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A review by plannedandplanted
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
inspiring
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
4.5
Phew, this one’s gunna stick with me for a bit!
For starters, the prose is glorious. Zevin’s vocabulary is impressive, almost bordering on braggadocious. I really loved the ever shifting dynamics between Sam, Sadie, and Marx. It was interesting to watch each of them change and grow and regress separately and as a trio.
The commentary and insight into a disabled person’s mind and experience was so touching, and made me empathize with Sam’s behavior much more.
I actually really “liked”the “game scene” in 2nd person where Marx died. I mean, it wrecked me, but personally, I thought it was brilliantly done. He had already told Sadie about a dream he had in a game - it only makes sense that his mind, trapped between here and there, was a game as well. I was SOBBBBBING
I’m also really glad that Sam and Sadie didn’t end up together. Sam gave me major Ace vibes, though that may have been coming from a place of trauma and avoidance rather than of self-understanding and fulfillment.
There were some problematic elements. Sadie still seemed weirdly cool with Dov, and it felt like his attraction to college girls was just treated as a silly little joke, which was gross. And Sam yelling at Sadie at her house 3 MONTHS AFTER???? Idk if we were supposed to think he was an ass or not in that scene but for someone who had “experienced a lot of loss and grief” he sure was shit about understanding it. Maybe because he never actually processed and healed from his stuff like Sadie did.
As I say that, those two things do take off half a star. But if I were going purely in reading experience and vibes, without analyzing too much, it would have been a solid 5.
For starters, the prose is glorious. Zevin’s vocabulary is impressive, almost bordering on braggadocious. I really loved the ever shifting dynamics between Sam, Sadie, and Marx. It was interesting to watch each of them change and grow and regress separately and as a trio.
The commentary and insight into a disabled person’s mind and experience was so touching, and made me empathize with Sam’s behavior much more.
There were some problematic elements. Sadie still seemed weirdly cool with Dov, and it felt like his attraction to college girls was just treated as a silly little joke, which was gross. And Sam yelling at Sadie at her house 3 MONTHS AFTER???? Idk if we were supposed to think he was an ass or not in that scene but for someone who had “experienced a lot of loss and grief” he sure was shit about understanding it. Maybe because he never actually processed and healed from his stuff like Sadie did.
As I say that, those two things do take off half a star. But if I were going purely in reading experience and vibes, without analyzing too much, it would have been a solid 5.