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A review by lovelyoutliers
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
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
4.75
I had not expected to be so gripped by a story of friends building video games, but the tech context is just a backdrop for brilliant writing that pulls you in. This book is really about love and friendship, of identity, of play, and of beautiful words.
Turns out games are about so much more than games. The best person in the book, Marx, summarised it as:
“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."
I was not expecting the twists and turns in the plot, but more than that, I was not expecting to be so invested in the relationships between Sadie Green, Sam Maser, and Marx, even though you end up being frustrated with Sadie and Sam's arrogance, and self-centeredness, you still want them to find their way.
“The way to turn an ex-lover into a friend is to never stop loving them, to know that when one phase of a relationship ends it can transform into something else. It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time.”
Turns out games are about so much more than games. The best person in the book, Marx, summarised it as:
“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."
I was not expecting the twists and turns in the plot, but more than that, I was not expecting to be so invested in the relationships between Sadie Green, Sam Maser, and Marx, even though you end up being frustrated with Sadie and Sam's arrogance, and self-centeredness, you still want them to find their way.
“The way to turn an ex-lover into a friend is to never stop loving them, to know that when one phase of a relationship ends it can transform into something else. It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Mental illness, Car accident, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Ableism, and Chronic illness