Todd’s Reviews > Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow > Status Update

This is on my Kindle. How are you finding this? The reviews look promising; I suppose I'm worried that it might be a bit "trite."

So I just finished it. If I had to describe it in a word, I would characterize it as a bit "cheugy." It starts off strong and really draws you in in the first few chapters during the lead characters' teenage and college years. You start to feel vested in these early chapters, and you start to get a sense of the two leads as reasonably dynamic characters with ups and downs in their lives and emotions. However, the story's progression hits something of a slump by the second third of the book and never fully recovers. By the second third, the story starts to suffer from the author not engaging in enough world-building. At the same time, while the two lead characters are explored reasonably well, the reoccurring and supporting characters are not fully developed. It's a shame because world-building was started before taking a bit of a backseat and the two lead characters are drawn relatively dynamically with serious warts and flaws to go along with their strengths and charms so it would not have been too much of a stretch to extend the development to the rest of cast. In any case, the result is that the plot ends up circling too tightly around the lead characters, and much of their development does not feel fully earned. So despite the flaws in the lead characters and the periodic developments and downturns in their lives that are plumbed, the frequent praise and the borderline hero-worship fostered on them by the reoccurring and supporting characters feels overblown and often a bit cringe. So when you are expecting a payoff, the stakes feel low for many of the events, and you end up just not being vested in the other more portentous events. With that said, there are developments and events, they are reasonably interesting, and the pacing is pretty good so you stay tuned in. Taken as a whole, it's alright. There is skill and art involved. The ride was kind of fun, and you somewhat enjoy going along. An upper middle of the pack book. Far better than a Hallmark movie or the book equivalent. It would be okay to check out, but keep your expectations in check (or keep them where you already have them).

Wow, I appreciate your thorough dissection of the book! It seems like one to still read, then, despite potential flaws, so I'll line it up and let you know how I get on when I turn to it. Thanks!