I want to clarify that I am not a fiction reader- I read fantasy and I read young adult. I want to escape reality and have fun. This book was the opposite of anything I normally love to read, BUT this book will probably be in my top 5 favorite books of 2022.

If you want to big cry- heartbroken cry, laugh cry, angry cry- this book is a perfect choice for you.

If you want to sit with characters who understand how difficult it is to exist but are also trying to create something meaningful and beautiful despite the difficulties of the world- this book is for you.

If you have lost friends that were not lovers but weren't just friends and weren't just coworkers- this book is for you.

Bring the tissue box and dive in. This book was beautiful.

CW: Gun violence, homophobia, misogyny, and other things that one might have to deal with while existing in the USofA from the 1980s to the 2010s.

P.S. I read this book because I read Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac back in the late 2000s.

3.5, rounded up. This was a really enjoyable reading experience, even though I haven't really been passionate about a video game since Super Mario Brothers (I realize that makes me sound incredibly old and boring).

Zevin follows lifelong platonic friends Sadie Green and Sam Masur from their early teens through adulthood, as they bond over playing Nintendo in a children's hospital in L.A. and start designing games of their own as college students in Boston. Together, these lovably quirky Gen-Xers build a games company that's successful both creatively and financially.

Zevin follows the soap opera of their friendship and business partnership, which sparks all manner of creative conflicts and emotional drama, and bouts of social anxiety and mental illness. And especially in its final third, she resorts to maudlin melodrama, where the tragedy felt gratuitous and unearned. The supporting characters (especially Marx, their bland Keanu-ish producer, and Dov, Sadie's ex-professor and horrible ex-boyfriend) were entirely one-dimensional.

There's nothing especially deep, innovative, or challenging here, but Zevin is a proficient storyteller with an obvious love for her characters and gaming itself. For me (as it was for many readers on GR), the highlights were her descriptions of games that she invented for Sam and Sadie to create, especially a chapter where the two protagonists interact as avatars in a role-playing game.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow tells the story of two lifelong friends and creative partners, Sam and Sadie. After a falling out as kids leaves them not speaking for years the two run into each other in Boston. They reconnect, bury the hatchet, and decide to make a video game together since they connected through games as kids. To say this is a book about two friends making games barely scratches the surface, though. It's a book about love, grief, friendship, creativity, navigating a disability, found family and family-family, and yes- video games.

Zevin has always written people and all of their complexities very well, and this book is no different. Sam and Sadie are far from perfect protagonists. They hurt each other, they hide their feelings, they communicate poorly and behave selfishly. I spent entire chapters infuriated with them, but I always wanted them and their loved ones to be okay.

Even though I overall enjoyed this book, I'm struggling to describe how I really felt about it. Parts of it dragged, and I think that's because it was too long, It's a very character-focused story, which I think can be hard to pull off when the characters spend so much time being hard to like. T3 definitely left an impression on me, though, and I'll be thinking about it for a long time so that means a lot.

I love going in relatively blind to a book and being absolutely blown away. Going into Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, I knew very little except what Gabrielle Zevin shared at her event in Seattle. And then, I read the book. A book that I simply never wanted to end.

Sam Masur and Sadie Green became best friends in a hospital, so when they run into each other in a T station in Boston after years of no communication they’re brought back to their shared passion - gaming. Sadie and Sam build a game together that launches their lifetime of neverending connection to one another in a love story that isn’t the one you’d think in your head.

Honestly, I’m not sure that’s a great synopsis for this book. It’s so character-driven that you really just need to read it and only know that you’re going to get an amazing story of the intricacies of Sam’s and Sadie’s lives. At its core, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is about hope and love. As creators, Sadie and Sam have this mutual understanding that no matter how much trauma life throws at them (literally so much trauma), they have to keep creating with the hope that tomorrow will be better. That the world still needs the joy they can provide. Their story is one of deeply rooted love for each other. Even though the two never get together, there’s a friendship and a bond that can be tested but never broken. I adored these characters. Not only Sam and Sadie, but Marx too. I loved their dedication to each other. I loved the Jewish representation (it’s not central to the story but it’s there). I loved seeing a woman shine in a man’s industry and the struggles that came along because they’re so relatable. And I loved the writing. I could read it forever and ever and ever.

If this book isn’t on your list, it absolutely should be. I’m not a gamer, so while the setting is centered around video games, it’s about so much more. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a book that I will think about for a long time and has earned its spot in my Top 5 for the year.

This book was not what I was expecting. I really enjoyed the story, which involves Sadie and Sam which starts when they were very young. It goes over the issues and traumas both of them go through in their life and the idea of being able to build an alternative reality by making video games. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and found myself to be emotionally invested in some of the characters. I found it sometimes to be quite jarring how they would jump back and forth through time depending on what part they were at in the story. I personally did not enjoy that and would get pulled out of the story. Overall, I gave this book 4.25⭐️.

Since I know this will be asked, As someone who does not play video games I found this book easy to follow. There was only 1 reference or so that I didn’t understand, but overall it can be read by people of all gaming experience.

What an incredible and unique book. Just as the book begins, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it since I don't really play video games. I fell in love with the characters -- even in-between all of the fights and reunions, I was rooting for each of them. It was a heartbreakingly beautiful portrayal of how the video game industry is and what happens when you go against the norm. I'll definitely be recommending this book to my friends and family!

I read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry a few years ago and fell head over heels for it. I had heard rumblings of a new book that was being written by the same author but I was apprehensive. I was desperately trying not to overhype it.

Here are some buzzwords: lifelong friends, creative partners, video games, success, and tragedy.

I know some readers may see the phrase “video games” and think that this is not a book for them. I urge you to give this book a chance anyway. I have never considered myself a serious gamer of any kind. I have played a few video games because I’m an 80’s baby. I don’t think my childhood would have been complete without my Super Nintendo and my subsequent Nintendo64. I was always partial to Mario and Disney games. I never played games that were on the level discussed in the book. While I may be naive to the inner workings of what goes into designing and playing video games, I fell in love with this story. Gaming may be an important element in the plot but what this book is really about are relationships and how they change/evolve over time. This book is full of life lessons that are illustrated throughout the course of Sam and Sadie’s friendship. The audiobook added another layer to the story that immersed me even further into their lives. There are so many passages that will remain with me for years to come. I’m so happy to say I found a new favorite book. I highly urge you to give this book a try. It is a character driven book that you won’t soon forget.

When I heard that Gabrielle Zevin had a new book coming out I immediately knew I had to read it. (her cozy novel, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is one of my very favorite books).

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a gorgeous heartbreaking masterpiece of a book. I’ve had trouble just putting my thoughts into words after finishing this book at 2am on a Sunday morning (Saturday night?). I’ll be honest and say that I did struggle to find my way until about half way through. But that’s on me, not the book. We first meet Sam and Sadie reconnecting at age 21, years after they have met, after a long break in their friendship. This gives you insight on just how powerful and fragile this relationship is and will become over a 30 year period. T&T&T is an epic tale broken up into 10 parts, each spanning multiple years, relationships and most importantly— games. Sadie and Sam, along with creative partner and friend Marx, create the epic pc game Ichigo! I truly wish this game was real so I could play it, the way it’s described is absolutely beautiful and getting to see the process of Sam and Sadie make it together is wonderful and inspiring, they fight hard to make this thing work, and it does! After Ichigo receives major success, they found their company Unfair Games. What follows is years of new games, some fail and others succeed, fame and happiness, but bitterness and resentment forms between Sam and Sadie. They fight, things get ugly and words are said. But even if it’s years in between, they always come back together. Their relationship is never romantic, in love with each other but never lovers, and I absolutely love this. They truly love one another, along with Marx who I was bit annoyed with at first but grew to adore. They become a unit that drives the other to keep going, to not give up. No matter how horrible and tough life gets. To know you are loved and not alone is a powerful thing. The love that we see between Sadie, Marx and Sam is breathtaking. As I neared the end of this book, what had felt like a huge novel was suddenly not long enough. I connected with this Sadie and Sam on a personal level, and I wasn’t ready to leave these people that I had come to know and love. I finished it with tears in my eyes, full on sobbing.

You don’t have to love video games to love this book, it’s about so much more than that. It’s about love and friendship and perseverance. Things we could all use a lot more of. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is one of the best books I’ve read all year and I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about it.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really hate having to say this, but I had to ‘DNF’ this title at 30% after trying both e-book and audiobook. I do not decide to DNF often, especially not with advance review copies because I feel disrespectful doing so, but I just could not justify keeping going for ~300 more pages/~9.5 more hours when there are other books I would enjoy picking up more.

I did enjoy the first part recapping how Sam and Sadie met and their years spent apart leading up to their reuniting and I was eager to see what it would morph into, but after a while I found it really boring and hard to follow. I didn’t really understand if there was even a plot going on, there were quickly shifting timelines, and there was definitely no action or excitement to keep my interest.

I originally requested this title way before I knew it would be a Book of the Month pick because a bookstagram friend really enjoyed and recommended it, even for those that don’t play video games or have knowledge of the same. I know from various internet outlets that many people enjoyed this book and Zevin is still a really talented and creative author… this one just wasn’t for me. Maybe I will try to give it another stab at a future time.

Regardless, thank you so much to NetGalley, Knopf, and the author for an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I just finished "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" and I can't believe that this video game widow was so compelled by a book about video games. But more than being a story about video games, this epic novel is about friendship and creativity and pain and grief. The plot follows old friends Sam Masur and Sadie Green as they go from playing video games together in a hospital room to creating a video game of their own to owning a successful video game company. Their relationship has a lot of missteps along the way, but they keep finding a way back to each other.

Here's what I liked:
- I found the development and growth of both Sam and Sadie both intriguing and believable. They go from 12-year-olds to almost 40-year-olds throughout this book, so there is a lot of ground to cover, and I am glad they aren't the same people at the end.
- The whole creative process of making a video game actually hooked me. From finding the right idea to executing a particular aspect of the design, the creative process is fascinating no matter the medium and Gabrielle Zevin wrote this part so well. In another writer's hands it could have definitely been boring to someone who isn't interested in video games.
- But more than video games, "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" is a commentary on the purpose of pain and grief. It was so interesting to see how these characters tried to make sense of their (often intense) pain -- both physical and emotional -- outside of the Truth of God's Word. The video game made a pretty compelling metaphor a couple of times for some of these ideas. Would LOVE to discuss some of these themes with someone who has read it.

What I didn't like:
- It was long. Like really long, and I could have done without the whole bit inside the Pioneer game, but I understand why it was important to the story.
- Honestly, both Sam and Sadie frustrated me in a myriad of ways, which made it difficult to read at times (like why aren't you just being honest with your friend???). But I'm probably most frustrated with the conversation at the end where they talked about the state of their relationship. I don't want to give anything away, but it really bothered me.
- Finally, just because I enjoyed this book does not mean I endorse all of the characters' behaviors or political beliefs. I think this book actually did a realy good job of showing the consequences of sin -- both to yourself and your relationships.

Thank you to Net Galley and Knopf Publishing Group for an e-ARC of this book!

This is a really thought provoking book - and I am going to be thinking of these characters for awhile. I feel like I have just read a future American classic. Tomorrow is so unlike any other book the Gabrielle Zevin has written, and I've read several of her teen novels and "The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry".
The story revolves around main three main characters. Sam Mazer - an avid gamer who is half Jewish, half Korean, partially disabled due to a horrific car accident, and basically a loner. Tragedy has permeated Sam's life, and pain is a part of his daily life. Sam lives with his grandparents in K-town (the Korean section of Los Angeles), and owns the record on the Donkey Kong machine in his grandparent's pizza restaurant.
Sam's first friend is Sadie Green - a young girl who is trapped in the hospital waiting room while her mother spends time with her older sister, a cancer patient. Sam and Sadie bond over gaming, and each feels like they have found a true friend - only Sadie has been using these visits as "volunteer hours" for her temple. When Sam finds out, their friendship ends abruptly.
Fast Forward to college - Sam is now at Harvard, Sadie is a student at nearby MIT. On a train platform, Sam spots Sadie, and they reconnect - Sadie asks him to try out a game that she has designed for a class at MIT.
From this point, the story takes off - Sam decides to let Sadie back into his life, and asks her to design a game with him. The game they create, Ichigo, becomes a sensation, and will change the trajectory of both their lives. Other characters play major parts in the story - Sam's roommate, Marx, (also a mixed race character, with a Japanese father) and later their producer, and Sadie's gaming instructor, Dot Mizrah, a 28 year old game designer with a penchant for young college coeds on the side.
There are many themes to discuss in this book - the effect of art of gaming, and life in general. Communication and misunderstanding - Sadie and Sam end their friendship multiple times- neither characters are perfect, and sometimes you dislike one or the other, but as the reader - we know both their stories, and their frustrations and pain. Even characters with fatal flaws like Dog have some humanity.
I loved looking up the art and quotes referenced in the book - the game Ichigo was inspired by the artwork of Hokusai - the Wave at Kanagawa (also found on the dust jacket cover of the book) Other important things are speeches by MacBeth (hence, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow , and a piece of fabric designed by William Morris called "The Strawberry Thief".
There are disturbing parts in the book as well - I don't want to give away plot lines, but unhealthy relationships, violence, and death play a major role.
But - in the end, this book affected me - and I don't even feel like I am the target audience. I see a slice of America in this book, and I want to talk to someone about it!

This novel was out of left field for me; I have no knowledge of gaming at all, and probably thought it was all about shooting down aliens. But now I know a lot more, in theory at least, and can see it is all about story telling and indeed being at the centre of where the story is going. But I digress, because this story is at its heart about loyalty and love and passion and drive and motivation and being brave enough to have another go when things don’t work out. Sadie, Sam and Max were three of the most lovable and complex characters I have met in a book and the writing was extraordinarily good throughout. Part VII (THE NPC) was one of the most masterly ‘depictions’ of dying and grief I have ever read. And the ending was perfect. Bravo!

DNF at 37%. I really couldn’t get into this one. Maybe I’ll try again someday, but I thought the story was clunky and hard to follow.

Thank you for the arc in exchange for a review!

I LOVE this book and would give it 6 stars if I could!! Sam meets Sadie in the hospital after his foot is badly crushed in a car accident. They are kids who love video games, and that love turns into an incredible friendship, and then a business partnership as they create best-seller games. As the story progresses we see how their video games reflect real life.

I wasn't sure if I would relate to this book when I read that it was about gaming. I thought it was going to be a "young adult" story. But what it is about is love and life, good times and hard times. It's cerebral and complex. I could not put the book down - I was totally immersed and in a state of flow with these characters and their games. LOVEDLOVEDLOVED it!! Highly recommend!!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Tomorrow, and Tomorow, and Tomorrow.

This book was about video games, life, family, and friendship. The ups and downs of knowing and not knowing someone pretty much all your life. It was well-written, decently paced, and a treasure trove of vocab words. I did keep hoping for a more poignant reconciliation, a more direct acknowledgement and acceptance of each other's wrongs or misunderstandings. But, this was a human story, and that's a type of closure that doesn't always happen in real life.

I could give this book two different ratings.

5 stars for the overall story of Sadie and Sam. I loved both of these deeply flawed characters, and if someone was to tell me they did not love Marx we would no longer be talking. But Sadie and Sam's relationship is not a conventional one, which I think some people will struggle with. But I wish they wouldn't. Because the complexity of it fits their world, their life, and their personalities. I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about how Zevin wrote the connection of S&S.

The pacing at times felt slow and the prose wordy. I felt the video game Pioneer at the end felt a bit too long, so then the very end felt a bit flat.

Though I would not give this 5 stars, I would give it a strong, solid 4 and recommend it to those who love stories about people and don't need their characters to have nice, neat, easy relationships.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is the book I never knew I wanted to read. I passed on this title several times because it it was about gaming. But I found a review that said don’t let the gaming scare you off. So glad I picked up. Zevin’s writing style and language made for a beautiful book, deep, vulnerable characters and a story that spans 35+ years. The skill of an author to bring together Shakespeare and gaming in the same sentence is splendid. I loved the main characters, Sam, Sadie and Marx. Their friendship is deep and beautiful. These characters and their friendship bring the novel to life. The dialogue, references to early video games and the nod to Shakespeare bring this book so much passion and life!
Thank you to Net Galley for giving me access to this advance copy.

Love, love, love Gabrielle Zevin's newest book! Highly recommend. The story jumps right into and the page turning begins. The different points of view keep the reader engaged and waiting to find out how they're connected to one another.

Love love love. These characters are so richly drawn and realistic, and I loved the interplay of game creation versus real-life decisions. I'll be recommending this book a ton!

👾 I never want to see the “game over” screen. It’s a perfect summer read!

🕹With mention of three classic video games from my childhood (Donkey Kong, Frogger, Oregon Trail) in the first 15 pages and a 1995 Cambridge setting, I’m ready to level up with these collegiate game makers, Sam and Sadie. The nostalgia is strong, this is a love story but not a romance. One of the best portrayals of platonic friendship and it’s longevity I’ve ever read. I suggest you press play to start! I geeked out learning the backstory about the cover art and design development. Check out the post by the publisher @aaknopf and make sure you tap through all the slides to see the progression.

🎮This book has been widely reviewed by early readers and many have admitted with surprise, “I am not a gamer and I loved it.” This is the classification I fall into. Zevin IS a lifelong gamer and while she could’ve written a story that targeted this blinking screen community, I feel a sense of invitation. She is offering readers like me a glimpse into those early years of the gaming industry which is often unfairly judged by bookish folk. “No matter how bad the world gets, there will always be players,” Zevin writes. “Maybe it was the willingness to play that kept one from despair.” Happy pub day @gabriellezevin 🎉🎉🎉

🎮🕹Thanks @netgalley and @aaknopf for my digital copy! Of course the cover and content is phenomenal so I’ll be buying a hard copy too!