Tomorrow, Tomorrow, & Tomorrow — Gabrielle Zevin

Genre: Fiction

Spoiler Alert:

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Synopsis:

“On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.”

My Thoughts:

Before anything, I think it’s important to note a content warning for this book: Suicide, gun violence, racism, homophobia, and physical/emotional abuse are discussed heavily throughout the story.

I find myself struggling to find where to start with this review. The story of Sam and Sadie is complicated and fraught with trauma. While they initially connected through a love of video games, I felt their entire relationship was always revolving around getting something for themselves. At first, it was Sadie lying to Sam about using him as a community service project. When Sam discovered the truth, he immediately cut ties with her, and they did not see each other again until college. I felt bad for Sam in this moment. I mean, who wouldn’t be hurt and feel betrayed after finding out you were being used? Sadie may have felt they were friends, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that she lied to Sam.

And yet, throughout the story, I felt less and less pity towards Sam. You would think that after going through everything he went through, Sam would at the very least feel some sympathy towards Sadie on the multiple occasions that she experienced pain and loss throughout the story. Instead, it felt more like her pain was nothing more than a hindrance to him. Sadie’s loss, her depression, just got in the way of Sam accomplishing his goals. Anytime something traumatic happened to anyone but himself, I could all but feel him sigh and roll his eyes. Even when Marx, his best friend and business partner, was killed, while he was clearly affected as well, he did not stop and think what Sadie was going through. When she stopped showing up to work, when she demanded he leave her alone, he built an entire video game in order to get back to her. Sam only cared about himself and did whatever he felt necessary in order to get what he wanted, other people’s feelings be damned.

My favorite chapter in this book wasn’t even about Sadie or Sam. It was after Marx was shot, as he lays in a hospital bed. I felt the entire chapter was a beautiful way to show how Marx perceived his life, and what was happening around him in his comatose-state. It was one of the few, if only times I felt connected to a character in this story.

In the end, while it is a lovely book about love, pain, and loss, I was disappointed in how little I cared for the main characters. I felt them pretentious, bitter, and selfish. I wish we had gotten more time with some of the “side” characters, and a little more understanding from Sadie & Sam.

I know there are many people who loved this book, and I’m disappointed I didn’t enjoy it more. Perhaps I’m missing something. Let me know your opinions. Should I give it a second try later down the line?