Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow | Gabrielle Zevin | a review

I'm sure Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow needs no introduction. The only reason I picked it up myself was because I was seeing it everywhere and from a wide range of readers. I admit, the hype and the gaming element put me off but I cannot express how glad I am I surrendered and read this brilliant, gorgeous, emotional rollercoaster of a book. If you're on the fence about reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow or if this is the first time you're hearing about it, I'm going to tell you why you need to read this book.

We meet Sam and Sadie in a hospital gaming room when they are kids, bonding over their love of Super Mario Bros. After a terrible misunderstanding we meet them again as adults in college and then follow them through the highs and lows of the following 15 years or so of their lives. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is very much a character focussed novel. You get to know these characters intimately and reading about how they navigate grief, sadness, success, failure, tragedy and a whole host of other emotions is a joy. Truly. Gabrielle Zevin weaves their stories together, mixing flashbacks, flashes of the future and their current timelines seamlessly. Instead of info-dumping, Zevin takes us back in time when it's most relevant to events in the current timeline. This meant the pace never slipped and kept me engaged throughout. I hated putting the book down and was always desperate to pick it back up despite there being no specific plot.You could say it's a romance novel, but without the two main characters becoming romantically involved. Sam and Sadie certainly love each other, but as Sadie says 'Lovers are common… True collaborators in this life are rare.' While they are the central characters, every single other character in this book also leaves their mark on you.

If you're concerned about the gaming element of this novel, please don't be. I am not a gamer myself and it was something that was putting me off too, however, in the way you don't need to understand the mechanics of space travel to enjoy sci-fi books or films, you don't need to understand 90s and early 00s games to love this book. Games are their passion, but it is ultimately their job. That is not to say those who do love games won't get plenty out of the references and links, they definitely will, but not having an interest in games will not prevent you from falling in love. This novel is about growth and friendship and human connection and so much more than the games.

The writing is superb, the characters are flawed and complicated but utterly enchanting and the story manages to be addictive despite not having a main plot arc. This makes me feel guilty to write, like I've missed a fundamental part of the book, but I stand by it. However at the same time, I believe issues are resolved and it does feel almost cyclical. So take from that what you will. I loved it. I hope you do, too.