I just loved this story of Sam, Sadie, Marx and their relationships and work together. I am not a gamer but was absorbed by the characters and the world of creating video games and actually have a new appreciation for the art and science of such creation. The biggest thing is I was immediately drawn into the characters and their story and though I got a bit frustrated with Sadie, I think the author did a good job of creating complex characters and I wanted to see what happened next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! As someone who loves video games, I learned so much about that community still! This is the perfect example of what literary fiction should be in my opinion. It was lighthearted with a lot of character growth and imperfect human interaction. I was not expecting to love this one as much as I did! No surprise at all that it was a BOTM pick!

This is a story about two friends who meet as kids and grow up to design and develop video games together. That’s all you need to know! Well, other than the fact that I loved this book and never wanted it to end! Please know that you don’t need to be into video games in the slightest to appreciate this incredible story. Full disclosure: my husband makes video games for a living, but even if he didn’t, I would still love this book!⁣
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It is about friendship, love, grief, disability, identity, racism and nostalgia…oh the nostalgia! The Oregon Trail, Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong and Duck Hunt all play a role in this book and I have such fond memories of playing all those games. Especially Oregon Trail, surrounded by my buddies in the elementary school computer lab. We all died. Every time. But it didn’t matter. We always tried again in the hopes that maybe one day we would actually survive. That’s why this quote touched me so much:⁣
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"What is a game?" Marx said. "It's tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It's 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."⁣
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There is so much to love about this book. The story flowed so well and it is no easy feat to weave a story that spans 30 years and moves around in time. This will definitely be a top read of the year for me❤️ I loved the e-galley so much I had to get a physical copy.

I have read almost 70 books already this year and this might be my favorite of them all. I absolutely adore this book. I was completely swept away by each of the characters and felt like I really knew them. There is so much nostalgia and romance of life in this book. At one point Sadie smells something sweet in the air and thinks she is nostalgic for a candy she's never tasted. I feel that way about this whole book - it made me nostalgic for people and experiences I've never even met/had. I wasn't sure I'd love this because I've never been a gamer. But the introduction to gaming of them playing Super Mario Brothers as kids was totally relatable and every character was so endearing. Even though there is so much loss and pain in this book, I thought it was so hopeful and joyful at the same time. I may be biased because my husband was born and raised in Silver Lake and worked in K-Town for many years, but I thought the LA settings in both time and space were so spot-on. This book is incredible - not only do I want to go back and read everything Gabrielle Zevin has ever written, but she will be auto-buy for me from now on. Wow, just wow to this stunning book.

A book comes around every once in a while that pulls me into the characters' stories and hits hard enough that I wind up not sure how I feel about it when I'm done reading. I'm still thinking about it long after the last page has turned without being able to tell if I loved it or hated it. I can objectively see the faults but can't bring myself to point them out because it's those faults that contribute to the humanity of the characters and the intensity with which the story hits.
Both Sam and Sadie are complex characters with traits that I could relate to while still being very different from anyone I've ever met, which made both sides of the story interesting and engaging enough that there never really is a dull moment in the story. The ups and downs in their lives and the tangled way their lives are brought together and separated in equal parts by their personalities keep the story moving in equally predictable and unexpected ways. The storytelling has that weird dichotomy of being very obvious in where it's heading and still incredibly surprising when things happen.
Overall, it's that kind of incredibly thought-provoking read that everyone will talk about while no one will agree about what it means. Don't come into it thinking it'll be light reading because the main theme is video games. Like all good video games, it may seem relatively simple, but it will keep you thinking about it long after you're done.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing Group for the thought-provoking read!

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was a snooze in the beginning. I was going to put it down after the first two chapters, but I soldiered on and it got better. It's the story of Sam Mazur, Sadie Green and Marx Watanabe.

Sam, who was half Korean and half Jewish, lived in New York with his mother, Anne Lee. She was an actress. One day a woman, another Anne Lee, fell from a building in front of Sam and Anne. It was then she decided to move to Los Angeles to be near her parents. Sam was 9 years old. He and his mom were in a terrible automobile accident where his mother died and his foot was crushed. He was hospitalized for a very long time.

Sadie, who was Jewish, had to do community service for her Bat Mitzvah. Her sister, Alice, was in the hospital with leukemia. While visiting her sister, she met Sam and decided to make him her community service project. They played video games incessantly and became best friends. Alice was jealous of Sadie and told Sam that he was Sadie's project. Sam was offended and told her never to visit him again.

Fast forward. Sam went to Harvard and Sadie went to MIT. Sam had a roommate, Marx, who also became his best friend. Marx was half Japanese and half Korean. One day Sam was in Boston and saw Sadie downtown. They renewed their friendship. Sadie had an idea about making a video game and asked Sam to do it with her. Sam agreed. They got Marx involved as their producer. The game was a hit. It was called Itchigo. A gaming company invested in their company which was called Unfair Games. They made a ton of money. Eventually they hired a staff and continued making games. They made Itchigo II and they hired a two man team, Simon and Anthony aka Ant. They made a successful game as well. They went on to make four sequels that were hugely successful.

After a while Sadie and Marx became a couple but they didn't tell Sam until a year later when he called them on it. Sam was saddened by this news, as he wanted Sadie for himself. Life went on and they continued making games, although Sam and Sadie were feuding and growing further and further apart.

Marx and Sadie bought a home together. Marx wanted to marry Sadie but she didn't believe in marriage. It wasn't long before Sadie was pregnant. Of course this didn't sit well with Sam.

In one of their games, Sam was the town mayor and he condoned same-sex marriage. There were those who were against it and sent hate mail. While Sam was in New York promoting, two young men went to Unfair Games to kill him because they were homophobic. Of course he wasn't there so Marx went downstairs to see if he could answer their questions. They didn't believe Sam was not there and forced Marx upstairs so they could see. Ant came into the room and they mistook him for Sam. They shot him once and shot Marx three times: Once in the shoulder, once in the thigh and once in the chest. He was in the hospital for a short while where he died.

Sam and Sadie were devastated. The office was closed for a time. They couldn't face going in without Marx. Simon and Ant needed to finish one of their sequels and the game that Sadie had made on her own needed completing. Simon phoned Sam to advise him that they were under a deadline. Sam agreed to go in. Sadie's game too was under deadline but she wouldn't go to the office. She only agreed to work from home. Within the prescribed times the deadlines were met and they produced two more smash hits.

Fast forward. Sadie gave birth to Naomi. Sam didn't visit her because he assumed she didn't want him to. After a while, Dov, Sadie's ex professor/lover asked her to teach his class while he went to Israel to divorce his wife and be with his son. The class she was to teach was the seminar she had with Dov. She very much enjoyed teaching. She and Sam hadn't talked in a few years, four I believe.

A gaming company was interested in producing an Itchigo III. They spoke to Sam who on turn talked to Sadie. They agreed to go to New York to meet with them. They were somewhat impressed but they weren't sure about having someone tamper with what they had created. After the meeting they had a long talk. Sam asked her if she would design another game with him. Sadie wasn't sure it was a good idea but she didn't say no. Sam had never seen Naomi so he asked Sadie to see a picture. They ended on a high note.

So I didn't like the beginning of the book, and section nine entitled Pioneers was out of left field. It was the format of a game that Sam created about him and Sadie. The game went over well but it seemed out of place in the book. Other than those two things, I pretty much enjoyed the book. It was a balance of friendship, success and tragedy. Sam lost three people: His mother, Marx and his beloved grandfather. He also lost his foot. Sadie lost Marx and a bad relationship with Dov. Their gaming company was a huge success.

This is such a smart novel and so fun! I loved all the references, especially the 80s and 90s nostalgia. I loved Maser and Sadie and all of their co-workers at their little company. They all felt like real people to me, complicated and imperfect. I just wish it didn't have to end.

DNF @ 28%.

This is not the book for me and here’s why: I don’t care one bit for video games. However, I had read many reviews that said “I know nothing about video games and I LOVED this.” I only gave it a shot because of those reviews. Well, great, but let me tell you…that does not mean that every non-video-game-lover will actually connect to this. I decidedly did not. So basically, if you love literary fiction AND video games, it is VERY likely you will enioy this. If you’re indifferent to video games, it will probably be hit or miss for you.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Published: July 5, 2022
Knopf Publishing Group
Pages: 481
Genre: Action & Adventure
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Gabrielle Zevin is the New York Times best-selling and critically acclaimed author of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Young Jane Young. She has also written books for young readers, including the award-winning, Elsewhere. Her books have been translated into thirty-nine languages.

“Time was mathematically explicable; it was the heart—the part of the brain represented by the heart—that was the mystery.”

Sam has lived a hard life. He witnessed a stranger die at his feet, lost his mother in a tragic car accident, and spent much of his childhood in the hospital for injuries to his foot from the accident that killed his mom. But that is where he meets Sadie. Sadie lived a hard life as a child of privilege whose sister had cancer as a child. Luckily, she survived, but Sadie was often an afterthought during her treatment. But that lead her to Sam. And started what would be the most incredible love affair in the history of love.

This is not my typical story. I’m not a gamer, and I know next to nothing about games. The only game I can say I play with any expertise is The Sims, and I am forever a fan.

What is unique about this novel is the complete story arc. You start at the beginning, work through a series of trials and tribulations, and come to an end. But that end isn’t necessarily the end.

I loved the themes. The relationships, the complexities. I love that the characters were so complicated and layered. Marx was larger than life, easy to love, and have love easily. He was loyal and a true friend.

Sadie was a complicated character. I spent a lot of time not caring for her. But I also understood where her feelings were coming from. She spent so much of her life being in the shadow that she wanted to shine.

Sam was a heartbreakingly beautiful character. Very mechanical but deeply emotional. He was a true visionary who could see and solve a gaming problem immediately. But give him a human issue, and he would be stumped.

This novel is so much more than I expected it to be. It’s about life, love, passion, trauma, pain, growth, forgiveness- the list could go on.

This is one of those books that should be recommended and read. Every book club should consider this title. The book presents so much to discuss—beautifully written, incredibly heartfelt, and dynamically different.

Wow! No words can describe how much I enjoyed this book but let me tell you that after finishing this, I immediately checked out a copy from BOTM.

This is my first time reading a Gabrielle Zevin book even though I heard a lot of good things from my friends about the author's previous works.

I may not be able to write a decent review but one thing's for sure, this book will be a timeless modern classic that will be loved by generation of readers from today, tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow.

This is a love story. It’s not a romance. It’s the story of two people who bring out the best and not so great in each other. What’s it like to love someone out of reach and yet near you all the time? Sam and Sadie meet when Sam is in the hospital and Sadie visits home through her volunteer work. After this teenage experience, they cross paths again when attending university in the same city, their connection is creating video games and together, they create great video games, start a business, have grown up problems and trials. It’s bumpy and at times ugly, but the thread of their connection makes for a great story.

Sadie and Sam have the best love story considering they’ve never been in a romantic relationship. It seems strange to say that about a book with a heavy gaming theme, but I feel like this is also a love story, at its heart.

Spanning over 25-ish years from two young kids playing a console game in a hospital to college kids designing and launching a game that will change the course of their lives, to 30-somethings dealing with loss in its greatest form, Sadie and Sam have been through it all sometimes together and sometimes not.

Even if you’re not a gamer (I’m not), I’m confident you’ll find something relatable in this story.

This wonderful novel is about friendship, growth, love, and the creative life. The creative life it imagines is what kept me from jumping on this book the first time I heard about it, and I was so wrong.

That life is the creation of video games. Fearing show-off-y and boring discussions about coding and algorithms, creepy tech moguls and blood splatter, I put Gabrielle Zavin’s book aside. Please don’t do the same! All discussions of game creation are accessible, increase your understanding and move the story forward.

Because Sadie, Ben, and Marx are such a literate and artistic trio, their inspirations for their games are books and plays, classic art and self-exploration. Their intelligent exploration and audacious expression of these lead to beautiful and highly popular games. These characters are immediately relatable and engaging, with well-spun backstories. Accompanying them as they begin their creative journey and remaining by their sides as they become Old School in their industry is pure pleasure.

Character-driven with a surprising plot, “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” is not to be missed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

A mix of The Social Network and Ready Player One with a literary fiction lens... I wasn't completely sold initially, but I absolutely loved this one. It's a fantastic story whether or not you consider yourself a "gamer", though I definitely do! We delve into the lives of Sam, Sadie, and Marx as they navigate the burgeoning videogame industry in the 1990's and deal with the landmark success that is their first game. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows - we talk about difficult topics like grief, loss, depression, and abuse. Each part of this book feels like a game itself, be it how it changes character perspectives or narrative voice, following along with the different videogames being produced. And in all reality, I want to play ALL of these games! I'd recommend this to readers looking for something to hit them in the feels, though I always recommend researching trigger warnings first, or who's looking to feel creative again.

*Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

“The thing I find profoundly hopeful when I’m feeling despair is to imagine people playing, to believe that no matter how bad the world gets, there will always be players.”

Wow, what a story!

We just started playing Mario Bro. with our 6 year old so the timing of this couldn’t have been more perfect. I loved being transported back to the 90s when video games were so exciting and new.

The relationship between Sam and Sadie, albeit complicated, was powerful and raw. With a few exceptions, I thought all the ups and downs of their friendship were understandable and an inevitable part of the growth of a friendship and working relationship.

This is an original, thought-provoking, and we’ll-written story. My first book by Zevin and definitely not my last!

Thank you @netgalley and @aaknopf for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

⚠️ two major trigger possibilities in this one so please reach out if you’d like to know.

this new novel from the author of “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” comes this amazingly deep story about friendship. The story starts off as a chance meeting between the two main characters Sadie and Sam in a children’s hospital gaming room. The story goes through changing narrators and times and delves into so many issues with living along with and having relationships with people for years and years.

I really enjoyed how the time moved along and how the narration changed throughout the book, helping to emphasize some of the themes that are brought up from childhood to adulthood and beyond. The relationships and conversations felt so realistic I felt at times that I could have remembered hearing all of it before.

Although the story of Sadie and Sam is based on creating video games and having lots of nostalgia for older gaming consoles this is not a prerequisite, Zevin writes this growth story so easily that anyone can enjoy something about it and I will be recommending this to everyone.

The parallels of the games they are developing and how their relationship develops is perfection. I did not want this story to end at all and honestly didn’t even feel like what I had read was as long as it actually was. I just love Zevin’s writing style and even though it was so completely different from my other favorite of her’s it still speaks to me in the same way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday publishing group for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a new release from a critically acclaimed American author, whose previous work includes "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry". This new novel features two childhood friends (Sam mad Sadie) who meet again as university students. Both share a love of video games and Sadie is taking a gaming course at MIT, while Sam is majoring in math at Harvard. As the friendship resumes, they decide to take a semester off to create a new game. This is a coming-of-age story about friendship, disability, and the need to connect with others. It is a wonderful recommendation for anyone looking for a beautifully written story with great characters...and you do not have to be a gamer to enjoy it.

An intimate story of epic proportions, Gabrielle Zevin’s latest book doesn’t require you to be a gamer, but like Easter Eggs (the hidden treasures game designers put in their games) it certainly is a bonus. But removing the game aspect, more than anything it’s a love letter to enduring friendships and the richness that is found there through it’s ups and downs over the years. In this case, thirty years to be exact, as Sadie and Sam meet as young kids while Sam is recovering in a hospital from a terrible car accident and Sadie is there visiting her sister. Both are hardcore gamers and it’s this love of the game that will propel them in the long run to become designers and partners developing a smash hit that brings great success and all it’s trappings including jealousies, insecurities and misunderstandings that can cause fault lines in the most stable of relationships.
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Zevin’s characters including their producing partner and life third wheel, Marx are all so wonderfully rendered that you can’t help but feel such a tremendous affinity for them. It’s also such a pleasure to read such a well crafted book that, much like a great video game, unfolds it’s narrative with such confidence. Zevin moves our characters forward but at times rolls back enough to fill in crucial backstory that enriches them each even more. And she plays with her love of both story and games by literally melding them in an extended chapter in the latter half of the book that I thought was simply genius. In a year of simply great literature, this heartfelt, creative and thoroughly imaginative book levels up repeatedly. I loved it.
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***thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an advanced copy of this book***

Wow. This book. I didn’t know what to expect—a book about 2 gamers in the early aughts. I figured, with everything going on a little nostalgia sounds good. DO NOT BE FOOLED. This is an immense story about people, relationships, love, and hope. I devoured this book. The characters were well flushed out and the gaming aspect was delightful. As an infrequent gamer, I was easily able to follow along and it even made me pick up my Nintendo switch for the first time in a year. I can’t stop thinking about this book. Truly a top 5 read.

Ohhhhh, I loved this book.

I also loved Gabrielle Zevin's previous book, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, but this book is VERY different. The same emotional storytelling is present, but this story is darker and grittier.

There is so much to unpack in this book. It is about video games (and the way the author uses the games to tell the story is brilliant), but it's also about a beautifully flawed friendship that spans decades.

I have a hardcover copy on its way to me, because this is definitely a book I want to share with others.