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A review by kelly_e
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Title: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: July 5, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Original • Nostalgic • Thoughtful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. They borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo: a game where players can escape the confines of a body and the betrayals of a heart, and where death means nothing more than a chance to restart and play again. This is the story of the perfect worlds Sam and Sadie build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.
💠T H O U G H T S
What can I say that hasn't already been said about the hugely popular Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow? This book was absolutely everywhere in the latter part of 2022, so it's no surprise it would fall onto my TBR as well. It is beloved by many, understandably so, and it really is unlike anything I've read before.
Spanning thirty years, this character driven story is about video games on the surface, yet when as you dig deeper it is truly about the human need for connection - with ourselves, with others, with the world. Gabrielle Zevin weaves deep emotion into her well-thought-out plot. There is trauma and grief. There is heartbreak and struggle. There is an exploration of love in the broader sense. There is diverse representation without it being a focus. The friendship between Sadie and Sam was flawed, genuine, and messy. Marx was a great addition.
The world of video games is a huge part of the plot, and at times, it got bogged down. I appreciated the the exploration of games as a form of escape. But sometimes I wanted more of the characters and less about the process. It did broaden my scope and understanding of the appeal of games by so many. Additionally, Gabrielle Zevin writes an ode to the creative process, something I cannot say I've witnessed in my reading life before.
Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a favourite of mine, so I was expecting more of the same. And I do think this is in the similar vane, yet for video games. Perhaps if video games were my escape, as opposed to books, my experience would have been reversed. With that said, this book is a reminder that life is heavy and hard, complicated and messy.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who like character driven stories
• gamers
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time."
"Maybe you need to let more people know you."
"'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. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.'"
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: July 5, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Original • Nostalgic • Thoughtful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. They borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo: a game where players can escape the confines of a body and the betrayals of a heart, and where death means nothing more than a chance to restart and play again. This is the story of the perfect worlds Sam and Sadie build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.
💠T H O U G H T S
What can I say that hasn't already been said about the hugely popular Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow? This book was absolutely everywhere in the latter part of 2022, so it's no surprise it would fall onto my TBR as well. It is beloved by many, understandably so, and it really is unlike anything I've read before.
Spanning thirty years, this character driven story is about video games on the surface, yet when as you dig deeper it is truly about the human need for connection - with ourselves, with others, with the world. Gabrielle Zevin weaves deep emotion into her well-thought-out plot. There is trauma and grief. There is heartbreak and struggle. There is an exploration of love in the broader sense. There is diverse representation without it being a focus. The friendship between Sadie and Sam was flawed, genuine, and messy. Marx was a great addition.
The world of video games is a huge part of the plot, and at times, it got bogged down. I appreciated the the exploration of games as a form of escape. But sometimes I wanted more of the characters and less about the process. It did broaden my scope and understanding of the appeal of games by so many. Additionally, Gabrielle Zevin writes an ode to the creative process, something I cannot say I've witnessed in my reading life before.
Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a favourite of mine, so I was expecting more of the same. And I do think this is in the similar vane, yet for video games. Perhaps if video games were my escape, as opposed to books, my experience would have been reversed. With that said, this book is a reminder that life is heavy and hard, complicated and messy.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who like character driven stories
• gamers
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time."
"Maybe you need to let more people know you."
"'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. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.'"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Murder, Hate crime, Gun violence, Death, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexism, Homophobia, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Racism
Minor: Eating disorder, Vomit, Miscarriage, Abortion, Emotional abuse, and Drug use
depression