This book felt very long, and I eventually started to skim. It is about 3 young people who develop a video game business and, eventually, an entirely predictable love triangle. I am not the intended audience for this book. All of their games sounded alike to me, and none of them sounded like fun. Maybe that’s why, despite their success, these three never seemed happy. There is a lot more here than gaming, including an abusive relationship, friendship, friction between partners, competition, living with pain and dealing with death. But so much of this book is about game development that my eyes just glazed over. This just wasn’t for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

“Tell me I don’t know you, Sam thought. Tell me I don’t know you when I could draw both sides of this hand, your hand, from memory.”

This is the story of Sadie and Sam, two childhood friends who team up to make games together, following them from their preteen years until middle age. As I’m sure hundreds have already said, I don’t even play video games and I still absolutely loved this book. Like any great novel, TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW will be adored by many and for an infinite number of reasons.

These are mine:
-- The celebration of creativity, from the energizing and grueling work of building to the thrill of experiencing the finished product
-- That specific mind meld of finding someone you work so perfectly with
-- A LITTLE LIFE vibes (exploring the beauty and tumult of friendship over decades) without quite as much devastation (though be warned there’s a hearty dose still)
-- The way Zevin leans into the intimate messiness of a long-lasting friendship: the joy of connection; the slights and grievances that warp and grow over time; the deep feeling of recognition and later, its opposite; the indescribable kind of love that is more than friendship, or romance, or family
-- “The NPC” and “Pioneers” sections MY GOD I AM UNWELL
-- I felt Sam’s relationship to his chronic pain and disability to my core: the internalized ableism, the fear of someone seeing your weakness, the desire to feel nothing, and the learning of this lesson: “There is no purity to bearing pain alone.”
-- So much good representation in general, that leans into the intersections of identities and how conflicts related to these come up between friends, lovers, and work partners

Probably the biggest compliment I can give this book is that it broke my heart and I still didn’t want it to end. Thanks to Knopf for the eARC and to Libro.fm for the ALC!

Content warnings: hospitalization, chronic pain, ableism, racism, suicidal ideation, depression/mental health issues, completed suicide, sexual harassment, sexual assault, abusive relationship, mass shooting/murder, loss and grief

Alert: I finished a #bookofthemonth book the week that I got it!! Okay, it was mostly because I had it on #netgalley, but also because I’ve been seeing rave reviews for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin and I needed to see what the fuss was about.

Well. I’m not sure I quite know what to say about this book. I definitely enjoyed it, for many reasons. I do love video games (huge #zeldafan here) so I really liked the game building aspects of this book. I also liked the history of Sadie and Sam’s friendship, and even more when you add in the other characters like Marx, Simon and Ant, Zoe, and even Dov. It was almost like reading a memoir or biography at times.

This is a pretty long book at almost 400 pages and for me, it was not one I could read quickly. It’s also very character driven, and I usually prefer plot driven books. There’s also a lot of content warnings packed into the plot so if you are sensitive to certain topics check them first. I don’t get triggered by many things, but there is one part I wish I had been aware of - but then again, if I knew ahead of time it might have given me a preconceived negative anticipation (is that a thing?) and I wouldn’t want that either.

Anyway, this book won’t be for everyone, but it’s unlike anything I’ve read before, in a good way. I would love to see the notes the author made while planning out the plot!

Thank you so much to Knopf Doubleday Publishing for this eARC of one of my most anticipated books of the year!
I have loved Gabrielle Zevin's work since reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, and her newest book did not disappoint! Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow follows childhood friends Sadie and Sam througout their lives, exploring friendship and the relationships that can both bind and divide us. Whith moments of both joy and heartbreak I could not stop reading! Set in the world of video game design, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but Gabrielle Zevin's magnificent writing makes Sam and Sadie's story compelling, even if you aren't into video games. Of course if you also have memories of playing Oregon Trail that might make it even more appealing.

To simply say I loved this book would not be enough.
I spent six consecutive hours reading this book because I didn't want to do anything else, which is a big deal for someone who has trouble staying still.
I love Sam. I love Sadie. I love Marx. I love that they all love each other. It's beautiful. Even when they fight, they care about one another. They work together, or try to at least, even when they don't understand one another's plights.
This book is touching, creative, and inspiring, and I didn't want it to end.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who has ever loved in any sense - no gaming experience required.

This book was one I would not have generally picked up just based off of the synopsis. I am not an avid gamer though I do like games occasionally. I kept hearing about this book through some of the book groups I’m in and everyone seemed to love it, so I had to see for myself. I did enjoy it and will agree with a lot of others, you don’t have to be a gamer to like this book. It has enough of a storyline and plot to carry it. I would t say it was a top read for me though. I didn’t necessarily love or relate to the characters. I found Sadie to be very selfish, though that’s exactly what she constantly thought Sam was. There are some slower parts and then parts where the pace picks up quite a bit. I’m glad I was able to read it, courtesy of NetGalley.

Awesome, amazing, fantastic! This book is all of that and more. Everywhere I turn, I’m seeing review after review for this book and usually, this kind of hype really turns me off. This one however just had a pull and I’m so pleased I picked it up.

So, if anyone out there is like me and has expectations that are usually too high regarding the popular books.
I’d say put your reservations aside and pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed!'

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.
5 out of 5.

I feel confident in saying that this book will be one of the best I read in 2022. There's still almost half of the year left but this novel, this incredible book, is well-worth every accolade it's received. I'm already going to recommend it to you and the rest of this review is my case for why.

I am astonished by this book. The depth and complexity of the characters is mind-blowing. They're more human that the majority I've read. They don't stick to some character development outline, their changes and logic for choices can be convoluted and strange but it works because that's how real people grow, not on some chart but with stops and starts. Sam, Sadie, Marx, and really the whole cast are more real life than fiction, reminding me of characterization in Fredrik Backman's books.

It's hard to pick a favorite but I adore Marx. He is the light that always pushes back against the darkness and he brings a beautiful, unshakeable belief in the goodness of the world to balance to Sam's dogged determination (downright compulsive at times) and Sadie's pessimistic practicality. The author does some interesting things with point-of-view, particularly with Marx's section in the middle (my favorite part) and the gameplay chapters.

As a gamer (but newer to it than most of my generation, which includes the protagonists) I really enjoyed the gaming references. That said, plenty of them went over my head and it didn't detract from my exerpeince at all. This book is only about making games on a surface level. The way they love games in this book is the way people love other things too, the things that get us moving when we don't want to. Anyone can relate to that along with the line "That's the gamer in you", that wish we all have sometimes to rewind the clock and try again for a better outcome.

To be honest, I felt bittersweet at the end of this book. It's so deeply sweet at times and so painfully bitter, it can be hard to separate the two to appreciate them both. It's the honesty of the book that hurts the most and there are a LOT of hard topics that get touched on: the shock of childhood trauma, chronic pain, family dynamics, motherhood/postpartum, depression, gun violence, partner abuse. I thought the page count was too long but it was absolutely perfect because there's SO much in this story.

Truly, it's a book I finished, looked at, and said aloud, "*That* was an incredible book." I received a free ebook copy for this review but I loved it so much I bought myself a print version. It's just the kind of book that is so intimate and special, you want to hold it close to you. I cannot recommend it highly enough.


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

This one was BEAUTIFUL. SO BEAUTIFUL.

I loved the writing, the relationship between Sam and Sadie and literally every piece in between. 4.5 stars!

Normally I wouldn't have picked this up but I heard great things. Definitely out of my wheelhouse and kind of weird, but I really liked it. A beautiful story of love & friendship.

Sam and Sadie met as teens under odd circumstances while Sam was in the hospital and Sadie was visiting her sister there. Their quick friendship ended due to a misunderstanding. Years later in college, they run into each other again, and before they know it, they’re working together to make their first video game. Spanning three decades and various settings, TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW is a discussion on friendship, identity, failure, imposter syndrome, love. This is a love story like no other.

The short of it: I loved this book.

It took way too long for me to mesh with it but when I did, it was beautiful. I cried so much over the last 35% of the book.

At times, the writing was lyrical and gorgeous. Others, pretentious and unnecessary. This book has a lot of DNF-able parts in the beginning but they are so worth pushing through. The friendship discussion alone is beautiful. The gaming aspect was an interesting backdrop.

Sam and Sadie were characters I immediately fell for. Marx, Sam’s college roommate, is a fantastic third to add to the group. There are other characters that just add so much to this story — some good aspects, some bad aspects. This main three were especially real and felt like friends of my own.

I know it’s weird to highly recommend a book while also encouraging people to push through some parts, but I just feel that the overall story is lovely and captivating enough to do so.

“How I will miss the horses.”

A lot of people seem to love this book. I found it jumped around a bit too much in timeline and perspective for my taste, and I had a hard time relating/connecting to Sadie. It seemed to drag a bit for me at times, although it picked up near the end.

This book got a lot of hype prior to me reading it so I headed into it with high expectations. Overall, I say it did not meet them; however, it was still an enjoyable read and one I would recommend. This story follows the friendship of Sam and Sadie throughout several decades of their lives as they navigate life's challenges. It is definitely an ebb and flow about friendship and love and has many different layers to it all set in the late 80s and beyond with the backdrop of video games and the video game industry. It is not a light, fluff read but a multi-dimensioned, layered read that will leave you thinking about the characters and life after you finish it. You don't need to know anything about video games to like or dislike it; however, growing up in a similar timeframe, I enjoyed the backdrop of that. This is a story of life, the good and the bad, the people that you encounter and the impacts they have.

Completely refreshing, completely addictive, completely beautiful! I love finding little gems like this… I wasn’t sure what to expect but I’m thoroughly glad I chose to read this!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you, @netgalley, and @aaknopf, for the eARC and @librofm for audiobook, in return for an honest review.

“It’s tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you would win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent ever.”

My Thoughts:
I listened to the audiobook majority of the time,. I did mention to a friend that I’m having a difficult time getting into the book. Maybe it’s the way how the narrator is reading, sounds monotonous and unemotional at times. Or maybe it’s the book. But I’m glad I finished the audiobook.

At the start, I was intrigued. I am not a gamer but I was familiar with a few games mentioned. Once they start developing the games, all the inner dialogue, squabbling, and miscommunication, I would lose interest. The only saving grace, as a friend puts it, is Marx. As much as I don’t like the relationship between Sadie and Sam, I hated the one with Dov.

By the time I got to Chapter VII and the rest of the book, I was hooked. It was heartbreaking and so beautifully done. I just want to reread that part.

Would I recommend the book? Yes. There are a lot of trigger warnings such as cancer, death, shooting, suicide, accident, S&M, misogyny, narcissism, and homophobic. It is also about friendship, forgiveness, love, and loyalty.

I adored this! I know a little about video gaming but it wasn’t necessary to know anything at all going in. It was a beautiful story, a platonic love story. So fresh and needed!! Will be in my top books of the year!

While Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a story about video games, it is more a story about friendship, love, and work. Sam and Sadie bond over video games as pre-teens. They become best friends and eventually come to know each other better than anyone else. Later, toward the end of college, they create a video game together that leads them to starting a video game production company. The story follows the major ups and downs of their relationship, all the way through their 30's.

While I have played video games, I am definitely not a gamer but this did not stop me from enjoying the book. I liked learning more about video games and some of what goes into making them.

Sam and Sadie are both well-developed characters. While I personally didn't connect with either one of them, they were both very well written. I honestly was a bit irritated with both of them at times throughout the story, but of course there would be no problems in most relationship-based books if characters just came out and said what they were feeling. I also liked the side characters. I loved Marx, and since he actually has a pretty big role in the story, I wished there was more written about and with him.

I did enjoy the book, but it felt quite long. There is nothing wrong with it per se, but there is nothing that really stood out to me and made me really like or love it. It is very well written, but also uses unnecessarily high-level vocabulary that disrupts the reading experience. That being said, I would still recommend this book to anyone who loves video games, is looking for a book with disability, racial, cultural, and LGBTQ rep, or who loves literary fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sam and Sadie were childhood friends who bonded over illness and a love of games. After being estranged for several years, they meet again in college and decide to collaborate on a video game. With their friend Marx, they design and create several popular games. Over the course of two decades, they learn the meaning of friendship and love, and how to go on after an unspeakable loss.

Loved this - it's one of the best books I've read in 2022. I've read several of Zevin's book and I like her writing style. The main characters are young adults but it's not a YA novel. It's also about gaming, but you don't have to play games to enjoy it. I play games online (as do most of the adults I know) but the terms and abbreviations in the book are defined well enough for non-gamers to understand.

I highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction, well-developed characters, and a good storyline. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

This was a book unlike any others I have read before. It's definitely a love story, but it's also a story of friendship, creativity, and working to your potential. All the characters were so well developed and I loved them all. The author deserves extra credit as I dislike video games very much, but she still made this a book I didn't want to put down.

One of the best books of 2022! Powerful, poignant, insightful, and profound, this book is so much more than "just" a story about videogames and gamers. I'll be thinking about this book for a long, long time.