Reviews with content warning for Mass/school shootings - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Oh man. The best thing about this book was the game descriptions. I so wish they were real games. And while it's impossible to separate the hype at this point, I didn't really like this! I thought the characters were flat and manipulative, the plot was meandering and showy/unsubtle, and the voice (omniscient? I guess?) baffling. I connected to sweet Marx at first until the incident in the last third which felt ridiculous. This didn't work for me but I really want to play those fictional games! And ah but: That Pioneers section! I wish the whole book had been that brave. One other thought: Merrily We Roll Along but video game designers.

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catherineneeds's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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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rachreads681's review

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emotional hopeful 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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triple_m's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

4.25

This book is incredibly well written and engaging. I love video games so I personally loved all of the descriptions of the games and the worlds they built throughout the story.

It’s rare to find a story with such REAL characters. Everyone makes mistakes, sometimes do fucked up and selfish acts, but at the of the day I understand everyone’s perspective even when they’re not right or wrong.

Overall I found Sadie to be rather underdeveloped in comparison to Sam. I also found her storyline with Dov to be really boring and cliche and just overall unnecessary to the story.

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writersrelief's review

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challenging emotional 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

4.5

Spanning decades and continents, Gabrielle Zevin’s novel TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW is an epic story of friendship and creativity—and the price we pay when the two intersect.

The plot follows Sam Masur and Sadie Green, two childhood friends who reunite as adults. Sharing a passion for video games, the two decide to create their own game, “Ichigo,” produced by their friend, aspiring actor Marx Watanabe. When “Ichigo” becomes a smash hit, Sam and Sadie become legends in the video game community. But when professional and the personal boundaries blur, the consequences for everyone involved are devastating.

Gabrielle Zevin depicts the central friendship with specificity and care, but what’s more remarkable is how much attention she pays to her side characters. Even when the characters are not the central focus, their wants and desires are clearly laid out, and we care about them as much as we do the protagonists. They range from the enigmatic (Sadie’s problematic professor Dov Mizrah) to endearing (Ant and Simon, a couple who works with Sam and Sadie at their games company). Having to leave these characters was one of the many reasons we were sad to see the book end.

Beyond the characters and story, Zevin’s writing style is grand and immersive. She is fully aware of the scope of the subject matter, yet maintains intimacy with the characters’ psyches. Zevin is also not afraid to be bold or take risks throughout the book, such as shifting to Second Person at one point. Most importantly, however, the novel tackles sensitive topics such as disability, cultural appropriation, and work-life balance with compassion, complexity, and nuance. The explorations of these themes make TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW a must-read, whether you are a passionate gamer, a casual gamer, or not a gamer at all.

While the first 60 pages of the book were somewhat clumsy in terms of structure and exposition, after that point it became impossible to not get invested in the characters and their journey. At 400 pages, this was a surprisingly quick read, and one we had a hard time putting down. Highly recommended!

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nfletchwilliams's review

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emotional reflective 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

2.5

I was bummed with this one. It says it's a love story you never read before. I guess that's technically true in the most disappointing way possible.
The book is incredibly boring. You basically just watch them make game after game after game with varying degrees of success, building their company from the ground up.
Sam was sympathetic at first but is kind of a jerk. Sadie is OK. She's kind of flat and I didn't really connect with her.
The voice of the book is strange and narrative. It has that literary feel, but the book head hops a lot. It's almost jarring to get used to such a fluid perspective.

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gabi_tron's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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malinhalia's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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