I thoroughly enjoyed this book, both in the ebook and audiobook format, and am looking forward to recommending it to patrons and fellow readers alike. Taylor has perfectly captured the pressurized world of academic science and the start-up culture while managing to also create very relatable characters that break your heart and infuriate and everything in between.

I really loved this book. Zoe and Jack meet as undergrads at Harvard and find they both are fascinated by science--but for different reasons. They start independent research, and discover something that could change the way we age. From there, they form a start up and -- well--- things get overwhelming. i really enjoyed the perspectives on why the two main characters were so invested in science--Zoe to show women in STEM could be successes, Jack focused on the money--and how their families influenced their choices. Really well written and two great if highly flawed characters in Zoe and Jack.

Very reminiscent of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow with a distinctly Silicon Valley scandal bent, Notes on Infinity is at its core the story of Jack and Zoe, two students at Harvard that are struggling to create an anti-aging product. Their lives become intertwined as they grow together while facing a major business incident that could discredit all they have worked so hard for.

I really enjoyed the narration of the audio version of this book. Told from both Jack and Zoe's POVs, we learn how the challenging work and rising fame affects each of them. The characterizations and the effects of Silicon Valley fame and fortunes take their toll on both protagonists differently and in an extremely complex and damaging fashion. A timely, relevant story of growth (perhaps even stunted growth?) as being in the public eye affects these young people who start out trying to make the world a better place. 4.25 stars.

I received this advance audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Notes on Infinity is a fascinating story: imagine blending the themes of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, The Social Network, and the Theranos saga. That mash-up would give you something like Austin Taylor's story.

I loved how the story wove scientific inquiry into aging (and I promise, nerd though I am, it was totally readable!) with the raw messiness of being smart, young, and in college. It captures the intensity of academic pressure, young love, and the struggle to carve out your own path.

I was completely captivated, especially through the first half to three-quarters of the book. As the narrative shifted from Zoe’s voice to Jack’s, I remained interested, but the pacing slowed a bit for me. The shift felt like it focused more on tying up threads as Zoe’s and Jack’s stories intertwined and diverged. Still, I was surprised by how deeply the story pulled me in—especially Zoe’s world of science, her family dynamics, and her complicated connection with Jack and their shared ambitions.

On the audiobook: I wasn’t as drawn to Shahjehan Khan’s narration of Jack compared to Helen Laser’s portrayal of Zoe. That said, Khan’s voice acting did capture Jack’s character well, I just didn’t find those sections as engaging to listen to. I still appreciate the performance even if it didn’t fully click for me.

Thank you to MacMillan audio and Celadon books for review copies!

Fans of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow will enjoy this. Lots of parallels—young upstarts with a complicated relationship stumble upon success and what it will mean for their lives. I really enjoyed the interiority of the writing here. I appreciated how complex the two main characters were, even if we spend most of the book at a remove from Jack.

When we switch POVs to Jack, the book starts to lose me a bit. I found myself missing Zoe’s perspective. Also at this point in the book, there is a turning point, after which I found the story less engaging. Once the “twist” is revealed, there is really only one way for the story to go. It felt like the wind got taken out of the sails a bit.

Some minor oversights that bothered me a bit—a mention of Jack mismanaging his (presumably type I) diabetes, yet we get not a single mention of the illness when we flash back to his adolescence. There is a throwaway line about Zoe having a certain illness as well (being vague to avoid spoilers) that is never alluded to beforehand.

The prose in the book is lovely, and readers with a fondness for Cambridge/Harvard will likely enjoy the attention to detail in the setting. I look forward to what the author will publish next.

• when zoe & jack meet in a harvard o-chem class, they each see a bit of themselves in each other. the two quickly become entangled as colleagues when zoe takes a lab job on jack’s recommendation, leading them on the cusp of scientific discovery: a cure for ageing. starting their project in secret, and quickly turning their research into a multi-billion dollar startup, the two are suddenly making national news. however, when someone accuses them of false research, their company & partnership are put to the test.
• this book is like if the theranos/‘bad blood’ scandal was a love story, in a really good way! i love how the romance unfolded alongside the development of the drug.
• zoe & jack’s story was propulsive & page turning. i couldn’t look away from the drama! the mix of POVs really helped build the suspense around the ending.

Notes on Infinity is a beautiful story that is full of emotion. As a debut author, Austin Taylor tells a story chock full of detail from the scientific aspect as well as two main characters who have passion for their craft but also get a lesson in what happens when success and fame has a downside.

This book feels written in the same vein as Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow which is one of my favorite books. It’s not the same book but it shares elements. I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I also had a few issues with the book.

This isn’t my typical type of read but I know a few people who will enjoy this much more than I did. If this is Austin Taylor’s debut, I’m excited to read what she has coming next!

3.5 stars!

Riveting, thrilling, and heartbreaking. I was completely immersed in Zoe’s and Jack’s story as they work around the clock on a life-changing discovery. This is a story of ambition, ethics, technology, confidence, misunderstandings, and love.

The writing is sharp and I think the structure worked well with the first part focused more on Zoe’s perspective before Jack’s point of view is revealed. This shift heightened the stakes and enriched the story. I was swept away by the story and had to remind myself that the characters were so young and that so much happened in a short span of time. I didn’t love every decision the author made but I understood why the story unfolded the way it did. Highly recommended!

Thank you very much to Celadon Books and neutrally for the opportunity to read a copy.

Earlier this year I started to hear some great buzz on Notes on Infinity. I was very eager to dig in on this one.

Jack and Zoe are sophomores at Harvard and on the brink of discovering the cure for aging. After Jack refers Zoe to a lab position at a prestigious professor’s lab, they become colleagues and quick friends. As they find theirselves on the cusp on a breakthrough, immortality through an anti-aging drug, they set off on their findings in secret. Knowing they’re close, they drop out of Harvard and start their startup, seeing encouraging results. When a startling accusation arises, it threatens to bring the entire thing down around them and destroy everything they’ve been working for.

I saw a lot of comparisons to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow for this story, but I don’t see that. This story is vastly different from that novel and I was with it largely in the first half. I thought the author did a good job painting this world for us and helping us understand who Zoe and Jack were. I loved the forming of the startup and the breakthroughs they were finding. I will admit that I felt some of the science did bog the story down a bit and if you’re not someone who understands the biotech space, it might be a bit difficult to understand.

After the big revelation in the middle of the book though, I struggled with this. Largely I struggled with the shift in POV. After all we’d built, I didn’t think it added all that much to the story and it put a wrench in the forward progress of the story that doesn’t pick back up again until 85% into the novel. While I was satisfied by the ending, I just wanted more of the fall out.

Ultimately, I fall somewhere in the middle on this book. I didn’t hate it, but didn’t love it as I thought I would.

Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I heard this debut novel was being compared to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin I knew I needed to read it. However, it’s very much its own novel. This is a very creative novel. I loved the premise. There is definitely an addictive quality to the authors writing that I loved. I’ve never read anything like it is quite the genre bender.

I loved the campus setting and the characters. The author made very astute observations on race, class, ambition, and wealth. I loved that there was romance in it, but it was a different kind of love story. It was fascinating to see a start up story like this. Some aspects of the book may seem unbelievable but I truly enjoyed the ride. I will be thinking about Zoe and Jack as characters for a long time because they were so well written.

My only criticisms keeping this from being a five star read is that it is really science heavy. I had to google lots of terms. In addition, I think some of it would have been very confusing to me if my husband was not a bio PHD who worked in academia turned biotech employee. However, that could just be a me problem. The author clearly knows her stuff and even more so in reading the acknowledgments. It is truly one of the smartest novels I’ve ever read and the author truly did her research. Some of the end of the book was confusing with timelines. In addition, a lot of the Gilgamesh/Greek tragedy stuff was confusing for me. I will definitely be looking out for more of Austin Taylor’s books in the future.

A huge thank you to Celadon for granting my wish! I’m still shocked and honored my wish was granted. Thank you so very much! As always a thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to be an early reader. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

There are multiple parallels in this novel between the fictional life of the protagonist and the real life of a publicly disgraced female biotech entrepreneur recently convicted of fraud. The storyline makes for an interesting and tragic expose of the relationships between academia, research, and venture capitalism. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the brilliance of youth going astray without the tempering influence of maturity and perspective.

Zoe and Jack, two undergraduate students at Harvard University, both have promising futures in scientific research. They join forces to explore an exciting theory that holds the promise of increasing human longevity. Lured by the heady combination of power and money, they drop out of school to establish their own start-up branded “Manna.” Complex connections between friends, family and romantic partners are woven into the storyline as the trajectory of the company unfolds.

Overall, the novel kept me engaged, but it was not necessarily an enjoyable or satisfying experience. Neither Zoe or Jack were particularly likable or sympathetic characters, although the inclusion of Jack’s backstory in the latter portion of the book added dimension and understanding of his behavior. While I have a science background (health care), I suspect that technical jargon related to the theories and experiments may prove to be challenging for many readers. The end notes include many published references substantiating the premise of the book.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

A rollercoaster thriller debut, Notes on Infinity blends the high-stakes world of biotech with the vulnerabilities of early love and first jobs. Set against the backdrop of Harvard’s labs and Cambridge proper, the novel follows Zoe and Jack—two brilliant young minds who stumble upon a discovery that could change the direction of human life forever.

It's a touching and thrilling story! While Zoe hasn't had the difficult life that Jack faces, the glass ceiling still exists and her tenacity adds a personal layer that I loved. What was most touching however, was their connection—emotional and cerebral and it is the engine of the story. It's a thriller, it's a romance, it's a coming of age story.

This is not your average romance. It’s smarter, colder at times. The science is fascinating as is the trajectory of the biotech experience. If you like your fiction with ethical quandaries, scientific intrigue, and a dash of romantic ruin, this one’s for you.

#notesoninfinity #austintaylor #macmillan

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Celadon books for the ARC of this novel. I am emotional. Truly. This is the best thing I've read in a long time. I literally physically never wanted to stop reading it. I walked around with my Kindle while feeding my dogs, cooking dinner, ignored more text messages than usual to curl up in a chair and devour it. I loved this book. I am so sad it is over. I am having a hard time digesting it.

I have seen this novel compared to Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow which is a Top 5 best book of all time for me - and they are very much within the same vein. Which is an excellent thing. Notes on Infinity is its own unique novel though, and really hurt my heart but in a brilliant way.

I live and grew up (mostly) in Maine. It was interesting to see it in this novel and the picture the author paints of certain more impoverished, conservative parts of the state. You really can see the stars here .

This book is re readable, propulsive, and genuinely so special. I am gifting it, recommending it, and buying a physical copy of my own on release date.

DNF - I had high expectations for this book, but after starting it, my attention was not grabbed in the way I prefer. This is not necessarily a bad book, but I'm not interested in finishing it at this time.

I had some mixed feelings about this book. There were some things I really loved about this book and other things that made me a bit mad to be honest.

The writing in this book was incredibly captivating. You could kind of see it might be a train wreck I but it's one you don't want to look away from.

I liked the romance, I loved watching the relationships between the characters unfold. The story was super interesting, and I honestly was really sucked in for a while, it was just the end that didn't its do or me.

Loved, loved, loved this. The second half especially was even stronger than the first. But overall, just a really fantastic debut. I loved the setting, the science, the glamour and the intrigue, and then the final parts of the book...heartbreaking. Thoroughly enjoyed and will recommend widely.

Enthralling, ingenious; great at zigging when at first look it might feel like it will zag. Without wanting to spoil the experience of diving into this work, I'll say the latter half of this novel so elevated it for me, with some echoes of "Gone Girl" and "Rashomon" even. It swung high and delivered. I couldn't stop turning the page because of how practically each turn deepened characterization by reframing what had been told before.

"Notes on Infinity" has potent commentaries on how pop culture treats a lot of science nowadays (most especially the promise of breakthroughs), on hustle culture, on the diversification of science/academia (and lack thereof), on messy human relationships, on youthful/blissful ignorance, on that feeling of falling short through no fault of our own — and sometimes through fault of our own as well.
This is one I'd recommend widely to fellow readers.

Being "young and rich and brilliant and beautiful and together, infinitely [...] There was no more potent drug than the one they had".

After hearing so much about this new book/author, I am so happy I requested the ARC. This was an amazing first novel by Austin Taylor... I literally could not put the book down. Although some of the science was a little bit over my head, it was very well-written and engaging. I am looking forward to reading more by Austin Taylor in the future. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

4 stars!

I need to lie down. This is the rare novel in which you know exactly how it's going to go fairly early on but you know you'll stick around to see it out because the journey is as beautiful as it is tragic.

Zoe has never had someone like Jack, someone who complements her perfectly and someone with whom she can discover the path towards medicated immortality. Two ambitious, obsessive, genius young people...when has that ever gone wrong? Notes on Infinity originally caught my eye on some 2024 releases list because I will always cave for a story about ambition, obsession, and soulmates (platonic or otherwise). Right off the bat, I really liked the writing style and already know I'll be looking out for Austin Taylor's next novel, because this is just an incredible start. Having grown up in Silicon Valley with two parents who started in chemistry academia and eventually transitioned to tech, I feel this story in my roots. Zoe and Jack's paths don't run straight and yet they run exactly in the ways that they should as characters. I love a sad book, but the ending had even me staring at the wall a bit. My only criticism was that a significant portion of the second half of the book skips around time-wise and I had some trouble arranging events. I still am not sure I followed all of it, but it was stunning nonetheless.

This book gave me exactly what I wanted, and I will definitely keep an eye out for this author. I think it will strike a chord for a lot of readers.

Thank you to Austin Taylor and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!