I was nervous to start this as I had heard so much about it, how amazing it is and it just sounded like it ticks all of my boxes. Bildungsroman across decades of friendship, literary references, centred around gaming…I wish I hadn’t waited so long to start! At first, I thought it was set somewhere in the 1920-30s and I’m not sure why, as I knew what it was about. Maybe something in the opening writing that made me think of a fleeting moment in the glamour of a New York crowd.

Sadie and Sam are childhood friends who have fallen out of contact until one day, Sam passes her in the subway station. They reconnect and she passes him a demo of her video game and asks him to play it. The subway station, by the way, has a large crowd around a poster because it’s a new fangled ‘Magic Eye’ picture - which Sadie can do but Sam can’t. In this way this short chapter foreshadows their partnership. I also felt ‘seen’ as I can’t do them either.

Sam doesn’t play her game for a while though, until his roommate Marx picks it up. Their relationship is so beautifully communicated in just a few short references - Sam is poor, Marx is rich and he tries to find ways to help without it seeming obvious while Sam tries to ignore the clothes and food that turn up next to him. Despite their surface differences there are similarities - both grew up in an Asian American household, struggling to fit in no matter where they are. They also both love video games.

Sadie’s game is short but genius, and offensive - the two are intrigued and a partnership starts which sees them enter the game stratosphere alongside Donkey Kong and Doom. I really liked the game references - enough for someone like me with a passing interest but with plenty of nods and injokes for the more passionate gamers, I’m sure. It was also nice to see the smaller games celebrated too - -at one point the trio are playing Braid. This is a game which is perhaps known as an indie title but broke into the big time, proving you just need some good coders and a great idea to do it. It also fits the character preferences as they all like a puzzle to solve. Sam has been drawing mazes for Sadie since they were in their early teens. The enthusiasm made me want to play more computer games than the ones on my phone!

The literary perspective was interesting too, an investigation into the intersection between puzzles and prose - the story makes the game and without a good one, it’s not interesting to play. The title is a reference to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and even that quote is another reference to a lynchpin in literature - Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury.

The narrative spans decades and countries, moving from the East Coast in Boston and New York and to the West Coast with California and back again. You’re taken on the journey not only geographically but temporally as well, where more is revealed about childhoods and future dreams.

One of the major themes is existence - can we transcend reality and avoid time and space by living in the internet? When gameplay’s being described the player is drawn into the game quite crisply, where their character takes on their actions (or vice versa). So computer game triumphs and losses become Sadie, Sam or Marx’s.

For fans of the Apple+ TV series Mythic Quest (which actually has a couple of story arcs that cover similar topics), Yanagihara’s tear jerking page turner “A Little Life” and/or the optimistic comic book novel by Chabon “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay”.

Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher, Random House UK,, for the DRC. I’m on the lookout for the special edition hardback with the beautiful coloured pages so let me know if you spot one

I loved this book so much. I loved the nostalgia of the 90s video game chat (and I wasn't even that big into video games!) Its such a heartwarming, unconventional love story and that is one of the things I loved the most about it. Sadie & Sam's character development was amazing but I also loved every character in the book! 5 stars from me

I haven't read anything by Zevin before but I know this book was hotly anticipated by many so I was excited to get my teeth into it. A coming of age story through the lens of gaming? Sounded intriguing. Since it has been published I've read a few mixed reviews of this book and those who tend towards the negative seem to be those who aren't gamers. If you aren't a gamer will you enjoy this book? Sure, possibly, but gamers will be able to tap into aspects of it that those without the same knowledge. The timeline of the book also happily aligns with my age, experience of games growing up etc so I found this aspect of the novel (and it's a big part of it) really enjoyable. Some people might find this annoying and alienating however, different strokes and all that.

For the most part, the book tells the story of Sam and Sadie. Two childhood friends brought together by tragedy, and the trials and tribulations they face through their lives, coming together and falling apart again. Where things fell apart for me was the characterisation of Sadie and Sam themselves. They just weren't particularly interesting to me. Sam in particular was hands down a complete dick sometimes. I know we are supposed to sympathise with him due to his life experiences, but he really is just a complete chode sometimes, particularly to Sadie. The supporting characters were great, even those we aren't supposed to like e.g. Dov. It's refreshing to see a book in which characters actually grow in a meaningful and realistic way. Lots of books now have these black and white, good or 'bad' characters but Zevin has done a great job of capturing the nuance and subtlety of the human character.

There are some really hard-hitting and touching moments in the narrative. I can't really say what these are without spoiling major plot points, but the part of the book that explains the book's title just broke my icy little heart.

A love letter to gaming and a nostalgic journey through the millennial experience. I had a lot of fun reading this book.

5 stars, no doubt!
I absolutely loved Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I knew I was going to love it from the start. The video games references,, the characters, the plot - all perfect.

Unlike other books of the same genre, this one wasn’t crammed with video game and pop culture references. It was a really nice balance.

The story was incredible, unfortunately I did have a major bit of plot spoilt for me around 80% into the book. So I felt like I couldn’t feel the emotions that I would have, if it wasn’t spoiled? But I do know that it would be 5 stars if not anyway!

I'm not a huge gaming fan, but I still loved this book. Its about love, but more friendship love than 'relationship' love. I felt like I grew to love the three MCs myself, and liked that they were fully fleshed-out and weren't 'all bad' 'or 'all good'.

Sadie and Sam meet as kids in a hospital and bond over their love of computer games. Tomorrow x3 follows their intertwining lives as they go on to produce a range of well-known and loved computer games - alongside Sam's friend, Marx. Gabrielle Zevin immerses us in the complex and imaginative world of computer game production with plenty of gaming references, though don't let this put you off! I enjoy the odd game, but am by no means a gamer. However, I was incredibly interested in the novel - it's not often I hold off on reading because I don't want it to end, but I really did not want to pick this book up and finish it.

Tomorrow x3 was both entertaining and heartbreaking. This is one of those books that I will be thinking about for a long time.

(Review also posted on Goodreads)

I don't think there is a way to properly encompass into words how striking this book is. TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW is gentle and raw and tender and so, very painfully human. It is a story about escapism and creativity and building worlds out of nothing but the desire to create something whose legacy might outlive you; about the value and intimacy of platonic friendships and creative partners, about the ways love takes many forms and those who mean the most to you come in unexpected forms; it is a story about grief and loss (of self and others), about escapism and depression. Ultimately, this is a story about the human experience and connection, spanning over years of these characters lives, making you fall in love with each of them and view them as beings as real as yourself.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough and can see where all the hype has stemmed from.

I sadly didn’t get to finish the book before my e-ARC expired, however I’ve bought two stunning copies and can’t wait to finish it. My review will be updated afterwards.

I didn't wanted to finish this book and say goodbye to Sadie and Sam. I loved the, loved their refreshing and interesting relationship, and enjoyed this heartwarming and riveting story that kept me reading, smiling, thinking.
I work in high tech and I appreciated the depiction of women in STEM and in the gaming world. Sadie and Sam are two likeable, clever, and well developed character.
The author is an excellent storyteller and made me fell in love with this story since the first pages.
I loved it and it's strongly recommened.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Gosh, this book is good. I've been seeing a lot of buzz about this book, so I’ve been looking forward to finally reading it. To put it simply, it’s about three friends who make a video game together, but it's really so much more than that. It’s a special story and you really come to love the characters so deeply. It’s beautifully written and so clever and I’ll be thinking of Sadie, Sam, and Marx for a long time 🥲 It made me want to just go create something. Prob one of my faves of the year so far - Read this!!!!

I truly loved this book! It's such a beautiful story of love and friendship, and learning how to navigate relationships with peers as you grow up and face difficult obstacles in life. It's so well written, I fell into the world in just a few pages and was completely hooked.

It's a book that will make you laugh and cry and everything in between. It's gripping and immersive, and I can't recommend it enough!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Devoured this one in a couple of days, loved the characters and their stories. The first half of the novel is particularly strong - as we meet the characters as children and they meet up again in college.

Some significant twists in the plot didn't make much of an impact on me, but the changing relationship between Sam and Sadie kept me turning the pages.

Still thinking about it now.

This was an interesting choice for me - I have little interest in gaming and feared that I wouldn’t be able to become absorbed in the story. It was indeed very game oriented but underlying that is a beautiful story about friendship over decades. I particularly loved Marx - he was such a calming influence on Sam and Sadie. I think I grew into this book so whilst it took me a while to get into it, I became totally invested by the halfway stage. A long book but very worth the time. Recommended.

"There's no game without the NPCs"

What a profound, beautiful and deeply moving ode to love this book is, it has completely and utterly blown me away. It is an instant classic and the best book I have read all year.

I loved so many things about it, the flawed and therefore extremely realistic characters, the sense of nostalgia brought about with references to games I too played and loved, the insight into programming and developer life, the layered relationships and intertwining of characters - it all just works so so well. It's not a romance but it very much is about love.

I will deliberately keep this review more focused on my reaction to the story, rather than telling you too much of what it is about because I went into it 'blind' and I think that also enhanced my reading of it. The story centres around the friendship between Sadie and Sam, who meet as children in a hospital, keep each other company, and bond over their love of games. We follow their lives for the next few decades and see how they meet again as adults and begin working together. And the fact that it is decades of their lives that we see unfold really sets a nice pace for the novel because Gabrielle Zevin has really taken the time to fully round out her characters, and delve deep into this central, and the many other relationships, rather than rush through them.

The virtual world (and development of virtual worlds) form the perfect setting for philosophical and existential discussion but this discussion is carefully woven in as the story unfolds, and that is further supported by the shifts in points of view. The character development is phenomenal, Sadie, Sam and Marx - leap off the pages transgressing from characters in a book to people you feel you come to know. You feel their emotions, are frustrated by their actions, laugh with them, cry with them - it's an emotional ride!

Just beautiful inside (and out because that cover artwork is also brilliant).

For me this is a book I will add to that list you have ready for anyone asking for a recommendation! This is the first of Zevin's books that I have read and I will definitely be going back now to read her other novels.

Thank you so much to the Vintage Team, NetGalley and Gabrielle Zevin for my ARC, I also now have the book in hardcover and will treasure it for years to come.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is up there to be one of my favourite books of the year so any book after thing will have some big shoes to fill.

I think that even if it is about gaming there is something for many people because it is predominantly about friendships at the end of the day. Not that the gaming part deterred me as I met my husband in a game shop when he ID'd me.

What I loved was how it shows different kinds of love throughout this story, we have familial love, romantic love, and the love between close friends and we throw a little bit of lust in the mix.

I will definitely be reading this book again

This was a great read with a unique storyline.

Sam and Sadie meet in hospital - Sam is a patient and Sadie is visiting her sister. The pair strike up a friendship playing video games - both are keen gamers and we follow them on a journey where gaming becomes their life.

I'm not a great video game fan, but the storyline was so much more than gaming - even though it was based around it. It's a tale of love, friendship and fulfilling your dreams. I loved it, and will be recommending it to anyone who will listen!

Many thanks to Random House UK and Net Galley UK for the review copy.

I debated for a while whether or not to request this book from NetGalley as ‘gaming’ is definitely not my thing. In my entire life, the only game I’ve ever played has been Sonic the Hedgehog and I’ve only played that a couple of times. However, the book had such rave reviews that I thought I’d give it a go.

The book begins when Sam and Sadie meet in hospital, Sam is an inpatient and Sadie’s sister has cancer. It spans about 30 years of their friendship, their separate paths for a while and their coming together again through their shared interest in computer gaming.

I did really like the book but unlike many other reviewers it was neither life changing, nor my ‘book of the year’, it was simply a fairly good book that kept my interest till about three quarters of the way through when out of the blue the story is told from the point of view of characters in a computer game. At that point, I lost interest, however, I kept going till the end.

It is a story of friendship, love and life experiences with a fair amount of misunderstanding and lack of communication thrown in.. I can’t say I loved the characters of Sadie and Sam but I did really like Marx. It’s a lengthy book and would probably be more enjoyable to readers with some knowledge of computer gaming.

My thanks go to the author, the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced e.reader copy of this book, however, the review in return is one hundred per cent my own honest opinion.

The Storied Life of A.J Fikry is one of my all-time favourite reads, so I was very excited to find that Gabrielle Zevin had a new book coming out. One line of the description says it all ' This is not a romance, but it is about love'. The novel centres around the friendship of Sam and Sadie , who bond over a love of computer games as children. A chance meeting at university rekindles their friendship, and they go on to develop their own games. This is a wonderfully told story about friendship. About finding ways to deal with the trials of life. About losing yourself in an alternate reality, (much like losing yourself in a good book. And this is a good book!!) Highly recommended.

This is long, spanning decades as it follows a pair of friends from their first meeting in a children’s hospital ward to adulthood. Sadie and Sam bond over a love of computer games, and as adults they work together to create their own games that capture the imaginations of millions. But there are fractures and breaks between them, and their relationship takes many twists and turns as the story progresses. It put me in mind of A Little Life, in terms of its scale, the complexity of the relationships and the sense of reality. Really lovely.

If there were 6 stars, I'd be giving them. I absolutely loved this book and devoured it at speed. It had charm, depth and heart. Highly recommended.