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sevensableyes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I didn't really believe the friendship between Sam and Sadie, at least not beyond their college years.
Honestly, by the end of the book, I liked Sam more than Sadie. She held so much resentment towards Sam, and just didn't even try to talk to him about it? If she was so upset, why not just leave? Why drag everything on? I just don't get it.
This book was sold to me as a platonic-love story and a complicated friendship. But I could barely see the friendship, and
Graphic: Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Car accident, Racism, Sexism, Death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Death of parent, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Abortion
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" follows two young people from when they meet as children throughout their lives until they are in their thirties. Sadie and Sam meet in the hospital, where Sam is a patient following a major car accident that took his mother from him, and where Sadie is spending time because her sister is very ill. Sadie and Sam bond over their shared love of video gaming, and a special friendship grows, until Sam finds out that Sadie was asked to be his friend because he would not speak to anyone. A decade later they reconnect with each other and decide to build a game together, which launches their careers and takes them both back home to LA.
Gabrielle Zevin's writing is immaculate. The characters all have very distinct personalities and are perfectly crafted to be interesting on their own, but equally intriguing when paired with the other characters in the story. Throughout the novel, there are moments in the writing that are just so beautiful you want to stop reading the savor the words.
Marx was one of my favorite characters that I have ever read. He is compelling and captivating and has the most beautiful outlook on life. He approaches everything, no matter how seemingly small with the brightest, most positive attitude. His personality is electric, and he was EXACTLY what both Sam and Sadie needed in their lives. The moment he was shot I knew I was going to be devastated. My heart broke for Sadie, and Sam, but I really loved being in Marx's head while he was in a coma. This type of writing seemed risky, but it moved the story along in a fresh way and made me feel despair on a whole new level.
I really enjoyed that this was not a typical love story about two friends that share so much life together. This story is about finding yourself and cherishing the people you meet along the way that help you to evolve into your truest self. Yes, Sam and Sadie would be great together, but that is not the point of this story.
I will undoubtably read more from Gabrielle Zevin in the future.
Graphic: Mental illness, Car accident, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Death, Gaslighting, Sexism, Animal death, Physical abuse, and Miscarriage
lemonflower's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Suicide
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Grief, Cursing, Death of parent, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Murder, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Miscarriage, Cancer, Misogyny, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, Blood, Cultural appropriation, and Racism
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: July 5, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Original • Nostalgic • Thoughtful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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. They borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo: a game where players can escape the confines of a body and the betrayals of a heart, and where death means nothing more than a chance to restart and play again. This is the story of the perfect worlds Sam and Sadie build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.
💭 T H O U G H T S
What can I say that hasn't already been said about the hugely popular Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow? This book was absolutely everywhere in the latter part of 2022, so it's no surprise it would fall onto my TBR as well. It is beloved by many, understandably so, and it really is unlike anything I've read before.
Spanning thirty years, this character driven story is about video games on the surface, yet when as you dig deeper it is truly about the human need for connection - with ourselves, with others, with the world. Gabrielle Zevin weaves deep emotion into her well-thought-out plot. There is trauma and grief. There is heartbreak and struggle. There is an exploration of love in the broader sense. There is diverse representation without it being a focus. The friendship between Sadie and Sam was flawed, genuine, and messy. Marx was a great addition.
The world of video games is a huge part of the plot, and at times, it got bogged down. I appreciated the the exploration of games as a form of escape. But sometimes I wanted more of the characters and less about the process. It did broaden my scope and understanding of the appeal of games by so many. Additionally, Gabrielle Zevin writes an ode to the creative process, something I cannot say I've witnessed in my reading life before.
Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a favourite of mine, so I was expecting more of the same. And I do think this is in the similar vane, yet for video games. Perhaps if video games were my escape, as opposed to books, my experience would have been reversed. With that said, this book is a reminder that life is heavy and hard, complicated and messy.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who like character driven stories
• gamers
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time."
"Maybe you need to let more people know you."
"'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.'"
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Murder, Hate crime, Gun violence, Death, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexism, Homophobia, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Racism
Minor: Eating disorder, Vomit, Miscarriage, Abortion, Emotional abuse, and Drug use
depressionbethsarah's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Car accident, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Drug use and Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
pinkbookscoffee's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Death