A book to draw you in from the first sentence!

We created this book review, using "The Book and Audiobook Review Compiler App."
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Book Title: Stealing Infinity
Author: Alyson Noël.
Average rating for the book and audiobook: 4.75 Stars

Reviewed by: author, Carryn W. Kerr on 2022-06-27

Book Details (Book rating: 4.5 Stars)

* Year Published: 2022
* Publisher: Entangled: Teen
* Number of Pages: 400
* ISBN-13: 9781649371553
* ISBN-10: 1649371551
* Category: Young Adult Fiction,
* Review Format: Audiobook
* Series Title: Stolen Beauty
* Number in Series: 1
* Other Works: The Immortals Series, Soul Seekers Series, Riley Bloom Series,
* Comparative Works: Spells for Forgetting — Adrienne Young, Violet Made of Thorns — Gina
* Audience: Women, Girls, Boys, Men,
* Advisory: Violence, Language,
* Genre/s: Science Fiction, Romance, Time Travel.

Audiobook Details (My rating: 5.0 Stars)
* Year Audiobook Published: 2022
* Audiobook Publisher: Recorded Books
* Audiobook Length: 13 hours 37 minutes
* Audiobook Narrator/s: Julian Elfer / Pete Bradbury / Suzy Jackson
* Narration Rating: 5.0 Stars

Book Review:

Stealing Infinity is narrated in the First-person; present tense.
Primary theme: The theme is, on the surface at least, of time-traveling thieves.
Time period: The time period fluctuates between the present to 200 years in the past.
Location: The primary location is on an isolated island school called Gray Wolf Academy.
Character Names: Natasha, Elodie (only for a short time in the beginning), Braxton,
Character enjoyment: The friendship between Natasha and Elodie feels unlikely.
Plot summary: Natasha has lost her father and her mother is pretty much absent as she wallows in her grief. Still, Natasha holds it together and even keeps her grades up. Her friendship with the popular Elody is too good to be true, and while her best friend, Mason, warns her not to trust the girl, she doesn’t listen. On the upside, Elody introduces Natasha to the gorgeous Braxton.
But the two are working together; their end game: recruit Natasha for Gray Wolf Academy—an isolated island school for time travelers. That isn’t all it is, though. Billionaire tech guru Arthur seems to want something only Natasha can find, and it makes her fellow time travelers begrudge her.
Even Braxton, who’s smitten with Natasha, seems to be hiding something from her. And she can’t shake the feeling that her time is running out.
Plot enjoyment: I found the plot intricate and enticing.
Uniqueness: I haven’t read anything quite like it before. The story touches on known topics but brings them together in a unique and engaging way.
Worldbuilding enjoyment: The focus isn’t on the worldbuilding so much as the plot. That said, it’s easy to visualize the worlds, both present and past, with enough clarity.
Recommendation: This book will appeal to a crossover audience of young adults as well as adult males and females.
CONCLUSION: This is a well-thought-out, high-concept story that pulls out all the stops.

Audiobook Review:

Timing and Pace: Suzy Jackson narrates our protagonist, Natasha. Although she speeds up in moments of tension, her voice remains clear and distinct throughout.
Accents and Pronunciation: Suzy Jackson fabulously produces Cockney, British, and general American accents with fluidity.
Vocal Characterizations: Suzy brings each character’s personality into her tone.
Expression and drama: Suzy expresses each moment of every scene with the perfect amount of drama.
Suitability for Audiobook: The story is excellent, and the narration enlivens the characters in a way that just reading it couldn’t.
Emotional Connection: As if she’s living their lives, Suzy expresses the emotions of each character.
CONCLUSION: Reading the paperback would have been wonderful. But I’d feel I’d have missed out on experiencing the emotions the narrators bring into the story.

We created this book review using "The Book and Audiobook Review Compiler App."
https://onelink.to/fs6paf

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books, Entangled Publishing LLC, Alyson Noel, Suzy Jackson (audio narrator), Pete Bradbury (audio narrator), and Julian Elfer (audio narrator) for the chance to read and listen to Stealing Infinity in exchange for an honest review.

Stealing Infinity is the first book in the Stolen Beauty series. As a fan of The Immortals series (Evermore) and absolutely adoring those in high school, as well as her Riley Bloom tie-in series, I have been waiting for the next epic adventure from Alyson Noel. It feels like it has been a while since something new came out from here, and this is the exciting time travel romance adventure that I never expected it to be!

Natasha's life seems normal. She lives with her mom and attends high school, as most teens do. When a girl named Elody enters her friend circle, along with the appearance of a mysterious handsome stranger, Braxton, Natasha's life flips upside-down. After being set up for having stolen a bunch of high end clothes and items, Natasha is expelled from school. Luckily, Braxton, who has been conveniently nearby, recruits her to the Gray Wolf Academy. She doesn't quite know what it is, but after being expelled, it's the best choice available.

At the academy, Natasha soon learns Elody is not who she once thought, and she likely should not be trusted. Not only that, but it turns out Gray Wolf Academy is a school...for time travelers!

Natasha learns that the students of Gray Wolf Academy are known to go back in time and steal famous objects...and they sometimes get returned. Students have classes regarding history and etiquette that help prepare them for traveling back in time to blend in better. Usually there is an item of quest when going back in time, but of course, the students must be very careful to not linger and should avoid altering the timeline. They have an item with them that helps them keep their memories, for if they are gone too long, they will start losing their memory of who they are and end up blended as a person of that timeline.

This book has a lot of adventure, some interesting romance elements with the present and timeline travels, and the writing is excellent. The narrators for the audiobook do an excellent job, and there is even a bonus chapter at the end in Braxton's perspective. There is already a second novel planned with this series, and I am sure it will be just as excellent as the first. Will it be a duology or a longer series? Who knows, but it's sure to continue being just as interesting as the Immortals series! (Maybe there will be a tie-in? I feel like with the universe of this book, there is potential)!

I loved the story in the book and the various twists and turns .
It was my first audio book and considerably different from reading a book but still very entertaining.
The explanation in the intro was helpful and the buildup well thought out.
The end however was a bit disappointing as the story did not end or gave a “concluded” feeling. The intro to the next book was not what I had hoped for (a continuation of this book) but the same story from a different perspective.

This book was an entertaining dark read that fused art, time and zodiac. I really enjoyed many elements and then there were others that were not for me. While this was a good fast paced read and one I would recommend to my students, I did not find enough talking points to add it to a syllabus.

A seriously different story about time travel, A rich guru finds kids with home problems and invite them to a remote island where they are taught to time travel to steal from the rich..
Not really for me.
Voluntarily reviewed.

There needs to be a better synopsis for this book, because I didn’t realize it was about time travel. Natasha is sent to live on a remote island owned by a billionaire tech giant who has become a recluse. She joins a group of conniving, secretive teenagers willing to do whatever it takes to further their own agendas and she doesn’t know who to trust. But as soon as she gets a chance to time travel, there’s no way she’s leaving Grey Wolf Academy.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, even though I wasn’t sure what to expect. I did find the lack of answers about Natasha a bit annoying, and the book ended quite abruptly. I know it’s the first in a series, but it felt like episode 8 out of 10 rather than a season finale.

I didn’t really care for the love interest, but there was a late introduction that has me intrigued about a possible love triangle in the next book. That late character was probably my favourite character, as well.

In the end, I’ll have to read the next one, because it doesn’t even feel like I’ve finished the first. And for the possible love triangle. And answers. So many needed answers.

Edit to add there should be a trigger warning for attempted rape.

Wow! This book was so good! Time traveling teens wrecking havoc on the past? Yes please. Art, tarot and numerology? Heck yes! So many things I love about this book! It was definitely a book that was building up a lot of the story. The author did what a lot of YA authors do and built you up just to drop you off at the end for the second one. I feel like she’s leading more into NA for the future book. I listened to the audiobook of this but I do feel like I am going to be reading the physical as well. The narrator was great but I would love to read it in a different perspective. Thank you the netgalley and publisher for the chance to listen to this audiobook!

I received an audio ARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

I got capture in the begining od the story, and it sounded promising. But what effected my review is the main character bugged me alot. Cause she just goes with what ever get thrown at her with out questioning any thing. She just goes with it blindly.

But I did find the story interesting enough and can see others would like it.

And as for the audio book, I listen to it at the speed 2.0 and it was fine, I liked the narrator she did a really good job.

So all in all that's why my review is where it is.

What a book!!! I’ve received an advanced audiobook from
NetGalley and let me tell you, AMAZING. I got hooked from the beginning. I loved some of the characters (little spoiler: there’s always nasty ones!) The way the author included art and history in a fantasy world about time travel. I have so many questions and got so many troubled feelings towards the end. Even trough out the book, the mystery, the doubts, the characters, they always manage to really get you in deep, it’s like you’re one of the characters. I can’t wait to the next one!!
If you can, read it please!!!

I was sent an audio book arc like two days before this was released.

I've finished it finally aaaand it was alright. I like other books by Noel and I've been satisfactorily entertained.

I like the idea, it sounded interesting. I feel like something is missing, but I can't put my finger on what. I wish there was more magic and mystery. I like the tarot card details and numerology, but I want there to be more. I want a deep dive.

I also agree that it may have been better in 3rd person. I don't think I like being in Natasha's head.

There is sooooo much going on. This story never stops and has no slow parts. Every chapter is just constant. Even the relationship is so fast. It was like a week. wtf

I am not a fan of Arthur.

The cover is pretty and I'll probably read the next one.

I think that the concept for the story is amazing and I may find it electronically or read a physical copy but the audio was just hard to listen to. It is not just the voice of the FMC it's the whiney tone that comes through that I could not get past.,

DNF at 25%.

This book is bone dry. I haven’t even gotten to the time traveling yet because I am just not invested in this story.

The story is trite - the chosen one with absent parents (one dead, one withdrawn into herself) whisked off to an adventure with a mysterious, handsome strange with a fabulous accent.

It sounds great in theory but it's utterly predictable and boring.

I had high hopes for this book after the extremely unique author’s note at the beginning as well as the intriguing prologue. Unfortunately, the story that followed did not live up to that for me. The first 50% of the book felt pretty bland and I had a hard time staying engaged of getting invested in the characters. The second half of the book had some better moments but overall remained just okay in my opinion. I still think there’s a chance that I would read the sequel to learn more about a character I liked who comes in towards the end of the book.

The pacing of this story was one of the things that did not work well for me. At first it felt like things were moving too rapidly and then all of a sudden there was a time jump we get in the middle that felt very awkward and disjointed. The romance also suffered due to these issues and fell short for me.

The overall concept and premise of the story I really liked and I think the author was onto something that could be a hit in the YA genre. Unfortunately, the execution wasn’t quite there, however I see a lot of room for growth in subsequent books in the series.

As an audiobook, this one read fairly well. It’s not too complex of a fantasy magic system to keep track of while listening. It’s set also set in the modern world which helps with that as well.

This book was unique and fun. It kept me listening. It could be a little bit slow at times, but the author needed to build the world for the reader. It was fairly suspenseful, and I really enjoyed that. This book was well written. I loved the time travel angle. The narrator did a good job. Overall, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

I think I'm going to have to DNF this one at 47%. Nothing is really happening and at nearly 200 pages in I think this is an unacceptable use of my time considering how many books I want to read.
Natasha and Braxton are characters probably better suited for a 2000s to early 2010s YA books (not that there's anything wrong with that, but now that I'm 23 I find them very juvenile and it also tells me that Alyson Noel hasn't updated her writing style for nearly a decade). How so?
a. They're manic-pixie dream girls/boys,
b. Nat harbours a lot of internalized misogyny
c. They're both literally perfect in behaviour and appearance but are self-deprecating
d. Don't have any particular talents but are considered "special" by other supporting characters
I can't tell you much about the plot apart from it was slow, involved some sort of time travel, and the end-game because very obvious very quickly. You don't need to pay attention to figure out which character would be revealed as the villain.
Anyway, not my thing. Alyson Noel does have a writing style that vibes with me though: easy and not overly superfluous. So, I rated in 2 stars... but like a low-ranking 2 stars.

Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I loved that there was so much more than just a great story. It was one of those books that make you think, feel and look beyond the regular world and into something much greater. I think that lovers of fantasy will be engrossed from page one and will think about this book long after they finish it.

✅️ YA
✅️ High School /Acadamy
✅️ Single POV

✔️ Tarot Cards
✔️ Numerology
✔️ Art History
✔️ Time Travel

● I listened to this as an audiobook 😁

The book opens with a bomb of information. 🤓🤯 This is the foundation of information that helps shape the book. (It isn't necessary to take notes though 😉 As Alyson writes, she reiterates what things mean so you aren't left in the dust wondering what the heck. 🤔)

If you were a fan of the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown- think of this as similar information given. Art history facts, lesson in numerology, and tarot card usage as the story goes on.

Natasha gets recruited to attend a posh boarding school called Grey Wolf Acadamy run by elusive billionaire tech guru Aurthur Blackstone. It is essentially a school for time travelers. They learn how to travel back in time. Natasha meets Braxton and starts falling for him. The only problem is, is that everyone at the school seems to have their own agenda.

Who can you trust?

⭐️ The book starts off slow with facts, but starts picking up about the 45% 🤓

Excellent word building and descriptive settings so it seems more like watching a movie than listening to an audiobook.

I am impatiently waiting for the second book in this series to know what happens next!!!

The narrator did an excellent job! 👍

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to/read and review this audioARC!

First of all, let me start off by mentioning that I find Alyson Noel's books very addicting. Growing up she was one of my favorite authors and initially the person who got me into reading. Therefore I did feel a certain nostalgia when reading this; it was almost an upgraded version of The Immortals.

This is a young adult fantasy book, which deals with time travelling, numerology with a splash of romance. It did take me a while to really get into the story, but especially after the halfway point, I was so invested in what was happening. The ending left me with a longing for the 2nd book in the series, and I can't believe I have to wait until next year to know what ends up happening to everyone! I ended in a very dramatic way and with a lot of open ends leading into the 2nd book.

Another book that I need to buy a physical copy of, so that I can show it off on my shelf!

(Can we also talk about how nice this cover is?? Alyson Noel finally got the stunning cover she deserves!)

Nice plot, several elements that have a lot of potential, but it is insufficiently and weakly developed.

The synopsis promises a lot of mystery, adventure and intrigue. Natascha comes across as a strong character, she knows what she wants, and she also knows she cannot trust Braxton. In reality, however, Natascha comes across as rather weak, she barely stands up for herself and gets completely carried away by everything that is going on around Gray Wolf Academy. I felt like the school was more like a cult where everyone is brainwashed to find the ideals and ways of Gray Wolf normal. The inscrutable billionaire tech guru, as described in the synopsis, who leads the school, is absolutely unbelievable as a person. How he gets away with everything he stands for and what he asks of the students is beyond me, how disturbed do you have to be for all this? None of the characters really have much depth when you think about it. Also Natascha's so-called friends in Gray Wolf, how they treat her, I really don't understand why she thinks they are her friends. As for the development of the story, in the first half of the book, hardly anything worth mentioning happens. Also further on in the story, the characters jump from one event to the next, instead of the storyline being giving more space to unfold. For example, regarding the lessons given at Gray Wolf, the reader gets to see absolutely nothing of them. You only know that Natascha has been training for X weeks, full stop. Not only do you not get to see that, but you also don't get the feeling that she is really learning much during that time, if you look at how she is behaving. On top of that, they are making a big deal of being a Green - Yellow - Blue, on the one hand so much importance is attached to the distinction between the groups, but on the other hand the transition is sometimes very sudden and without much build-up, leaving you wondering why the division even exists. In summary, this story lacks a lot of elaboration in my opinion, and there are several aspects that do not make sense at all or that raise a lot of questions. The characters of Natascha's father and Braxton also raise a lot of questions, but without spoilers, I can't go into it any further.
What I did find positive about this book: the idea behind the synopsis, the principle of Gray Wolf Academy and what they do there (partly, because there are also a lot of dubious things), Natascha's gift (both the gift itself and what the possibilities of that are, but also this is not elaborated on in the book), it was a reasonably smooth read, the cover (so gorgeous). Unfortunately, these things do not really outweigh all the things that annoyed me. So I cannot yet say for sure whether I would like to read the sequel or not.
I have listened to the audiobook, which was a good experience. The narrator has a pleasant voice and succeeds in conveying the story well. It did take quite a while to listen to the whole thing, given the length of the book, while in my opinion it could have been done in a lot less time. But this is not related to the narrator's work.
Hence a score of 3/5, because the potential is there and there were some good things in the story, but at the same time there are too many things that just don't make sense.

I am leaving this review voluntarily, based upon an advance review copy I received for free (through Netgalley). Nevertheless this hasn’t influenced my review of this book, my opinion is and remains 100% my own.