A beautiful, bittersweet exploration of friendship, creativity, and the messy love that exists outside romance. Following Sam and Sadie through decades of video game design, Gabrielle Zevin crafts a story that’s immersive, emotional, and quietly profound. It’s about art, ambition, connection—and how we keep playing even when we can’t win.

It feels like everyone loves Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, and while I enjoyed it, it did not quite live up to the hype for me. I don't think I am necessarily a part of the target audience, and I got a little tired of the focus on video games. However, I really liked the characters and thought their complicated friendship was portrayed very well.

“What is a game?" Marx said. "It's tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It's the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.”

I'm a Gabrielle Zevin completist and I personally think, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is one of her greatest works. I loved that this is a love story but not a love story and IYKYK. This beautiful story follows Sadie and Sam as they design video games together throughout the 90s and 2000s. It's an examination of friendship over time that will break your heart and knit it together. It's a story of two creators just trying to get it right and using their created worlds to fix their reality. The quote above is the perfect demonstration of what this book encapsulates as we watch the main characters try to knit their lives in a way in which they can control, only to be confronted with the harsh realities that are life.

I had one gripe and that was that there was a large chunk of the book set in a video game towards the end that I think could have been sharply edited, but it was used as a device for Sam and Sadie to come back together. I'm fine with that but just found it to pull me out of the main story for too long that upon returning to the story I felt a bit jilted and off-set.

𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:

I am probably not going to do this book justice. But I am going to try anyway.

There are no perfect books. Every book, at least those that I've read, will have some flaw, big or small, that sticks out and stays with you. This book... does not.

Jewish representation: check

A disabled character who deals with chronic pain: check

Set in the 90's (a fantastic period of time, if I do say so myself): check

One of the sweetest, most turbulent, most realistic friendships I've ever seen depicted in a book: check

This book was just about perfect. In fact, once I'd actually read it I had to wonder why it stayed on my TBR so long. Maybe because I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the hype? But never fear. It did.

If this one is still on your list, just go ahead and dive in. If it isn't, it should be.

Thank you to NetGalley, LibroFM, Penguin Random House and Gabrielle Zevin for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is available now.

Thank you so much for the ARC! I can't believe I never posted my review. Wow! I heard that people either loved this book or hated it and I absolutely loved it. The first 50 pages is full of so much plot and character development, which continued throughout the remainder of the novel. I couldn't put it down. I fell in love with these characters.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was a kind of a punch to the ribs. The kind that knocks the air out of your lungs, the shock of someone you love finally telling the truth.

I didn’t expect to fall so hard for Sadie and Sam. Their relationship is so layered and contradictory and real. It’s love, but not the kind we’re used to labeling. It’s frustrating and broken and breathtaking. They’re both selfish. They’re both brilliant. They’re both kind of awful to each other. And I adored them for it.

The pace ebbs. Some sections feel like drifting through static. But I didn’t mind. Not really. When the characters have you by the throat like this, when they feel lived in, you follow them anywhere, even through the lulls.

This book isn’t trying to be tidy. It doesn’t care about satisfying you in a traditional way. It cares about telling the truth. About friendship, and grief, and ambition, and the unbearable beauty of being known and still not fully understood. It’s the kind of story that lingers in your bloodstream.

I finished it and just sat there. Quiet. Like someone had untangled a knot inside me I didn’t know I’d tied.

Anyway. Read it. Let it ruin you a little.

Such a unique take on the coming of age story. Completely absorbing with deep character development and lots of emotion without being saccharine. Definitely a winner!

This book was great! I really enjoyed the pacing and plot! I look forward to reading more by this author!

This has to be a solid 3.5 for me. Although, I think there were some really great parts of this book (the writing and characters), I felt like not a ton happened for so long of a book. There definitely was a lull in the middle, but I can say it picked back up toward the end. However, I found the fake world, the game world (specifically Pioneers) was more interesting and fun to read than the book’s real world.

l found myself confused why Sadie was so mad at Sam for so long. Her character really grated on me at times. I do find the book to have important lessons regarding friendship, communication, trauma, and love.

So I started loving this book, but at about the 40% mark it started to feel like it might be never ending. And then at 65% it'd felt like I'd read so many books in this one book. I know I'm a minority in that so many people have loved this and I get why some people love it, but I think it just wasn't compatible with the way my brain works. The author went on multi page long tangents that made it confusing to follow.

I would have given this 5+ stars if I'd read it as a teenager. It reads like very well-done YA. My favorite parts had to do with getting into the characters' creative minds. I have no interest in video games, though, so that was a bit of a setback for me.

Definitely an interesting read that will stay with you, I liked the high emotion of the characters but I do feel like a lot of the problems in the story could have been fixed with a bit of communication between the characters...

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is not your average love story, and that’s exactly what makes it stand out. Gabrielle Zevin crafts a deeply layered narrative set within the world of video game design—an unusual yet compelling backdrop for a tale about connection, ambition, creativity, and the complexity of love in all its non-romantic forms.

This book may not be for everyone. It’s character-driven, emotionally rich, and often lingers on the quiet, introspective moments between milestones. The plot doesn’t always move in obvious directions, and readers expecting a conventional romance or fast-paced drama may find themselves caught off guard. But for those willing to settle into its rhythm, this is a story that pays off in deeply human ways.

At the center of the story are Sam and Sadie—two brilliant, flawed individuals who share a decades-long creative partnership that blurs the lines between friendship, love, and rivalry. Their bond is tested by success, heartbreak, jealousy, and time. The maturity of the characters is a highlight; Zevin doesn’t shy away from exploring how past wounds, ambition, and ego shape their decisions. They’re complex, often frustrating, but always real.

The video game industry setting may seem niche, but it serves as an innovative lens to explore storytelling, art, and the desire to create something lasting. Even if you’re not a gamer, the emotional depth and character development are what truly drive this novel.

In short, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a beautifully written book about love, though not in the way we usually define it. It’s about the kind of soul-deep connection that transcends labels. While it may not be for every reader, those who appreciate mature characters and emotionally resonant storytelling will find something special in its pages.

This book ended up sitting on my shelves for longer than necessary due to all the buzz it started getting around release date.

I thought the story and the concept of this book was intriguing; however, the characters were all terrible and I had a hard time routing for any of them.

This book reminded me of a watered-down version of This Little Life which I loved.

I do think Millennials will pick this up and really relate to the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review...and I have to be brutally honest. I do not like giving bad reviews but this book was SO not for me. I have read this author before and liked the books but this one I almost would say I could not stand. I could only read about 10 minutes a day because I disliked it so much...and it was a LONG book so it took forever, it felt like. If I am being completely honest, there was absolutely nothing about this book I liked. I didn't like the writing, I didn't like the characters and I didn't like the story line...if it were anything but a Netgalley book I would have put it down within the first few minutes...I don't understand all of the great reviews...I don't even understand why this even became a book...

Look… I know many considered this a masterpiece, but it just went on and on and took me tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow to finish… the characters were beautifully written and the plot is pristine and it would’ve been a 5 star review if it hadn’t been so verbose and long. Glad I invested the time, but wish it hadn’t taken so long to get through.

One of my favorite books of 2022. Made me go out and buy a Nintendo Switch. My brother even loved it and he doesn't love anything.

This story about the growing up through the years of Sam and Sadie was both enjoyable and heartbreaking. I loved the journey this book took us on, even if it was hard at times. While this was mostly about their relationship through every type, the added background story of gaming was a great bonus. I recommend this story to everyone.

Life, love and video games.
A fantastic investigation into the power of stories, the interconnected lives of friends and the togetherness of video games.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is a beautifully crafted novel that explores the intricacies of friendship, creativity, love, and the passage of time, all through the lens of the world of video game development. It’s a poignant, layered story about the people we meet, the games we play, and the ways we shape our lives around them.

The novel follows Sam Masur and Sadie Green, two childhood friends who reconnect later in life to create a successful video game together. Their story spans decades, navigating the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives. Through their collaboration on a groundbreaking game, the novel explores not only the immersive world of video games but also the complexities of relationships, particularly the ones that are built on shared creativity, ambition, and sometimes, unspoken emotional burdens.

Zevin’s writing is tender and rich, with a strong sense of atmosphere that captures the intense passion and deep frustrations that come with artistic collaboration. The narrative alternates between different perspectives and timelines, weaving a tale that’s reflective and often introspective. It’s a meditation on time itself—how we are shaped by the past, how we face the future, and the moments of connection that define us.

What stands out most about Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is how Zevin manages to create a novel that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. The themes of love, loss, and the way we grapple with our identity are ever-present, but they are explored through the medium of video games in such a unique and captivating way. Video games, as a form of art, are central to the story, but they also serve as a metaphor for the characters’ own lives—how they navigate their goals, their failures, and their need for connection.

The character development is rich and compelling. Sam, Sadie, and their third collaborator, Marx, are complex and imperfect, and their growth over the course of the novel feels both satisfying and heart-wrenching. The book captures the beauty of creative partnerships—the moments of exhilaration and the silent betrayals—and examines how art can both heal and hurt.

That said, the novel’s structure can feel somewhat fragmented at times, jumping across different periods and perspectives. This may challenge some readers who prefer a more linear or traditional narrative. However, for those willing to embrace the unconventional storytelling, it becomes part of the book’s charm, adding layers to the exploration of time and memory.

Overall, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is an evocative and introspective novel that is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever had a passion for creativity, art, or relationships. Gabrielle Zevin has created a powerful work that beautifully examines how we live, create, and connect with others. It’s a story that lingers long after the final page, offering a bittersweet and hopeful reflection on life’s journey.