This story follows the lives of Caleb Michaels, a high school football player, and Adam, a smart student who struggles with depression. Caleb has unique abilities that makes going to high school a nightmare. He can feel what others are feeling around him. It isn't until he connects with Adam that he finds a calm in the emotional storm. Overall this is a great read giving a window in to the complicated emotions of teenagers.

Teenage football player Caleb has trouble controlling his feelings but, to be fair, he’s not only contending with his own stuff but, as an empath, he’s also dealing with everyone else’s swirling emotions too. Somehow, though, the rush of emotion calms a little when he’s around fellow student Adam.

For Caleb, being an empath isn’t just being super perceptive, it’s a power that classifies him as an Atypical, a person with a weird brain thing that makes him an object of interest to certain organizations. But first and foremost, he’s a teenager, which is rough enough without having to deal with all this new information.

Adam’s got his own stuff going on; he’s got depression, which is, again, something he’s got to add to the “normal” problems that come with just being a teenager. The way Shippen describes being sunk into depression really resonated with me; she uses some great analogies and acknowledges that it comes out of nowhere and doesn’t have a simple cure.

The book charts the start of Caleb and Adam’s friendship-and-more, and it’s really interesting to watch it unfold as they both try to hold back these really, really big things about themselves. I found that very true, because who wants to unload all their baggage when you’re just getting to know someone?

Based on the podcast The Bright Sessions, we follow the story with a dual narrative that flips between Caleb’s and Adam’s points of view. I liked seeing both of the character’s grow into their relationship, even as they were growing more introspective. I mean, adolescence is a time when you’re figuring a lot of stuff out, and Shippen doesn’t just gloss over the tough things.

There’s a very ... comforting? level of acceptance in this book. At first I was critical—why aren’t either of the characters experiencing more resistance or conflict—but honestly, it’s just nice to read something that shows people being decent to each other. Caleb and Adam have enough going on without adding a bunch of judgment-induced angst.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a fast read, engaging, and it makes me want to learn more about this world.

*4.5 Stars

"Adam's emotions clear out everything; they quiet the infinite noise of the world and let me find the yellow parts of me that hurt".


As a big fan of the podcast "The Bright Sessions" I was very excited to read "The Infinite Noise", and without a doubt it fulfilled all my expectations and even exceeded them.

The story is based on the existence of people with extraordinary powers called "Atypicals", and Caleb Michaels, our protagonist, is one of them. He is an empath and can feel the emotions of the people around him, which makes it a little difficult to control his own emotions and distinguish them from others.

Throughout the book we see how after fighting with a classmate from his school, he attends therapy with Dr. Bright and begins to understand what this skill consists of, at the same time as he begins to control this power in adolescence. At the same time, the plot develops its relationship with Adam Hayes, a boy of his class who has depression and whose emotions seem to calm Caleb in some way.

The Infinite Noise is a book that I enjoyed and loved in every way. I already knew the story because I listened to the podcast, but I think the author did a magnificent job of developing the story of Caleb and Adam in this novel, since the podcast focuses mostly on Dr. Bright's perspective. For the same reason, it was amazing to read the points of view of these two teenagers and their thoughts. Both have one of the most beautiful relationships I've read and I especially adore it because it feels very real and in no case rushed.

I must emphasize that this book touches on very relevant issues such as depression and self-harm, but I think the author develops these issues very well and carefully.

I really recommend this book, I love the universe of The Bright Sessions and I hope that "The Infinite Noise" has a sequel, because it only introduced the different powers and characters that we know in the podcast.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ebook to review!
All opinions expressed are my own.

Review was also posted on Goodreads.

(Review will go live on TheFantasyInn.com closer to the release date, per publisher instructions on Netgalley)

For those of you not familiar with The Bright Sessions, it’s one of the most highly regarded audio dramas in recent years and centers around the therapy sessions for people struggling to adapt to their superpowers. Lauren Shippen never fails to put the human in superhuman, writing beautifully complex and realistic characters just trying to connect with the people around them.

As a huge fan of the podcast, I was beyond thrilled to hear that the series was being adapted into a trilogy of books. Imagine if Robin Hobb, Maggie Stiefvater, or Becky Chambers announced their works were being adapted for film, and you have an idea of how exciting this is for fans of The Bright Sessions (and also an idea of Shippen’s writing style).

Anyway, enough rambling.

Caleb Michaels is a star on his high school football team and generally liked by his peers. His life would be pretty great if he didn’t have to feel the emotions of everyone around him. As an empath in a school of teenagers, Caleb’s life is far from typical and further from easy.

Dr. Bright—Caleb’s therapist and namesake for the original podcast—helps Caleb to explore his abilities and encourages him to befriend Adam, another student whose emotions seem to keep pulling Caleb in.

"I know him. All empath stuff aside, I know who Adam is. And that makes me feel more like a superhero than anything."

This is not a story you read for the plot. While the timeline overlaps with the first two seasons of The Bright Sessions and certain key events take place in each, the heart of this story is Caleb and Adam’s relationship. On paper, the two boys should have nothing in common. Adam’s a brilliant loner who loves Shakespeare and struggles with severe depression. Caleb’s a popular athlete with a loving family and an inconvenient superpower. None of these differences are easy to overcome. And, as the boys come to learn, some differences are best embraced.

I’m probably not the only reader who suffers from an unfair bias against the Young Adult label. Whenever I do manage to pick one up I’m often pleasantly surprised. This time I was blown away.

There are no “if only they talked to each other” moments that drag on for half a novel. Characters communicate, muck things up, then try again. There’s no love triangle, just human beings wanting to connect and being pretty damn mature about it for teenagers. If anything, the YA medium allowed Shippen to express her remarkable understanding of humanity more clearly than I’d have thought possible.

"He didn’t make things better, necessarily—he didn’t chase away the clouds when they loomed heavy and dark over me—but he did make it easier to ignore the impending storm. Caleb makes me feel clever. He makes me feel interesting."

I wish I’d had this book to read when I was in high school. It’s an encouraging reminder that people are rarely as straightforward as they seem from the outside, and an open invitation to look beyond the black and white stereotypes to which we can be tempted to reduce the world around us.

I received a free ARC of this book from Tor Teen in exchange for a fair and honest review. The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen releases September 24, 2019.

*I received and ARC from NetGalley for an honest review*
To start, I will say I have listened to the podcast, The Bright Sessions, that first introduce Caleb and Adam. I will also say that you do not (should not, really, if you haven't already listened) have to listen to read this book. The book follows a lot of the same plot, filling in by telling the first-person point of view, instead of merely recordings of Caleb's therapy sessions. You learn a lot more from the book (at least about Caleb and Adam and their relationship, not about the world Lauren Shippen has built) than from the podcast.

I really liked Caleb and Adam, although I already had a soft spot for them. I think Lauren Shippen does a good job laying out the characters, their motivations, their emotions. At times, it veers into cliche description, especially of emotion, but it is a book for teenagers, so I let it go.

My biggest complaint is that it spent a lot of time building everything up, just to let it drop. I know this is the first book in the series, but I am not sure if the other books follow Caleb and Adam or not. I guess we'll wait and see. There was so much introduced that it feels like the story must be continued. For example, Damien, Chloe, Frank, the AM, Adam's parents.... it all felt a little disconnected without the bigger story from the Bright Sessions. Perhaps this isn't true and I am projecting since I KNOW the story, but oh well.

I would recommend this book if you like science fiction, teen romance, and gay stuff.

This was such a beautiful book about two soft boys with a lot messy feelings falling in love, but with a superpower twist. LOVE IT. Always here for queer people with superpowers. I wholly adore Adam and Caleb with all my heart.

The Infinite Noise is a book about Caleb and Adam. Caleb has been a huge blob of teen angst ever since he started feeling the emotions of those around him. After getting into a fight at school, he starts seeing a therapist, Dr. Bright. She tells him he's an Atypical. Someone with special abilities. She suggests trying to befriend the one person that seems to calm the chaos inside: Adam. Adam is very good at hiding how sad and lonely he really is, working hard to get good grades to keep his parents happy. But Caleb sees right through him and the two start a tentative friendship that soon grows into something a lot more.

These two boys are both so soft and they deserve warm blankets and hugs and cake. I just wanted to protect both of them, okay? I loved the supernatural twist to the story and how it explored empathy to a somewhat extreme degree. Caring about others, allowing their emotions in, is so overwhelming and I love how that was done in this book. But it also showed how two people can lift each other up, share the burden. And Adam and Caleb did that for each other and it was so sweet and beautiful.

I do think maybe it could have explored Adam's mental health more? Because there was so much left unsaid or just skipped over, it felt like. But what's there is still such good rep, so I can't really complain?? I just want more okay?

All in all, this is a beautiful book that totally stole my heart. It's soft, but with sharp edges that stab you in the feels occasionally. Rude.

Caleb is an abnormal; an empath that feels the emotions of everyone around him as though they were his own. Overwhelmed and struggling to get by in high school--a sea of overly-emotional teenagers--he finds some relief when he meets Adam. Adam's emotions are huge and nebulous, but, somehow, they seem to fit together seamlessly with Caleb's. Dr. Bright, Caleb's therapist (and therapist to other abnormals), encourages him to explore a friendship with Adam. But as they grow closer, they discover a connection that goes beyond friendship.

I had never heard of the author's podcast--The Bright Sessions--before reading The Infinite Noise, but I'm a sucker for stories about queer high schoolers (especially those with fantasy or sci-fi elements), so I was ecstatic to get a review copy of this book. Unfortunately, I found that the writing was a bit off in places. At times, the dialogue was a bit cliche, and at times, the story was a bit slow, and if I hadn't been predisposed to this particular genre, I'm not sure I would have finished it. I did end up enjoying the story, it just wasn't exceptional and unputdownable like Rainbow Rowell's Carry On or We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra (which was released earlier this year). I can see this story really appealing to a certain subset of teens, and it will be a definite purchase for my collection when it releases later this year.

I am obsessed with the Bright Sessions podcast: it is technically and linguistically perfect in every way. While I'm a much bigger fan of Sam and Chloe, the story wouldn't be the same without the two goofy gay teen boys who bring joy and angst into everyone's lives. I loved the glimpse into Caleb and Adam's lives that the podcast doesn't have the perspective to share. You need a more personal point of view to really understand Caleb's power and to realize how long it took Adam to fully appreciate Caleb's affections as truth. I can't wait for the book from Damien's POV because, I will admit, I'm a sucker for a good villain and god DAMN, if he isn't a good bad guy. I don't know if I'm super psyched for rose's book, but I'm sure the writing will be stellar.

3.5 stars

The Infinite Noise is based off a popular podcast about Atypical individuals in their therapy sessions. I never listened to the podcasts so I do wonder if I missed something in the translation.

Loves:
I love the concept. it is not: person finds out they have a 'superpower' and they don a costume and go about saving the world, rather they have a superpower and what does that really look like to the people who are dealing with it?
In this case, Caleb is an empath and he strongly feels all of the feelings of individuals around him. This would be horrible for an adult but Caleb is a teenager in a high school. The author does an impressive job of explaining how overwhelmed he feels.

The author does an amazing job with describing the emotions as colors and specific sensations. When she describes jealousy I might have screamed "That's it!" out loud.
The flirtation and development of the relationship between Caleb and Adam is wonderfully done. And they are just adorable.

Not so much love:
Based on the description of superheroes in therapy, well, I wanted more than what we got. There wasn't much with Dr. Bright- who is she, how does she do this, how did Caleb's parents pick her?
The story is predominately a budding romance story, which while engaging, wasn't really what I thought the main plot would be. It was 60 some odd chapters of this romance and short on the therapy, the shadow organization, and the other atypicals.
Some of the writing was a touch on the cringey, but then again so are teenagers.

I am sure the podcast was great, but I rather wish I would have gotten more of the background/meat on the Atypicals.

I hadn't even heard of the Bright Sessions podcast before reading this book, but now I'm definitely going to search it out. I really enjoyed The Infinite Noise - as a big fan of young adult high school drama it ticked a lot of boxes for me, and it was very readable. The characters of Caleb and Adam felt very realistic and I thoght the discussion of mental health was well done (though as someone with no mental health issues, I may be wrong). I liked the way Caleb described the feelings - it definitely felt like we were getting a more in depth look at characters from a different perspective. My one gripe was that I saw the twist coming a mile off, but as I liked the characters and the rest of the plot so much I'll forgive it! I assume this is the start of a series of books so I'm intrigued to see where it goes from here, and what other characters Lauren Shippen introduces.

Perhaps I'm biased because I absolutely adore the The Bright Sessions podcast, but this was a FANTASTIC adaptation. Adam and Caleb's story was one of my favorites, so it was so wonderful to see it a novel format. Shippen was able to successfully bring all of the finely nuanced dialogue, plot, setting, characterization and everything else to the page. Shippen definitely has a knack for this, so I hope this won't be the last we hear from her. Additionally, I can't wait to read the next two books in the series! Allegedly, we'll be getting Damian's story (another one of my favorites) and Rose's. Definitely worthy of a purchase and if you have a hot minute, make sure to check out the podcast too.

I’m definitely biased to enjoy this book because it has all of the tropes I love wrapped up into one novel. That said, this isn’t a perfect novel — but hey, what book is? The writing bounced between ‘been-there-seen-that’ and just plain fun. I mean, if you’re going into this thinking you’ll enjoy it, I think you definitely will. The pacing is a bit odd, the writing is eye-roll worthy occasionally, the ending is slightly anticlimactic, and the podcast tie ins in the last quarter are a bit much, but I’m sure fans of the podcast itself will not mind that aspect. If you’re here for teen boys falling in love and balancing super powers with high school drama, you’re in the right place. This isn’t a unique book by any means, but it delivers where it promised to, and I think that’s enough. I particularly liked how mental health and depression was portrayed and how the characters responded to it. I wish we’d had a bit more fleshing out of the characters and relationships that didn’t consist of only Caleb and Adam, but Caleb and Adam ARE great characters — I just wish they hadn’t been the only ones. I’m intrigued to check out more of the podcast and possibly even the other planned novels. While this feels more like a 3.5 rating, probably, I personally just am a sucker for gay super powered teens, so I’ll bump it up to a 4/5 stars.

PS — Two things I also need to mention: 1. That cover is GORGEOUS. Like, maybe the best one so far to come out of this year. Bravo, cover artist! 2. Lauren Shippen is a Skam fan or she’s a goddamn liar LOL! There’s a scene in the second half of the book that is literally right out of Skam season 3. And I’m not complaining at all! It worked well; one of the best scenes in the book.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to find out that I had been selected to get a copy of this novel.. Lauren Shippen's The Bright Sessions has been my favorite podcast since I discovered it three years ago.

The Infinite Noise is a book that gets into the minds of two of the podcast's best characters, Caleb and Adam. Caleb, a teenage atypical, struggles in a world where he is an empath - capable of experiencing and feeling the emotions of others.

No spoilers, but the thing I loved the most about this novel was the characterization. Lauren Shippen successfully translated Caleb and Adam from podcast to novel, all the while emphasizing the internal struggles of being an empath and being a teenage boy struggling with depression.

I am a lifelong fan.

The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen is based on the story of two characters, Adam and Caleb, from her popular radio drama-style podcast called Bright Sessions. As a fan of her now finished podcast, which follows a group of individuals who see therapist Dr. Bright in order to deal with their superpower-like abilities, I couldn’t pass up the chance to read and review this highly anticipated book.

Caleb Michaels is your quintessential Golden Boy. He’s on the football team, he’s attractive, he does well in school. But underneath that shiny exterior Caleb is dealing with his unique and overwhelming ability to feel what other people feel. He’s not just empathetic; without trying he feels the emotions of any nearby person. A classroom full of nervous teenagers taking an exam? Total nightmare. So Caleb begins to see a therapist by the name of Dr. Bright who tries to help him deal with his quote-unquote superpower.

While most people’s feelings are too much for Caleb to handle, he notices that one of his classmates isn’t so bad to be around. Adam Hayes’ feelings, often lonely and desperately sad, are somehow calming. To get a better handle on his ability, Dr. Bright suggests Caleb reach out to Adam. He does, and in Adam finds a much needed friend and possibly something more.

This book is not a sequel to the podcast. It is a retelling of Caleb’s and Adam’s stories as told in the podcast. For fans, this will be a fun way to revisit these two adorable and beloved characters. However, I wish the book fleshed out the world and characters in greater depth than it was able to in the podcast, but we actually end up getting much less information. By following only two characters, neither of whom are Dr. Bright, much of the context of the story is completely lost. Newcomers to this world may be confused as to how Dr. Bright is able to diagnose and help people like Caleb, and how Caleb has his ability in the first place. The introduction of a few characters who feature in the podcast but not directly in Adam’s or Caleb’s lives will also seem random and unthoughtful.

Content disclosure: This book contains references to mental illness (depression) and self-harm (cutting, non-explicit) as well as a few moments of violence (punching). As mentioned above, therapy sessions are also involved.

I’m not sure The Infinite Noise addresses these topics in the most sensitive manner or even addresses them enough. Some readers may take issue with why they’re present at all considering they’re not actually discussed in the book.

I would absolutely recommend this book to listeners and lovers of the podcast, even though it didn’t deliver as much as I’d hoped. For newcomers, I’d recommend to listen to the podcast first. Unless, of course, they don’t care much about the specifics of the world and only want to read about a budding romance between two awkward high schoolers. In which case, this book may satisfy as it certainly falls under the YA romance category.

I requested this book before I had listened to the podcast at all. I decided to start listening to it in preparation of reading this book and before I knew it I HAD TO READ THIS BOOK. So, the podcast is amazing-- and I'm not yet finished listening to it (at the time that I'm writing up this review), and I will say that this book really does follow along with the podcast as Caleb is a regular patient of Dr. Bright.
--People who have listened to the podcast will recognize many of the scenes, but not everything from the podcast is told here and there are many extra scenes in this book to flush out Caleb and Adam's relationship. Also, Adam's point of view is told often, which I ended up loving. Also, it doesn't encompass all the seasons of the podcast. I won't go into further detail as to not spoil anything. 
--On the flipside do you need to listen to the podcast to understand this book? 
No. I would recommend it because you'll understand some of the background threats and characters more --and the actors are AMAZING at giving these characters life, but if you want to read the book and not listen to the podcast you will still completely be able to follow the story. 

Okay, let me talk a bit more about this book. I absolutely love it. It really does deal with a lot. Adam has depression, a semi-weird home life, and is bullied regularly. Caleb is an empath, a football player who is still on the outside since he has a hard time being around people, and is in therapy-- willingly. It was really nice to read about characters having positive experiences with therapy and their therapist since I'm used to the negative stereotypes regarding it. I am so onboard with normalizing people going to therapy. 

Caleb and Adam's relationship is sweet, adorable, and just... the best. It is kind of a friends-to-lovers with all the obstacles teenage boys have, PLUS the more supernatural secrets and elements between them. Caleb is an empath though so he brings up feelings and it is fascinating to see how even knowing everyone's feelings can sometimes make a relationship more difficult. Some situations end up being funny, sad, embarrassing, or absolutely lovely. This story had me so invested in their lives.

These are the sweetest boys who deserve the world. They may in fact be my favorite characters, so I was glad to have their book. 

I 100% recommend this book to people looking for a little supernatural in a love story.

I flipping love YA novels (or any novels, really) that have to do with sports! therefore I loved this!

I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

As a long time fan of The Bright Sessions, I was so excited to get the chance to read this book--and I was right to be! While I love the whole Bright Sessions ensemble, it was a real treat to get a focused look at Caleb and Adam. The alternating viewpoints offered a really well-realized look into these two characters. It was especially nice to see more of Adam! The writing was fresh and interesting--the way that Caleb describes emotions in particular.

As far as this being an adaptation of sorts goes, the book is perfectly readable for the non-listener. However, particularly in discussions with Dr. Bright, I found myself missing little bits of their conversations that I remembered. I'm sure these were cut for pacing reasons, and the book reads well without the full conversations, but it is something that fans of the podcast will likely notice.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I think that it will be popular with both fans of the podcast and non-listeners alike.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

As a fan and reader of YA, this book was perfect. As a huge fan of the podcast, I wanted another two books of Adam and Caleb.

As a standalone novel, The Infinite Noise is close to perfect. Lauren knows these characters inside and out by this point and it shows. This was super easy to read in tone, language, and continuity. There weren't any gaps where there are events solely from the podcast with no explanation.

Reflecting on the podcast, this novel was a treat. I loved seeing moments I recognized and knew incorporated into the larger story here. I also loved getting Adam's point of view as well, since he was definitely a favorite character in his few early appearances in the podcast. It was just really great to see the world expanded beyond Dr. Bright's point of view and get to know the lives behind the characters.

There were a few (seriously, only about three) where it seemed like about two paragraphs were out of order. Like maybe Lauren realized that bit of story was from the podcast and then swooped back in to explain it. But it wasn't very noticeable and didn't affect the storytelling at all.

I've seen a lot of discussion about mental health and how this book deals with it. As a person with depression, I can say it is absolutely spot-on. Yes, there are repeated mentions of self-harm. But they're from that character's point of view and they also talk about the therapy and recovery surrounding it. It's discussed as a "release" for that character because it is, but they also know it isn't the right way to deal with this feelings.

The anger issues are handled the same way. The character enters therapy and begins to learn ways to deal with it. They're not perfect and 100% successful, but who is?

I think what amazed me most about this novel was how solidly Lauren handled the male perspective and voice. I know there are many female readers and writers of gay male romance, but Lauren's take is solid. I would think an actual teenage boy could read this without constantly rolling his eyes and complaining that "a girl wrote it."

I thoroughly enjoyed The Infinite Noise. I do think I liked it even more because I listen to the podcast, but I don't at all think that's necessary to get the story or the feelings or to fall completely in love with these characters.

(I do think it's important that it has a warning about the mentions of self-harm and very direct depictions of depression and anger. But considering Lauren is a podcast producer and every episode is prefaced with the necessary information, I imagine that will be taken care of.)

I can't wait to see more from Lauren Shippen! Both the other books in this universe and beyond!

I picked up this book without having heard a single episode of The Bright Sessions podcast. It has an intriguing concept, what if people could feel your emotions, change what you're feeling, or even read your mind. High school has just become so much harder because you find out you're an empath and feeling everyone's emotions is totally overwhelming. Caleb and Adam's story is interesting. You feel for them both, but I could have done with more. Slow in places, rushed in others. I will read a sequel if/when one comes out.

Having been a fan of Lauren Shippen’s podcast The Bright Sessions for years, it was only natural that The Infinite Noise shot to the top of my most-anticipated books of the year once it was announced. Unsurprisingly, following Caleb Michaels and Adam Hayes back into their world through this new medium was a daydream of an experience—it felt, most keenly, like coming home.

The narrative of The Infinite Noise follows Caleb and Adam’s journey from classmates to friends to boyfriends and seeing their relationship blossom on the page was sheer joy. Shippen’s writing here was so distinct and vivid that I heard the voices of every character in my head as I read, particularly Caleb and Adam, and I found myself going through an endless cycle of emotions. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me feel like I never wanted to leave its pages.

All of the characteristic themes of The Bright Sessions are in these pages and, personally, it was healing for me to read first-hand about Caleb and Adam’s experiences with sexuality, relationships, mental health, and boundaries. Just as in the podcast, I saw myself in these pages in ways I didn’t know I needed to, and I am immensely grateful for the ways in which Lauren Shippen continues to so carefully write about—and for—those of us who feel as if they don’t belong.

While I’m sure that readers unfamiliar with The Bright Sessions will find this novel as emotional, hilarious, poignant, and insightful as I did, I would highly recommend binge-listening to The Bright Sessions before the release of The Infinite Noise. It’s my favorite podcast—for its writing, production, vocal talent, and subject matter, amongst other reasons—and the world of The Bright Sessions, as evidenced by The Infinite Noise, is only growing from here. I don’t have enough words to properly thank Lauren Shippen for all that this universe has done for me over the past few years and I can’t wait for the next two novels in this series.