rachelmarie220's review
- 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
Graphic: Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident, Violence, Pregnancy, Drug use, Vomit, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Racism, Alcohol, Abortion, Blood, and Eating disorder
woolgatherer's review against another edition
3.5
While there is a plot of sorts, it read to me as though Zevin wanted her book to be character-driven. I think she was fairly successful on this front, but it was not without fault. I was really looking forward to her dive into a very complicated friendship mired with platonic love and frustration. I thought the first portion of the book did an excellent job with this, so, it was a bit of a disappointment that what could have been a rich exploration of such friendships ended up being an unrequited love kind of situation. It felt like a lazy choice to me. I was also frustrated with how Sam and Sadie’s relationships with other characters played out, which, frankly, felt very much so like how one would interact with NPCs. It was especially the case with Marx (who was too perfect for comfort), whose role in the book later on came off as an insensitive (and, frankly, manipulative) plot device to push Sadie’s story further.
I also think another thing working against Zevin was that she was too ambitious with the second half of the novel. There was too much she wanted to explore beyond characters and their relationships with one another that she kept introducing. Notably (to me), she wanted to tackle various sociopolitical issues as well. I would have rather she tackled one or two issues rather than several surface-level discussions that left a lot to be desired.
I think it’s still worth checking out this book, especially if you love video games. Also, while I had my issues with the content, I think Zevin is a rather good writer, and I thought the way she experimented with the structure of the book was quite fascinating.
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Gaslighting
Minor: Eating disorder, Cancer, and Drug use
chichisode's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Homophobia, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, and Hate crime
Moderate: Car accident, Genocide, Ableism, Cancer, Abortion, Alcohol, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Drug use, Eating disorder, Suicide, Pregnancy, Antisemitism, Vomit, War, and Violence
owenwilsonbaby's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A book that had so many lines I wanted to include here that I actually found it pretty hard to choose. Zevin has crafted such a wonderful piece of art. There are so many layers to this that I think I need to reread it almost immediately. The entire last third made me want to ugly cry. Every scene of this book was on the surface about moving its tightly-wound plot onward, yet simultaneously managed to further an extraordinary portrait of play, art, ethics, performance, love and sex, disability and illness, relationships and family. Zevin's ideas about these varied topics are finely painted, always finding room for levity, lightness, nuance and exploration. At the same time, the scenes that lean more heavily into these themes never feel like they lack depth. If anything, the lightness of touch here in everything from narrative voice to plotting to recurrent images and motifs felt carefully considered. I learned so much about the gaming world and its history which I have never really interacted with before. And yet most of all I feel the novel's important insights boiled down to how humans relate to and care for another. That despite everything, in the end, love can be very simple. The conversation with Dong Hyun near the ending of the book where he incredulously looks at Sam and says "Are you kidding? [...] Everything is funny now." Insane. I wanted to sob.
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Ableism, Racism, Terminal illness, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Drug use, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Classism, Mass/school shootings, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Blood, Car accident, Cursing, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Xenophobia
emwilliams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Suicide, Gun violence, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Eating disorder
meliroo's review
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Homophobia, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Ableism, Grief, Infidelity, and Cancer
Minor: Drug use and Eating disorder
wastingtime1994's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don’t have much to say about the story. It’s heartbreaking and made me realize just how sad I am in my own life right now. I wish to live in the game of Pioneer forever. I wish this book could go on forever because it is one of the few worlds I have been more attached to than my own life. Nothing bad could happen between these pages - to me at least; it’s different for the other characters.
I should read this again. But I should shower and eat and sleep first. I will return.
5.0/5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Car accident, Mass/school shootings, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual content, Abortion, Vomit, and Infidelity
Minor: Cancer and Eating disorder
savvylit's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Though I'm not a huge gamer myself, I can fondly recall portions of my life where video games helped me bridge my shyness or acted as a much-needed escape. Zevin manages to capture those sorts of oft-unacknowledged feelings throughout the pages of this novel. Even more specifically, Zevin explores the incredible equalizing power of video games. This is not a huge spoiler (because it's revealed very early on), but Sam has a disability that makes it difficult for him to walk. In video games, though, Sam can not only walk without pain but he can run - and even fly!
Zevin also absolutely excels at characterization. Sam, Sadie, and Marx are some of the most believable characters I've ever encountered in fiction. After finishing this novel, I felt like I missed them. And honestly, that's a rare feeling for me.
Lastly, there are so many poignant and heartbreaking examinations of loss and grief in Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. While this book is a celebration of chosen families, it is also a beautiful examination of the way loss can echo throughout our lives. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow made me glad to be a human and I'm grateful for that.
Graphic: Medical trauma, Mass/school shootings, Suicide, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Eating disorder
beccaruthe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Physical abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Cursing, Medical trauma, Vomit, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, Injury/injury detail, and Domestic abuse
julestx's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Injury/injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Homophobia
Moderate: Suicide, Cancer, Pregnancy, and Racism
Minor: Abortion, Drug use, and Eating disorder
Misrepresentation of bdsm/kink with a toxic/abusive relationship that the author tries to present as BDSM but it is not consensual and contains sexual coercion and assault