I was obsessed with the first half of this book. The academic and familial pressures, the thrill that feels just too good, the blooming love - all worked together to create a tense, impossible rollercoaster. Then the big reveal and perspective change came, and the book lost its momentum for me. It felt like so much time was spent in reiterating what we'd already seen, and the unravelling felt thin and unimpactful compared with the build-up. Maybe it was just a pacing issue but I struggled with the last 20%. I'm still keen to read further books from this author though.

Notes on Infinity aims high but felt too similar to a certain other novel and doesn't quite live up to it in my opinion. Its themes are ambitious, but the execution lacks the depth and originality needed.

This book had me hooked by page 10 and if you’re also a fan of acedmic setting, friends to lovers and found family tropes then I can confidently say you will be too.

‘Notes on Infinity’ follows Zoe and Jack, two brilliant Harvard class rivals who find themselves on the cusp on a scientific breakthrough. The comparisons to ‘Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow’ are inevitable and do make a lot of this plot very predictable, however, there are plenty of twists that will keep you enthralled and personally I found Taylor’s writing a much easier and more pleasant read. Zoe and Jack’s characters are both beautifully realistic in their flaws, insecurities and wants and so interesting to see through the other’s eyes. Taylor also gifts us with dual POV’s though I feel like there wasn’t enough of Jack’s POV to make me route for him as much as Zoe which was a shame though did make complete sense to the set up of the story.

This story follow Zoe, a young girl studying science. Her father is a well regarded in the field of science. She meets Jack and becomes intrigued by him and together they become partners in a lab. From there they start there own research together, which gets a lot of attention, funding etc. I found the story hard to follow at times due to the scientific language. I book made me think of Bad Blood, as it has a similar story line.

This is a brilliant story and a story of near brilliance.
It’s a story of a scientific breakthrough…or is it?
In some ways the tale reminded me of Elizabeth Holles/Theranos/The Dropout series on TV. While this is not the same tale - it goes deeper and wider - it felt just as real.
The characters are well rounded and believable; and I really felt for the key characters (particularly Jack).
The story is well considered and moves along at a good pace. It is gripping and well told.
I’d definitely recommend reading.

Zoe meets Jack at Uni where they are both studying science. When they begin working together they quickly come to the conclusions that they are on the way to discovering the long awaited potential cure for aging. Their lives change almost overnight when they attract the attention of big money investors who are eager for them to come up with proof of concept and get the driv to market.

But what happens if the results don't reflect the science and everything comes apart??

I found this book a bit too science-y and ultimately as a result, quite boring!

I had guessed early on how the story would end for Jack especially which made it less surprising.

Ultimately, I probably wouldn’t recommend the book unfortunately.

Zoe and Jack, Jack and Zoe in this compelling and thought provoking read that certainly aged me with a few of the more tense moments and the need to read far too quickly to see what was coming next.
Zoe thought she had it planned. and that was a life in academia. then in a story as old as time this all changes when she meets Jack but in more ways than she could imagine. because working together they think they've cracked it. the cure for ageing! (so many issues with this already but i wont get on my soap box, lol). so they both drop out of school and set up a start up together with investors. but behind all that glitters is not gold. and there is more to come for our pair when a accusation hits them out of nowhere that threatens everyone they've worked for and even everything they have with each other.
i loved how Austin built the world that our characters were working within. the themes and picturing of the life in a lab and all the pitfalls that can and do come through it even down to what its like being a woman attempting to be i that space.
you also get the bonus of a friend to lover romance that we get to witness throughout there next stages.
there is so much to this book. much more than a synopsis of mine could give justice too. so much depth and emotions run through it with themes that leave you paused and questioning.
it feels like one of those books that you wont forget. that might have even have changed you but your not quite sure why. it just sits different within you for a while. it hits something different in brain and heart.
and the little surprise books gasp i had further in the plot had me excited and a little in awe of just what a superstar Austin showed herself to be from this book they've written.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. The premise of this book sounded really interesting and I really wanted to try something different so I gave it a go. For me this book was a really slow burner but I am so glad I stuck with it as it turned out to be something quite remarkable. The only aspect which I struggled with a little bit was the technical scientific aspect which I thought was a little over the top and not exactly necessary in order to enjoy the story. I loved Zoe and Jack’s relationship and really enjoyed how it progressed throughout the story. An interesting read that I would recommend.

Notes on Infinity is a wonderful debut, and I can't wait to see what Austin Taylor writes next!
My last job involved working with startups, so I was drawn to the exploration of the way hype around wunderkinds and bubbles can build in the industry. Taylor pulls no punches in her depiction of how ambition, greed, and insecurity can combine into a poison cocktail; of how investors blinded by potential can end up throwing money at naïve founders without accompanying it with the necessary guidance.
Comparisons for this one often feature both Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Elizabeth Holmes, and while I definitely see the similarities, Notes on Infinity also truly stands on its own, largely through Zoe and Jack's bond. It is their rivalry-turned-friendship-turned-love that kept me hooked even when the biochemistry talk started going over my head. This is certainly not a romance, but there is a lot of complicated love at the heart of these characters, and without giving anything away, it meant that the last 20% or so of the book made me misty-eyed.
The first half of the book is delivered entirely in Zoe's perspective, and I loved the way the structure and narration mirrored the journey that Zoe, Jack, and Manna (their company) go through – from a straightforward, world-at-your-feet optimism that eventually has to yield to the long reach of the past and the cost of the "move fast and break things" philosophy that haunts tech and startup culture.
At the prose level, I thought this was wonderful. Taylor works with some utterly lovely imagery throughout, and she perfectly captures Zoe's voice. The dialogue flows so naturally that you forget it's not a real story, that once you close the book, you'll never see these characters again. Granted, the description and scene-setting is quite Harvard-heavy in the first half, so if academia doesn't interest you, that might be a drawback. But personally, I loved being transported to Boston for this one.
Thanks so much to the Penguin Michael Joseph team for the eARC!

I loved this book, it is a perfect summer read for the beach or sitting in the back garden. Just make sure no one is going to disturb you as you will not want to put it down. Treat yourself to some you time with this book.

Science, chemistry and dreams of finding the cure for ageing are part of the formula to pique my interest in a book (e.g vibes of The Code Breaker). Add in rivals to lovers and a full range of emotions and ambition and it might become a great book which Notes on Infinity is. Still, some characters felt a bit too immature (maybe this was on purpose done) and so, I couldn't warm up too much to them but overall I think a person who loves science and all that relates to biotechnology and so on will love this book.

I struggled with the first half of this book. I felt it was too bogged down in detail and unless you’ve been to Harvard you will become bored. The two main characters Zoe and Jack take us on a journey of friendship, soul mates and lovers. The second half picked up slightly but this book just wasn’t for me. Thank you to netgalley and penguin for an advance copy.

Sadly, overall, it didn't really work for me.
Zoe and Jack meet at university courses together, they make a discovery that leads to them heading up a medical science company worth billions. a heartwarming tale of youth making good despite some inevitable setbacks and pitfalls along the way? Yes, but for me, much of it was not an easy read. I coped with the technical terms well enough as I have a scientific background, though I needed some help from search engines. It may not be as easy for some readers.
For the first 20% or so, very little seemed to be happening, and for a similar amount at the end, it lost its way. The middle part I found very good with author Austin Taylor exhibiting clear knowledge of both science involved and the world of venture capital, together with a comfortable writing style.
Overall it left me disappointed.

Notes on Infinity had a surprising affect on me, it pulled me in from the start, so much that I didn't want it to end. I was totally immersed in the plot and the multi-faceted characters.

Zoe and Jack’s journey, starts off as rivals in a Harvard chemistry class, to co-founders of a thriving start-up. Later, deep in a relationship that feels dynamic, built on ambition and intellect with a spark that feels real. I loved how the relationship unfolded with equal parts intensity and vulnerability.

The plot takes a darker turn with a shocking storyline that upends everything they’ve built, adding depth and emotional complexity. It’s a story about love, ambition, trust, and the cost of chasing big dreams.

Austin Taylor’s storytelling is smart and heartfelt, making this a standout read.

If you love contemporary fiction that balances emotional resonance with sharp, character-driven drama, this one is a must.

Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

I don’t think I was prepared for this to be THIS science heavy, it took me out of the story often because I don’t understand the jargon and would end up googling words or scientific terms. I can see the Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow similarities but I personally enjoyed TTT more! Thank you to Michael Joseph for the ARC!

Zoe and Jack, a friends to lovers story, coupled with business, chemistry aspirational dreams and devastating shocks. I really enjoyed this story, was so invested in Jack and Zoe, and Stunned by what happened.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to have this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book and was excited to see how this played out. The writing style flowed well and the dialogue was strong. However, the weight/volume and level of detail of the scientific and start-up business information weighed it down for me and started to bog down the story. I have limited understanding of this and found it too detailed and hard to read. I think I could have coped better with this had the central love story been stronger but it felt implausible to me and lacked convincing emotion.

The final part with the switch to Jack's voice felt much weaker with the time jumps breaking the story, although I did like the switch in perspective.

I did like the themes of ambition, the use of science and women in STEM.

N.B. The medical detail in the book about Jack's health issues were grossly inaccurate.

ARC: Releases 10th July
Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

I was really happy to get the chance to read this early – it was positioned as one for fans of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (here referred to as TTT), which was my favourite read of 2024 and has become an all-time favourite. But that both made me nervous and excited – it had big shoes to fill and gave me 5-star expectations.

Zoe and Jack meet at Harvard in a chemistry class. They cross paths a few times, and when Jack realises that Zoe’s theoretical skills could really benefit his practical research, they team up to work on anti-ageing projects. After two years of hard work, they’re on the brink of launching a huge start-up valued at billions – until an accusation made against Jack threatens everything they’ve built.

___

I feel like I went through a few stages with this book:

♾️ 0–40%: I struggled quite a bit here. There were a lot of similarities to TTT that were hard to ignore: friendship turning into business partnership, inexperienced students trying to build a company, a “third friend” joining the mix. This section was very centred on Harvard, and it felt like the author really wanted you to know she went there.

♾️ 40–60%: The plot jumped around a lot – at times, one paragraph covered a week, and the next, we were suddenly months ahead. It felt like the book was trying to force plot progression, but the pacing was off after the slow first 40%. This section could have done with a re-edit – cutting some parts, adding detail to others. It came across as a bit panicked.

♾️ 60–90%: The pacing slowed down, and we had a perspective flip, revisiting earlier events from another point of view. If anything, this part could have been faster – it recapped what we already knew, just from a different angle, and could have been more concise.

Towards the end of this section, the switches between present and past felt more organic and polished.

♾️ 90–100%: It felt like we reached the end of the story – and then suddenly jumped back in time again. By that point, it disrupted the momentum.

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I liked where the book ended up, but it was a long road to get there. The story seemed to struggle early on to find its own identity, with elements that were hard to overlook in their similarity to TTT.

I think the author assumed a lot of prior knowledge from the average reader around scientific terms – for example, “PI” (which came up a few times early on but wasn’t explained – it’s essentially a project manager for a scientific project, by the way).

Austin Reed herself is a Harvard graduate in English and Chemistry. This is her debut novel and, at 25, between the bursts of scientific terminology, the tone sometimes veered into YA – which I don’t think was intentional. Once we moved past the university setting, the plot lost its linearity somewhat, perhaps because we’d moved beyond the parts of the story the author could draw on most naturally.

The Harvard setting felt overdone at times, with niche references to courtyards and buildings that might amuse a select few readers – but in the first 40%, it felt like every few pages dropped in a random location, and I wanted to shout, “Okay, I get it, you went to Harvard.”

Overall, this had the bones of something really good – but it didn’t feel like a finished, fully edited book. More like a mid-stage draft, with elements that felt disjointed and rushed. A huge shame as I'd saved reading this for a few months as I truly thought I'd love it and it be a 5 star read.

Austin Taylor’s coming-of-age love story, Notes on Infinity, is one of my standout reads this year. Notes on Infinity gives the reader a fascinating look into the world of academia and the pressures surrounding scientific research. I loved Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow as well, and I got similar vibes to that one when reading Notes on Infinity, especially in regard to the tone and pace of this novel.

The characters of Zoe and Jack were explored beautifully and the ending was satisfying albeit heart-wrenching. I didn’t predict many of the twists. I wasn’t entirely sure about the POV shift towards the end of book but I think Taylor managed to pull it off.

I look forward to reading another Taylor book in the future. A big thank you to NetGalley, Taylor, and Penguin Random House for my ARC.