Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin

173 reviews

megmo's review

challenging 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Car accident, Death, Toxic friendship, Injury/injury detail, Toxic relationship, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Suicide, Gun violence, and Homophobia

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Abortion, Blood, Vomit, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Cancer, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Violence, and Mental illness

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Gore, Alcohol, Blood, Sexual content, and Xenophobia

tabbed_reads2much's review

reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I think the book was marketed misleadingly with the tag line "often in love but never lovers." It's an unreciprocated crush that is rarely brought up. Still a good read, but I wish I'd known.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness, Drug use, and Cancer

Minor: Ableism, Cursing, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Pregnancy, Death, and Medical content

Good asexual rep from an mc (Sam)!

myk_yeah's review

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

"Are the flaws of the main characters a main focus of the book?" Yes. That's like the whole book.
I understand the hype, in a way I loved this book. But I'm also really conflicted. 
First off, you need so many trigger warnings for this book my gosh. None of the coverage of the book prepared me for that. 
I am not disabled, so I can't speak to how realistic the disability representation was, but what I didn't like was how steeped in pitty it all was. The framing the book took was to see Sam's disability through the lens of pity, offered by his rich, able-bodied peers. There's a moment where Sam is described as being confident and in his zone, and the narration says that his limp was diminished, or something like that. I wish the book would have accepted Sam for how he was, instead of seeing his disability as something that made him infantilized in a way Marx and Sadie never were. 

The major abusive romantic relationship in the book was disappointing to read as a survivor. More on that the spoiler section. There's also a SA scene that is not framed as SA. (Probably because it was a woman sexually touching a man who didn't want to be touched) Made my stomach turn. 

Oh and the very casual and consistent zionism. Thumbs down there.

I did love having a story about a platonic relationship. It makes you realize how rare that is to see in media and fiction. These people are messy, and bad to each other, and I liked it. I thought it was realistic. I like how it showed the impacts of trauma on how we act towards one another. And how you can get a story wrapped up in your head about what's going on when you don't communicate. I love how it showed how far we'll go for the ones we love and how beautiful it is to create together. 
The Pioneer chapter was outstanding, just magic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Sexual assault, Self harm, Car accident, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Grief

Moderate: Sexism, Racism, Physical abuse, Medical content, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Injury/injury detail, Infidelity, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Bullying

Spoiler

The final scene with Dov made me want to be sick. The way he was still in the story and able to excuse his behavior by saying "oh I used to be so shitty didn't I" when we have clues that he's the same as he was before. I needed a little more from the book to frame him as wrong.

I do think the drama of the plot was heavy-handed personally. I think the book was dark and it didn't always serve the story. Sometimes it felt like a distraction from the story. This book really has the kitchen sink of traumatic experiences in it and I think we could have done with one less. I think the book would have been even better if it was pared down a bit, a little simpler. And I know I personally would have enjoyed it better if it was lighter in tone overall, I don't want to suffer too much when I read. It did move me, I felt a lot the whole way through and I loved that.

literatureleaf's review

emotional 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

Age: 15+
 
Reading time: 5 days
 
Difficulty level: 3/5
 
Overall Rating: 9/10
 
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a beautiful book that weaves a splendid tale about growing up, friendship, love, and the things we carry with us throughout our lives. Told against the backdrop of the unique world of video games, both playing and designing them, Zevin brings the story of Sam and Sadie, friends, then foes, then friends again, to life. The characters are rife with strengths and flaws, and each player in the story is both lovable and infuriating, much like the ones we hold near and dear to us in our own lives.
 
A beautiful depiction of deep suffering and genuine happiness, reading this book without feeling raw, untethered emotions for Sadie and Sam is impossible. Their joy, sorrow, pain, humor, grief, and love are so vivid that they reach up and grab you by the throat, unleashing a torrent of nostalgia so thick that, soon, you’ll be calling up lovers and friends past, asking them where it all went wrong.
 
Zevin paints an unfiltered picture of all the things, both small and large, hilarious and tragic, beautiful and ugly, that make us who we are. Her powerful imagery and witty dialogue elevate the story to new heights, and she tackles tough subject matter with a poise and grace that brings a tear to the reader’s eye. Everything feels effortless, and the story flows so seamlessly that you’ll find yourself wishing for such excellent pacing in your own life.
 
Despite being a near flawless story, the one area in which this book missed the mark is in the characterization of Marx. When compared to Sadie and Sam, Marx lacked much of the depth and dimension lavished upon his comrades. He was largely without fault, and his main purpose in the story seemed to be as a catalyst for many of Sam and Sadie’s antics. When put up against characters who are so incredibly complex, Marx’s shallowness is hard to miss, and being that he ends up playing such a large role in the story, seeing a bit more from him would have been the icing on the cake of a wonderful book.
 
With Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Zevin has penned a haunting ode to the human experience. She takes the mundane and traumatizing aspects of life, and the emotions that we sometimes wish we did not have to feel and uses them to pay homage to all the things that make for a life well-lived, reminding us that we are never as alone as we think we are.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Death, Murder, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexism, Car accident, Domestic abuse, and Racism

Minor: Ableism, Pregnancy, Abortion, Cancer, Medical content, Cursing, and Sexual content

spiltink's review

emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.75

One of the most remarkable books I have read in a long time. Zevin does a masterful job of exploring what it means to be a friend and the depths of platonic love over the landscape of early video games.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Cancer, Car accident, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual content, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Misogyny, and Racism

owloutstanding's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

From reading this book, I was inspired by the process of creation. The characters felt real to me and I cared about what they went through. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Racism

quailtea's review

emotional 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? No

4.0

this book! remarkable relationships as the main focus of the book but somehow also seamless in that in terms of pacing and drive. i was really sucked in

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Car accident, Medical trauma, Medical content, Murder, and Pregnancy

na_no's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

mixed thoughts

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Car accident, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicide, Racism, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, and Murder

Minor: Homophobia and Abortion

kimveach's review

adventurous emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book.  It was a fascinating blend of character and plot.  I'm not a gamer, but I found the creation of the games so interesting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Chronic illness, Death, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Racism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Death of parent, Grief, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Hate crime, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Torture, Confinement, and Drug use

Minor: Abortion and Cancer

madelinekramer2021's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Death, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Chronic illness, Injury/injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Racism