TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW is a heart-wrenching and beautifully written story about friendship, art, creativity, love and loss that’ll fuel your 90s nostalgia.

Love love love love love love love love love.
This book did everything I wanted it to do and more. It inspired me, introduced me to new things, made me fall in love with its characters, made me root for the romance, made me open my mind to twists and turns. I was always surprised and delighted and devastated all at once. What a special book.

4.5 Stars

This book surprised me in a good way! I wasn’t sure how I was going to like a book about gamers and the gaming industry, but it was so so good. I loved the writing, the characters and the friendship. It’s basically a story of the long-term friendship of Sam and Sadie – their good times, the bad times and all the in between. It was such a nostalgic story with Sadie playing Oregon Trail on the computer in the 90’s and Sam playing Donkey Kong. There was a lot about the world of gaming, but I didn’t mind it at all. All I have to say is that Gabrielle Zevin is a phenomenal storyteller and I want to read more of her books!

Thank you Knopf for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing Group for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Gabrielle Zevin - 4.5 stars!

Sam Masur and Sadie Green met by chance in their childhoods, when both were in the hospital for different reasons. They bonded and healed by playing video games until a misunderstanding caused a rift. Years later, when both were in college at different schools in Cambridge, they meet by chance once again. This time, they forge a new relationship and partnership as they develop their own video game. But the road ahead is not smooth for them.

If you would have told me that I would love a book that centers around video games, I wouldn't have believed you. But besides from those weird chapters about Pioneer that I must admit I kind of skimmed, this book is about much more than games. It's about friendship and love, hard work and dreams, grief and reinvention. I loved the explanation of the title - that a game is "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." Kind of like life. This is a must read!

I really struggled with how to rate this book. If thinking in terms of sheer talent of the writer, definitely 5 stars. The overall friendship arc of the story? 5 stars. My enjoyment of the book as a whole? Probably 3-3.5 stars. And that's the difficulty with star ratings.Many reviewers have said that you don't need to be a gamer to read this book. And while that's technically true, I would absolutely say that if you do enjoy video games, this book is going to read much more smoothly for you. I am not a gamer and although I loved the storyline of the deep friendships among the 3 primary characters, the gaming piece is heavily woven into the majority of this book making it tedious and difficult to trudge through at times. It's a roughly 400 page book but it took me around 5 days to get through it.One aspect I didn't particularly like was the redemption of the friendship between Dov and Sadie. As a therapist, it was disturbing to me to see that the abusive relationship she was in later reconciled into some casual, "let's grab lunch while you're in town" kind of relationship. No.I did love the overall story of the friendship and relationships in this novel. I think I would recommend this read but be aware of the heavy gaming dialogue throughout the book.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is a complex story about friendship and love over time. Sam and Sadie meet as kids and this story follows them through highs and lows of their lives and friendship. Each of their stories is deep and emotional. Don’t let the video game plot fool you- while an important part of the story- this story is about friendship and presented in a new and beautiful way. Zevin’s writing in Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is dense, but also provokes deep feelings. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

One thing I will say, the video games mentioned in this book brought back so much amazing memories, since I had a Nintendo and I played all of those games. I was able to connect on that way when it comes to the book, but we meet two characters, Sam and Sadie. They meet when she was visiting her sister who is really sick and he was recovering from an accident, ever since then there was this weird connection, and as the story follows along to when they are adults and working together on a video game. This book is VERY long, and it gets in deep into their relationship as friends, which is what we call in the social media world “complicated.” That’s the same relationship I had with them while reading, Its not only a book about gaming.

An absolutely engrossing story. I'm not a gamer of any stripe, but I found the characters and their journeys so compelling. There were so many layers woven through their stories that gave them depth and complexity. Their broken-up timeline and occasional break from traditional narrative structure propels the reader through so much empathy for each of our three main characters, Sam, Sadie and Marx, and makes us love each of them deeply.

It's a coming of age story that really captures the way that achievement and motivation and complexity and knowledge (lack of knowledge) of oneeself and of others are all part of a strange and irreversible course that life carries us through. Set against the structure of video games, where there is always a cheat or a reset or optimal way to play, there is much to be considered.

I loved this story so much even though it was at times heartbreaking. I think it will stick with me and will be one of my favorites for a very long time. An absolutely stunning achievement by Gabrielle Zevin.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC. I'll be buying copies for myself and for others with reckless abandon.

This book felt like that person who rubs you the wrong way the very first time you meet, but you’re thrown in together and have to figure out a way of working out your differences. As time goes by, they still annoy you out of your mind, but you start to see the chinks in their armor. You start to see the broken person behind the mask. You start understand where they come from and why they act the way they do. They’re still pretentious sometimes, but now you care about them, even when you wish you didn’t.
I can appreciate this story even when it lost me many times (I could care less about video games and virtual reality). But maybe books are my “alternative reality” when life is just too much to handle. I get it!
Ms. Zevin stylistic choices in the narrative makes it hard to connect with the MCs way beyond halfway through the book. Then I either got used to the style or the narrator improved, or both, and the second half of the book made me feel… something. It was then I knew I’d stick around until the end out of sheer stubbornness. I wanted this book to change my mind about my first impression. And although I wasn’t 100% convinced and “converted”, I could get to end in the basis of “let’s agree to disagree”. I didn’t love it and wasn’t blown out of my mind like some of other reviews said I’d be, but I also didn’t dislike it completely. And I think this is where I found the beauty in reading this book. It was a messy affair just like these characters’ lives are a mess.
Miscommunication, or better: non-communication is at the core of Sam and Sadie’s friendship. They were as bad as any romantic relationship, and maybe that was the point. At times it was hard to root for Sadie and her lack of empathy for Sam. I was glad when she recognized some of her selfishness at the end.
The plot twist caught me by surprise which was refreshing. The end was hopeful just like life is when we’re faced with our personal tragedies and traumas (Yep, I said what I said, Sadie).

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a stunningly well written book that will stay with me for a very long time. It tells the story of Sadie and Sam who met in a hospital waiting room and bonded over video games. It traverses decades and follows the ups and downs of their friendship from childhood, to college students, to adulthood. The two become super successful video game creators which is not always easy on them. There is friendship, love and loss throughout the book. Family is at its core...both the family they are born with and the family they become. I loved the nostalgia of the book and the depth to the characters. They are perfectly imperfect. Their friend and partner, Marx, is another favorite. He is just beautiful throughout the book. I laughed and cried several times while reading. The book did not read fast for me, but it's truly difficult to say which parts I would lose to speed up the story. I would recommend this one to anyone, whether they are a gamer or not, looking for a story about the love found in true friendship. 4.5 stars!

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. Here’s the thing, I don’t game, it’s not my thing. The closest thing I’ve done to gaming is to ask (yell at) my son to get off it and do his homework, albeit many moons ago. I do understand the appeal and even the addiction of games because they offer you the opportunity to try again, do better and get another chance at success.

Obviously, you now know the book is about gaming, but at its crux it’s about friendship, love and connection. It’s about pain, disability, healing, growing apart and together again, building something as a team, loss and heartbreak.

I was completely engrossed in this book. The characters were fleshed out and we readers got to watch their development as the book went on. I know some readers may get stuck behind the tediousness of the gaming in certain scenes, but I urge to you to move past it. Sadie, Sam and Marx will stick with you, long after you’ve finished.

Zevin has created an outstanding work of fiction. It’s entirely different than her best-selling The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry or Young Jane Young. The varied breadth of her work in both her YA and adult fiction is astounding and should be commended. All her books are innovative and fresh.

This book came out of no where and held me totally captive until I finished it. I will be thinking about this book for quite some time.

While so much of this story revolves around video games, I don’t think you need to be a video game fan to necessarily enjoy it. I definitely adds to the enjoyment, but the driving force of this story is the characters. Sadie, Sam, and Marx (as well as the supporting cast) are deep, three-dimensional characters that feel alive. They are, at times, frustrating to read because their choices are selfish and flawed, but incredibly relatable at the same time. Throughout the read, I kept having to remind myself that they were characters and that I wasn’t reading a biography or nonfiction account of their lives.

Beyond the characters, though, I was absolutely struck by Gabrielle Zevin’s writing. It feels cheeky and heartfelt, factual and lyrical at the same time. She does a great job of taking care of the reader through a story that is based in trauma and hurt. This is my first dive into Gabrielle Zevin’s work, but it definitely won’t be my last.

Absolutely would recommend. Go read this book, please. Now I’m going to go play some video games, thank you.

I have read “The Storied Life of AJ Fikry” and “Young Jane Young” and since I liked both…I could not wait to read her latest.

I love her characters as they always feel real and fleshed out. I loved reading about the personal lives of these characters and their interactions. I did not love so much gaming talk. Sorry! Sometimes it got to be too much and I just wanted to go back to all the relationship/personal stuff that existed in this novel. The length started to be felt and I wish it could have been cut by 50 pages.

I loved her inclusion and diversity throughout the book as well as the time frame. Obviously Gabrielle Zevin is an auto buy author for me. She has such creativity with her storylines and her writing is excellent. I still recommend this one for the right reader. You need to know that to get that great full story…there is a lot of game talk.

Thank you to @aaknopf for a digital copy of this book via @netgalley 📚

Posted on Instagram 7/12 @carolinehoppereads

I have been a fan of Zevin's since i read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, so I was so excited when I heard she had a new book coming out and I was able to read the ARC. Zevin did not disappoint. This is a wonderful, complicated novel about growing up, gaming, love, and family. Its about finding out who you are through the company you keep. I love that in Zevin's books- there isn't always a hollywood happy ending and she shows people's realities- the good the bad and the ugly. And yet her characters are able to move past the ugliness and grow.
This is a novel you want to savor- so while you may want to rush through it to see what happens to Sam, Sadie, & Marx-don't! Read this as if you were playing a video game- enjoy each level.

Are you ready to enter the world of gaming , it’s design concept and even immerse yourself in a game within the text ?

I’m not a gamer but this book gave an excellent depiction for what’s it’s like to immerse yourself into another reality, one you can create if your own life was not what you expected .

Sam and Sadie meet in a children’s hospital ward . Sadie is brooding over a missed summer adventure as her sister Alice is recovering from a serious illness and she needs to stay and support her family . Sam is also recovering from a brutal car accident leaving a foot barely recognisable . They bond over video games and we see how their relationship evolves over the course of thirty years .

This is essentially a moving story of grief , friendship , missed opportunities, loyalty and how one accident can change your life in an instant . It’s beautifully written ,clever and each character is given great depth. We begin to love them for their flaws and hope that their friendship will survive what life throws their way .

Thanks to NetGalley for an Arc.

I have read a bunch of books by this author. I would categorize this book as general fiction or literary fiction.

This book is about Sadie and Sam. It's about their lives and the ups and downs of their friendship over the years.. Video games are an integral part of the story.

The story takes place over different decades from the 1980s to the 2000s. Sam and Sadie meet as children. They bond over video games. They become friends. But there are times when they don't speak. Their friendship was the main focus of this book. It was fascinating but definitely unusual.

The book does spend a lot of time on the characters playing video games, and making video games. I don't really know anything about video games. So I wasn't overly interested in the topic. But it was still interesting.

This book is Sam's story. And Sadie's story. It's definitely not a romance book. But I wasn't sure if it would end up being a love story. Or only about friendship.

There was a part of the story that was very unexpected. And that did keep my attention. But unfortunately there was definitely a part in the middle that just dragged a bit.

This was a very different type of book. And a difficult book to rate. I'm sort of in the middle in terms of how much I liked this book. It was definitely unique. Sam and Sadie are definitely characters that I won't forget. But literary fiction is a genre that I struggle with. I'm happy that I read the book. But overall it was just okay for me.

First, let me start by saying that a day later I’m still not sure what I think of this book. There were many things that I liked, but there were just as many things that we’re boring to me.

The story is not just about video games, but yet it feels like it is. However, I did appreciate the Oregon Trail references. I even liked the characters, but something was just off for me.

I’m quite positive that I am not the intended audience for this book.

Absolutely amazing read. Beautifully written and clever. I felt so attached to the characters, which I haven’t had in a long time with the books I have been reading. Full of nostalgia, heartache, laughter and tears. Thank you for this gem of a book

Shaun Manning already said this, but he’s right; this book is the Ready Player One for people who didn’t like Ready Player One. (And gosh, did I hate Ready Player One). This is a complicated story of a friendship between two characters, whose lives interwin in hopeless and hopeful ways, and also about video games as a medium and as an art form. 

What is a game? It’s tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption.

It’s about video games and coding and computer science and math but it’s also about grief and growing up and how your life changes and friendship and romance and misunderstandings. And it’s always interesting to read. Five stars.

Sam and Sadie are childhood friends, who meet under unusual circumstances but then develop a close connection. But when Sam learns the truth of why Sadie first decided to spend time with him, he feels betrays and the two stop speaking. Several years later, the two run into each other in the subway and find out they are both attending college within miles of each other. From that surreptitious meeting, the two find themselves spending more and more time together and ultimately decide to spend a summer on a dream they've both long held -- designing their own videogame. They turn out to be a brilliant team, and the video game they create, Ichigo, becomes a blockbuster.

The two now have the world at their feet and, over the next decades, find more success than they could have imagined, while also seeing their relationship tested by the pressures of success and fame, their often competing visions, and feelings of a lack of appreciation and even betrayal.

This is a powerful and perceptive story about the role of friendship and family, the nature of identities, and the meaning of success.

Highly recommended!