The story of Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow follows Sam and Sadie, two friends who design brilliant video games over the course of thirty years. Though there is romance in the book, it is primarily focused on Sam and Sadie’s relationship - both of whom find romance and beauty in the games they create.

They meet in a hospital games room - Sadie visiting her sister; Sam recovering from a car crash that killed his mother and broke his foot in 27 places - and bond over Super Mario Bros. They fall out for many years only reconnecting when they are both in college, one at Harvard, the other at MIT. They decide to design a computer game together which becomes an instant success, aided by Sam’s charismatic roommate Marx.

Even though I play games from time to time, I wouldn’t consider myself a gamer, so I worried I might miss certain references, which would prevent me from fully enjoying and understanding the book. In the end, my concerns were unfounded, since the novel is as much about relationships as it is about video games.

In Zevin’s story, we are immersed in a world where video games serve as a form of self-expression and emotional connection, and where play is perhaps the most intimate and meaningful activity, we can engage in. This exploration of relationships through the lens of video games gives the novel an unconventional yet powerful depth, making it a thought-provoking and emotionally engaging read.

In the novel, Sadie is the programmer and Sam is the game designer. However, due to Sadie’s natural tendency to step away from the spotlight, Sam, who is more comfortable in this space, is generally credited with the work. Zevin not only highlights the sexism in the industry, but also the overshadowing of Sadie’s work by Sam, further challenging the gender stereotypes in the industry.

In my opinion, however, Sadie’s relationships with her lover, her mentor and professor, and a much older coder named Dov were problematic from a feminist perspective. Despite suffering from depression and having an affair with an older professor, Sadie is unable to leave him even when he hurts her. While I understand Zevin uses this relationship to explore power dynamics, there are underlying issues about consent and the BDSM community that could be explored more deeply. In the novel we also learn that Sadie and Sam use Dov’s engine Ulysses for their game, however throughout Dov does not appear to take creative credit for Sadie’s work. This has the effect of framing Dov in a redeeming and sympathetic light which feels in conflict of the overall picture of abuse.

Representation and intersectionality are strong features of the book, with characters; identities feeling significant but not necessarily defining. The protagonist Sam has been physically disabled and walks with a cane as a result of a car accident. Zevin skilfully integrates Sam’s experience of living with this disability into the story - providing the reader with insight into what it might be like to live with and manage chronic pain. From Sam’s physical disability, to his and Sadie’s shared Jewish identity, to his mother’s Korean American identity, Zevin writes with a level of insight and understanding that provides readers with an engaging and meaningful look into the lives of these characters.  

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone looking to read a beautiful story about grief, success, love, and friendship, whether they are gamers or not.

Mairead’s rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐