Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

I don't think you have to be into video games to enjoy this book. It might help make it a richer experience but anyone who engages in a creative endeavor that crosses over into pop culture would most likely find the characters in the story relatable.

I appreciated the way Zevin wrote about the struggle of being an artist and art vs. commerce or artistic goals vs. popularity. The conflicts and misunderstandings between game designers Sam and Sadie and their long-suffering partner, Marx kept me interested throughout.

If I break it down, there is not a lot of plot in this novel, it's mostly character and relationship stuff combined with Zevin using the character's thoughts and dialogue to express her philosophy of life/art/play and many social and political opinions.

Her thoughts are lovely and I found myself enlightened or agreeing with them most of the time. I'm sure she'd be really fun to talk to. It's just not my favorite writing technique when the author stuffs the character's mouths with her own messages, rather than letting behavior and story action speak for itself.

This book drags at times, especially given how little happens (Sam's backstory contains more drama than the actual story) and some of it could have been tightened or removed for increased impact.