I had read and loved Gabrielle Zevin’s earlier book, “The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry,” so I was delighted when I was given the opportunity to read an ARC copy of her latest novel, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow,” about the love and friendship among three video gamers: Sadie, Sam and Marx.

Sadie and Sam meet at a hospital in Los Angeles when they are 11 and 12 years old. Sadie is there because her sister is being treated for leukemia and Sam is at the hospital recovering from multiple surgeries on his left foot, which was severely injured in a car crash. Sam hasn’t spoken to anyone since the accident until Sadie meets him in the hospital’s video game room. They are off and on again friends for a time, but don’t reconnect until a chance encounter on a Boston subway platform years later, where Sadie hands Sam a video game she developed at a seminar. Sam is there attending Harvard and Sadie is studying at MIT. Sadie and Sam begin to develop a video game together at the apartment Sam shares with Marx, a warm, optimistic person who takes care of Sam who has little money and still suffers pain from his injured foot.

Sam and Sadie, with Marx as their producer, sell the game to a big company, then move to L.A. where they form their own company and make several more popular games. Over the course of the years, Sam and Sadie’s relationship is strained by Sam’s inability to express his feelings and Sadie’s distrust. Through it all, Marx is the glue that holds them and the company together.

The characters are multi-faceted and complex and their interactions are complicated and intricate. The reader quickly feels enmeshed in their lives. The novel’s language is beautiful and moving, with its many comparisons between real life and video game lives. The book’s one minor flaw is that at times it feels too long, but in the end, the beauty of the writing and the depth of the characters makes it all worthwhile.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alfred A. Knopf for providing me an ARC copy of the book for my review.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is not just a book for gamers. While it gives the non-gamer a beginner-level peek into the world of video games, it is most of all a story of love and friendship that, in a way, challenges the definition of friendship by recognizing the almost indescribable nature of some relationships.
“...but ‘friend’ was a broad category, wasn’t it? ‘Friend’ was a word that was overused to the point that it had no meaning at all.”

Although described as being “about two childhood friends, once estranged,” this book has three main characters. The friendship between Sam and Sadie is where it begins, but Max is far too important to each of their stories to be left out. In fact, the story is alternately told from all three of their perspectives.

This novel challenges us to love all of the layers of a person:
“It was easy to dislike the man; it was harder to dislike the little boy who existed just beneath the surface of the man.”
“The best colors of Sadie Green are not her darkness.”

And describes to us the beauty and benefit of failure:
“The fabric is not just a fabric. It’s the story of failure and perseverance, of the discipline of a craftsman, of the life of an artist.”

Several current topics of importance such as race, gender, sexual preference, gay marriage, relationship violence, and disability are woven into the story, both in the real and gaming worlds. Sadie struggles throughout the story with the recognition of her work within the male-dominated gaming world, among other women’s issues. Sam and Max are both from multi-racial families and we learn how this affects them throughout their lives.

During the years we spend with Sam, Sadie, and Max we see that, alongside their personal struggles, friendship and love make their world much richer which, in turn, allows them to see, do, and experience more than they ever imagined.
“What is love, in the end? …Except the irrational desire to put evolutionary competitiveness aside in order to ease someone else’s journey through life?”

I was delighted by Zevin’s writing style - not only the sentence structure, but the word choices that challenged me to learn more. Susurrus, izakaya, or Torschlusspanik, anyone? Zevin’s work is full of unusual and beautiful metaphors beyond comparisons to gaming, (“... a mortifyingly psychosomatic weathervane…”), humor of all flavors (“...you, like most humans, have redundancies built in. Your pancreas is, heartbreakingly, single.”), and references to visual art, literature, theatre, music, geography, and more. It is both broad and deep, joyful and heartbreaking, and beautifully weaves the fantasy world into the real world.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is one of the best books I have read. From the first chapter, I could tell this book was going to be special. A common note about this book is that it isn’t about video games, and while there definitely are video games in this book, it is a book about so much more. You don’t need to know anything about video games to understand this story.

Sadie and Sam. These two characters are drawn together by traumas in their lives and throughout their friendship they test each other’s loyalties. Their friendship and partnership was incredible and real. It was full of love and words left unsaid. It was about showing up when you aren’t sure you are wanted.

There were not many topics left uncovered in this story, but each one (disability, LGBTQIA, feminism, friendship, grief, family, the list goes on) was integral to the story. It was beautiful.

I noticed that there were a lot of words in this book that I didn’t know the meanings of. I think it made sense given the characters in the book, but I was really glad to be able to read this on my kindle so I could quickly look up the meanings. I wish I would have kept a list of all of the new words I learned.

Do make sure to read the author’s note in the back. It added so much context to the setting. I had no idea that some of the places described in the book were based on real locations.

Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and @netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Publish date: July 12, 2022

#tomorrowandtomorrowandtomorrow #netgalley #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #bookishlove #bookish #booksbooksbooks #netgalleybooks

I can not recommend this book highly enough. The story was propulsive and the characters were easy to fall in love with. It’s a love story about friendship and the pressures adulthood puts on relationships. I finished this book in 2 1/2 days- shirking my own adult responsibilities to do so. I have not done this with a book in a long time. There is a lot to unpack in this book- trauma and effects of trauma, privilege, generational and political change, friendship and how it changes, relationships—- but the points that it makes comes naturally in the course of reading the book. I’m still thinking about it over 24 hours later and I feel this is one that will stay with me for a long time.
I did receive this copy as an advance review copy from #NetGalley. I can not wait for it to come out in print. I will want this one for my library!

I can say that I know a little bit about gaming. Highlight on little, but this wasn't hard to get through at all as the author deals with all the details gracefully. Sam and Sadie have my whole heart, I adore them so much. I can't explain the emotions I felt while reading this, both sad and happy. And I think that's a testament of how good the story was!

This book is all about gaming and games. I am not into gaming so was a little lost. The story is about Sadie and Sam who create a virtual world. The story spanned thirty years. I did enjoy the overall life story but did get confused

Oh, how I loved this book! At it's most basic, the story reminded me of a "Kavalier and Clay" in the video gaming world with notes of a "real world" Ready Player One, but not, as that description might imply, the least bit derivative. It's really a story about people, about relationships, about growing up, about the ways we fail ourselves and others,, blinded by our own perspective, but about how that failure is human, and is part of how we evolve. It's also just a compelling and fun to read book. Highly recommend!

Good god. I’m a mess. A blubbering, wrecked mess of a human. And I am not sad about that. Because I will have Sam and Sadie and Marx forever. Dare I say for tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow? What a monumentally spectacular read. It never occurred to me that I would be both desolate and delighted at its end. Yet her I am, feeling equal parts of each.

This one goes into my favorites of all time. And at 58, that’s saying something. I will love it always. 💜💜💜💜💜📚

This was a remarkable read. It’s one of those books that makes you want to climb into the author’s brain to see how this book came together. A story about 2 friends, then 3 friends, that follows them into their late 30’s and all the messy, exciting, happy and sad pieces that go along with it. This is not a “techie” book although it’s centered around the creation of virtual games. It is not a coming of age novel although it begins in Sam’s and Sadie’s teen years. What is it then? A really, really great read. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC (kindle) in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, and to the publishers of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow for allowing me the opportunity to read and review - the review is in no way a reflection of NetGalley or the publisher. The review is my own and honest opinion. I was intrigued when first approached (via email) to read this book; I liked the description and was motivated by the three-day time limit. I read the book almost to its entirety stopping at about 89% according to my kindle. Throughout my time reading, I just kept thinking this may get better, and I have a deadline. I felt like an observer of a special, secret club. I didn't really care for any of the characters, thinking of them as pretentious, awkward and not seeing any growth. The $5 words - what I refer to as unnecessary words that can be replaced by simpler words - were aggravating and added nothing to the experience. The one guy that I did like Marx was "put to death too soon" - his plot line was obvious but not obnoxious. It seems silly as I don't think the book was about the games at all; however, I did not like the games and found them like the founders of the gaming company dark, and not something any gamer would enjoy. There were so many unlikable parts to this book that I don't really know why I would have continued...just my own character flaw I guess (to finish what I started.). I won't be recommending this to anyone for one reason - the feeling of disappointment, and the hopelessness one feels when it is impossible to finish this read.

This is a story for gamers, full of references to classic games, the history of the field and lots of coding language. If that was all there was to it, I wouldn’t have lasted very long. I haven’t played so much as a single level of Donkey Kong. In fact the stories and characters of these games are metaphors for the dreams and lives of the fascinating creators of the games described here.
The setting moves from the East Coast of New York and academic Boston to Southern California with a trip to Japan along the way. It follows the development of computer games from simple stories like Oregon Trail to multi-user complex role playing games. All of this is seen through the eyes of three friends, Sadie, Sam and Marx and the complicated love they have for each other. It follows their dreams and ambitions and makes you care about their successes and losses.
All three of the main characters are so skilled at analyzing each other and so adept at verbalizing their conclusions that I felt I was in a continuous therapy session. That gets tiresome after awhile and, in fact, the story would have benefited with a tighter story line. Gabrielle Zevin is a gifted writer and gamer, but not every reader is willing to put in the 18 hour days her characters devote to moving this story along.

This book was amazing! It was one of my all time favorite books.
I thought it was fascinating, wonderfully engaging characters, and well written.
Sam and Sadie, were both entertaining very enjoyable characters.
The story was truly unique. And very satisfying.
I read this book with a smile on my face and sad to see it end.
This love story is unlike anything I've ever read before.

Knopf,
Thank You for this eARC!
I will post and tag to my platforms and blog close to pub date!

I really enjoyed reading this. The first half or so of the book was wonderful. Towards the end it was a little bogged down but nothing too dramatic. I love the way she writes unique characters who are still totally relatable. Friendship, love, work and the overlap of these layers in relationships are realistically portrayed. I like the way she uses games metaphorically but is also able to portray them as a uniquely interactive art form. I will purchase this title for my library and I will recommend to patrons.

I don't quite have the vocabulary for this book. Not only because there are $5 words at every opportunity, but because the scope of it is beyond what I've been reading since the pandemic. It's not a comfort book like AJ Fikry, its a fully adult title and it's a greater character study than Young Jane Young but it's good. I don't know if I'd call it great because the descriptors border on excessive, but it's the kind of book that you text your friends about because you're ruminating on it and you need them to as well.

What a journey of a novel! Gabrielle Zevin is an incredible author. I have been looking forward to a new one from her since reading YOUNG JANE YOUNG back in 2019. TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW was an unexpected follow-up, perfect for gamers but may be lacking in ways for those of us who are not. It is often a bizarre book, written in short, unemotional sentences which sometimes left me wondering where the heart and soul of the novel was. There are shocking and heartbreaking moments scattered throughout the story of 3 friends who begin a video game company, but mostly the book did leave me somewhat cold.

The beginning of the book really sang though. As we learn how our protagonists Sam and Sadie meet as children, you slowly grow to love them and can't wait for them to find each other again as adults after an adolescent miscommunication. You know from the start they are soulmates in terms of collaborators and friends, and sometimes those are the most unexpected love stories. Marx, the sometimes third wheel, was my favorite character as the one who keeps the creatives going professionally and psychologically (perhaps I feel I excel at that skill too!) If you are a gamer this is a must read, if not, try the first few chapters to see if it sparks your interest.

Author of one of my favorite books-The Storied Life of A. J . Fikry. This book is considerably longer. It spans a 30 year period, ranging from Cambridge Ma. to Venice Beach, California. It explores the relationship between three brilliant but eccentric characters, of various backgrounds, who unite over a passion for video games and proceed to create and produce many of them. For any “ gamer” this will be a terrific and absorbing read. For a non -gamer (this reader) those sections gave me an appreciation for just how laborious and expensive game creation is.
But the book is so much more. It explores sickness, pain, poverty, crippling loss, and most touchingly our need for love and true friendship. As in Fikry, there are multiple paragraphs that are so touching and insightful that they stop you cold and demand to be reread and pondered.
One of my favorites:
“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.” If only life offered the same possibilities!!!!!!
Zevin hits another “ home run”-and this said by someone who was reluctant to read the book!!!

Writing: 4/5 Plot: 4.5/5 Characters: 5/5

Immersed in the Gaming world, this novel follows two childhood best friends who alternate periods of estrangement and brilliant (and wildly successful) collaborations in game design over a thirty year period. Sam and Sadie meet in a hospital when they are twelve years old — she is visiting her cancer-fighting older sister, he is recovering from a terrible car accident which has crushed his foot. She is the first person he has spoken to in the six weeks since the accident.

In the gaming world, you always have a tomorrow — you never really die — and this contrast between the imaginative worlds they create and play in and the experiences of the real world in which they dwell figures highly. Moral and ethical dilemmas, a good long story with plenty of twists and turns, and (most importantly to me) characters that you like , even when they are actively disliking each other, make this book worth reading. I'm a Zevin fan so my enjoyment came as no surprise.

I’m not a gamer or someone who is even remotely interested in online or video games, but this did not impact my enjoyment of the book at all. At heart it’s about people and relationships, and I did enjoy the descriptions of the games and the creative process that generated them — even if I have no desire to ever play them! If you are a gamer, I would imagine it would enhance the experience.

Some fun new words (for me):
cicerone — is an old term for a guide who conducts visitors and sightseers to museums, galleries, etc. and explains matters of archaeological, antiquarian, historic or artistic interest.
torschlusspanik — gate shut panic — fear that time is running out and you’ll miss the opportunity


Some fun quotes:

“She had once read in a book about consciousness that over the years, the human brain makes an AI version of your loved ones. The brain collects data, and within your brain, you host a virtual version of that person. Upon the person’s death, your brain still believes the virtual person exists, because, in a sense, the person still does.”

“Ands what is love, in the end? Except the irrational desire to put evolutionary competitiveness aside in order to ease someone else’s journey through life?”

“Sam experienced his body as an antiquated joystick that could reliably move only in cardinal directions.”

“The way to turn an ex-lover into a friend is to never stop loving them, to know that when one phase of a relationship ends it can transform into something else. It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time.”

“The conversation was an ouroboros of inaction that they dutifully repeated every couple of months.”

“Sadie felt a swelling of love and of worry for him — what was the difference in the end? It was never worth worrying about someone you didn’t love. And it wasn’t love if you didn’t worry.”

“Sadie was, by nature, a loner, but even she found going to MIT in a female body to be an isolating experience.”

Sam and Sadie are so realized in this book. Oh my goodness how refreshing of a book this was—yes, I know Ready Player One exists and I’m aware of other concepts like this one but how cool of a story this book was. I like it all the way till the end. But, I’ll let you all disagree. This story does all of the high stakes moments so well. This story does sometimes feel a little far fetched, but what story doesn’t. It’s not hard to imagine someone in the real world working their butts off at something and then becoming amazing at it—as was the case with Sam and Sadie two old estranged friends who come together to launch something great. I like how the author also didn’t fall in to typical tropes that we see so often in books. This is a great read. Very well plotted, and very enticing. I can’t wait to go back and read past work. Because this book is and was the perfect introduction. Excellent job!

I fell in love with Gabrielle Zevin's writing in high school. I read Elsewhere and I swear it played such a huge part in my love for reading.

This book was so good. Zevin has a way with creating the most relatable characters. The theme of 80s/90s video games was so much fun. I really enjoyed this book!

(4.5 stars) I loved this book!! It hooked me in early and I loved how much time it spanned over as the characters evolve. The characters were so well written and believable. It also felt like the author really cared about the subject matter and although I'm not a game developer she seemed to have done her research. I liked how the writing references the characters future careers and particularly in part IX the writing was super unique and served the plot well. There were certain parts where I felt the pacing was a bit funky (mostly in Sadie's first relationship) and I felt like the effects of it were too big to not spend much time on that. But overall one of my favourite books I've read recently!