Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

“Every person you knew, every person you loved, even, did not have to consume you for the time to have been worthwhile.”As much as I liked [b:The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry 18293427 The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry Gabrielle Zevin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1404582137l/18293427.SX50.jpg 25694131], I was more cautious approaching this ARC. While I enjoy video gaming a lot (like, a lot, a lot), I wasn't sure how the experience of making video games would translate to a fiction book. I wanted my side hustle of a hobby to be represented well in books for other non-gamers to read and understand, and I was afraid there'd be an over-emphasis on all the negative aspects of the video game industry to sell books. I was pleasantly surprised to actually really enjoy this book. Sam and Sadie, childhood friends, together with Sam's friend Marx, get together in college and make a game called Ichigo. It's a hit, and the book centers around these three turning their hit into a profitable gaming company while also navigating the pitfalls inherent in doing business with your friends. There's high points and incredibly low points, there's intense character development, and there's both happy and sad tears along the way. My only hangups were that I thought the book overstayed its welcome a bit. I greatly enjoyed the buildup in the beginning to being a successful gaming company, and even allow that (seriously, don't click this spoiler if you plan to read this book) Marx's death was poignant, sad, and handled well, but I sort of checked out 2/3rds of the way through when we go through Sam's MMO stalker phase and Sadie finding him out. I thought that was unpleasant and desperate, and it felt a little out of character. The ending was sweet, though, and I thought it wrapped things up nicely, that part aside. I also despised Dov as a character, even understanding his role as a caricature of many things wrong with the gaming industry. All that said, I enjoyed the journey this book took me on, and I'm glad I gave this book a chance. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.