A review by ramalam98
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
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
3.5
I'm definitely in a minority here but I'm actually a bit disappointed by this.
I enjoyed the writing and the way the story flowed, it was always engaging to read though did often feel like it was using uncommon words for the sake of it; having to look up word meanings did take me out of the story occasionally.
I also really liked the diversity we see here, with Jewish, disabled, queer, East Asian and mixed race characters at the forefront.
I liked the general plot, and the last couple of chapters were also very strong.
Unfortunately this just didn't feel like the book I was promised. The character dynamics and plot development in the first have had me attached, but the second half lost me. I found it largely unemotional and I feel like I kept seeing strong glimpses of a great novel but it never quite materialised.
The great friendship was almost entirely nonexistent as Sam and Sadie barely had a positive interaction after around the 20% mark. And Sam as a character was very unlikeable to me, he would lash out at the first sign of conflict and be utterly horrible to those closest to him. Sadie also wasn't great and a bit too not like the other girls. Sadie deserved better, although a lot of her storylines felt realistic for a woman in this industry in the 90's, particularly her college experience and the Dov storyline.
Sam and Sadie were two people who did not know how to manage their emotions and I accept that, but it didn't allow me to root for them as much as I would want.
I did not like that Marx died, it felt very cliche and unnecessary. The NPC chapter was good but some of it dragged a bit, particularly when it came to Marx in hospital. Marx was my favourite character but he still wasn't great, from a writing standpoint he had no real depth and seemed to just be there to give Sadie a distraction. I strongly appreciate the intent behind the Pioneer chapter, it just didn't quite deliver for me and was a bit too long.
Also what the fuck was that penis paragraph!!?
I enjoyed the writing and the way the story flowed, it was always engaging to read though did often feel like it was using uncommon words for the sake of it; having to look up word meanings did take me out of the story occasionally.
I also really liked the diversity we see here, with Jewish, disabled, queer, East Asian and mixed race characters at the forefront.
I liked the general plot, and the last couple of chapters were also very strong.
Unfortunately this just didn't feel like the book I was promised. The character dynamics and plot development in the first have had me attached, but the second half lost me. I found it largely unemotional and I feel like I kept seeing strong glimpses of a great novel but it never quite materialised.
Sam and Sadie were two people who did not know how to manage their emotions and I accept that, but it didn't allow me to root for them as much as I would want.
I did not like that Marx died, it felt very cliche and unnecessary. The NPC chapter was good but some of it dragged a bit, particularly when it came to Marx in hospital. Marx was my favourite character but he still wasn't great, from a writing standpoint he had no real depth and seemed to just be there to give Sadie a distraction. I strongly appreciate the intent behind the Pioneer chapter, it just didn't quite deliver for me and was a bit too long.
Also what the fuck was that penis paragraph!!?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Gun violence
Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Hate crime, and Homophobia