Oh boy, this has skyrocketed into my all-time favourites.
The story? Sensational.
The characters? Incredible.
The video game-based plot? *Chefs Kiss*
I loved everything about this. It made me laugh but it also had some really sincere and upsetting elements. As someone who sometimes uses mobility aids for chronic pain and joint problems, I saw a lot of myself in Sam, and I found that his experiences of internalised ableism matched my own. Following this group of friends had a complete hold on me. I adored every page.

This book was incredible and I still think about it even after finishing it. I highly recommend picking this one up!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Meeting as preteens and the friendship over time. Business partners but never lovers. 2 lines of a triangle. I loved this story.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is a magnificent achievement. It is a contemporary epic of friendship, relationships and running a contemporary video games business. It is my new favourite book of 2022!

Sam and Sadie met in a hospital when they were kids but have been unexpectedly reacquainted eight years later whilst both studying for a college degree. Their love of computer games brings them together and sets them off on a path that will be adventurous in many senses.

I got such fulfilment reading this wonderful story - it felt like falling into a comfortable chair each evening as I sat down to read. The characters are complex but perfectly matched; their interactions develop along a complicated path. Their early career success unfortunately doesn't lay a strong enough foundation for later when things don't go so well. Zevin has created an original storyline that reflects society on so many levels. I loved it!

3.5., maybe. Nothing especially literary, just had fun with it. Zevin somehow kept me (mostly) interested for 400 pages in a book about two video-game creators (I'm not a gamer)*. The prose is easy, no-nonsense and the characters are well-developed. It's a story about a boy and a girl, at its crux. In some ways it reminded me of A Little Life. Though I found myself wanting to keep picking it up, having now finished it, I just feel like it was a nice story. At times I toyed with the idea that I would give it 4-stars on finishing butt there's just nothing very profound about it. Zevin has however created two characters and naturally, as human beings, all we really need is two characters to root for. Maybe I'll think about them in days to come? Not sure. But for people who love character-driven novels about love, failure, friendship, etc., this one is a good place to look. It is expected to be published in about 4 days.
"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."

Zevin tries throughout to link life with video games, and in some cases she succeeds. The above is true: the concept of gaming, of having 'lives' and the ability to 'save', it's wishful thinking in our own lives. At one point she attempts to compare sex with gaming, which I couldn't get behind. Another example,
Memory, you realized long ago, is a game that a healthy-brained person can play all the time, and the game of memory is won or lost on one criterion: Do you leave the formation of memories to happenstance, or do you decide to remember?

I raced through one part of the novel which involved a shooter and was written well; I was tense for the duration of it. There is a segment very close to the end where we are actually inside one of the games and it stalled the whole narrative for me. Though the reason and payoff was relevant to the novel's narrative arc, I felt its placement, so close to the end, just felt like a distraction. Overall it was baggy in places. Some of the video game stuff lost me but on the whole Zevin leans into the characters and their emotions. It is, however, a novel about video game developers, and so lots of pages are given to describing their games. I thought this would be an issue but the describing of a game isn't too dissimilar to the describing of a novel. In the end I looked forward to them coming up with more ideas, so it wasn't a hinderance.

On the whole, fun, a little maudlin but overall touching if in the right mood. The 400 pages moved quite swimmingly, but there was no tremendous emotion on finishing, just the little glint of contentment one feels after watching a nice movie. Thanks to Random House for the advance copy.

(And kudos on the great Hokusai** cover and the wonderful title taken from Bill's Macbeth, a passage made even more famous by another Bill, Mr Faulkner, who also took a great title from these very lines.)
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

* Though in the early 2000s my only friend was the boy across the road. A., with Asperger's Syndrome (though now it isn't called this, A. believes it is ridiculous that they've removed the title), loved to game, and still does. As children we played Super Mario together, Pokemon, The Legend of Zelda, all the things that were popular. In fact, going to a friend's house back in the day meant playing outside until we were tired or it rained and then playing video games. So some of the ideas about gaming and innocence, youth, escapism, I understood.

** The game that launches our protagonists into stardom in their early 20s is all inspired by the famous Hokusai wave.

(Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4803703596)

#friendship #gaming #VideoGames #love #respect # truth #relationships #honesty #support #pain #family #loyalty

If I have left anything out, it would be depth, integrity, self-awareness, profundity..

I will be honest. I haven’t actually finished this book. I love it so deeply that I am having difficulty. I have spent much of the book fearing tragedy or some other disaster, because these three characters, Sadie, Sam and Marx are just so real, brilliant, deeply woven and human. I am rooting for them 100%

I am deep enough to know that this is in my peak pile of books for 2022. The writing is brilliant, the scenario is so fitting for the characters, and the inter-relationship dynamics of everyone in this book is peak, the family, friendships, the lovers, co-workers.

Because of my connection with the characters, I have been savouring this book, taking nibbles here and there as I do not want this book to end. It’s like a fantastic box of gourmet chocolates that you eat with delicious respect, savouring every bite and immersing yourself in its richness.
Hats off to Gabrielle Zevin, she has done it again. For me, The Storied Life of AJ Fikry was gold, this one is platinum. This book is ‘chef’s kiss’

I thank #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this epic book ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.
Now I will gorge on the final chapters, and then recommence reading it again.
Thank you.
More stars needed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this and I loved the fact that both of the main characters had flaws. None of us are perfect and this story highlights how our imperfections can impact our relationships. Not being completely honest about how we feel, and trying to hide what we perceive as our flaws can actually create weakness in the very foundations of a friendship.
Both Sadie and Sam are complex and fascinating, I love that the focus is about how together they can create whole new worlds, and when you add Marx then the intricacies and obstacles are given so much more depth.
A truly wonderful story about love, and computer games. My inner nerd rejoiced.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
By Gabrielle Zevin

This is the story of friends who never become lovers. They find each other as children and instantly recognise themselves in each other. The are reacquainted during their college years and forge a very dynamic partnership, but resentments and misinterpretations create a barrier between them that fame, fortune and tragedy reinforce.

I realise that I am an outlier here but for me this was a total drag. It needs to be said that 80% + of this novel is set in the gaming world. I read earlier reviews that assured that this would not be a problem to non gamers, but I vehemently contradict them. I almost set this book aside during the first chapter because nothing was appealing. I stuck with it and it definitely started to come together again until around the 45% mark. As a Gen Xer who never had any affinity to gaming, gamers or anything in the virtual realm I found huge chunks of this story to be boring, infuriating and a bit depressing. I kept wanting them to go outside and get a breath of fresh air. Maybe then they might have seen the wood for the trees.

I think the characters were very well written. Both Sadie and Sam had an inability to process their relationship. They rarely were on the same page at the same time and Sadie was particularly unforgiving in her self absorption. The author did a good job of fixing their attitudes to age, gender and race in line with the times and it was interesting to see these attitudes evolve.

Overall, I cannot say that I enjoyed this story, but I think it would be fabulous for any of the remaining 99% of the population who can probably relate more to the gaming world and millennials in general. It's not you, it's totally me.

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouseuk for the egalley

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is a wonderful novel about friendship with the backdrop of video games from the 1990s to present-day. I can see why there was a bidding war over this book! It's incredibly enthralling and makes you want to sit down and read. Zevin is wonderful at world- and character-building. I loved the journey the characters took and found myself very connected to them. Even though they didn't always make the best decisions, I liked that they were imperfect but trying. It incorporates how we change through our lives and when encountering success and failure. I really enjoyed this well-written novel.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book was a DNF for me, unfortunately. I don’t think I’m the correct audience for the content of the story. Gaming is something I know nothing about, though I realise it has a huge appeal across age groups. My 9 year old grandson would probably understand it better!
It’s well written, but the wrong choice for me.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

A mesmerising blend of friendship, video games and love, like nothing I’ve ever read before.

Sam and Sadie meet in a children’s hospital in the 1980s, Sam is recovering from a car crash that has left him with long term pain and disability and Sadie is visiting her sister. They bond over video games.

A chance meeting almost a decade later sets them on a path to riches and success. Their lives woven around the cultural changes of the 1990s through the 2000s. Spanning lovers, marriage and a beautifully portrayed relationship with ongoing physical pain.

I loved the smooth switching of povs and the development of both Sam and Sadie. I also loved the way Sam’s disability was represented in the book. The writing style was sublime easily switching between characters eras and cities.

This book took me to places other stories have failed to tread. Exploring themes of identity and play whilst posing always the question what exactly is true love??

4,5
This is a smart, imaginative, wonderful novel with great characters and lots of references to art, anime, music, literature. At times there is a bit of a ya vibe, but I had so much fun reading this story about friendship, love, creativity, gaming and growing up that I didn’t really care about it. I’m not much of a gaming person myself but the games that Sadie and Sam design are described so beautifully that if they really existed I would immediately buy a game console and start playing their games! Check out Sadie’s first game for instance, made by the publisher to promote the book (link in article).
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jun/21/emilyblaster-video-emily-dickinson-gabrielle-zevin-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Thank you Random House UK and Netgalley UK for the ARC.

A moving story, spanning decades of the intertwined lives of the two central characters Sam and Sadie, charting those that come into and out of their lives, their great loves, heartbreaks and the creation of their lives' work. The tagline 'this is not a romance, but it's about love' couldn't be more accurate - we see the good, the bad and the ugly of the many forms love can take in Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. And it is exquisite.

This book is a little out of my usual comfort zone, being kind-of-historical fiction, kind-of-contemporary, kind-of-literary - and I'm not a gamer. But Zevin has done so well to balance all these things, explaining just enough to the reader without patronising, and allowing profound, reflective moments to shine. I was initially drawn to this ARC by the cover design, which ties in so well to key moments in the text. Each time I read the title, I thought of Macbeth (and inevitably get that section from the song 'Take a Break' in Hamilton stuck in my head) - and to read the way this tied into the story was so satisfying - it's an excellent and poignant choice of title.

The characters were so messy, complicated and real. Sam and Sadie's dynamic was fantastic - truly a beautiful depiction of young love, childhood friendship and the closeness of creative collaborators. Sam will stick with me for a long time after finishing this, as will Marx. Side characters like Dov and Lola feel full and vibrant and important - they're not simply NPCs, as Sam would put it!

My only quarrels were that sometimes the book felt directionless - with this being a book about these character's lives, there isn't really a 'goal' that many narratives rely upon. Personally it feels a little longer than it needs to be, and I'm not a huge fan of the Pioneers section, but I understand the purpose of it, and everything the writer was trying to do. That being said, I kept coming back to this book, and at many times it was unputdownable.

There were so many moments that I feel like I've been through, or can empathise with, and there will be so many of these moments for a variety of readers. I hope this book gets the notice it deserves, because it really is one worth shouting about.

I think this is definitely a contender for my favourite book of the year.

Spanning 30 years this is a story unlike most. We follow two friends, along with other really well developed characters (NPCs if you will) across the course of their lives from children to successful game designers. Don't be put off by the focus on video games if that's not your bag, this book was about so much more than that. I really enjoyed all the references to old games and nostalgia thrown in along the way, but mostly it was about navigating life, relationships, love in it's various forms, trauma, and the need to depend on and work with others to find meaning in life in whatever form that may take.

Had me hooked and I one of those books that stays with you long after reading. Excellent writing throughout as well. I'll be buying this for a friend or two.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a wonderful story that follows the highs and lows of friendship and love. We see Sam and Sadie's relationship develop from unlikely childhood friends, to long time collaborators and business partners, with plenty of bumps in the road.

A book to savour and enjoy the journey. It spans a few decades and I was kept engaged throughout, always wanting to know what would happen next in their intertwined lives. A charming, mesmerising story.

I was intrigued by the premise of this one, and by the rave reviews I had already read, and although I have no interest whatsoever in gaming (which is at the core of the book), I found myself hitting request anyway. I am SO GLAD that I did.

While ostensibly about two childhood friends with a shared love of gaming, it is so much more than that. This is a sweeping novel that encompasses love in all its forms, illness, mortality, sacrifice, family (and maybe even more importantly, chosen family), and the mature of life itself.

I fell so hard for the two main characters, Sam and Sadie, who felt so real to me that I pined for them after the book ended. I loved how certain chapters switched things up, and how we sometimes found out information we hadn't gotten to chronologically yet. There was a chapter towards the end that was one of the most beautifully written and exquisitely moving observations on death and dying that I have ever read, and which I will be thinking about for ever. (And which made me sob like a baby). And there was a bittersweetness to the whole novel - the agonies and ecstasies of growing up and growing older, of loving, and of losing.

There are very few books that affect me so much that I feel like they will be branded on my heart forever, but Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is one of them. I loved this book with my whole heart, and I will be recommending it to anyone who will listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher who granted me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely beautiful book. I loved it and could not put it down. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for a review.

I really enjoyed this book and the whole setting was lovable about two kids who had a vision with a love of video games which I can relate to you get to go o a journey with them and really get a view of the industry and how the characters grow ...

Overal i loved this book and had to come back to it a few times it never gripped me but i did really enjoy it and would read more from the author in the future.

This was a complex and layered novel, handled extremely well by the author. To keep a grip on the plot over multiple decades is impressive. Although it took me some concentration to keep track of the many perspectives/time shifts, it was worth it. It may challenge a novice reader, but it is worth persevering with.
There is so much crossover between readers and gamers, so I think this book will find a welcome audience. You can tell a lot of attention went it to making it period-specific, and getting all the right details, which I always appreciate.

I found this one difficult to finish, for reasons I’m unsure how best to explain. There was a real lack of connection to the characters, although their backstories were described beautifully, I couldn’t feel close to any of them, or care much about what happened to them.

Such a shame, and I’m unsure whether this is the author’s fault, or whether I’ve just picked this book up at the wrong time. Perhaps I will try again at some point in the future.

Gabrielle Zevin is an excellent writer whose previous novels include some really outstanding books (most notably 'The Storied Life of AJ Fikry'). So expectations are always going to be high, and that's part of the reason I found 'Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow' a bit underwhelming. It's not bad, not by any means, but it lacks the exceptional quality she is capable of.

The novel is the story of two childhood friends with a love of video gaming, who set up a successful games company at the expense of their friendship. The novel is from both of their viewpoints, although there's no switching perspective mid-chapter thankfully. Zevin always writes well and the story is engaging and easy to get into. The topic is interesting and even if you don't know much about gaming, the way she writes is accessible. She doesn't shy away from detail and that adds to the authenticity of the book (albeit I wouldn't know if the techy bits are accurate or not).

The thing that would have made this decent and interesting book into an unforgettable one, is the characters. If I could have truly loved the characters it would have taken things to a higher league - but I didn't. I'm not sure I even found them wholly likeable. Believable, yes, but not people I was rooting for as much as I should have been. Both Sadie and Sam (the two friends) were rather irritating. The novel is largely about their many fallings out, which gets tired pretty quickly. A whole book of people squabbling isn't a lot of fun to read, and it's not even got underlying sexual tension to liven it up.

I applaud Zevin's decision to avoid romance between the two leads and write about a friendship - it's just a shame that mostly what she wrote was two friends who'd fallen out. Whilst we're supposed to believe Sadie and Sam have a very deep bond and love each other platonically, it's increasingly hard for the reader to buy into that when you read their interactions. I felt like giving both of them a good shake. I was annoyed with them for squandering their friendship and the collaborative opportunities it gave them, and not recognising and appreciating what they had. Is that true to life? Yes, almost certainly. If this book has taught me one thing it's that it's seldom worth throwing away a good friendship on grievances - even ones that seem major or well justified. And when I'm next irritated with one of my friends, I'm going to imagine someone reading a novel about it and what their perception would be - almost certainly that whatever was bothering me so much would seem trivial and best to let go.

I would certainly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy video games and have an interest in the world behind it. Also readers looking for stories focussed on a friendship rather than romantic relationship can add this to their list. For more general readers, it's a decently written book, and if you have plenty of reading time is worth reading. If your time is very limited, there are better books to spend it on (including the earlier titles by the same author).