Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

This whole book is miscommunication trope porn and I hate that for it.

This book started out so strong and sounded like something I would really enjoy. A loving friend relationship spanning over decades encompassed by the passion for video games, something that sounds right up my alley due to my love of Ready Player One, but alas, this only got worse the more I read. And considering I audiobooked this, it made it so much worse to get through.

I think my reading experience for this was hindered significantly because personally, I found the audiobook for this exceptionally boring. Also can someone explain why Part VII was done with a different voice actor and all the sudden was in first person? I hated that switch, the voice actor switch was a creative choice sure, but do NOT switch to first person when I'm 75% done with a third person novel, I beg of you.

Anyway, I can see the appeal of why people love this. I watched Gabrielle Zevin's spot on the Jimmy Fallon show and I can see the vision she had and her explanation is sound, but personally, both Sadie and Sam became insufferable to me due to their inability to talk to each other even though the whole conceit of the story is that they both love each other unequivocally?? Make it make sense. Anyway, clearly I'm in the minority on this one but I'm okay with that.

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the_rabble's review against another edition

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Hard to tell where the fun part of this book about games is, so I stopped.

Lots of clichés- which is fine, I love a trope- but none of it was particularly fresh or created movement.

I liked the family members we met and that one of the characters does some artistic crafting for the other.

Aside from that, this is just rich kids who have bad judgement and trauma. The main characters were not interesting or sympathetic. One is placed in an emotional abusive relationship condoned by her friends. The second time that happened is about where I noped out.

There are also Silicon Valley-esque interstitials of tech reporting that made me like the Ivy Leaguer MCs even less on top of the "it's okay that our friend is

Spoiler

dating her old, married, sexist, nihilist, shitheel of an emotionally abusive teacher-boss who is now also financially involved in everything the trio attempts to do

."

The gaming is not joyful, it's a slog that also manages to paper over how sometimes you just don't win those 90s era games. It felt... discordant with my own experience (but I was a Sega/DOS kid, maybe the author was NES.)

It also sucks to read a book where the only other woman game designer is portrayed as someone to shit on.

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hazelisreading's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

5.0

This is a beautiful book I’d recommend to anyone, with a label that says “read at your own risk of crying” because you will fall in love and it will hurt.

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lautreamont's review against another edition

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emotional 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

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mlwe's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

My Review:
Sam Masur and Sadie Green have a complicated history, but intertwined within the chronic sickness, failed relationships, and desperate identity searches is love. Their love for their work, their families, and each other repeatedly pulls them together. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is the story of two people who continue to find and love each other day after day.

The author dives into the emotions of her characters, both beautiful and ugly, and uses them to smooth and sharpen the edges of life. The character's attitudes towards gaming and their drive to excel jump off the page, keeping the reader invested in the plot. However, as life's challenges constantly confront the characters, Sam and Sadie lose sight of their initial intentions and aspirations. The distance the author created, once a hazy lens romanticizing the story, becomes a source of frustration and disconnect.

The novel undergoes major tonal and stylistic changes three-fourths into the novel. While relevant to the plot, <I can't imagine Mark's death told differently,> it disorients the reader. I found the precedent the author created comforting, and the new shift confusing enough to interrupt my reading. I appreciate that the change mimics the new feelings the characters face, but prefer a slower escalation or more foreshadowing. <Specifically, since Sadie experiences multiple periods of depression/grief, the author could have included Sadie gaming before Sam dragged her out of it.> Overall, I was immersed in the first part of the novel, and enjoyed the plot and characters, but fell out of love with them as the story progresses.

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