Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

432 reviews

curlykristenk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-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

This book made me feel SO MANY FEELINGS. Some happy, some sad, some furious, some distraught. But that’s what makes a good book. The writing was incredible, thoughtful and thought provoking. Just amazingly creative and clever. 
Yes there were plenty of toxic elements to the many relationships in this but navigating those is also a part of life. They were authentically human and both Sam and Sadie made mistakes. I don’t like that she still meets up with dov in the end but just goes to show the long lasting effects that (TW) grooming and manipulation can have on a person. This overall was a realistic, messy, heart wrenching, heart warming story about human connection and love. What else is there? 
The NPC has my heart. 

This review was written and book was read prior to learning about xenophobic author.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Violence, Abortion, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Confinement, Miscarriage, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Terminal illness

Minor: Blood, Body horror, and Cancer

a_novi's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective 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? Yes

4.0

This book has some great relationship building between the characters that isn’t just the generic book plot you would expect. It is realistic. The guy doesn’t “get the girl” the friendships are not perfect. There’s pride there’s grudges there grief. It’s not a feel-good book but it’s relatable and interesting and emotionally challenging. A lesson from this book  can be interpreted as “life is shit and it doesn’t really get easier but we meet some people we love on the way. Loving them is not easy either but it is worth it all the same” 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Blood, Chronic illness, Car accident, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Murder, and Gun violence

burritobug's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

julianaparra's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Car accident, Chronic illness, Grief, Death, and Sexism

Minor: Drug use, Excrement, Physical abuse, Cultural appropriation, and Vomit

lightthebeam's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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

3.75

This book is divided into parts, and if you think of it as the sum of those into a whole - I think readers will enjoy it more. The book doesn’t pick one time to stay in throughout, there are jumps foreword and back and the beginning features heavy foreshadowing (honestly it kinda just states the what’s to come in some parts) and doesn’t make the reader work hard in guessing how things may develop. There is a slight identity crisis in writing style and what the book is accomplishing but again if you think of it in parts, it makes more sense and is less confusing. 
I did not like the sudden narrator switch, it’s something I tend to not like at all in books but I do think it worked to further the story and of course it provided a unique perspective but I found it jarring and awkward. 
The characters in this book will piss you off, and while parts of it are so beautiful overall it does leave you feeling sad. Maybe that’s just me. It’s meant to leave off hopeful but it feels sorrowful instead. 
I thought the middle of this book was the most beautiful - everything before the pioneer game chapters. I devoured the beginning of this book, but at the end it wasn’t as captivating and I felt like I was reading in circles, the character progression had stagnated but honestly they were just in a stagnant place which I understand. Overall I did really enjoy this book, there were just parts of the writing style I found to be a hinderance to the actual story, it felt like there was a slight identity crisis but it did make for a unique and thought provoking read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Antisemitism, Death, Mass/school shootings, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Murder, Cancer, Car accident, Hate crime, Chronic illness, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Violence, Xenophobia, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship

codenamevixen's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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 was reminiscent of One Day to me, though I am basing it off my experience with the movie and not the book, One Day. I enjoyed this book tremendously more. It examines how impactful and deep a relationship between friends can be and that meaningful relationships are not always the romantic ones we find in our lives. It balances references to the real world enough that it feels it could be the story of real people and their complicated lives and emotions. It had me pulled into the page, waiting to find what the breadcrumbs to emotional moments would lead to. It nearly brought me to tears. This is the only book or story I have thoroughly enjoyed that explores

friends who could be lovers, but never are, on the page.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Car accident, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide, Blood, Cancer, and Homophobia

Minor: Abortion and Sexual harassment

lololoretta's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Blood, Death, and Suicide

amgarrido's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

An extremely evocative and gripping depiction of friendship through the ages, tackling miscommunication and dealing with grief, chronic illness and a number of other difficult themes. I particularly liked the fact that the book didn’t end after Marx died, as I felt it really encapsulated the feeling you have after someone passes away; how the world continues to move forwards relentlessly, whilst for you it has completely stopped. In this case, Sadie retreated back into herself but was forced to continue by her quickly advancing pregnancy, while Sam was pushed to move forward by their business, learning how to make critical decisions alone.

Sam and Sadie both had very strong character development, although it almost seemed as if the roles were reversed at the end of the book and Sadie’s insistence to cut Sam off throughout for no good reason became slightly irritating. However, I believe Zevin may have done this on purpose, to depict that people’s actions whilst grieving or depressed can be difficult to understand even to those closest to them, and their thoughts and feelings contradictory even to themselves. I will say that I didn’t like Dov’s continued presence in the book.

I never would have picked up a book about gaming if it had not been so vigorously recommended by people around me and online and I’m very glad I did. Zevin’s writing is lyrical and enrapturing in a way I have not experienced in a long time - I look forward to reading ‘The Storied Life of AJ Fikry’ which is also on my shelf.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Gun violence, Medical content, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Blood, Cancer, and Mental illness

hmogie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

4.5

Spoilers in Review:


I really enjoyed this book! I understand the hype, Zevin writes wonderfully, she particularly wrote ages very well. Zevin flipped between the past, present, and video games seamlessly. I did get frustrated that the characters just didn't communicate better! I don't think Sadie was written as great as the other characters; her motives weren't explored enough. Sam and Sadie are both flawed characters, but Sam's motives were better explored. Sadie's hatred for Sam didn't make sense especially since but could have if it was better explored. I did love how Marx's coma was written from 2nd person; it was so impactful/devastating. I am glad Sam and Sadie ended as collaborators with mutual respect without being romantic. Overall, fantastic book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Gun violence

Moderate: Chronic illness, Car accident, and Ableism

Minor: Abortion

fancyjess_party's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Hate crime, Dysphoria, Drug use, Car accident, Bullying, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Ableism, Suicide, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Medical content, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Torture, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Cancer, Sexism, Mass/school shootings, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Violence, and Toxic relationship