Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a book about video games, friendship, betrayal, and love.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book when Sadie and Sam were kids and also when they made their first games; however, as the years went by and they grew to adults I became less interested as the relationships and story began to drag a little.

Overall, I did enjoy the concept of the book, but I found myself slightly unsatisfied by the last half.

This blew me away, a fantastic modern romance with a twist. I loved the gaming theme and how that was brought into a literary novel with contemporary flair and humanity, making it fully accessible, rich and rewarding to explore even if you aren't in that culture yourself. The business dynamics made for fascinating reading and the human relationships were unique, believable, moving and authentically drawn. A really fresh, exciting read - highly recommended, I loved it.

This book didn't grab me a first but I stuck with it and was glad I did aas it really picked up after the first few chapters. The story follows friends who meet as 11 year old children in hospital through gaming and then many years later as (young )adults when they meet again thorugh a chance encounter in a railway station. They reconnect through their love gaming and start to build a business together with another guy and become successful but have to also deal with all the stresses and strains that running a company can bring. I like how the story shows how gaming can offer an escape when times are hard and can enrich your life (rather than often being portrayed as a societal evil in the MSM).

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.

This book is a tremendous accomplishment; it is clever and nuanced and multi-layered and full of intricacies, but also, at the heart of it, is a simple story of friendship. Video games feature heavily in it but don't be put off if you're not a gamer - here, gaming is used as another form of storytelling, so anyone who likes stories will like it (though it was still fun to recognise some of the games I played as a child growing up too). I was completely captivated by this book and would really recommend it, though don't go into it expecting a huge plot. If however you are happy to be swept away with the characters and the nuances of their lives and relationships you'll love it.

This novel is about three students at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts who are heavily involved in gaming and end up setting up a company together. It covers their family and friends as well as their inter-relationships.
There are lots of happy moments, and quite a few dramatic and sad moments.

It doesn't matter whether you are a gamer, it is well written with plenty of gripping content.

I learnt a lot about a generation that is fairly alien to me especially American university students, they are a lot different to UK students in my day.

There are lots of hidden agendas in the book, I am not sure whether all of them were fully explored, perhaps there is scope for a spin-off book.

I enjoyed the book and would consider reading the author again.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

This is the story of the perfect worlds Sadie and Sam build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow takes us on a dazzling imaginative quest as it examines the nature of identity, creativity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play and, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Wow! A mind blowing read!

I'd not heard of Gabrielle Zevin before, and I'm sort of glad I hadn't, because after having a quick look at the goodreads profile, knowing what they'd published before may have put me off even trying this book. I was immediately hooked by the title as well as the book cover, being a fan of both art and Shakespeare.
I struggle to conceptualise exactly what this book is about, because it's so many things. It's a coming of age tale, it's a story of friendship, it's about following your dreams, and at the same time it's not any of those things. It's so cleverly imagined and written, it's one of the only books where I've read the afterword bit, and I really appreciate the time and effort gone into writing the section about inspiration games and which references aren't accurate and why they were still chosen to suit the mood or character at the point in their trajectory. I loved the effort that went into creating this world, and I think that it paid off. Whatever the reader decides it is; it's beautiful. I loved the story, I loved the characters and the way they were written. It has made my "favourite" shelf on Goodreads and I will definitely be reading it again when it's published! It was a tiny bit confusing to follow at a couple of points in the timeline, but that may have just been down to my getting used to the writing style, as well as the disjointedness of the kindle file.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

If you like: video games, strong female characters, slice of life, friendship and love, success, failure, loss and resilience, hope then do not click further.


This book had me repeating one word throughout Smart and Smart and Smart

The story starts in 1985 in a hospital where a boy is healing from a car crash; Sam Masur meets Sadie Green, the girl who is there because of her sister. They became close friends through the joy of playing video games.
They grew close to each other through the 90s indie video games and let me tell you as someone who played these games as a child in the 90s: a sensational way of feeling something completely new and undeveloped, when there was so much room for improvement.

And then as often friends do they get separated because of a minor misunderstanding and get back together after years because of a major coincidence.

They became close friends again and they do what they do best; play and also create games together. We also meet another main character, Marx Watanabe, who is probably every girl's dream; tall, handsome, intelligent and most of all; kind.

And that's when things get a bit more like a neverending side quest where you end up dying at every combat.

The 3 friends were college students in Cambridge, Massachusetts when in a blink of an eye they had an idea, and then after months of painstakingly hard work they make their first game, which later becomes a huge success and because of that, they are able to launch their own company. All of a sudden the 3 kids became parents.

The first thing that came to my mind when I was reading this book was that the author truly loves and cares about these characters.
Both Sam, Sadie and Marx felt very close to me; their personalities were so nicely done that I instantly cared about them.

It also brought back my love for video games as well. The memories I have with my brother playing together. To be honest I'm very thankful for this little inspiration.

I also enjoyed the games themselves and made me want to actually play them.
Can’t tell you how much I wish for a game company to have this thought: ‘Wow, let’s make these games.’ Thumbs up and smile.

Although I have just heard from a little bot that tomorrowx3 is in development as a major motion picture, I’m thrilled and excited to see what’s going to come out of it.

I found the book knowledgeable about game designing and although I'm not a professional it was told with just enough detail that I did not get bored with the technicalities.

As so many reviews emphasized this before me, this story was about friendship and love, and how malleable and flexible these words and their meaning are.

I do think it was about loss as well, how grief seeps its way into our consciousness and leaves a fingerprint on everything we do. Especially if it’s something that we create, like art where you literally put a part of yourself into your work,

The main wonder and gift of the book were definitely how the 3 main characters and their life was so relatable.
How their work had ups and downs just like in real life and how this book taught me that to get back on doing what I'm doing after failing is enough because it is what matters the most.
That I don't give up and keep on going tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.

Thank you for Random House UK, Vintage and @trinort04 for my free e-copy.

A more detailed review will be seen on my website: nolitethoughts.co.uk when I will own a physical copy of the book.

If there ever was a book that would make me want to play computer games this was it !I loved the book right from the start I am not a gamer but living in a household with sons who were game mad I found I knew more than I thought I did , I found the games being in the background decades games were in the background of the story as the group of friends grew up and started their company really rooted the sections in those particular eras from early games to later multiple player on line role playing games . The various sections really caught the essence of the decades where they were set and I enjoyed reliving these decades through the different technologies
The author has a clear easily read prose style and I was quickly caught by the characters and wanted to know more about them , I really cared for them .
I loved the relationship between the 3 main characters and the close friendships that morphed over the years between friendship and romantic love ., this was at the heart of the book throughout .
I would recommend the book to people who love a novel looking at relationships over the years . I loved the Tv series halt and Catch Fire for many of the same reasons that I loved this book

There were moments in this book that made me tear up, although I am a sleep deprived mother of a 2 month old so it's easily done. Still, this story has a strong emotional core that will resonate with anyone who has experienced a life altering friendship - the kind of friendship that's all consuming, complicated, and the best thing to have ever happened to you. The tag line of the book is accurate: it isn't a love story, but it is about love, and it was refreshing to read a story that properly explores the depths of a romantic friendship.

If you grew up playing 80s and 90s video games, the book will also draw you in with its nostalgia. I only experienced the very tail end of that era of video games, but there was still plenty for me to be sentimental over. As promised by the Macbeth quote in the book's title, there are also other wonderfully nerdy and literary references that made me feel at home, such as a game based on Emily Dickinson's poems and an apology written in a programming language.

Besides the highs and lows of an intense friendship, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is about the madness and passion of the creative process. Zevin captures perfectly how an idea can get a hold of you and not let you rest until you've worked that idea out of you in some form. Another interesting aspect in all this is Sadie's frustrations over trying to find recognition in the male-dominated world of video games and tech, which sadly remains relatable.

The book falls short of 5 stars because there are scenes here and there that I found to be gimmicky or overwritten, but for the most part its a genuine, tender story about friendships, creativity, and growing up

This is my first taste of author Gabrielle Zavin, and I have to say I was impressed, this is beautifully written and smart storytelling that goes back and forth in time, embedded in the world of gaming. I am not a gamer myself, so if you are not either, do not let this put you off, because this is essentially about the all too human aspects and the complexities of what it is to be human, the connections made through this medium, such as the relationships, the friendships and the joyful delight to be found in a perfect digital world, a sharp contrast to the problems and difficulties that are to found in the more messy real world. Sam and Sadie first meet fortuitously in the late 1980s as children in a hospital, finding common ground in playing games, like Super Mario, competitively.

Memories comes flooding back when they meet again years later at a rail station as we follow their lives evolving through the decades, as they begin to create games together, setting up in business together, the creative input balanced by the grounding and practical presence of Marx. They do extremely well which brings all the pressures and trappings associated with success. The characters are vivid, distinct and from diverse backgrounds, in a narrative that touches on a wide variety of issues and themes that resonate, like identity, love, loss, family, technology, race, disability, betrayal and inevitable failures, and what is important in life.

We are given a insightful glimpse into the gaming industry, its history and business side, and how gaming can help people endure hard times through the escapism it offers. A brilliant and imaginative read that I think will appeal to many readers. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I enjoyed this very much to start with, it was original, quirky and well written. I liked the characters and was invested in them. But for me it went on far too long and I began to tire of the relationship between the three of them, especially between Sam and Sadie. which I began to find too far fetched. I think in all, the book was just too long.

This was a wonderful story about love and friendship spanning across three decades. Sam and Sadie meet in hospital as kids; Sam has been in a car accident and Sadie is visiting her sick sister. The pair develop a bond over their shared love of video games but lose touch until years later when they decide to make a video game together, with Sam's friend Marx joining as Producer.

The book to me explores the complexities of friendship between two people as they grow older and circumstances change. It highlights the difficulties of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, the pressures of running a business with your best friend and the issues that can arise from it.

As the popularity of their games intensifies, so does the pressure to deliver and the business of making video games becomes more serious. It's inevitable than cracks will start to form in their friendship as things aren't as simple as they used to be.

The characters were incredibly diverse; they all had different backgrounds that they came from and perhaps wouldn't have met ordinarily if it wasn't for certain circumstances. Marx for example had such a different upbringing to Sam, but they were paired together as roommates at Harvard. I loved that these characters were so different and yet alike in enough ways to come together and create something magical with their video games.

As someone that loves video games I was mostly drawn to this book for that reason; but even if you don't like games you can find a connection with these two characters from different walks of life. It was fascinating to watch them change as the years go on; see how they grow as people and how the years affect their friendship.

I also adored Marx and the calming influence he brought to the two main characters. He was level-headed and knew how to bring peace to the office. Sadie and Sam may have designed and developed the games, but Marx enabled them to just be creatives by taking care of the business side of things. Towards the end of the book were a few pages from Marx's point of view and they were some of my favourite pages of the book.

All in all I was transfixed by this book. Each character was unique and complex; each had their own issues and insecurities which made them incredibly relatable. A solid five star read for me.

Much anticipated, this book did not disappoint. Wonderful stuff.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly, I need to say that am not a gamer. The last time I played a game was original 'The House of the Dead', and yes, I do know that the remake is out in a few weeks time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book about Sadie and Sam who initially met as children in a hospital. They bonded whilst playing games and, as their relationship continued, it blossomed into a deep friendship. Sadie, however, was hiding a secret.

These two creative and enterprising people began a company together as they grew up, but needed a third person, Marx (Sam's roomy), to be the glue for the day-to-day running of the business, the creativity of their products, and Sadie and Sam themselves. The chapters flit between the thirty years of the present and the past using flashbacks, which is very effective.

There is so much crammed into these pages, such as betrayal, technology, deceit, race, gender, disability, trust, pain, failure, love, and loss, but most of all the value of friendship in all guises. When it was flowing well, it was beautifully written. The only downside of this excellent book was whenever my reading was halted by words I did not understand, and I had to look up my dictionary. This might say more about the standard of my education than anything else? I do not mean the German words - they were so descriptive and wonderful, and I loved them - I mean words that I felt were frustratingly unnecessary, and was perhaps the author just showing off a wee bit. *wink* In any case, this was my first piece of this work by this author and it certainly won't be my last.

I chose an ARC which I voluntarily and honestly read and reviewed. All opinions are my own. My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and her publisher.

An epic and heart-wrenching story of love, friendship and creativity. Think Daisy Jones & The Six, but set in video gaming rather than the music industry. I fell head over heels for this book - it's SO good.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for access to this story early. I really enjoyed the writing in this story. It was beautiful and compelling.

Gabrielle Zevin is one of my favourite authors of all time, so I knew I would love this book before I even knew the pitch. That said, it blew me away in completely unexpected ways. This might just be better than AJ Fikry...

I couldnt put this book down, I was gripped right from the start and I found the story both heartwrenching in times and heartwarming. I loved the characters, they were relatable and I took them to my heart straight away. This is such a good book and is definitely worth a read.

Like most reviews I write I won't be giving a synopsis as I believe that the blog writers do a better job without giving anything away.
This novel is most unusual. In many ways it could be classed as teenage fiction, HOWEVER, personally I would not choose to recommend this to my teenage children.
For much of the book I enjoyed the developing theme of friendship alongside the unusual world of computer game making. However around half way I got bored with the theme and somehow the relationship development dragged and missed the mark. All in all, a book I began enthusiastically telling others I was reading, ended up rather disappointingly.