Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

39 reviews

earlgreywithroom's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I loved it. Terribly.

A book about love, grief, the creative process, the fragility of life, the growing pains of youth, of creative work, of an ever evolving world; but above all, this is a book about people– people who are messy and selfish and passionately brilliant and infuriatingly complicated. Every character, even the ones that only appeared for a chapter, feels devastatingly real. Zevin's original (and occasionally risky) writing style echoes the ebbs and flows of her characters' lives, with stretches of mundanity broken up by sudden bursts of poetic inspiration. At times, it felt like I was navigating a riddle or a maze– one that I will only be able to fully appreciate on a second or third read-through. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

amberj87's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Ableism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Abandonment

makmo722's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book had me always guessing what was coming next! I am amazed at Zevin’s ability to move fluently between past, present, and future. This book was fascinating to me - it was moving and emotional and kept me on my toes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, and Abandonment

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

I don't remember why I picked this book up, but I really enjoyed it. I have a love-hate relationship with general fiction, but I liked the exploration and character development in this book. I greatly enjoyed the video game development of it, and would absolutely play Sadie's factory game. It also stood out to me how undefined everyone's sexuality seems to be. I'm not sure if that was on purpose or not. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

deathdayparty's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Homophobia

marisol1990's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Car accident

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Ableism, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

Disability

hannalizzy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

This book was so beautifully written. The story plays out like an actual life, full of its raging beauty and sharp ugliness. I read it at the recommendation of John Green, and I can see why he enjoyed it. It has a bit of his poetic flair, and the characters have their unique quirks like his do. The characters are richly complex, and somehow lovable despite their very apparent flaws.  

I wonder how I will feel about the ending after I’ve had more time to think about it. It felt like it lacked some of the finality I was hoping for in terms of Sadie and Sam’s relationship. I also felt like Sam and Sadie’s fights became a little too repetitive, but of course, c’est la vie. 

I always love stories of characters encountering grief, loss, and depression in its most potent form and still figuring out how to manage to continue on. I think those kinds of triumphs are so important to read about in an age where poor mental health feels like a largely universal experience.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Blood, Abortion, Abandonment, and Alcohol

purplepenning's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Full review to come. Probably. A compelling story of friendship and love and survival and pain, about knowing and being known, about story and play and vulnerability and trauma and context — all unfolding in the Shakespearean world of game development.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Bullying, Antisemitism, and Cultural appropriation

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thanks to AA Knopf for the free advance copy of this book.

 - Honestly, TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW is one of those books I'm not sure I can write a review about because I feel so intensely about it. It completely knocked the breath out of me, and I never wanted to leave its pages.
- Sam, Marx, and Sadie are a tender, complicated group, and following them through their ups and downs was both fulfilling and painful. I loved that this book showcases how your connections with people grow, change, stagnate, restart, and more throughout your life.
- They're all prickly and hard to love at times, but also, how could you do anything but love them deeply?
- The book is so well plotted too, with the narrator dropping little bits of foresight into the story, and the way themes and images recur throughout the characters' lives, whether they do it on purpose or it happens organically.
- Even if you don't know anything about video games, please give this one a try if you can. I think it's quite special. Do check the content warnings though, because there is some majorly heavy stuff in here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer and Abortion