Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow

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Gabrielle Zevin

29.06.2023

Vintake

Retro, Slice-of-Life, Found Family, Platonic Bonds

Disclaimer: these thoughts are entirely my own, based on my reading experience, and is no reflection of whether or not this title should be read. Thus, I try to keep my writing fair and constructive, and reveal my personal rating at the end. I always enjoy reading the varying thoughts of other readers because we all experience books differently - which is just so wonderful! So please feel free to leave a comment at the end.

Please be aware that this review may contain spoilers.

✨ BOOK SYNOPSIS 📖

‘Two kids meet in a hospital gaming room in 1987. One is visiting her sister, the other is recovering from a car crash. The days and months are long there. Their love of video games becomes a shared world -- of joy, escape and fierce competition. But all too soon that time is over, fades from view.

When the pair spot each other eight years later in a crowded train station, they are catapulted back to that moment. The spark is immediate, and together they get to work on what they love - making games to delight, challenge and immerse players, finding an intimacy in digital worlds that eludes them in their real lives. Their collaborations make them superstars.

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.’

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✨ MY REVIEW 🤔

Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow is a love letter to video games that fundamentally follows the life story of two otherwise unlikely friends, who are brought together by tragic happenstance within a Children's Hospital. Sadie, whose sister is undergroing treatment for Cancer. And Sam, whose recovering from his involvement in a car accident which resulted in the death of his Mother and near loss of his foot.

This piece of literature illudes to the impact of video games across the technological age, an example of what it takes to survive within the industry, and how failure is just the beginning and not an end when it comes to two childhood friends, turned strangers, then business partners.

That said, and just as importantly, this book is also about humanity. How one can be ambitious at the expense of others, or too empathetic at the expense of oneself. And both simultaneously.

Although I was initially intrigued by the promise of video game nostalgia, which I feel was pulled off beautifully, I will admit that I was not hooked from the start once the reading had begun.

This is because I found it difficult to like the protagonists, and actually came away from the book feeling very much the same. However, still having fond feelings for this book overall, I don't think that having morally grey characters at the root hurt the story on this occasion. In fact, it was a welcome presence to follow the lives of individuals who weren't inherently good nor bad. (Except for Marcus, who I'm sure that we can collectively agree is a ray of sunshine and deserved better).

My take away from Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, is that I believe this is a book worth reading if you are an avid fan of videogames. Especially if you're familiar with the classics. Not only that, but it definitely leaves the opportunity for re-reading. Because through a different lens, as one grows older and experiences more of life, we might just start to see the characters from a more understanding perspective.

This book is raw and honest, and might just leave you sobbing come the turn of the last page.

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I’d like to wrap up this entry by thanking you for taking the time to read my review of The Crimson Moth. If you have read this title I would love to share in your own experience in the comments below. 

✨ RATING 📣

4/5

✨ COMPLETION DATE 🗓️

     17.12.2023