Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

211 reviews

chelford's review against another edition

I've been meaning to read this all year, and I'm so glad I finally did. It wasn't what I was expecting from the synopsis—it was better—and even as a non-gamer I was fully immersed in the story. At one point my toddler woke up from a nap and came out to find me pacing and sobbing as fictional (yet all too real) events unfolded. It's been years since I read either of them, but it made me think of The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides and The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer, and also a bit of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Reid and The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, based on vibes and the whole spanning decades thing. For a moment there I was so worried that

Spoiler

Marx's death would be a convenient way to shoehorn a quick Sam-Sadie romance into the final quarter, and I was so relieved the beauty of their relationship wasn't tainted by some prioritization of romantic love

. I think Marx was probably my favorite part of this book, as Sam and Sadie were both pretty infuriating, but in a loveable way. The author made some interesting stylistic choices in the latter half, but I think they worked. I especially think they worked because we see Sam and Sadie grow and change so much over the course of the novel, and their games change just as much as the style of the sections in the book

Spoiler

of which there are five, which I take to mean there will be a fifth game after all

.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, and Gun violence

Minor: Suicide and Domestic abuse

sierrabedwell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Cancer, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Sexual content, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Sexual assault

maxel268's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

The first book I've read in a long time that slowed down time while I was reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Infidelity, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Murder

Minor: Eating disorder, Bullying, Classism, Abortion, Cultural appropriation, Cancer, Cursing, and Drug use

plumpeony's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gun violence, Car accident, Domestic abuse, and Death

Moderate: Chronic illness, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Mental illness

Minor: Abortion, Drug use, Cancer, and Genocide

mlwe's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Car accident, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Abortion, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma

Minor: Grief, Hate crime, Terminal illness, and Vomit

dannothedino's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, Ableism, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Child death, Abandonment, Cultural appropriation, Abortion, Infidelity, and Medical trauma

laujane's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Mass/school shootings, Death, Medical content, Homophobia, and Self harm

buckleburyfairie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

5.0

I was nervous because this book is longer than anything I've read in awhile, but it has been recommended to me many times and I'm so happy I read it! I didn't want it to end. The author's vocabulary is superb. I learned so many delicious words reading this book. Some of the best writing about a disability I have ever read. I relished the passages about Sam's time with his mom and grandparents. By the end of the book, I found myself thinking about friends I haven't talked to awhile, and wanting to catch up with them. I hope this book encourages other readers to reach out to old friends, too. 

Definite content warning about a professor/freshman student relationship that has nonconsensual BDSM aspects, and a separate content warning for gun violence.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Cancer, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Chronic illness, Blood, and Abandonment

alcyon_alcyon's review against another edition

Spoilers included... I liked the narrator and I liked the description of the games. The overall tone was pretty juvenile or romancey, not genres I like. The abusive relationship with her professor was very disturbing to me...yet not that disturbing to Sadie?  The plot twists, like Sadie having had an abortion, were unconvincing. I decided nothing good would come to me if I kept listening past the half way point, so I stopped. Do not recommend and won't seek out other books by this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Minor: Abortion

craftysnailtail's review against another edition

This book had content warnings that I originally did not see, but I wouldn't have picked it up if I had seen them beforehand. At least now I know how to expand content warnings! Very well written, but too much for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse