coffeeshopvibes 's review for:

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

2.75

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I really wanted to like this book. I really deeply did not like it. I described it to a friend as, "A book about gaming, written by someone who does not game, for an audience of non-gamers". 

On the whole the book is written really well. However, the author makes choices that pulled me out of the story. 

She leaned in to kiss him, and he kissed her, and then she put her hand between his legs, wrapping her fingers around the cylindrical chambers of blood sponged that was his (and every) penis. 

I think there were some great ideas and themes. I hated the execution of how the author chose to discuss those themes.

The first 300-ish pages did nothing for me. For an example: I think the moment where Sadie reveals that Ichigo was about herself and her abortion was meant to be a huge plot twist moment for the reader, and it just..... fell flat. Her abortion is never mentioned again, nor does the author seem interested in showing how the game is meant to mirror Sadie's emotional pain other than a vague notion of feeling lost. 
The portion directly following Marx's death was really lovely. I enjoyed the exploration of grief after the loss of a close friend, how we respond to death differently, and how trauma shapes our living relationships. However, the section written "in game" from Pioneers spoiled the storytelling for me once again. I couldn't enjoy the ending because I so deeply disliked the Pioneers gameplay.