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labedzla's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Pregnancy, Mass/school shootings, Sexual violence, Grief, Mental illness, Abortion, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Terminal illness, Body horror, and Death of parent
maziodynes's review
- 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
2.75
It's obvious the game development process stuff was well researched. I found myself really enjoying Marx's perspective as a games producer myself. however, the game dev "lingo" and the games they brought up in context were off or didn't make sense for the time (or even the character's personalities). The author researched game dev history, and design, but it seemed like she didnt actually talk to many developers, and it showed.
The MMO segment at the end was particularly weird from a player perspective - nobody pretends like they arent playing a game unless theres some REALLY stringent RP going on, rare in a full online game unless you have friends you actively slchoose to do it with.
I found any and all mentions of sex in this book to feel far too clinical. It made sense sometimes for Sadie and Sam's over-intellectual povs, but even from Marx who is an emotionally intelligent and loving person, any POV of sex felt completely stripped down of emotion. The scenes felt so impersonal they may have well been omitted, esp when they were one-off sentences of "they had sex." But of course, we get the excruciating physical and emotional details when Sadie is sexually abused by Dov. Make it make sense
This is a personal hangup, but I couldn't get behind was the fact that Sadie kept Dov in her life the entire time. I understood needing to keep the professional relationship for Ichigo, at least at first. But how the is the game that your abuser made your COMFORT GAME? and you're still GETTING BRUNCH with him 10 years later?!? and he gives her that teaching position... it just makes me absolutely sick and soured my perception of Sadie. I wanted to root for her, but between some "not like other girls"-isms and her inability to work on her mental health in any capacity, I just couldn't after a while. And I liked Sam as a character alone, but his obsessive friendship /romantic tension with Sadie was too toxic for me to end up rooting for in the end.
There were some beautiful lines in this book, some sentiments about life and friendship, and my chosen career that truly moved me. but the relationships between the characters ultimately left me wanting more resolution.
Marx was the emotional heart of this book for me in the end. His second-person chapter reduced me to tears. tbh, that chap alone is why I am giving this a 2.75 instead of 2.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Car accident, Suicide, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape
Minor: Body horror, Cancer, and Terminal illness
hannah_dv's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The book has suicide, car-crash, chronic pain, amputation, DV, shooting, death, LGBT violence
Graphic: Car accident, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Gun violence, Death, Drug use, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Ableism, Hate crime, Blood, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Violence
carlafiorenzo's review
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Death, Suicide, Abortion, Car accident, Death of parent, and Gun violence
avadore's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Gun violence, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Misogyny
mlwe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Sam Masur and Sadie Green have a complicated history, but intertwined within the chronic sickness, failed relationships, and desperate identity searches is love. Their love for their work, their families, and each other repeatedly pulls them together. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is the story of two people who continue to find and love each other day after day.
The author dives into the emotions of her characters, both beautiful and ugly, and uses them to smooth and sharpen the edges of life. The character's attitudes towards gaming and their drive to excel jump off the page, keeping the reader invested in the plot. However, as life's challenges constantly confront the characters, Sam and Sadie lose sight of their initial intentions and aspirations. The distance the author created, once a hazy lens romanticizing the story, becomes a source of frustration and disconnect.
The novel undergoes major tonal and stylistic changes three-fourths into the novel. While relevant to the plot, <I can't imagine Mark's death told differently,> it disorients the reader. I found the precedent the author created comforting, and the new shift confusing enough to interrupt my reading. I appreciate that the change mimics the new feelings the characters face, but prefer a slower escalation or more foreshadowing. <Specifically, since Sadie experiences multiple periods of depression/grief, the author could have included Sadie gaming before Sam dragged her out of it.> Overall, I was immersed in the first part of the novel, and enjoyed the plot and characters, but fell out of love with them as the story progresses.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Car accident, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Abortion, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma
Minor: Grief, Hate crime, Terminal illness, and Vomit
joannalouise's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Sexual violence, Hate crime, Car accident, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
chaos_and_chapters'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
4.0
Graphic: Vomit, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Suicide, Sexual violence, Body horror, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Grief, Death, Car accident, Medical trauma, Sexism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Blood
Minor: Cancer, Ableism, Violence, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, and Cultural appropriation
scifi_rat's review
- 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
Prose: 4.5★
Pace: 4★
Concept/Execution: 4★/5★
Characters: 4.75★
Worldbuilding: 5★
Ending: 4.75★
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug use, Medical content, Murder, Racial slurs, Suicide, Violence, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Car accident, Gore, Vomit, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Blood, Terminal illness, Ableism, Abortion, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Cancer, Eating disorder, and Mental illness
cowboylikestoread43's review
- 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
Moderate: Car accident, Body horror, Suicide, Gun violence, Cancer, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, and Hate crime