My husband pokes fun at me for being a stereotypical girl and liking books and movies about “feelings and relationships”. And we’ll he isn’t wrong, though I don’t think that’s ALL I like, like he seems to think. But in the case of The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shipen it’s totally true, quite literally.

Caleb Michaels used to be the straight arrow guy. He didn’t get into fights and his grades were good. His family life average. He was just-normal. But that changes when he punches a fellow student, a bully, in the face at school. His family puts him in therapy and that’s when his life changes.

Dr. Bright says he’s an Atypical. He’s an Empath. He FEELS what the people around him feel, literally. And he has to learn to control it so things like the incident at school doesn’t happen again. But he really doesn’t know how.

Adam Hayes is smart, valedictorian smart. The son of two brilliant neurologists who absolutely do not understand him. He’s good at science but loves literature. He loves music. He is also severely clinically depressed. The bullies don’t help with that.

Caleb feels Adams emotions differently than anyone else’s. When Adam is around, Caleb can only feel Adam and not the mass of student body around him. This brings the Adam into Caleb’s orbit which thrills Adam because he has had crush on Caleb for a long time. But then friendship seems to be more than that and Caleb seems to feel the same, or does he? His gift makes it hard to tell sometimes.

The Infinite Noise is a book based off of a series of podcasts called The Bright Sessions featuring a cast of patients of Dr. Bright. And now I HAVE to go listen to those because the book was amazing. And clearly this won’t be the last book because there are other characters to develop and have stories of those pen and Caleb and Adam’s story is clearly not quite finished either. I’ll be looking forward to more from Lauren Shippen.

Booklings, if you are looking for a good book full of feels and relationships (and is LGBTQ friendly btw) look no further. The Infinite Noise is perfect for you. I adored it!

I give The Infinite Noise a 5 out of 5 stars!
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read The Infinite Noise for a fair and honest review!

I knew I was in trouble with this book when I began highlighting all the passages with obvious typos or that didn’t make sense. I realise we’re reading an uncorrected proof but it’s very distracting. I will usually try to plough on through such a novel and read nevertheless, I was even contemplating listening to the podcast, but found the book to be very slow-moving and, dare I say, boring. Eventually I gave up half way through which is disappointing as I was very much looking forward to this one.

When I started reading The Infinite Noise I was excited because the synopsis sounded unique and I love a good YA LGBT Contemporary. 50% in I was highly invested and on board with the progress relationship wise between our main characters. 75% the book started to lose me a bit. I understand that it's a fantasy "xmen type" story but the first half of the book didn't feel very fantasy focused and then all of sudden the story was rapidly building up the angle. The end - there was so much potential for sh*t to get crazy but it never happened. In just a few chapters the excitement and intensity fizzled out and then 'whelp everything is okay for now let's agree to be different.'

Obviously from the above paragraph you can tell I'm not sold on the plot line but I did enjoy our main characters, Caleb and Adam. One struggling to cope with everyone else's feelings on top of his own and one is drowning in depression. When things were good they were great, and they gave me all the mushy young romance feels I wanted. Sadly most of the time between them was spent keeping feelings and secrets hidden and sort of walking on egg shells with each other. The book highlights a lot of intense subjectssuch as depression and suicide, alongside sexual orientation and high school bullying. I think I wasn't prepared for how heavy it was going to be.

I've noticed when I feel strongly about a book whether in a positive way or a negative way my reviews don't really have any structure. This might not be a new favorite for my shelf but either way I am glad I read it. I look forward to any book that brings out strong reactions when so many of the books I read lately seems to be the same.

I need to preface this review by stating that I was unaware that this was based off of a podcast (The Bright Sessions) before starting this book. I have not listened to any episodes and probably never will.

This book had me all up in my feels...which may have been the purpose since this story revolves around an Empath and lots and lots of emotions. Since I had no knowledge of this book being based off of a podcast, I enjoyed the relationship building of the story. I'm not saying that people who have listened to the podcast won't enjoy it but I was unaware of the supernatural elements of the story until much later into the story. This allowed me the opportunity to get to know and love the characters before diving into what I'm assuming the podcast is about (supernatural elements). *Correct me if I'm wrong*

*Possible spoilers below*

I have to give so much praise to Lauren Shippen for the way Adam and Caleb were portrayed. Often, it seems that women who write gay characters into their stories make them over-the-top or stereotypical. That was not the case here. Adam and Caleb were people. They were not defined by being gay and there was so much depth to them. These characters also didn't "come out." Adam's parents already knew and when Caleb realized he was interested in Adam as more than a friend it was just like, "Okay...I like him." There wasn't any dramatic dialogue about masculinity and blah blah blah...it was perfect!

There was one time near the beginning when Caleb is talking to his mom about not showering at school he mentions that guys think about "stuff" in the shower and didn't want to be around that. I thought to myself, "Wait...do guys think about that sort of....stuff in the shower??" Maybe....but why mention it?? Then I realized later on that, sure, not all guys think like that in the shower but if there are some, Caleb can feel those emotions and would definitely want to avoid any *ahem* issues.

*Definite Spoilers Below*

The only issue that I had (and I wouldn't even define it as an issue) was that it was glaringly obvious of the "twist" that was going to play out near the end. Adams parents were soo secretive about what they do for a living that when it was first mentioned that there are people looking for Atypicals, I knew it was going to be them. I wish it was written in a way that made it more surprising.

Overall, I enjoyed the connection between Adam and Caleb more than anything and definitely would read more about them. The supernatural elements were a nice added touch but I found myself more interested in the relationships than anything else.

The Infinite Noise follows the story of Caleb Michaels, who had a pretty normal life as a high school footballer, until one day he discovered himself to be an empath, an Atypical who can sense people’s feelings, and suddenly, life was not so normal anymore. Enter Adam Hayes, the bright yet quiet classmate of Caleb, who’s feeling was too big and deep, making Caleb overwhelmed as he found himself helplessly drowning in it. This is a story of self-discovery, a coming-of-age love journey, and maybe, one or two sessions of superhero-only therapy.

I discovered the glorious universe of The Bright Sessions last month, right after reading the synopsis of Shippen’s debut. Looking at all of the exciting commentaries about this upcoming release, which was coming from fans of the original podcasts of course, I started listening to the first episode right that second. I’m glad to tell you that surprisingly, although it was my very first storytelling podcast, I truly had a great time. My initial intention was to listen to the whole podcast before I jump into this book, but unfortunately, I couldn’t do it in time. So, I ended up in the middle of season three when I started reading this book and here how it goes…

Obviously, after listening to the podcast and memorizing the voice of the characters to heart now, reading them on paper was so much easier and exciting. The book was following the exact plotline of the podcast, but don’t let this intimidate you because you totally don’t have to listen to the podcast to enjoy this story! However, I’d say listening to the podcast will help you to dissolve quicker in these characters’ inner monologues and struggles.

Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the podcast, I couldn’t get the same feeling from this book. Don’t get me wrong, Caleb and Adam were my favorite characters in the podcast and it was exciting to be able to read more of their thoughts in this story, something that does not exist in the podcast.

During the first encounters of both of their point-of-views, it was thrilling. For Caleb, I enjoyed how he grows into his superpower. His narrative was fun to read, especially the way he used visualization to make more sense of how his power works. Meanwhile, for Adam, I’m grateful to see more of his personality through the reflection of his struggles and thoughts. But after the endless back and forth POV’s changes between these two, they started to sound almost similar and even the pace started to feel dragging, especially from the middle towards the end. It was understandable that since both of them are still teenagers and they were having difficulties to communicate with each other, they will need some time to figure things out. Yet, I personally found that it took too long for them to resolve their issues and the sole reason for their conflict was because Caleb keeps shutting his mouth in the middle of a sentence to keep his secret and Adam keep asking stubborn oblivious series of questions that stressing out Caleb.

And remember when I said that the pace started to drag? It was especially because from the beginning until around 80% of the story, it only focused on three main characters (aside from family members and other classmates), and suddenly, it delivers other ‘important’ characters out of nowhere, that also brings other crucial plots along with their appearance. Which of course, will not be a big problem if you’re listening to the podcast already, but even as the podcast listener, I found this addition as too rushed and sudden. It was as if Shippen didn’t consider that there are readers who’re not aware of the podcast and just delivered chunk on important information without a proper warm-up.

Although it was an enjoyable ride, The Infinite Noise was a high-anticipated debut that doesn’t really meet its expectations. Aside from its extraordinary superhero concept and detailed worldbuilding, the character development and their genuine relationship captivated me to keep reading this story until the very last page.

The Infinite Noise is a book based off of The Bright Sessions podcast. This tells the story of Caleb, who discovers that he is an empath. Caleb's empathy goes deeper than the normal definition of the world. He is like a sponge to the emotions around him, which muddles his thoughts. Through his eyes, you see the very real physical and mental toll this empathy takes on him as he tries to navigate his Junior year of high school.

Caleb begins to see a therapist, Dr. Bright. She treats patients with special abilities like his. He learned of the title - atypicals. This is the start of a nearly year long journey as the story progresses through the book. During Caleb's journey, you begin to see Adam's side of their high school life. Adam is someone that is a bit of a mystery to Caleb, due to how Adam's emotions feel and how they make Caleb feel.

The two boys grow close. It's wonderfully awkward at first in every way highschool can be - even down to hiding in the library or behind the gym for a shred of peace from the chaos of the cafeteria or the hallways.

Adam has his own secrets. These put stress on things, as does Caleb's own problems. The boys have to learn to navigate their own minds and lives, as well as each others, and the overlap.

All and all, I loved this book. It was a wonderful paced story. The view points switch between Adam and Caleb, so you get to see the world through their eyes. You see their misunderstandings, their worry, and most of all, their hope.

Lauren Shippen did amazing things in this book. I want to know the other stories. I plan to search up the podcast to give it a listen. I'm curious to see where the next book goes, and to see if we keep up with Caleb and Adam just a little as we learn about another one of Dr. Bright's patients.

So I LOVE The Bright Sessions podcast. I was thrilled when I heard there was going to be a book about Adam and Caleb. So this is a biased review as a true fan! I loved this book so much. It was so good and I loved the alternating points of view. I am curious to know how different the reading experience would have been without having the knowledge from the podcast. I love Lauren Shippen’s writing and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I'm between 3.5 and 4 stars, so I'll round up.

Sixteen-year-old Caleb Michaels is handsome, popular, and athletic, running back on his high school football team. But lately he's been struggling emotionally and he can't figure out why. It's almost as if he is drowning in so many emotions all at once and he doesn't know where they're coming from, but he's finding it harder and harder to take.

When an encounter with a classmate turns violent and he doesn't even remember the situation escalating, Caleb begins counseling. Through therapy he discovers there's a reason for his mood swings—Caleb is an Atypical, a person with enhanced abilities, and his ability is extreme empathy, meaning he feels the emotions of everyone else around him. While that is a difficult enough challenge for anyone, being an empath in high school is harder than anything, because what more is high school than a hotbed of emotions?

As he tries to navigate through the challenges posed by this newly discovered ability, Caleb keeps noticing that he's being consumed more and more by the emotions of one classmate in particular, Adam. Adam is smart, sensitive, a loner, who tries to keep to himself to avoid being bullied, yet he doesn't quite understand that doing so keeps him isolated from those who might be his friend. Even though Adam thinks Caleb would never want to be his friend, he does recognize elements of a kindred spirit that he hopes could someday blossom into something special.

In an effort to understand why Adam's emotions in particular affect him so, Caleb's therapist encourages him to become Adam's friend. This opens up both boys to more vulnerability than they're prepared for, and they realize that they have more in common than they could imagine. But at the same time, it also illustrates to Caleb that there's a danger in feeling too much, especially when you're in high school, where to survive, emotions need to be hidden more than anything else.

Lauren Shippen's debut novel, The Infinite Noise, is based on her popular podcast series, "The Bright Sessions." I'd never heard of that before but apparently Caleb and Adam's characters appear in that, although I didn't feel like I was missing anything when I read this. I loved the concept behind this book very much and found it tremendously creative.

I've said a number of times that I tend to be drawn to books that make me feel, so certainly a book about an empath would fit the bill! There was so much I enjoyed about the book, and I thought Shippen captured the emotional quagmire that is high school so perfectly. Her characters weren't too erudite or witty to be believed and their relationships felt natural.

The one challenge in reading a book in which so much emotion is expressed is that at times the pacing dragged a bit, because you tended to see the same things happen again and again. There were only so many times I wanted to see bullying and the characters being cruel and Caleb struggling with how to react. But other than that, and despite the somewhat-fantastical nature of this book, much of it felt truly genuine, particularly the interactions between Caleb and Adam.

NetGalley and Tor Teen gave me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

This book will publish September 24, 2019.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

Superheroes go to therapy?! Yes, please. This book is based/inspired on a podcast that I haven't heard before but I enjoyed the book. I think it was fun and good but I felt that it was missing something. I can see that is focused on Caleb and Adam and how Caleb discovers his powers, but I wanted less romance, just because I don't really go for romance when looking for a book to read. Even though I think it would have been better for me without the amount of romance it has I think is a really good fantasy/science book to read for those, like me who are afraid of epic fantasy or hard sci-fi books. A really good book would recommend reading.

Caleb has just been told he is atypical, and an empath. He can feel everyone's feelings around him, which can be strange as best and overwhelming at worst. Adam's feelings are not only tolerable, but help Caleb smooth out the noise that is constant in his head. The slow building romance between Caleb and Adam is adorable characters, and the story is intriguing and moves along well.

I'm between 2.5 and 3 stars on this book ... and I was an avid listener of the podcast (before it decided to go behind the Luminary paywall, ugh).

My favorite parts of the podcast were the therapy sessions - like "In Treatment" for the superpower-weilding folk. The podcast itself goes crazy into an Xmen fight-against-the-machine type drama, which is fine but not why I was drawn to the podcast.

So. The book. I knew I liked the start of the podcast, and I knew I really loved this romance, so I figured (hoped) the book wouldn't get into the Big Bad stuff quite as intensely. And with the fizzle ending, we can see the crazy stuff is to come. The first part of the book was good - nice YA romance with new elements of the atypical stuff. But as some other reviewers have said, this book is just the podcast in book form, which is boring for fans of the podcast, and I assume the largest group of readers for the book ...

So it's a bit like reading a typescript of the podcast. And at the 3/4 mark, Caleb and Adam's voices become indistinguishable from one another, making readers wonder what the point of different POVs is if they're the same.

Lauren Shippen is obviously creative and talented, so I don't feel unfair asking her for more. I'll look forward to seeing what else she writes. And since I can't listen to her newest podcast about the AM since it's behind a paywall, maybe her next book will be completely new to me!

In The Infinite Noise, there are two young men who are discovering themselves, and each other. Adam is a regular nerd type, who is bullied in school because he's smart, and because he's different. Then there's Caleb. He's a jock, but he's also bullied. And he's got a bit of a super power. Caleb is able to sense and even control the feelings of people around him. He's like the Mantis of this story. Caleb and Adam develop a friendship (and maybe more), while trying to figure out what they feel about each other, and how to feel about Caleb's ability.

I got through this book pretty quickly. It's an easy read, and even though it's easy, it's still dramatic enough to keep you on your toes. If you've ever felt like an outcast, or maybe you just didn't fit in, then this book might just be for you.

4.5 Stars

Lauren Shippen’s debut novel, The Infinite Noise, was born as a podcast called The Bright Sessions. Shippen was inspired to create it as a means of personal expression, looking through a fictionalized lens at her own anxiety, which she discusses in this article in Psychology Today, and asking, “What if?”. What sprung from that not-so-simple question was a SciFi look at mental health and therapy, and that What if? flourished into an ensemble cast of characters who form a secret society of Atypicals—people with SuperExtra powers that prompt them to seek help and advice for ways to cope with those abilities. Dr. Bright is that therapist, and this novelization of the podcast series is a look at the life of one teenage empath, Caleb Michaels, and Adam Hayes, the boy who makes Caleb’s powers a bit more bearable.

Because being in high school when you can feel everyone’s feelings is a complete nightmare.
If you can imagine being able to feel the emotions of every single person around you—the fear, the anxiety, the depression, the sparks of joy along with the flashes of anger, the love, the hate, the apathy and every other feeling in the lexicon of the human experience—and then multiply that by the infinite noise of a high school full of teenagers, never being entirely sure which emotions are your own and which are being projected onto you, you’ll get a clear picture of what Caleb faces every day. The accumulation of emotions becomes debilitating at times, affecting his ability to focus in class, and when, one day, everything boils over and a bully’s and Caleb’s own anger combine, Caleb combusts. He reacts physically, which is completely out of character for him. He lays Tyler out in the hallway at school, and that’s when Caleb is sent to Dr. Bright for counselling.

While Dr. Bright is, of course, a significant cog in the machine of this story, she is not the story’s protagonist. She serves a specific role, and her characterization doesn’t go much deeper than that of sounding board for Caleb’s, and her other patients’, own joys, fears, frustrations, and anger. The lead roles in the story are served by both Caleb and Adam, in alternating points of view, and the story is not only about Caleb’s extra sensory ability but also acts as a candid and compassionate look at depression. Caleb learns to put various colors to certain emotions, but Adam’s color is special to Caleb. Adam’s color combines with Caleb’s in a way that means Adam is an unwitting complement to Caleb’s power, which is why Adam—who mostly tries to fly under the radar, hiding out in a quiet corner of the library when not at home or in class, but manages to draw unwanted attention anyway—is baffled when the star running back of the football team begins to seek out his company. Adam is Caleb’s calm in the storm of emotions that batter him from all sides, all day, every day. Except for those occasions when Adam’s depression makes Caleb feel like he’s drowning right along with the boy he’s slowly falling for.

What happens next is…weird. The light of joy doesn’t go out, but it kind of stutters and bursts. He’s still happy, but there’s an added layer of fluttering anxiety that begins to cut through. The pulse of his nerves is out of sync with my heart, which right now feels like it’s going to spring from my chest. The battling rhythms making my skin tingle and my forehead break out in a sweat. All of a sudden, I’m a boy made of nerve endings alone.
There comes a moment, after Caleb gives thorough examination to the ways Adam makes him feel, or, rather, helps him not to feel so much, that the epiphanous moment arrives when he realizes that he wants nothing more than to kiss Adam silly, and Shippen captures all the emotions of that moment so beautifully. The exhilaration isn’t the only thing that resonates through the story, though. The sweetness of watching Adam and Caleb falling in love is tempered by the times that Adam is “too depressed to function” and the ways in which he battles with the truth of that and wears the masks, the “I’m fines” and the “It’s nothings”, that constitutes the desire to hide that part of himself (and more) from Caleb, because this is the way “normal” people function.

Every part of this story is handled with honesty and sincerity. It’s not a story about superheroes and supervillains, though there is a mysterious organization that hovers in the background and leaves more questions than answers at its mention, as do Adam’s parents. The Atypicals don’t go out and battle dark forces of evil to save their town from destruction. Rather, The Infinite Noise is a metaphor, a really beautiful one, about acknowledging that everyone is fighting their own battles, and that sometimes we all need help to get through them. It is the story of two boys who learn to trust in themselves and in each other, and that the road isn’t always easily travelled. Caleb discovering he isn’t alone is something everyone can relate to, and Adam discovering that he is strong, even in his most vulnerable moments, resonates.

Music plays a role in Caleb and Adam’s relationship as well, and while not as integral to the story as in some YA fiction I’ve read recently, it instills a soundtrack to connect the reader to the characters and their story. Caleb and Adam finally accepting that through all the missteps and miscommunications that they are happier together than apart, was the perfect ending to this first book in the Bright Sessions series.

Reviewed By: Lisa

The Infinite Noise is one of those novels that gently catches your attention and imagination until you turn the final page and realise its over before you even really thought it had begun.

Its not perfect but its nuance and beautifully written pages cause the reader to lose themselves in the lives of its characters.

Adam and Caleb are dichotymous in their personal and public lives but somehow fit together like a beautifully abstract puzzle.

I found myself thoroughly emotionally invested in the characters plights so that every slight made by one or the other caused outrage while when things went well, I felt that everything was right with the world.

Basically this novel is just wholesome and squish while having the added bonus of superpowers thrown in. Its a journey of self discovery for both main characters, each exploring their circumstance in a way that keeps the reader coming back for more.

Definitely worth a read and i look forward to reading future instalments

Disclaimer: I was given an advance reading copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates and Tor Teen for the opportunity.

Unique, enticing with a dash of WOW-factor!

When I requested this book, I was so intrigued by the fact that this was based on the wildly popular and award-winning podcast "The Bright Sessions". It's so awesome to learn that the story was inspired by recordings of teenagers with supernatural abilities. I guess I have to binge that podcast!

The book deals with current sensitive issues. It amazes me when authors talk about these things, especially when everyone's scared of how personal and sensitive these topics are. It deals with teenage mental health, friendship and the sense of belongingness.

I hope this book moves you as much as it moved me. Be sure to pick this up when it hits the shelves!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novel!

Title: The Infinite Noise
Author: Lauren Shippen
Rating: 3.5 stars
Rep: M/M, MC with depression
Trigger warnings: ableist language, bullying, sexist language, past self-harm (cutting), thoughts of self-harming, depressive thoughts and feelings.


First things first, I have not listened to the podcast this book is based on. I am definitely intrigued though, so I will probably give the podcast a go at some point!

The premise of this novel sounded like something I would absolutely love! And while there were parts of it I really enjoyed, I have a lot of mixed feelings.


Things I liked:
-Dual POV, I love it when books have multiple perspectives and I think it worked really well to have both Caleb and Adam's thoughts here.
-The writing style was nice, easy to follow and gripping.
-A very fast-paced plot, I read this in one sitting!
-Apart from maybe 1 or 2 instances (all challenged), there was absolutely zero homophobia of any kind, which I was very happy about. It was such a refreshing change as opposed to a lot of the other LGBTQ+ books I read, so I always love it when homophobia isn't a running theme in a book I'm reading.



Things I didn't really like:

-Adam and Caleb's relationship just didn't work for me.

Too much unnecessary drama and miscommunication, the latter being a trope I can't stand. Also, Caleb admits to not being at all interested in Adam until starting to get so caught up in his feelings and I know Caleb sorts through his own to check what he is feeling is genuinely his, but it just felt a little messy to me personally. Everything felt like it was riding on Caleb's empath gift, it didn't feel real to me. I really liked Caleb and Adam as individual characters, but I'm not sure I liked them as a couple.


-The supernatural element/magical world building was lacking.

This book almost felt like a contemporary, with maybe a splash of the supernatural. I didn't understand the mechanics of this world, I wanted to know more about the "Atypicals" I wanted to know more about how, what, why, when.

All the characters also seemed so blase about Caleb's abilities, where did Dr Bright come from? How did they know to send Caleb to THAT therapist, how did she know about Caleb? Why jump to the conclusion that he is an empath on their very first session? Was it all just one big coincidence? It was all very...convenient.

Don't get me wrong, I really like that Caleb could feel emotions, but the backstory of WHY wasn't explored enough and I was confused about a lot of things that never ended up being explained.


-The pacing

The first half was really well-paced, but around the 70% mark, it went out the window. We are all of a sudden introduced to more Atypicals and the book got more "supernatural" focused, but really, it was just a little too late in the day for that and in the end, it all felt really rushed and ultimately confusing.


Overall, I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this book and I would recommend to anyone who likes diverse characters, interesting storylines and for fans of the podcast!

OMG FEELINGS!

I have never heard of The Bright Sessions podcast, so I came to The Infinite Noise via a different path and with a different context. The book kept popping up on friend’s timelines and because I love to see books with diverse representation and often quite enjoy a little teenage angst with my morning cup of tea, I requested a review copy. Oof!

So, one of the aspects of young adult fiction I simultaneously expect, kinda like and kinda don’t like, is the depth of young people’s emotions. I remember sixteen. I remember everything feeling so big, I often thought I would split open from the pressure of it all. My emotions were huge and often overwhelming. You know that question—if you could do it all again, would you? My answer has always been a resounding no. I’d never want to be sixteen again, even if I knew everything I know now.

When I read young adult fiction, I sometimes enjoy the reminiscence of it all. Other times, I want to smack all the young people and tell them to calm down. I didn’t really want to smack either Caleb or Adam, but I did get a little bit tired of reading about their emotional state.

This is a little unfair to the book because it’s all about the emotions. For those who haven’t heard of The Bright Sessions, the premise is simple: there are normal folk and atypicals and the atypicals are basically the X-Men of this universe. They’re different. They’re special. They have... well, they sort of have powers? Instead of being rounded up by a bald mind-reader, though, they’re in therapy. All patients of Dr. Bright. The Infinite Noise details the sessions of Caleb Michaels—football player and empath.

At the beginning of the book, Caleb is losing control of his emotions, anger in particular, and is suspended for striking another student. He is placed in therapy as a result and meets Dr. Bright, who is intensely interested in his intense emotions—where they come from and how he is dealing with them. Turns out, they’re not all his own. Caleb feels the emotions of others and problems arise when he can’t sort their feelings from his, and further, when he acts on them. Dr. Bright teaches him some meditative techniques, and after hearing there is one student in particular whose feelings help calm Caleb down, suggests Caleb makes a new friend.

Enter Adam Hayes—a shy and depressed introvert who feels things in a huge way all the time. Thankfully, everything he feels is all his own. Not so thankfully, a lot of it is that well of inertia and apathy that swallows even the brightest among us on a near daily basis.

The bulk of the story revolves around the relationship between Caleb and Adam, from friends to boyfriends, the break-up, and the just as inevitable reunion. It’s... sweet. No, really, it is. I’m a sucker for a cute love story and this is just that. The interest factor is covered by the fact Caleb isn’t sure what he’s feeling is what he is feeling, or a reflection of what Adam is feeling. Bonus points for little to no angst surrounding the matter of same-sex attraction.

The problem for me is that this part of the story goes on and on and on... and on. There are chapters and chapters of Caleb exploring his feelings, exploring Adam’s feelings, exploring his sister’s feelings, his mom’s, his dad’s, his fellow students’, his almost girlfriend’s, etc. Adam gets in on it, too. Even though he’s not an empath, Adam is also interested in what everyone’s feeling. And everyone is feeling a lot. All the time.

What I would have liked to have seen more of was the ‘x’ factor. The powers! I wanted to read this book not only for the cute teenage romance angle, but because I thought I was going to get kids with powers and I really didn’t. There are a couple of scenes where some of the other ‘patients’ of Dr. Bright show off what they can do, and there is a vague threat running throughout the book regarding a society that is on the lookout for atypicals. But neither of these plot threads amounts to much, leaving this story firmly in the realm of romance—and the romance is just a little bit too easy. Some of the important scenes and conversations (particularly near the end) are skipped. By the end, Caleb has grown and changed. He’s learned how to control is anger, mostly. But he’s still rescuing Adam. Adam hasn’t really changed. I’m not sure if that assessment is unfair to him, but I’d have liked to have seen growth rather than what I took to be acceptance. Perhaps both?

I think more could have been done with the Atypical Monitors subplot, especially as these characters are almost directly involved. I’d have liked to have seen Caleb move from being able to control his ‘super power’ to being actively able to use it. There are suggestions, but no real consequences.

In other words, I simply wanted more.

The Infinite Noise is a sweet love story that does have a clever premise when it comes to the presentation and processing of teenage emotions. But it could have been more than that and based on the cover copy, I think some readers will be disappointed not to get what they hoped for. That being said, I believe a lot of readers will take the book for what it is, especially fans of the podcast, and there is a lot of potential for further development in this world. For other stories where the greater plot is expanded upon and where Caleb’s talents are revisited as he grows not only used to his power, but into it.

*This ARC was requested and offered to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Infinite Noise follows our two main characters Caleb Micheals and Adam Hayes.
Caleb starts having issues at school, so his parents send him to therapy where he meets Dr. Bright. She’s a special type of therapist who helps people like him and tells Caleb that he’s an ‘empath’ a kind of ‘Atypical’ who reacts strongly and can feel other people’s emotions, physically.
Then there’s Adam, he’s shy, intelligent and has had a crush on Caleb for years. But, a guy like Caleb, who’s on the high school football team wouldn’t ever notice a guy like him, right?
Until, he does...

A delightful debut from the author of the Bright Sessions podcasts, this YA version of Disney Pixar’s Inside Out Is sure to be a hit!
As someone who struggles with depression and often feels very empathic to others...this was the perfect read. The author’s depictions of feelings is profound and unique.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series when it comes out in 2020!
Thanks again NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this wonderfully written story!

Boy romance! Superpowers! Mental health rep!

The Infinite Noise is based off Shippen's podcast The Bright Sessions - a fictional audio drama that follows a therapist who works with teenagers who discover and live with various superpowers, known as Atypicals.

Our MC is Caleb, who is an Atypical with the ability to experience other people's feelings. Which, understandably, is a blessing and a curse. So what happens when he crosses path with Adam, a teen who struggles with Major Depressive Disorder?

Above all, the mental health representation in this book is absolutely fantastic. I am an own-voices reviewer for this book, as I also have a diagnosis for Major Depressive Disorder. And I have never felt so validated and heard and understand as I did when reading this book. The story centers around how such a disorder can impact on one's relationships with other people, as well as the way therapy can interplay with people throughout there struggles, as well as everyday life.

The romance is absolutely precious and I promise you won't be disappointed. This is something else that truly touched me in this story. The tenderness of learning how to be in a relationship when one person struggles with their mental health was so well portrayed. It's not all nice and easy, but if you get it right it is irreplaceable.

There was not a huge amount of world-building regarding the super-powers aspect of the story. I am really hoping that Shippen continues with more Bright Sessions books to follow on from this, because the way she fleshes the world out in the podcast is really great. But overall, this is meant to be a character-driven story.

I think this is honestly one of my favourite books of 2019. This is one of those books that I honestly just want to force everyone to read because the feelings it will make you feel are some of the best and worst you will get from a book.

5/5 stars!
Wow! Okay, I super enjoyed this book. This is a quick read about Caleb and Adam who become friends and eventually more.
Caleb was just the sweetest most wholesome thing and I really enjoyed his perspective in this book. He’s dealing with a lot as he’s just learned he’s an atypical. A human with special abilities. He can read the emotions of others and he’s really struggling with it. It was so interesting to hear Caleb describe the emotions he was feeling from others and the way he categorized them as colors was really cool!
Adam was more intense but very relatable. I thought the talk about his depression and the way he experienced it was very important and well done. In that vein I wanted to mention that I really appreciated that once Caleb and Adam got together it didn’t magically solve his depression. Some days it was better and sometimes being around Caleb helped but he wasn’t cured by finding a boyfriend.
Overall this was a super sweet read that also had unexpected depth that I really really loved. I would totally recommend picking up this book ASAP.