A review by iconicavocado
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Book 📖: 5/5 stars
Audiobook 🎙️: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
(Audio was a 3 but the unexpected secondary narrative gives it a 4 for creativity.)

This isn't a love story in the way of traditional love stories.
This isn't a miscommunication trope in the way that is traditional tropes.

It's a love story, at it's core about friendship. It's a story about two people fundamentally shaped by the obstacles and challenges in their life which they in turn accidentally build similar obstacles in each other's lives. Where the only way they can show their love and connection is through their love of video games. 

As I read this book I kept having this feeling that it is like a palindrome - a word, number, phrase, or other sequence of symbols that reads the same backwards as forwards (ex: "racecar" or 12:21). The characters, themes, stories... they volley back and forth in this circular pattern that simultaneously holds this melancholy and hope. It's a book of neverending comradry and loneliness.  It is both endearing and depressing. It's frustrating and completely relatable. The writing is even weaved in a way that reveals layers of the past, present, and future interchangeably. 

Marx was my favorite character. I saw so much of myself in him. However Sadie and Sam are the main characters. They are flawed characters to a T. The antiheroes to themselves and each other. As much as they'd frustrate me, I fell in love with them too. 

This book at its peaks was captivating. And maybe at it's worst: overplaying is own quirkiness. But those moments are few. This is ambitious, labor of love. I admire this author swinging for the fences on something as abstract and creative as this. I love video games, and I appreciate the palpable feeling of mutual love for the medium as seen in this book. It is truly unique in the way of love stories and will be memorable to me even after this post reading haze. 

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Edited March 2023*

Lastly, there are allegations about this book. I didn't learn of them until shortly after I started reading. I tried to not allow these allegations to affect my experience of the book because this is a matter of author vs their medium. 

 
I'll speak of the book and book alone: (1) Crediting work - If you know you were inspired by someone's work, what is the harm in crediting them? Especially if you mention their husband's name in the book itself.  Just seemed lazy and a misstep considering this book tackles the unfair discredit of women in male dominated spaces like the gaming world. Brenda Romero, for her board game "Train", should have received an acknowledgement. (2) Pro-Religious Undertones* - allegations have been made about Zevin and this book. I honestly can't speak about the author herself but the book did not promote a religious agenda at first glance, but upon further investigation I can see how it could be interpreted that way*. In the beginning there is a game based on the Holocaust, a character who is from Israel, and the main characters (Sam and Sadie) who have Jewish backgrounds. There is a brief mention of Sadie reading about "the founding of Israel" which I previously overlooked.* She doesn't go into what she read but it is mentioned.* After that Jewish related things are barely brought up and are most definitely never in a way to steers the plot. It's mainly used as character history/origin, with the exception of the "founding of Israel" being used to impress a boyfriend.*  

It's up to you how you want to proceed with the author based on accusations. I suggest doing your own research.
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