The Review

In Gabrielle Zevin’s latest novel, “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,” the author takes readers on a journey into the world of video game design through the eyes of two childhood friends, Sam Masur and Sadie Green. The novel spans several decades, beginning with Sadie and Sam’s first meeting in a Los Angeles children’s hospital and following them as they reconnect as college students in Boston, and eventually create their own successful video game company, Unfair Games, with the help of Sam’s Harvard Roommate Marx Watanabe.

One of the standout features of the novel is the intricate and enthralling portrayal of the process of designing a video game and the relationships between the characters to produce them. Sam and Sadie often have an on-again-off-again friendship that is primarily caused due to the sexism and racism that exists in the field of video game design. Beginning in the 90s, Sadie, as a woman, faces constant sexism and is often overlooked for her brilliant work. Meanwhile, Sam, being half-Korean and raised by his grandparents in K-Town following the death of his mother, struggles with his identity and his constant financial struggles compared to Marx and Sadie. As the media and tech industry push the narrative of Sam being the primary brains behind the operation, though Sadie is the head programmer, tends to be the reasoning behind their tiffs, but their deep love and understanding of each other is still palpable throughout the book.

Another aspect of the novel that is worth noting is how it discusses themes of cultural appropriation, as their first game, Ichigo, was inspired by Japanese artist Hokusai’s famous painting The Great Wave at Kanagawa and tells the story of a small child, named after the One-Five on their sport jersey (hence Ichigo), lost at sea and desperate to try to find its way back to their parents. The group was inspired to use this as the background and inspiration after meeting Marx’s Japanese father on his trip to Boston. However, what makes the mention of cultural appropriation in this aspect is the nuance behind the historical oppression of Korean’s following the occupation of Korea/colonialism by Japan in the early 20th century. The novel thus raises questions about whether or not Masur, as a half-Korean American and Half-Jewish American, can actually appropriate Japanese culture for monetary gain.

Additionally, there are some content warnings as the novel features depictions of gun violence, death by suicide, psychological abuse, and non-consensual sexual situations. Overall, “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” is a sweeping and beautifully written novel that succeeds in being both serious art and immersive entertainment. Zevin as an impeccable ability to bring to life the struggles and triumphs of video game design and throughly makes it clear that any of the games produced by Unfair Games would be a pleasure to play.

Overall, I give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars! I understand why it was voted Best Fiction 2022 on Goodreads, as well as the Book of the Year through the Book of the Month Club.