Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a contemporary novel by Gabrielle Zevin that centers two game developers (Sam and Sadie) through their lives, childhood to middle-age. Sam and Sadie couldn't be more different and yet somehow they make their relationship work. Whether to call it a friendship or not, I'll leave it up for you to decide. But Sam is half-Korean who has known grief and pain since he was a child, while Sadie is white and wealthy, whose only pain is that her sick sister often got more attention than her. Both grew up in LA but in what was virtually different worlds.
They meet and become friends but when that friendship is cut short by a truth that Sadie kept from Sam, they don't meet again until their both on the east coast, attending college. What happens next is a series of ups, downs, wrecklessness and just awkward moodiness that fits real life.
Stars: 3.5/5
That's right. As many awards as this book won, it isn't one I actually enjoyed reading, although I did finish. Nor is it one that I will ever, in all likelihood, pick up again. The entirety of the first half felt forced, and I feel that the author was trying to lead up to something that never actually happened. At least, not for me. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the inclusion that the author attempts and showing how diversity in media can be a two-edged sword. I also appreciate a good contemporary novel every now and again, so it isn't the genre.
Perhaps it is the narrative voice. I was just waiting for it to end, and that is something that you shouldn't get with a book. Maybe it was the fact that I had been so excited to read it. Diverse characters (not just racially but also disability inclusion) and all the hype made me have high expectations for the novel. Or it could simply be that the characters were just stupid. And I say that in as nice a way as possible. They were all brilliant, technically speaking, but I have always loathed content whether it be books or shows where the main plot device is misunderstanding and that is what we get here.
On a positive note, I appreciate that in the notes the author let's the reader know that she isn't being historically accurate at all. She full up says that the timing is off for some of the games she introduces and that she kept it that way because it made sense for what she wanted to do. It takes a lot of bravery to be able to say it, and I can appreciate the creative choice as well.
Another interesting thing to point out was the form, I loved how form and games played such a huge role. I want to talk about it more, but I would give spoilers so I won't!
Are there books that everyone around you praises that you just didn't like? Let me know down below!
Happy reading!
P.S. This is completely unrelated to this review but when I first heard about this book, I wanted to read it strictly because of the title, which is from what is my favorite Shakespearean quote. The title, in my opinion, did not fit with the overall themes as well as it could have either.
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