Contemporary Fiction | 16-Adult
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin (2022)

Let me open by saying I’m not a gamer, and despite that fault I absolutely loved the characters and their lives in this latest novel by Gabrielle Zevin, who brought us The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Young Jane Young, and from before my blogging days, the delightful YA novel Elsewhere. (The afterlife as a cruise ship. Seriously!) A lifelong gamer herself, Zevin’s habit of deeply researching a subject bursts to the fore in this novel of Sam and Sadie who meet as tweens over a video game console in 1987, then reconnect a decade later in Cambridge, Mass. (one at Harvard, the other at MIT). They spend a summer developing a game and end up as business partners, along with Sam’s roommate Marks, who becomes their business manager. From the start Sam is smitten with Sadie, but she’s having an affair with a professor. You’ll find yourself completely immersed in the lives of this trio of friends, as they spend the next two decades building a gaming empire, falling in and out of love, supporting and getting pissed off at each other, and coping with all of life’s joys, disappointments and loss in a changing world where no matter what, play remains an important activity. It’s a captivating story, enriched by complex and layered characters. Despite the promise of the title (you can always play the game again), the story has a melancholic feel throughout as Sam, Sadie, and Marks navigate the roller-coaster ride we call life. Let me emphasize this isn’t a romance, but rather a story of three people who love each other, and their work even more. It’s also totally accessible even for non-gamers; the work of coding and storyboarding and world-building is fascinating, and there are fun cultural references to the charming video games of my own Gen X youth, from Space Invaders to Pacman. My research has revealed that for true gamers, there are a lot more delightful references, but it’s definitely not a problem if you are addicted more to reading than Fortnite. My thanks to Viking Books for the advance reading copy provided digitally through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59382208

Sadie and Sam have been friends since they bonded over video games in the children's ward, Sadie there because her sister was sick, Sam because he was in a bad car accident. They are reunited as college students and decide to make a video game together. Thus begins an intricate, winding, complex tale of friendship, love, ambition, disability and acceptance.

While this is a book about video games and the video game industry, it is much more so a book about relationships, about people, about the strange ways that life works out. It is a complex story, bouncing back and forth in time and between characters (and with a lot of video game developer speak) but the characters are so well-developed that you're invested enough in them to keep reading.

I really liked the concept of this book. I will say, it was a bit long for me (I found it hard to pick it up at some points) and the characters weren't super lovable? But they were complicated.

I can see why people love this book but it just wasn't for me.

Wow! I'm still thinking of this brilliant book and have added the author's previous adult book to my to-be-read list this summer. This is my favourite book of the year and I have been recommending it to all my reader friends. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

I didn’t even check the synopsis on this one, I just saw that it was written by Zevin and I knew I had to read it.
I previously loved Zevin’s Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Young Jane Young, and Zevins latest addition to her published titles has also become a fast favourite.
I loved this story of friendship between two people who each have their own flaws and foibles and who keep reconnecting despite the odds and their own prejudices. Reading about video game design and all the favourite real-life games mentioned in passing was a treat. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Gabrielle Zevin for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written book by Gabrielle Zevin that spans decades and centres around the main characters Sadie and Sam as they go through the various ups and downs of friendship. The majority of the book has gaming and the gaming industry as a backdrop. While I am not a gamer myself, the intricacies of gaming explored in this book are quite easy to understand and would not take away from the experience for those to whom gaming is foreign.

The characters are fully fleshed out and the writing is seamless. The only reason I am taking stars away is because, while I was proud of Sadie for being a woman in the STEM/tech industry, Sadie as a character just got on my nerves. This is not to say that the writing was not good - I just wouldn't be friends with Sadie. This took away a bit from my enjoyment of the novel as I kept wanting to skip portions dedicated to Sadie and instead looked forward to learning more about Sam, and Sam and Marx's friendship instead.

I would recommend this book to others but would probably not re-read it.

I chose this book on the author's name alone because I loved her novel "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry". This one was completely different in every way but I loved it just as much. Anyone who dismisses the idea of reading it because it is about 'gamers' will be missing out on a fantastic book. Fredrik Backman wrote books that were, at first glance, about hockey, but were multi-layered novels about human relationships, so too is Zevin's book about gamers.

Lifelong friends Sadie and Sam will make you want to know them in real life. They are quirky characters who are fallible, vulnerable, endearing, scary smart, and oh so human.

A complicated, heart-rending, intelligent, and emotional novel, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" will stay in the reader's psyche for a long time. Human relationships in their myriad permutations are depicted within its pages. A literary treatise on collaboration, loss, despair, perseverance, happenstance, starting over, compromise, choice, but most of all... about love. This is a book that makes you think, reflect, and come to the knowledge that people are not so bad after all...

Highly recommended!

4.5 stars rounded up

Appropriately, I was shattered and awed by Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and after my first complete reading I had to step away....and curl up with a good video game to piece myself back together before rejoining the rest of the world. This story means so much, growing up as a 1984 Millennial during a time of technological explosion and the eruption and controversy of gaming as an industry. Zevin does a masterful job guiding the reader through various eras, various families and even cultures and ultimately injecting us as the 4th member of the Sadie/Sam/Marx Triforce. While the story deep dives into the art, production, creativity, structure and intensity of video game creation, generation and even fanaticism, Zevin manages a balance and depth sharing the complex, heartbreaking, lifegiving relationship between Sadie and Sam, brought together through trauma and Super Mario Bros. Their connections and disconnections were so relatable while also so unique as Sadie struggled professionally and in her relationship; as Sam struggled, often in silence, with his injury and eventually found a second unshakable friend in Marx who "loved everything".

That is the genius of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, you don't have to be a gamer to read it and love it, you just have to be a person. Anyone who has ever had a rich interest and a sense of drive will find themselves in Tomorrow. Anyone who has struggled to fit because of their gender, their sexuality, their partner, their choice to become a parent, will find themselves in Tomorrow.

I will always have a copy of this title on my shelf. If not multiples so that I'll have one to share as I need to. Whenever I need a reminder that love comes in many forms, that compassion does not mean pity, that gaming can be healing, teaching, art, community, I will grab Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow for a re-read and add another heart to my life, increase my stam bar and move forward to "the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. If you keep playing, you could win. **No** loss is permanent, because **nothing** is permanent ever."

I was provided with an electronic copy of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin in return for an honest review. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to read and review this title as I found so much of Sadie, Sam and Max in myself.

There were a number of things that made this book enjoyable for me and potentially other readers. For one, I like when stories have a bit of a back and forth in time and/or when they take place over a long period of time. In this story, the development of our two main characters was quite thorough with a number of life events tackled, having spanned a few decades. The story includes death, education, gaming, creativity, family, friends, breakups, hookups, children, grudges, envy, forgiveness, memory, mental health and more. It was an emotional rollercoaster. There were times when I was sympathetic to the main characters and others when I felt like yelling at them or smacking them in the back of the head - communication was definitely not their strong suit.
If you like a story that develops slowly, but keeps you engaged throughout, then this is definitely a good one. The story was beautifully executed and is memorable - I will not soon forget it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the story in this book. As a non-gamer, I was concerned that the subject matter might be beyond my reach but it was readily accessible.

The characters were well developed and although frustrating at times in their growing, I enjoyed reading about them so much.

It was different than I expected it to be, and not in a bad way. But in a way that I don’t know how to articulate my thoughts or “rate” the story.

But it was worth the read.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow!

Tomorrow x3 follows the story of Sadie and Sam throughout childhood and into adulthood. It shows how their friendship has developed and a large portion of the novel is focused on them designing a new video game together.

Pros:
-I really liked the friendship between Sadie and Sam, it was very cute and their character’s personality’s matched well
-the time skips were cool and I enjoyed getting to see Sadie and Sam throughout their lives
-I liked getting to see the behind the scenes development of the video game

Cons:
-the plot felt like it was lacking something, there were moments when I felt like it was a chore to read and wished there were more interesting events happening
-despite this being advertised as ‘not a live story’, there were parts that felt love story like

I still enjoyed Tomorrow x3 however I don’t think I was the target audience for it

Heartbreakingly beautiful. This contemporary fiction novel shattered my heart, took me on an emotional roller-coaster ride and days after finishing it I still cannot stop thinking about it.

Sam and Sadie met in a hospital as kids and connected over mutual love of video games. The story takes us on a journey through 3 decades of their personal and professional relationship. While a lot of it deals with the world of games (playing AND creating them) it also explores the themes of identity, connection, love, friendship, family, art and creativity but most of all how relationships are often shaped by how much we choose to share of ourselves.

I loved everything about this novel. I loved the way it moved me, the way it made me care about Sam and Sadie (and Marx for that matter) but also stylistically, it was imaginative and interesting and simply put, just beautifully written. You don't have to be a gamer to enjoy or appreciate this book. If you enjoy contemporary fiction, shedding a few tears while reading or are looking for that next unforgettable read, you simply have to pick up this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I truly wasn’t sure what to expect from this book — I’m not a gamer by any means, so I was hoping that it wouldn’t be too niche. It turns out that, while the book is very much about gaming and immersed in the culture and industry, it’s actually all about the people.

This is a very, very character-driven book. It’s fairly long, and it’s not fast-paced by any means. That might be off-putting to people who like thrillers and quick reads with a lot of suspense. If you like a cerebral slow burn this may be more of your style.

The plot is expansive, covering 30 years of a friendship and the various ways we come together and fall apart over the span of decades. Sometimes the characters are very frustrating, but I think that’s quite true to what anyone’s life would look like over time.

Switching between narrators really drives home how fallible we all are in how we present ourselves and how we think we’re showing up versus what other people see.

Some of the writing feels overwrought and academic — there were a few times where I had to stop and think about how a word worked, which took me out of the story — but overall, a decent, but heavy read. It’s the kind of book that will stick in your mind for a while.

(I also love the Gen X vibe; I’m an elder Millennial but the cultural references and attitudes of the characters seem bang-on to me).

Even better than Zevin's previous books. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is video game's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and will linger with you for a long time.

This author gives another great story. About a childhood friendship developing into a business relationship with all its ups and downs. Great descriptions of game development. Loved the story and this author.

GG Gabriel Zavin, absolutely #pwning noobs in this brilliant, fresh coming of age story.

I had the opportunity to read an ARC of Zavin’s latest book Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.

For me, this book was truly a 5 star read. It had incredibly robust characters, gorgeous storytelling and intricate, relatable relationships.

This book follows Sam and Sadie throughout their lives, including many turbulent ups and downs. After meeting as children, the two avid gamers grow even more simpatico after they decide to produce a game together. Their aptitude for game design and their relationship is galvanized by Sam’s roommate Marx, who becomes the team’s producer. As the team grows up and apart, and together again, we follow their lives, successes and failures. This is a truly beautiful story and even if you aren’t a gamer, I think you’ll find it poignant and true to life.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow has medium pacing and is largely character driven. If you’re in the mood for a thrill ride, this may not be the read for you.

I LOVED this book, best book I have read all year! The characters are so engaging and they keep changing and growing through out the novel. I am not a gamer by any means, but that makes no difference to your level of enjoyment of this novel. I am going to handsell this like crazy, I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy it.

First of all I want to say that I think a lot of people will avoid picking this up because they will see that it's a "gamer" book and think oh I don't like gaming so I'll skip this one. In all honesty this is not a gaming book as much as a book on friendships, love and growing up. I think that this book will appeal to a lot of people and I want people to give it a chance! To be fair there is a lot of descriptions of the games that they create in the book, and each one sounded so fascinating and fun to play. I thought that the game descriptions added to the story, and I think even people who don't like to play video games will enjoy what it brings to the story.

Because the book is a saga that takes place over many years we really get to know the characters and see them grow up and learn why they act the way they do. I was kind of sad when it was over because I had spent so much time with the characters and could have even read more. I think this will be on a lot of people's top book lists of the year.

This book was really fun, very well developed characters with some interesting formative experiences, many of which involve video games, and eventually they go on to make video games. I haven't read anything else by this author but I think I will look for more.

A quirky and profoundly insightful read about the lives of two video game makers that left me constantly enthralled and wanting more. Zevin paints a brilliant picture of brilliant people through the tragic ups and downs that both the real and virtual worlds struggle with.