I’m late to the party in reading Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. I put off reading this acclaimed novel by Gabrielle Zevin for far too long. And, of course, I ended up loving it.
This one is definitely worth all the fuss, Tartlets.
What’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow about?
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is about Sam and Sadie. While they knew each other as kids, they become friends during college, and then they become business partners. Their goal is to create an amazing video game, and they become an overnight success – and millionaires – when one of their video games makes it big when they’re only 25 years old.
What follows is a beautiful, shocking, emotional, and ever-changing 30-year journey through the worlds that Sam and Sadie build together, both in real life and on screen. The first part of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow completely sucked me in. The rest of the book broke my heart into little pieces.
What I loved about Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
So many aspects of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow captured me. What I loved the most is author Zevin’s deep dive into Sadie and Sam’s creative process. No matter what the medium, the basics of creating are the same for everyone. The fervor to make, to create, hits everyone differently, but still in the same infectious way. To be so gloriously tuned in to your work, like Sam and Sadie are, is amazing. To have someone pay you to do the work you love, again and again, is a dream come true.
The relationship between Sadie and Sam also really struck a chord with me. I loved how those two creatively balanced each other and worked together. Their dynamic, their interactions, and how they feel about each other remind me of how I feel about my podcast cohost, critique partner, and friend Kait. They’re two people who were destined to find each other, to push each other, to challenge each other, to make each other better, and to support each other in all things creative. Finding that kind of partnership is a rare gift, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow captures it so well.
I also loved that Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow showcases a platonic friendship between a man and a woman. Sadie and Sam are two people who could fall in love with each other – because wouldn’t it just be so easy? – but don’t. Their bond shows that a friendship can be just as powerful as a romantic relationship. There aren’t enough “friendship romances” in literature, and there need to be more.
Do you need to play video games to appreciate Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow?
My husband is a gamer. I, most decidedly, am not. I don’t care a jot about video games. And that’s one of the reasons why I put off reading Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow for so long.
But you don’t need to enjoy video games to love Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. You don’t need to understand them, either. Zevin gives you all the artistic and technical details you need to understand what Sam and Sadie are building. And, while the novel is about two people creating video games, it’s really a story about love, friendship, creativity, and drive.
Should you read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow?
You absolutely need to read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Don’t wait as long as I did to discover Sam and Sadie’s journey. I think readers who enjoy stories about creative pursuits and “will they or won’t they” dynamics will like this novel, as well as anyone just looking for a different, palate-cleansing read, like Where the Crawdads Sing.
I also think Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow will speak to readers living with any kind of disability or chronic health issue. As someone who lived with chronic pain for five years and is mostly healed after two corrective surgeries, I really resonated with Sam’s character. The depression that comes with chronic issues, the shame around other people that comes with it – Zevin handles it all beautifully and accurately.
