Book Review: "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin
Ever wondered what it's like to live a life intertwined with the pixels and narratives of video games? This is a portal into the lives of two individuals whose existence is as vivid and complex as the games they create.
📍 Contemporary Fiction
📍 Second-person POV
📍 Biracial MMC
📍 Disability Rep
The Bond of Sam and Sadie
Meet Sam and Sadie, two souls connected by the invisible strings of fate and a shared love for video games. Their journey begins in a children's hospital, a setting far from the whimsical worlds they craft, yet it's here where their bond cements—a bond that spans over three decades, through the evolution of the gaming industry, and the trials of their personal lives.
The Characters: Flawed, Real, Relatable
While Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow offers a rich exploration of the gaming industry and the lives of Sam and Sadie, I found myself having mixed feelings about the characters. Sam and Sadie's volatile friendship, marked by a cyclical love/hate relationship, is a central aspect of the novel. Sam's overly ambitious nature often blinds him to others' needs and feelings, which made it challenging for me to empathize with him. Sadie, on the other hand, is seen as standing up for herself in her professional life but not in her personal life, which was frustrating for me as a reader.
However, it's worth noting that these characters' flaws and complexities also make them feel real and relatable to some readers. Their mistakes, wrong assumptions, and differing views of success often put them at odds with each other, but they also learn and mature over the course of the novel, which adds to their realism.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, while Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow offers a unique exploration of the gaming industry, the lives of its protagonists may not resonate with all readers due to their complex and sometimes frustrating personalities.
So, have you ever played the game of life? If not, dive into Zevin's world, and you might just find that you've been a player all along.