A review by zoiejanelle
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
this book is about love that transcends time and space. and also video games.
if i could give 6 stars, i would. this book destroyed me time and time again and put me back together with such love and thoughtfulness. my love for these characters is unending, and i can’t wait to read again to pick up on more of the literary allusions and references that really made this book shine.
i am not a gamer nor do i think i ever will be, but Zevin made the gaming world so lush and fascinating AND easy to become immersed in. not only were the various plot threads anf conflicts interesting, the games that Sam & Sadie (and Marx) made made me envious that i wasn’t a character in this parallel world.
the star of the show here was Zevin’s unique ability to develop characters and entice the reader to connect with each. both Sam and Sadie were somehow so relatable to me that my heart felt tugged in opposite directions when their (very realistic, very important) conflicts split them throughout the book. and seeing each of them in each other’s eyes—especially seeing how Sam viewed Sadie throughout their lives despite their disagreements—was so raw and special. i often cried at the warm and affectionate light in which each of them held each other, and that their intimacy and deep, relentless connection allowed them to persevere through the hardest of trials. it was both so easy and so hard at the same time, to believe two people could love and hate each other so much.
the depth of this book, too, was astonishing. the references to other works, the repetition of key phrases with altered meaning, the parallelism, the themes of love, identity, grief, death, and good old fashioned meaning of life… this book really challenged me to ask myself some tough questions but in the same breath was encouraging and comforting in a way i’d never really experienced before.
i absolutely wept at the end, but in a good way. how could i not? this was a truly remarkable book that i can’t wait to read again.
if i could give 6 stars, i would. this book destroyed me time and time again and put me back together with such love and thoughtfulness. my love for these characters is unending, and i can’t wait to read again to pick up on more of the literary allusions and references that really made this book shine.
i am not a gamer nor do i think i ever will be, but Zevin made the gaming world so lush and fascinating AND easy to become immersed in. not only were the various plot threads anf conflicts interesting, the games that Sam & Sadie (and Marx) made made me envious that i wasn’t a character in this parallel world.
the star of the show here was Zevin’s unique ability to develop characters and entice the reader to connect with each. both Sam and Sadie were somehow so relatable to me that my heart felt tugged in opposite directions when their (very realistic, very important) conflicts split them throughout the book. and seeing each of them in each other’s eyes—especially seeing how Sam viewed Sadie throughout their lives despite their disagreements—was so raw and special. i often cried at the warm and affectionate light in which each of them held each other, and that their intimacy and deep, relentless connection allowed them to persevere through the hardest of trials. it was both so easy and so hard at the same time, to believe two people could love and hate each other so much.
the depth of this book, too, was astonishing. the references to other works, the repetition of key phrases with altered meaning, the parallelism, the themes of love, identity, grief, death, and good old fashioned meaning of life… this book really challenged me to ask myself some tough questions but in the same breath was encouraging and comforting in a way i’d never really experienced before.
i absolutely wept at the end, but in a good way. how could i not? this was a truly remarkable book that i can’t wait to read again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Vomit
Minor: Antisemitism, Abortion, and Addiction