Member Reviews

“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” is a captivating and beautifully written novel that explores the depths of friendship, creativity, and the passage of time. The characters are richly developed, and the narrative is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant. It’s a must-read for anyone who appreciates a story that is as intellectually stimulating as it is heartfelt. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

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I know, I know, there’s a lot of hype around this book. I also know that it’s, in theory, a book about video games. And let me guess, you don’t play video games. Me either - but that’s okay because it’s really not about video games. Trust me on this. I loved this book. The characters are deeply flawed- but aren’t we all. Definitely worth your time - even if you don’t like video gems.

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This book was beautifully written. I felt attached to the characters and their experiences. I appreciated the writing style feeling like a timeline. I have recommended this to friends and will suggest it to older students in the future.

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This was truly a masterpiece. Gabrielle Zevin is a phenomenal writer and I will read anything and everything she writes.

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Thank-you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin in return for my honest review. I listened to the audiobook while simultaneously reading it, and I highly recommend this reading experience.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow was an unexpected read for me, in the very best of ways. I found the subject-matter of creating video games to be interesting and unique, but it was the friendships of the main characters that took this novel to the next level. The reader learns about these long-time friends turned business partners, as we get to know them through the years, and their back-stories. Life is messy, and it’s this messiness that feels real and true. The reader gets invested with these wonderfully, flawed characters, and shares in their joys and sorrows, highs and lows.

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I really enjoyed this book. I thought the depiction of lifelong friendship was genuinely lovely, and the NPC section had me close to tears. Since reading it, I have actively recommended it to everyone I've come across. I thought it was a fantastic work.

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This book was amazing ! I loved the how rich and complex the characters were . I also loved all the gaming stuff it was so interesting . This was def one of my top reads !

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I admit I didn't get around to reading this book until my book club chose it, and I wish I'd read it as soon as #Knopf let me have a copy through #NetGalley. I really enjoyed the book. The characters are quirky and unique, and I found myself cheering for them, even when they are not exactly lovable, a trait they share with their literary cousins in [book:The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry|18293427]

I am not a gamer, and the protagonists are younger than I, so I'm sure there are references which I missed, though I know enough of that world to follow along. This is literary fiction, and the story arc is fraught, the characters have real challenges, and the ending is ...also realistic.

There are books where, as a reader's advisory librarian or a bookseller, you put it in people's hands and say"just read it". This is one of them. You'll like the characters, there is a lot of fast moving plotting, the settings are well realized -- and you will be swept into their world.

It is not, despite the cover and the title, science fiction. Enjoy.

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I enjoyed this more than I expected since I have never played video games. But the story is more than that. Sam is recuperating in the hospital from a car accident that killed his mom when he meets Sadie who is visiting her sister. They start playing video games together and in the next 20+ years are friends and designers of video games.

I found the writing easy to read for the most part. The explanations of games was kind of a bore only because I had no real exposure to games at all but there wasn't so much of it that I wanted to get it over with. I felt that the characters of Marx, Sam and Sadie were well done. I thought Marx was great and would have liked more of him. Sadie was more complex. Most of the time I didn't like her. It was almost like she wanted to be miserable. Sam was sad, having injured his foot in the accident he was in constant pain and didn't know where he fit in the world and Sadie was his best friend but there were times when she wasn't and it annoyed me. Small slights would lead them to not speak for years. But in the end I loved the friendship and love they had for each other and hope that after the book ended they continued to do wonderful things together.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday for providing me with a digital copy.

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DNFd pretty quickly, as it was kind of over my head. I wasn’t able to maintain interest. I honestly do not understand how this book became so hyped.

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With Tomorrow, Zevin returns to the relationship/meaning-of-life themes she visited with Elsewhere and the Storied Life of AJ Fikry, two of my all-time favorite reads. Her ability to capture the human experience in all its messy gloriousness and in so many varied worlds and situations, knows no bounds. I cannot wait to see where she takes her readers next.

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Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a contemplative exploration of friendship, creativity, and the passage of time. While the novel offers moments of genuine insight and well-crafted prose, it ultimately falls short of its potential, making for an engaging but uneven read.

The story follows Sam and Sadie, two friends and collaborators who share a deep love for video game design. Their partnership, spanning over several decades, is marked by both creative triumphs and personal conflicts. Zevin skillfully delves into the intricacies of their relationship, capturing the nuances of their emotional and professional dynamics. The depiction of their collaborative process and the evolution of their games provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of game development. However - and this is just personal preference - the narrative just didn't hold my interest very well.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its exploration of the creative process. Zevin's descriptions of game design are vivid and engaging. The games themselves serve as metaphors for the characters' lives, reflecting their struggles, desires, and personal growth. This thematic depth adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, inviting readers to reflect on the intersections between art and life.

However, the novel's pacing is uneven, with certain sections feeling overly drawn out. The narrative occasionally loses momentum, making it difficult to maintain a consistent level of engagement. Some characters, while intriguing, are not fully developed, leaving their arcs feeling incomplete and their motivations unclear.

Zevin's writing is often lyrical and evocative, and her insights into creativity and friendship are thought-provoking. The novel raises important questions about the nature of collaboration, the passage of time, and the ways in which we connect with others through art.

In conclusion, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is...a mixed bag. Readers interested in the creative process and the world of video game design may find it worth their time, but those seeking a more cohesive and emotionally resonant story might come away feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

Rating: 3.5/5 rounded up

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This book is fantastic. It is about the evolution of three brilliant friends from college, how they support each other through mental health and neurodiversity challenges, told over a 30-year span.

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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is a perfect fit for readers who crave a poignant and challenging exploration of the complexities of human connection, love, and creativity, with a deep dive into the world of gaming and the power of friendship, making it a must-read for fans of character-driven literary fiction.

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I'm not even a gamer and I adored this book. Pro tip, don't read it on a plane if you don't want people to see you ugly cry.

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Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

What a good book! It did take me a few chapter to get in to it but I am glad I stuck it out because it ended up being a really good book. I recommend.

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This book was longer than it needed to be. It could have been edited down quite a bit and not lost any of its message. Zevin writes characters that the reader wants to root for and this book is no exception. I look forward to reading his upcoming novels.

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Terrific novel. All the characters felt real. I laughed and cried. I hate video games, and this is still one of my favorite books of the year.

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While I know this book has been getting allllll the rave review, I have to say.... it wasn't for me. Did I enjoy it? I think so? Would I recommend it? Probably not.

The characters were unlikeable and seemed to be kind of whiny throughout the entire story. I felt that there was a cloud hanging over this book, and I'm not into stories like that. The video game design aspect was really confusing for me (I'm not a gamer) so I do acknowledge that I may not have been the person Zevin was trying to appeal to.

I think the idea is fun but it fell short for me. I was looking for a little more fun in a book about gaming. Too serious for me at the time of reading!

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I loved this!

A story about friends over the span of a lifetime. How you can weave in and out of someone's life.

The characters were complex and detailed, and their relationships were real and layered.

I had to buy a physical copy too!

Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for this eARC for exchange for an honest review.

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