Five stars for the writing which is beautiful. I will be reading more of Austin Taylor's work because she has a fantastic voice and style!

Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor is a compelling debut novel that intertwines the fervour of scientific discovery with the complexities of personal ambition and ethical dilemmas. Set against the backdrop of Harvard's elite academic environment, the story follows Zoe and Jack, two prodigious students who embark on a ground-breaking journey to develop an anti-aging drug. Their venture quickly escalates into a high-stakes biotech start-up, testing the limits of their partnership and moral compass.​
School Library Journal

Zoe, the daughter of a renowned MIT professor, and Jack, hailing from a modest background in Maine, connect over their shared passion for biology. Their collaboration leads to the creation of "Manna," a biotech company that garners significant attention for its promise to reverse aging. As their enterprise flourishes, the duo faces mounting pressures, including ethical quandaries and personal sacrifices, culminating in a dramatic climax that challenges their ideals and relationship.​

Taylor's narrative is lauded for its incisive exploration of themes such as ambition, the allure of immortality, and the ethical boundaries of scientific advancement. The prose is described as both "blazing" and "insightful," effectively capturing the intensity of start-up culture and the personal turmoil of its protagonists. The novel also delves into issues of gender dynamics in STEM fields, with Zoe navigating the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry.​

Notes on Infinity is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel that examines the intersection of scientific innovation and personal ambition. It's an ideal read for those interested in narratives that challenge ethical boundaries and explore the human aspects of technological advancement.​

For readers who appreciate stories that blend scientific intrigue with deep character studies, Notes on Infinity offers a rich and rewarding experience.

I went into this without knowing of the comparisons with Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - however that’s the vibe I instantly got from this book. I wasn’t a huge fan of TTT, and this is very similar in terms of setup and scope. I did enjoy the story and was interested to know where it went, but I wasn’t convinced by the romance. I also feel that the change in POV to Jack’s fell a bit flat for me. Sadly just not the book for me.

A convincing look at the highs and lows of start up culture, with a great romance to tie it together. Two great characters in Zoe and Jack and their complicated relationship was beautifully drawn. However, I have to say that, for me, the writing lost its way rather when we came to the change of viewpoint with Jack’s side of the story, which was just not so well realised, and therefore not as convincing, as Zoe’s.

For me this book was just average. After reading other reviews and the comparison to tomorrow tomorrow and tomorrow I was expecting far better. The story just seemed to unfold naturally with nothing major to draw me in.

Overall 3 stars it was far too predictable to be worth the read.

There are a lot of books coming out at the moment which are pitched as “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” meets X””.

And honestly, I loved Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow so I’m going to lap those up.

I really loved this. I loved the characters of Jack and Zoe who felt so real.

My knowledge of Harvard is purely from my obsessive watching of The Social Network so most of these references were pretty esoteric to me, but I imagine if you know Harvard they would be wonderful Easter eggs.

Speaking of esoteric, absolutely all of the science was lost on me, of course. It must be really hard to tell the story of a science start up without including some of the science, but even at a novel-level it was lost on me.

I really enjoyed the non-linear structure of this and the mix of perspectives, newspaper articles, and other media elements.

My only criticism is I felt it escalated (and then decelerated) too quickly. Suddenly Manna was a billion dollar start up and suddenly everything was unravelling. I think I could have done with a bit more time.

A very impressive novel which I think will be huge this summer. A great concept and incredibly well-researched - I very much enjoyed the references at the end!

4 stars

I had high expectations of this book having seen the praise from one of my favourite authors and other reviewers but it just didn’t do it for me. Whilst not averse to learning about new subjects when reading a novel I found having to google scientific terms and abbreviations for things simply detracted from what is a nice but tragic love story.
I simply didn’t fall in love with the characters as much as I like to when reading a book and found myself confused at times, perhaps due to the writing style. I’m sorry but am sure other people will love this book, it just wasn’t for me.

I absolutely loved Tomorrow x3 so I had to read this as soon as I got the arc. I enjoyed it and I would recommend it to people who also liked the previously mentioned similar books.

Zoe is an ambitious young scientist, set on following her father's footsteps to becoming a respected tenured professor when she meets Jack in an undergrad chemistry lecture in Harvard. What was supposed to be a class to fill out her schedule becomes a contest between her and her new rival, the brilliant but mysterious young man who has already scored an enviable role in a professor's lab, and is a worthy opponent for Zoe when he bothers to show up.

That spirit of competition turns into an inspiring, creatively fulfilling connection that brings them to dizzying heights just a few short years later, as the upstarts who are on their way to invent the first anti aging drug, or as they put it, the secret to eternal life. Amid all the glamour of the hallowed halls at Harvard, and then the fast paced world of venture capitalists, TED talks, and magazine covers, the heart of the project, and the book, is the partnership and connection between Zoe and Jack - until it all starts to spiral out of control.

Notes on Infinity isn't out until the 10th of July, but in the meantime you could definitely read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevlin, one of my favourite books from the last few years, and a comparison title that Notes on Infinity is definitely being pitched with. It's very hard not to make this comparison as there's a lot of overlap, but I think that maybe is misleading - a lot of it sounds the same on paper, but while Tomorrow is more dreamy, more sentimental, and in a lot of ways more experimental, Notes on Infinity is a more straightforward novel that is very much influenced silicone valley startup culture, name checking a lot of tech bros we now know and hate, but it also was definitely inspired by Elizabeth Holmes and the series The Dropout.

Notes on Infinity is an American Dream made seem possible by new tech, but one still as flawed and slippery by all the versions of that dream that came before, appealing to the ambitious, brilliant many while still benefiting the same types of people again and again.

I did enjoy this book, however I did struggle with all the science chat. If you can get by that it was a great read. Thanks

Zoe and Jack, two students with a passion for science, meet at Harvard, Drawn to each other, despite their differences, they begin to work together on how to stop the aging process. As their work develops, so does their relationship but with success comes the potential for failure. in both work and life. Although there were echoes of Tomorrow x3 it is a very different read. Don't be put off by the very complicated science in the first quarter of the book - I almost was - but was so glad to have ploughed through it, as this became compulsive reading.

I really really enjoyed this book. Everytime I picked it up, I just couldn’t put it down because the story was so compelling. The only critique I would have is that there are quite a lot of science references which made it confusing a lot of the time, I felt I was skipping bits just to get back all the references. I found both our main characters Jack and Zoe to be endearing and fleshed out characters. I also did like our side characters. The ending wasn’t what I expected and I don’t know if it’s in a good or a bad way. I’m sure unsure of how I feel about it! But would highly highly recommend reading when it releases!

Notes on Infinity is a thought-provoking debut that follows two brilliant students, Zoe and Jack, who leave Harvard to start a biotech company with the aim of creating a groundbreaking anti-aging drug. The characters connection feels real, and the book ultimately, explores how love and ambition can clash.

However, the scientific jargon is a challenge for those of us without a science background.
A strong debut!

An interesting debut novel centred around students, Zoe and Jack, as they drop out of Harvard university and start up a Biotech company, with the ultimate goal of developing a ground breaking anti-aging drug. The reader follows their ambitious journey set in the world of science and research, with the plot’s development revealing twists in their scientific goals, key character back stories / vulnerabilities, and ultimately a love story.

Overall plot pace I found a little slow. The scientific terminology / story line within the book is very detailed and requires focus from the reader. The story is thought provoking, dark and sad in its conclusion.

Thanks to Net Galley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NotesonInfinity #NetGalley

I enjoyed the characters more than I enjoyed the story on this, I felt like they were really well created and you felt like you knew them (or didn't in Jack's case). It took me longer than I'd hoped to read this book as it didn't have that "I need to keep reading constantly" affect on me. But I did enjoy it overall! I didn't feel like it was realistic that Zoe would just not go into the lab at all when she loved science, but I also don't know anything about science start-ups so I could be completely off the mark here!

Thank you to Austin Taylor, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House | Michael Joseph, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this! A contemporary romance / literary fiction / almost thriller vibe. I enjoyed the science because I have a molbio background but could see that it’s probably too academic jargon heavy for the usual reader. I would assume they might not care about in the same way I didn’t really care about the Harvard location, but someone who’s attended the uni might really appreciate it.

The beginning was a little slow but it really picked up around 30% in. Loved the POV switch so you can see each main character’s justification for their actions. The romance felt real too.

The book definitely reflects similar situations in real life, eg Elizabeth Holmes. Would recommend!

It took me a while to get into this but persevere because 50 pages in I was enjoying it. The main characters are interesting although the science aspects may put people off as some of it requires a bit of googling to follow! I'm interested in seeing what else the author does as I don't think this book always follows through on its promise but there's enough here to keep me interested in what's next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity because this ARC was fantastic.

The author works their magic perfectly, I was absolutely hooked. The story of two incredible scientists, fame, money, limelight and everything that brings with it.

I won't give any spoilers, this is fast paced storytelling and if you commit to reading it, I don't think you'll be disappointed. I was hooked.

'Notes on Infinity' is a slow-paced, modern science fiction novel, steeped in academia, scientific research and start-up culture. Overall, I found its scope to be rather extraordinary.

The characters of Zoe and Jack were both appealing and repellent in their awkwardness, gall and genius. I would have liked more of Jack's back story earlier on, but when it was finally presented, it was detailed and compelling.

This will probably be touted as a mix between Lessons in Chemistry and Tomorrow, Tomorrow Tomorrow but I think it's more than that. Its about two science students who meet and believe they will create something amazing. Honestly go into this blind as it were as it will shock and surprise and make itself memorable. Enjoy!