport the reader into an imaginary world so vast that at one point, i saw myself in the game sam and sadie made. additionally, i salute the author's courage to include difficult literary techniques (e.g.: second-person pov) in an already intricate setting.
ultimately, the brilliance of this book comes from its characters. i don't think i have cared for characters this deeply since Alone With You in the Ether. sam, sadie, and marx are written with depth and empathy. they evolve like real people would, for better and worse. their humanity shines through the tragedies, pulling me into their suffering: that's how i know that characterization can only go so far. this is what differentiates unpleasantly brilliant books from mediocre but entertaining ones.
and god, the intimacy between the three characters. there is something about the chemistry, the interactions, and their thoughts that made me wonder: can love can be greater than this?
in the end, i know that this book is absolutely not for everyone, and not everyone who loved and hated this will feel the same emotions throughout the experience. for now, i leave this book at 4.5 (it will change eventually) but Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow will stay in my mind and my heart for a long time.
--------------------------
pre-review:
this book induces in me such profound grief, that i am feeling physically unwell.
rtc once i recover
"The way to turn an ex-lover into a friend is to never stop loving them, to know that when one phase of a relationship ends it can transform into something else. It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time."
occasionally, i would read a book that leaves me speechless, unable to grasp my emotions. this is one of those times.
i won't give a summary of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow because i am incapable of doing it even if i want to. in my opinion, the synopsis doesn't do it justice, either. the best way to understand this book is to experience it yourself.
this is a tragedy intertwined with a love story, but not any love story. i went into this expecting to read something like Alone With You in the Ether, and i closed this book knowing that no story resembles this one.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is an incredible tour de force. to write something as meta as the process of making video games with a lyrism this profound is no easy task. Zevin's descriptions of the process, so technical, transport the reader into an imaginary world so vast that at one point, i saw myself in the game sam and sadie made. additionally, i salute the author's courage to include difficult literary techniques (e.g.: second-person pov) in an already intricate setting.
ultimately, the brilliance of this book comes from its characters. i don't think i have cared for characters this deeply since Alone With You in the Ether. sam, sadie, and marx are written with depth and empathy. they evolve like real people would, for better and worse. their humanity shines through the tragedies, pulling me into their suffering: that's how i know that characterization can only go so far. this is what differentiates unpleasantly brilliant books from mediocre but entertaining ones.
and god, the intimacy between the three characters. there is something about the chemistry, the interactions, and their thoughts that made me wonder: can love can be greater than this?
in the end, i know that this book is absolutely not for everyone, and not everyone who loved and hated this will feel the same emotions throughout the experience. for now, i leave this book at 4.5 (it will change eventually) but Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow will stay in my mind and my heart for a long time.
--------------------------
pre-review:
this book induces in me such profound grief, that i am feeling physically unwell.
rtc once i recover
December 5, 2022
So I found this book very entertaining and easy to read and also disappointing at times too. Starting with what I enjoyed about the book, I found the prose so readable. Gabrielle Zevin has a knack for telling a good story and about 100 pages in, I felt immersed in her characters’ lives in a way that only some of the best writers can execute. There’s a slice-of-life quality to the storytelling in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow that helped me feel like I was gliding along with Sam, Sadie, and Marx’s lives from their college years to their early and then approaching mid-adulthood. The video game aspect of the story actually made sense to me and added a quirky touch to the novel that didn’t come across as gimmicky.
I also liked the integration of social commentary in this book through the characters’ lives. I felt a lot for Sam and his struggle with his disability and Sadie with her experiences of sexism in the video game industry and in life generally. Zevin does a nice job of showing and not telling so that these elements of social justice/injustice felt organic instead of too obvious or preachy.
I think my biggest critique of this book centers on Sam and Sadie’s friendship. I will couch this commentary by saying that I read a lot of literary fiction and it’s one of my favorite genres so my expectations are reasonably high. I found their friendship engaging, though at the same time I don’t think Zevin developed the foundation of their friendship enough to merit all of the conflict and turmoil they experienced. For example, Sam consistently idealizes Sadie throughout the book and is all “I love Sadie Green even though I can’t tell her” and I was like uh why?? Like I get that they had a somewhat intense bonding experience as kids and then they made video games together, but I literally had no clue why Sam actually loved Sadie – she treats him pretty horribly throughout the book as he does to her at times. I get that friends can treat each other poorly, though I struggled to believe Sam and Sadie’s bond given that they get into these intense arguments all the time and then resolve them by… forgetting and forgiving instead of communicating through the conflict and processing what actually happened?? Idk, maybe my best friendships are so healthy to the point where it feels a bit incomprehensible to me (shout-out to Bri one of my bestianas who’s also on Goodreads!)
As a side note, I think I’m spoiled because I read Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland and Unaccustomed Earth earlier this year and late last year respectively, and she sets the bar so high in terms of characters with rich inner lives that then manifest in their interpersonal relationships. Hanya Yanagihara pulled this off too in A Little Life , though I don’t recommend her other books lol.
I also felt frustrated by the overall treatment of friendship in this novel. For the first 60% or so, there’s this implicit and explicit theme of friendship being important and special and not inferior to romance. However, this deteriorates when certain events happen later on in the book. Like, at the very end, Sam literally Like, Sadie is a white woman from a wealthy background, why did Sam feel so entranced by her?? Idk, it reminds me a bit too much of Asian men who are obsessed with white women’s approval and being attractive to white women instead of loving themselves (like this tweet depicts). And I don’t think Zevin sufficiently showed an arc of Sam learning to love himself, even if imperfectly, which would have been my preference even if it’s not everyone’s.
Anyway, as you can tell this book was engaging enough that it elicited this long of a review from me. Again, I was entertained and immersed so I can see why so many people hyped this book. Not my favorite though a story with interesting elements and relevant social commentary for sure.
I also liked the integration of social commentary in this book through the characters’ lives. I felt a lot for Sam and his struggle with his disability and Sadie with her experiences of sexism in the video game industry and in life generally. Zevin does a nice job of showing and not telling so that these elements of social justice/injustice felt organic instead of too obvious or preachy.
I think my biggest critique of this book centers on Sam and Sadie’s friendship. I will couch this commentary by saying that I read a lot of literary fiction and it’s one of my favorite genres so my expectations are reasonably high. I found their friendship engaging, though at the same time I don’t think Zevin developed the foundation of their friendship enough to merit all of the conflict and turmoil they experienced. For example, Sam consistently idealizes Sadie throughout the book and is all “I love Sadie Green even though I can’t tell her” and I was like uh why?? Like I get that they had a somewhat intense bonding experience as kids and then they made video games together, but I literally had no clue why Sam actually loved Sadie – she treats him pretty horribly throughout the book as he does to her at times. I get that friends can treat each other poorly, though I struggled to believe Sam and Sadie’s bond given that they get into these intense arguments all the time and then resolve them by… forgetting and forgiving instead of communicating through the conflict and processing what actually happened?? Idk, maybe my best friendships are so healthy to the point where it feels a bit incomprehensible to me (shout-out to Bri one of my bestianas who’s also on Goodreads!)
As a side note, I think I’m spoiled because I read Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland and Unaccustomed Earth earlier this year and late last year respectively, and she sets the bar so high in terms of characters with rich inner lives that then manifest in their interpersonal relationships. Hanya Yanagihara pulled this off too in A Little Life , though I don’t recommend her other books lol.
I also felt frustrated by the overall treatment of friendship in this novel. For the first 60% or so, there’s this implicit and explicit theme of friendship being important and special and not inferior to romance. However, this deteriorates when certain events happen later on in the book. Like, at the very end, Sam literally Like, Sadie is a white woman from a wealthy background, why did Sam feel so entranced by her?? Idk, it reminds me a bit too much of Asian men who are obsessed with white women’s approval and being attractive to white women instead of loving themselves (like this tweet depicts). And I don’t think Zevin sufficiently showed an arc of Sam learning to love himself, even if imperfectly, which would have been my preference even if it’s not everyone’s.
Anyway, as you can tell this book was engaging enough that it elicited this long of a review from me. Again, I was entertained and immersed so I can see why so many people hyped this book. Not my favorite though a story with interesting elements and relevant social commentary for sure.
May 17, 2024
My first dnf of the year😅 I had so much appreciation for this book while reading it so I can see why so many people love it but I personally was a bit bored tbh. I also think this book is much more of a character-heavy book than a plot-heavy book which I've begun to realize isn't my personal favorite. Not sure if I'm going to give a star rating or not though as I think it's objectively good but just not for me. Curious how you guys rate books that are good but not your kind of book?
January 12, 2024
this tomorrowussified me.
August 17, 2024
Masterful Storytelling With Striking, Memorable Characters
Here are some of the Glass Flowers at the Harvard Museum:
Talk about strange coincidences. About two weeks ago, I was at The Harvard Museum, trying to find an exhibit of Thoreau’s flowers when I stumbled across these flowers.
Tomorrowx3 is nothing short of brilliant. The main characters, Sam and Sadie, are morally grey—they are imperfect characters, facing the challenge of growing into adults and defining their friendship. Enough can’t be said about these memorable characters!
The tale cleverly weaves interesting backstory into the fabric of this story, exploring a refreshing take on redemption and betrayal tropes.
Zevin’s prose hits all the right notes. She expertly implements a variety of writing styles, and, with unexpected twists keeps the reader guessing until the very end!
Gripping characters? Check.
Engaging, riveting plot? Check.
My favorite US city for setting? Check.
Tomorrowx3 (yes I know many of you are cringing at the abbreviation) is an unexpectedly brilliant, complex novel that will haunt me for many years to come.
What was in the Magic Eye at the subway station?!?!?!?
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta My Bookstore at Pango
Here are some of the Glass Flowers at the Harvard Museum:
Talk about strange coincidences. About two weeks ago, I was at The Harvard Museum, trying to find an exhibit of Thoreau’s flowers when I stumbled across these flowers.
Tomorrowx3 is nothing short of brilliant. The main characters, Sam and Sadie, are morally grey—they are imperfect characters, facing the challenge of growing into adults and defining their friendship. Enough can’t be said about these memorable characters!
The tale cleverly weaves interesting backstory into the fabric of this story, exploring a refreshing take on redemption and betrayal tropes.
Zevin’s prose hits all the right notes. She expertly implements a variety of writing styles, and, with unexpected twists keeps the reader guessing until the very end!
Gripping characters? Check.
Engaging, riveting plot? Check.
My favorite US city for setting? Check.
Tomorrowx3 (yes I know many of you are cringing at the abbreviation) is an unexpectedly brilliant, complex novel that will haunt me for many years to come.
What was in the Magic Eye at the subway station?!?!?!?
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta My Bookstore at Pango
August 18, 2022
A book that felt more and more like a punishment to read as it progressed.
There was at least one description or piece of dialogue that annoyed me on every page, the characters are all annoying and unrealistic, all of the games sound terrible (they made the weird decision to actually create EmilyBlaster online for publicity purposes(?), I have played it and it is as irritating and poorly conceived as it is in the novel), the dialogue never sounds like how people actually speak (particularly for any characters who are of a non-Caucasian background), there are too many ideas and none of them are interesting or dramatic, the constant narration and tell-don’t-show approach is infuriating… I could go on.
Please do yourself a favour and don’t go near this. Ignore the ridiculously high Goodreads rating.
I can’t believe this heinous piece of writing made it past the first person Zevin shared it with, in particular:
“…and then she put her hand between his legs, wrapping her fingers around the cylindrical chamber of blood sponges that was his (and every) penis. He felt the corpora cavernosa, commanded by nerve messages from his subconscious brain, fill up with blood, and the tunica albuginea membrane, the penis’s straitjacket, trap the blood inside.”
What the HELL is even that????
There was at least one description or piece of dialogue that annoyed me on every page, the characters are all annoying and unrealistic, all of the games sound terrible (they made the weird decision to actually create EmilyBlaster online for publicity purposes(?), I have played it and it is as irritating and poorly conceived as it is in the novel), the dialogue never sounds like how people actually speak (particularly for any characters who are of a non-Caucasian background), there are too many ideas and none of them are interesting or dramatic, the constant narration and tell-don’t-show approach is infuriating… I could go on.
Please do yourself a favour and don’t go near this. Ignore the ridiculously high Goodreads rating.
I can’t believe this heinous piece of writing made it past the first person Zevin shared it with, in particular:
“…and then she put her hand between his legs, wrapping her fingers around the cylindrical chamber of blood sponges that was his (and every) penis. He felt the corpora cavernosa, commanded by nerve messages from his subconscious brain, fill up with blood, and the tunica albuginea membrane, the penis’s straitjacket, trap the blood inside.”
What the HELL is even that????
August 29, 2022
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Jennifer Kim (Narrator), Julian Cihi (Narrator)
Young Sam and Sadie meet in the hospital, brought together by a love of gaming. Sam, whose foot has been crushed in a car accident, hasn't spoken to anyone for months but meeting Sadie, and playing video games with her, brings Sam alive, pulls him out of his pain and heartbreak. That friendship lasts for a while until one of them feels betrayed and then it's over.
Eight years later an accidental meeting has them back together. Their love of gaming, their ability to create games, leads to collaboration and the making of games. They are successes at game making but that success pulls them apart again. While the playing field can be even for everyone when they start a video game, giving everyone the same chance to build and conquer, the real world sees everyone differently. One gets more credit than the other, resentments and misunderstandings grow. Even when working together, Sam and Sadie are apart in the most hurtful ways.
This is the story of Sam and Sadie but Marx is a part of that story. Marx, who plays games but doesn't make games, becomes a crucial part of Sam and Sadie's company and their lives. Marx is the best friend a person could have, he's the best partner a person could have, he's the mediator when it's needed, he's the glue that holds things together. He's the person Sam tries to imitate when he doesn't know how to go on.
This story contains three decades worth of brilliance, creativity, friendship, love, romance. jealousy, resentment, isolation, miscommunication, and more. Maybe some huge successes require people to be somewhat broken and misunderstood. Definitely love does not have to be romantic to last a lifetime. When it comes to Sam and Sadie, it's taken them years and years but I do think they finally mature in the end and there is something to be said for a maturity that might allow estranged people to come back together.
There is lots of talk about creating and making games and playing games. Sometimes we are in a game. I loved all of that. I understand gaming and I can get lost in the worlds that allow us to forget our real world. Worlds that allow more than one life, dying doesn't have to mean death, you have more chances to go on or start over. All of that is so interesting to me and I laughed whenever the word dysentery was mentioned. But this story really got to me because there is a lot of sadness, isolation (something gaming can even cause), and anger. I wanted everyone to be able to be a Marx. But that's not how the world works, not everyone can be a Marx, life is not that easy for everyone. I'll be thinking about this story for a long time and will probably see it differently as time goes on. It will take me a while to get over this story, I'll need time to let it just settle in my mind.
Pub July 5, 2022
Jennifer Kim (Narrator), Julian Cihi (Narrator)
Young Sam and Sadie meet in the hospital, brought together by a love of gaming. Sam, whose foot has been crushed in a car accident, hasn't spoken to anyone for months but meeting Sadie, and playing video games with her, brings Sam alive, pulls him out of his pain and heartbreak. That friendship lasts for a while until one of them feels betrayed and then it's over.
Eight years later an accidental meeting has them back together. Their love of gaming, their ability to create games, leads to collaboration and the making of games. They are successes at game making but that success pulls them apart again. While the playing field can be even for everyone when they start a video game, giving everyone the same chance to build and conquer, the real world sees everyone differently. One gets more credit than the other, resentments and misunderstandings grow. Even when working together, Sam and Sadie are apart in the most hurtful ways.
This is the story of Sam and Sadie but Marx is a part of that story. Marx, who plays games but doesn't make games, becomes a crucial part of Sam and Sadie's company and their lives. Marx is the best friend a person could have, he's the best partner a person could have, he's the mediator when it's needed, he's the glue that holds things together. He's the person Sam tries to imitate when he doesn't know how to go on.
This story contains three decades worth of brilliance, creativity, friendship, love, romance. jealousy, resentment, isolation, miscommunication, and more. Maybe some huge successes require people to be somewhat broken and misunderstood. Definitely love does not have to be romantic to last a lifetime. When it comes to Sam and Sadie, it's taken them years and years but I do think they finally mature in the end and there is something to be said for a maturity that might allow estranged people to come back together.
There is lots of talk about creating and making games and playing games. Sometimes we are in a game. I loved all of that. I understand gaming and I can get lost in the worlds that allow us to forget our real world. Worlds that allow more than one life, dying doesn't have to mean death, you have more chances to go on or start over. All of that is so interesting to me and I laughed whenever the word dysentery was mentioned. But this story really got to me because there is a lot of sadness, isolation (something gaming can even cause), and anger. I wanted everyone to be able to be a Marx. But that's not how the world works, not everyone can be a Marx, life is not that easy for everyone. I'll be thinking about this story for a long time and will probably see it differently as time goes on. It will take me a while to get over this story, I'll need time to let it just settle in my mind.
Pub July 5, 2022
February 26, 2022
This is my first taste of author Gabrielle Zavin, and I have to say I was impressed, this is beautifully written and smart storytelling that goes back and forth in time, embedded in the world of gaming. I am not a gamer myself, so if you are not either, do not let this put you off, because this is essentially about the all too human aspects and the complexities of what it is to be human, the connections made through this medium, such as the relationships, the friendships and the joyful delight to be found in a perfect digital world, a sharp contrast to the problems and difficulties that are to found in the more messy real world. Sam and Sadie first meet fortuitously in the late 1980s as children in a hospital, finding common ground in playing games, like Super Mario, competitively.
Memories comes flooding back when they meet again years later at a rail station as we follow their lives evolving through the decades, as they begin to create games together, setting up in business together, the creative input balanced by the grounding and practical presence of Marx. They do extremely well which brings all the pressures and trappings associated with success. The characters are vivid, distinct and from diverse backgrounds, in a narrative that touches on a wide variety of issues and themes that resonate, like identity, love, loss, family, technology, race, disability, betrayal and inevitable failures, and what is important in life.
We are given a insightful glimpse into the gaming industry, its history and business side, and how gaming can help people endure hard times through the escapism it offers. A brilliant and imaginative read that I think will appeal to many readers. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Memories comes flooding back when they meet again years later at a rail station as we follow their lives evolving through the decades, as they begin to create games together, setting up in business together, the creative input balanced by the grounding and practical presence of Marx. They do extremely well which brings all the pressures and trappings associated with success. The characters are vivid, distinct and from diverse backgrounds, in a narrative that touches on a wide variety of issues and themes that resonate, like identity, love, loss, family, technology, race, disability, betrayal and inevitable failures, and what is important in life.
We are given a insightful glimpse into the gaming industry, its history and business side, and how gaming can help people endure hard times through the escapism it offers. A brilliant and imaginative read that I think will appeal to many readers. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
December 31, 2023
there aren’t enough stars to give this book. truly, 5 isn’t even close to enough 😭🙌🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
*EDIT—i have now read this book 3x in 12 months. it truly has my heart. if you haven’t read it yet or didn’t finish it/love it, try again with the audiobook. it gives you such a feel for the characters personalities as it’s a character driven book. at 70% is when it will WOW you ❤️ trust me!!!
this book is SO unique and beautiful. the more i sit with my thoughts after finishing, i realized how much i loved it. i miss these characters already—i felt like Sadie, Marx and Sam were my best friends 🥹
the character development in this book was arguably one of the best i’ve seen. i listened to it on audio and was constantly going like 😮 or laughing at their banter and arguments.
if you’re looking for a plot heavy book, you’ll be disappointed. while there are a bunch of “twists” in the back third, it’s mainly just a story about 3 kids growing up, making video games, becoming famous, FRIENDSHIP, dealing with life, going through relationships, etc.
highly recommend trying it out—for someone who reads as much as myself, it was so refreshing to read a new, unique story that’s really never been done.
thank you to LibroFM for the gifted ALC and Knopf for the gifted hardcover! it’s a beauty to have on your shelves, too🤩
*UPDATED THOUGHTS AFTER MY 2nd AND 3RD READ THROUGH*
🎮 the friendships. Sadie, Sam and Marx truly feel like your best friends. their banter and relationships are real, pure, hilarious and amazing
🎮 the plot—it’s unique, kinda nerdy, and the back 1/3 will leave you speechless
🎮 the 1990s nostalgia. video games, the Oregon trail, life without cell phones, simplicity
🎮 the audiobook. the narrator does such a fantastic job and with all the dialogue, it flows so well and gives you a better feel for the personalities
🎮 the character development is arguably some of the best i have ever seen
🎮 the prose… here are some of my fave quotes:
🫶🏼 “it’s better than romance. it’s friendship.”
🥹 “you can do anything,” Sam said. “i completely believe in you.”
🌎 “i love hearing your ideas, Sadie. that’s my favorite thing in the world.”
😭 “because he loved Sadie. it was one of only a handful of things he knew to be a constant about himself."
🎮 “i don’t feel like anyone in the world knows me except Sadie.”
💖 “sammy,” she said. “we were together. you must know that. when i’m honest with myself, the most important parts of me were yours.”
*EDIT—i have now read this book 3x in 12 months. it truly has my heart. if you haven’t read it yet or didn’t finish it/love it, try again with the audiobook. it gives you such a feel for the characters personalities as it’s a character driven book. at 70% is when it will WOW you ❤️ trust me!!!
this book is SO unique and beautiful. the more i sit with my thoughts after finishing, i realized how much i loved it. i miss these characters already—i felt like Sadie, Marx and Sam were my best friends 🥹
the character development in this book was arguably one of the best i’ve seen. i listened to it on audio and was constantly going like 😮 or laughing at their banter and arguments.
if you’re looking for a plot heavy book, you’ll be disappointed. while there are a bunch of “twists” in the back third, it’s mainly just a story about 3 kids growing up, making video games, becoming famous, FRIENDSHIP, dealing with life, going through relationships, etc.
highly recommend trying it out—for someone who reads as much as myself, it was so refreshing to read a new, unique story that’s really never been done.
thank you to LibroFM for the gifted ALC and Knopf for the gifted hardcover! it’s a beauty to have on your shelves, too🤩
*UPDATED THOUGHTS AFTER MY 2nd AND 3RD READ THROUGH*
🎮 the friendships. Sadie, Sam and Marx truly feel like your best friends. their banter and relationships are real, pure, hilarious and amazing
🎮 the plot—it’s unique, kinda nerdy, and the back 1/3 will leave you speechless
🎮 the 1990s nostalgia. video games, the Oregon trail, life without cell phones, simplicity
🎮 the audiobook. the narrator does such a fantastic job and with all the dialogue, it flows so well and gives you a better feel for the personalities
🎮 the character development is arguably some of the best i have ever seen
🎮 the prose… here are some of my fave quotes:
🫶🏼 “it’s better than romance. it’s friendship.”
🥹 “you can do anything,” Sam said. “i completely believe in you.”
🌎 “i love hearing your ideas, Sadie. that’s my favorite thing in the world.”
😭 “because he loved Sadie. it was one of only a handful of things he knew to be a constant about himself."
🎮 “i don’t feel like anyone in the world knows me except Sadie.”
💖 “sammy,” she said. “we were together. you must know that. when i’m honest with myself, the most important parts of me were yours.”
January 18, 2023
Any complaints I might have about this novel feel too small-minded to write about here, because in the end it convinced me of one of the most difficult things a book can convince a reader of: that our tiny lives, even with all of their mundanity and ridiculousness and petty resentments and disappointments, actually matter, and that our lives are also, at times, fully and heartbreakingly beautiful.
I searched my reading past for the last book that made me feel this way and needed to go all the way back to Three Junes by Julia Glass, first published in 2002.
I searched my reading past for the last book that made me feel this way and needed to go all the way back to Three Junes by Julia Glass, first published in 2002.
February 28, 2023
A tale of friendship, a lesson in love and a perpetual game of life with its infinite number of second chances, lost opportunities and endless possibilities. And at the centre - love and friendship of course.
“What is a game?" Marx said. "It's tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It's the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.”
The Plot
A chance meeting at a hospital is to connect the lives of Sadie and Sam through video gaming and home entertainment. A relationship that is tested, grows, changes, and suffers from many of the obstacles life creates - love, greed, misunderstanding, vanity, discrimination, domestic violence, abuse, death and many more.
However, the constant in their lives is the love and ambition for inventing and playing video games. Yet, like many winning partnerships, their loyalty is tested when fame and success enters their lives and the two struggle with each other, despite the intervention of their loyal friend Marx.
While the book includes many side stories and sub plots, the core to this book is the relationship between Sadie, Sam and also Marx with some important themes for the reader to reflect on. There is a sad moment in the book that will play on my mind tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow!!! But I will not spoil here.
Review and Comments
It was all about the writing style and relationships for me that took the meaning of gaming to a whole new level. The characters felt so real and genuine which came through in the writing and turned a seemingly ordinary plot into something extraordinary.
My favourite character was Marx although the two characters at the centre of the story were well developed and had such redeeming and less desirable qualities which I loved because this felt ‘real’.
There are a few elements to the story that did not work so well for me. For example, using the title and references from Shakespeare’s Macbeth (and others) “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” implied there was going to be a connection and relevance to the gaming world. The sense of infinity yes but some of the Shakespeare quotes peppered throughout just didn’t work and at times it felt awkward. Only an opinion.
I also believe that my reading experience would have been marginally better had I been more familiar with the gaming jargon. So, I decided to set that aside and focus on the relationships at the centre of the story and only then did the book make sense to me.
A modern take on some timeless themes. A story of reinvention, infinity, and the possibility of a different life, but also a stark reminder that life is complicated, complex, painful and sometimes intolerable but it is also what we make of it. Despite the distractions and when the game of life becomes the cruelty of life, it is up to the individual to decide on the appropriate course of action, because after all there are no rules and no winners. Just love and friendship made better through willingness and forgiveness.
The focus on relationships was superb but I particularly loved the reinvention of Sadie and Sam’s relationship and the quote that says it all…
“The way to turn an ex-lover into a friend is to never stop loving them, to know that when one phase of a relationship ends it can transform into something else. It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time.”
I loved that “Love is both constant and variable”. True of many relationships. Overall an excellent book, there is no doubt that this book will continue to be enjoyed by many tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow!!!.
“What is a game?" Marx said. "It's tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It's the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.”
The Plot
A chance meeting at a hospital is to connect the lives of Sadie and Sam through video gaming and home entertainment. A relationship that is tested, grows, changes, and suffers from many of the obstacles life creates - love, greed, misunderstanding, vanity, discrimination, domestic violence, abuse, death and many more.
However, the constant in their lives is the love and ambition for inventing and playing video games. Yet, like many winning partnerships, their loyalty is tested when fame and success enters their lives and the two struggle with each other, despite the intervention of their loyal friend Marx.
While the book includes many side stories and sub plots, the core to this book is the relationship between Sadie, Sam and also Marx with some important themes for the reader to reflect on. There is a sad moment in the book that will play on my mind tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow!!! But I will not spoil here.
Review and Comments
It was all about the writing style and relationships for me that took the meaning of gaming to a whole new level. The characters felt so real and genuine which came through in the writing and turned a seemingly ordinary plot into something extraordinary.
My favourite character was Marx although the two characters at the centre of the story were well developed and had such redeeming and less desirable qualities which I loved because this felt ‘real’.
There are a few elements to the story that did not work so well for me. For example, using the title and references from Shakespeare’s Macbeth (and others) “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” implied there was going to be a connection and relevance to the gaming world. The sense of infinity yes but some of the Shakespeare quotes peppered throughout just didn’t work and at times it felt awkward. Only an opinion.
I also believe that my reading experience would have been marginally better had I been more familiar with the gaming jargon. So, I decided to set that aside and focus on the relationships at the centre of the story and only then did the book make sense to me.
A modern take on some timeless themes. A story of reinvention, infinity, and the possibility of a different life, but also a stark reminder that life is complicated, complex, painful and sometimes intolerable but it is also what we make of it. Despite the distractions and when the game of life becomes the cruelty of life, it is up to the individual to decide on the appropriate course of action, because after all there are no rules and no winners. Just love and friendship made better through willingness and forgiveness.
The focus on relationships was superb but I particularly loved the reinvention of Sadie and Sam’s relationship and the quote that says it all…
“The way to turn an ex-lover into a friend is to never stop loving them, to know that when one phase of a relationship ends it can transform into something else. It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time.”
I loved that “Love is both constant and variable”. True of many relationships. Overall an excellent book, there is no doubt that this book will continue to be enjoyed by many tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow!!!.
December 10, 2022
**WINNER OF GOODREADS FICTION GENRE, THIS ONE IS SPECIAL**
Initially I had trouble getting through parts of this book and even put it aside for a day. Some of the details of designing, coding and playing video games were tedious for me to read.
However, when I tried to get into another book – the characters of THIS BOOK kept calling me back. From 30% on I was invested and fell in love with Sadie, Sam and Marx.
It’s important to note that this book covers several decades so it’s hard to describe all that happens with these characters!!
Sam and Sadie meet in a hospital. Sadie is there to visit her sister, who is undergoing cancer treatment, and Sam is a patient. He was in a horrific car accident and his foot has been repaired but it will never be normal!! He will be in constant pain!!
Sadie and Sam bond over their love of video games, mazes, etc. “They had the rare kind of friendship that allowed for a great deal of privacy within it.”
There is a point where Sadie and Sam don’t see each other for years but when they are back together the magic is still there. Ideas are worked out together, code is written, Marx is the producer and promoter and for a long time all is good.
As with all human relationships that span decades, these three will go through many changes, and it’s wonderful to watch how they grow. All the emotions are here, friendship, love, happiness, grief, depression, exuberance – all so well described that I felt it with them!!
The writing in this book is absolutely wonderful. I love this quote from Marx “What is a game? Marx said. “It’s tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption”.
I already miss these characters so much! I would encourage you to give this novel a try, even if you’ve never played a video game in your life!!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
Initially I had trouble getting through parts of this book and even put it aside for a day. Some of the details of designing, coding and playing video games were tedious for me to read.
However, when I tried to get into another book – the characters of THIS BOOK kept calling me back. From 30% on I was invested and fell in love with Sadie, Sam and Marx.
It’s important to note that this book covers several decades so it’s hard to describe all that happens with these characters!!
Sam and Sadie meet in a hospital. Sadie is there to visit her sister, who is undergoing cancer treatment, and Sam is a patient. He was in a horrific car accident and his foot has been repaired but it will never be normal!! He will be in constant pain!!
Sadie and Sam bond over their love of video games, mazes, etc. “They had the rare kind of friendship that allowed for a great deal of privacy within it.”
There is a point where Sadie and Sam don’t see each other for years but when they are back together the magic is still there. Ideas are worked out together, code is written, Marx is the producer and promoter and for a long time all is good.
As with all human relationships that span decades, these three will go through many changes, and it’s wonderful to watch how they grow. All the emotions are here, friendship, love, happiness, grief, depression, exuberance – all so well described that I felt it with them!!
The writing in this book is absolutely wonderful. I love this quote from Marx “What is a game? Marx said. “It’s tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption”.
I already miss these characters so much! I would encourage you to give this novel a try, even if you’ve never played a video game in your life!!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
January 27, 2024
this is a story about a boy and a girl, "often in love, but never lovers," who meet as children and choose to become creative partners once they become adults. that choice leads them to fantastic success--and failure, and turmoil, and heartbreak. it brings them together and forces them apart many times over many years as they navigate disability, race, class, and violence together.
this book was MADE for me. and you. and your best friend. and anybody with a pulse. and everybody needs to read this partly because i'm 300% sure the world would be better if we did, but mostly because everybody deserves to experience a masterpiece at least once in their life, and this is a masterpiece.
i think this is maybe my favorite book i've ever read, and i don't say that lightly. it's worth ALL of the hype. sam & sadie are infuriating, arrogant, kind, and real, and their stories will sit with me for a very long time. i think i will need to reread this about 3902 more times in order to have an opinion that i can easily put to words, but for now just know that my plan is to make everybody in my life read this book. and you. also you.
this book was MADE for me. and you. and your best friend. and anybody with a pulse. and everybody needs to read this partly because i'm 300% sure the world would be better if we did, but mostly because everybody deserves to experience a masterpiece at least once in their life, and this is a masterpiece.
i think this is maybe my favorite book i've ever read, and i don't say that lightly. it's worth ALL of the hype. sam & sadie are infuriating, arrogant, kind, and real, and their stories will sit with me for a very long time. i think i will need to reread this about 3902 more times in order to have an opinion that i can easily put to words, but for now just know that my plan is to make everybody in my life read this book. and you. also you.
July 22, 2022
I hate to come in and be a Debbie Downer for this book, but sometimes this happens. There is a specific kind of sentimentality or emotion that just does not work for me at all, but that a lot of people find extremely compelling. It is a matter of personal taste, it is not really about whether a book is inherently good or bad. You either like a book that will purposely tug at your heartstrings or you don't. I don't, ergo this book was not for me.
The thing is, that I liked the first half of this book pretty well. I enjoyed the way we see Sam and Sadie, who became friends through playing video games as kids, and the way they come together and then break apart. I liked seeing how their grudges and resentments could trickle in to cause problems, and then it could all be erased through their joy of gaming together.
About halfway through this book I started to get suspicious. I had a feeling that we were being set up for something. That the stakes were being purposely heightened. I did not like it! I kept seeing danger around every turn when that was not what kind of book this was. Until, well, I ended up being right after all. I did not like the last half at all. It felt manipulative and bordering on maudlin. It didn't feel like it really earned what it was going for. Also, slight spoiler thoughts behind a tag,
I do not think you need to be a gamer at all to read this book. I'm not and I was able to be invested in everything along the way. Zevin is deft at explaining what makes a game compelling without boring anyone. Ultimately this is a book about friendship that just happens to be set around video games.
There were lots of little things that irked me along the way (I will be so happy if I never read another book where a character attends Harvard) particularly Dov's character, who is a pretty terrible person but that everyone decides is just fine because all that happened so long ago, right? It was pretty weird, especially since he treats the only major female character so badly. But there were also lots of little things that I enjoyed, little threads that Zevin would drop and then pick up again (secret highways, the history of Sam's mother, etc.).
I just wanted to read a perfectly boring book about Sam and Sadie working together, the highs and lows of their friendship. (In a lot of ways this is similar to a bottle episode of Mythic Quest that I liked a lot, though this had the potential to be better because it was based on friendship more than romance.) But I suspect this book's target audience isn't interested in that and they are here to have their heartstrings pulled. If that is you, there is a lot here that I think you'll like. And the video game elements really serve to distinguish it from the pack.
I did the audio version of this book, the reader had actually also read another book I'd read just a few days earlier. I like her style, which she does adjust to the material, but is more of a flat reading than an overly emotional one. I think it suits, balancing out some of the elements in the book. She also has to do a lot of accents, which she manages quite well.
The thing is, that I liked the first half of this book pretty well. I enjoyed the way we see Sam and Sadie, who became friends through playing video games as kids, and the way they come together and then break apart. I liked seeing how their grudges and resentments could trickle in to cause problems, and then it could all be erased through their joy of gaming together.
About halfway through this book I started to get suspicious. I had a feeling that we were being set up for something. That the stakes were being purposely heightened. I did not like it! I kept seeing danger around every turn when that was not what kind of book this was. Until, well, I ended up being right after all. I did not like the last half at all. It felt manipulative and bordering on maudlin. It didn't feel like it really earned what it was going for. Also, slight spoiler thoughts behind a tag,
I do not think you need to be a gamer at all to read this book. I'm not and I was able to be invested in everything along the way. Zevin is deft at explaining what makes a game compelling without boring anyone. Ultimately this is a book about friendship that just happens to be set around video games.
There were lots of little things that irked me along the way (I will be so happy if I never read another book where a character attends Harvard) particularly Dov's character, who is a pretty terrible person but that everyone decides is just fine because all that happened so long ago, right? It was pretty weird, especially since he treats the only major female character so badly. But there were also lots of little things that I enjoyed, little threads that Zevin would drop and then pick up again (secret highways, the history of Sam's mother, etc.).
I just wanted to read a perfectly boring book about Sam and Sadie working together, the highs and lows of their friendship. (In a lot of ways this is similar to a bottle episode of Mythic Quest that I liked a lot, though this had the potential to be better because it was based on friendship more than romance.) But I suspect this book's target audience isn't interested in that and they are here to have their heartstrings pulled. If that is you, there is a lot here that I think you'll like. And the video game elements really serve to distinguish it from the pack.
I did the audio version of this book, the reader had actually also read another book I'd read just a few days earlier. I like her style, which she does adjust to the material, but is more of a flat reading than an overly emotional one. I think it suits, balancing out some of the elements in the book. She also has to do a lot of accents, which she manages quite well.
November 30, 2024
⭐️Goodreads Award Best Fiction⭐️
My top read for 2022. A brilliant coming of age masterpiece, spanning almost 30 years. An epic tale of friendship, love, art, video games, and the journey of life.
As a teen, I played my fair share of Sonic, Mario Brothers, etc, but nothing with the intensity of this book, realistic games that blur reality and fantasy. I was immersed.
Gabrielle Zevin weaved a layered story, carefully crafting characters within the backdrop of gaming. She was able to peak my interest which speaks to the beauty of her writing.
This is the story of Sam and Sadie, Sam and Marx, Sadie and Marx, and their journey building a successful gaming company. Sam and Sadie meet in the most unexpected places-a hospital. Sadie's sister is undergoing cancer treatment, while Sam, is recovering from a major injury that leaves him disabled. Sam and Sadie connect over their love for games. Sadie becomes an integral piece of Sam's life and his recovery.
Time moves forward, Sam and Marx are roommates at Harvard. Marx is an aspiring actor while Sam pursues his passion for making games. One day, Sam happens to meet Sadie on campus (she's there for a gaming meeting) and they connect (over Oregon Trail of all things). Sadie gives Sam a game she's working on, and the rest is gaming history--a story of creating amazing, creative games together.
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (an ode to MacBeth, which later, ties beautifully into one of the characters arcs) is the story of missed opportunities, successes, pains, love, and a passion for art.
Zevin not only created amazing virtual worlds I'd love to play, she wrote an entire chapter within a game--literal genius. There was also a chapter in second person, which may feel out of place to some, but made sense in the context of the character's journey.
Initially, I was bogged down by all the gaming conversations, but it's worth it to continue reading. The beginning ties in wonderfully as we learn the struggles of creating true art. Zevin also touches upon some important cultural/political topics that helped move the story along.
The truth is, I cried and cheered for these wonderfully written characters, like friends more than fictional souls.
I recently read, 'The Storied Life of A.J. Fikery,' and became an instant fan of Zevin. It feels remarkably coincidental that her new book came right after--alas, the stars aligned.
I savored Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, felt protective of the words, and had a sense of reverence to the story. Have you ever felt a physical reaction after finishing a book? I was in a melancholy state, wanting to be transported into the pages, stilling time.
As I closed the last page, my daughter wanted to be tucked into bed, yet I wanted to sit with the book and fall asleep- savoring the story. It was hard to let go, say goodbye. The characters came to life in a way that felt tangible.
^^This quote moved my soul.
5 spectacular stars!
My top read for 2022. A brilliant coming of age masterpiece, spanning almost 30 years. An epic tale of friendship, love, art, video games, and the journey of life.
As a teen, I played my fair share of Sonic, Mario Brothers, etc, but nothing with the intensity of this book, realistic games that blur reality and fantasy. I was immersed.
Gabrielle Zevin weaved a layered story, carefully crafting characters within the backdrop of gaming. She was able to peak my interest which speaks to the beauty of her writing.
This is the story of Sam and Sadie, Sam and Marx, Sadie and Marx, and their journey building a successful gaming company. Sam and Sadie meet in the most unexpected places-a hospital. Sadie's sister is undergoing cancer treatment, while Sam, is recovering from a major injury that leaves him disabled. Sam and Sadie connect over their love for games. Sadie becomes an integral piece of Sam's life and his recovery.
Time moves forward, Sam and Marx are roommates at Harvard. Marx is an aspiring actor while Sam pursues his passion for making games. One day, Sam happens to meet Sadie on campus (she's there for a gaming meeting) and they connect (over Oregon Trail of all things). Sadie gives Sam a game she's working on, and the rest is gaming history--a story of creating amazing, creative games together.
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (an ode to MacBeth, which later, ties beautifully into one of the characters arcs) is the story of missed opportunities, successes, pains, love, and a passion for art.
There is a time for any fledgling artist where one’s taste exceeds one’s abilities. The only way to get through this period is to make things anyway
Zevin not only created amazing virtual worlds I'd love to play, she wrote an entire chapter within a game--literal genius. There was also a chapter in second person, which may feel out of place to some, but made sense in the context of the character's journey.
Initially, I was bogged down by all the gaming conversations, but it's worth it to continue reading. The beginning ties in wonderfully as we learn the struggles of creating true art. Zevin also touches upon some important cultural/political topics that helped move the story along.
The truth is, I cried and cheered for these wonderfully written characters, like friends more than fictional souls.
I recently read, 'The Storied Life of A.J. Fikery,' and became an instant fan of Zevin. It feels remarkably coincidental that her new book came right after--alas, the stars aligned.
I savored Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, felt protective of the words, and had a sense of reverence to the story. Have you ever felt a physical reaction after finishing a book? I was in a melancholy state, wanting to be transported into the pages, stilling time.
How could a person still be as young as he objectively knew himself to be and have had so much time pass?
As I closed the last page, my daughter wanted to be tucked into bed, yet I wanted to sit with the book and fall asleep- savoring the story. It was hard to let go, say goodbye. The characters came to life in a way that felt tangible.
There was the life that you lived, which consisted of the choices you made. And then, there was the other life, the one that was the things you hadn’t chosen. And sometimes, this other life felt as palpable as the one you were living.
^^This quote moved my soul.
5 spectacular stars!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136,398 reviews