Truth be told, I had not heard of The Bright Sessions podcast prior to reading THE INFINiTE NOISE. Thankfully, not having that knowledge did not dampen my enjoyment of this book as a whole. It's a quiet read that settles into you, much like the way one of its protagonists, Caleb, is constantly immersed with feelings. While low on actual plot, the character work was warm, refreshing, and its handling of mental health and depression done with care. There's a lot here to enjoy - both for fans of the podcast as well as any newcomers, like myself, who now plan on binging The Bright Sessions. I'd readily recommend THE INFINITE NOISE for anyone that enjoys the speculative nature of Adam Silvera mixed with the quietness of Nina LaCour.

*ARC received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

Before I start this review I have to say that I have never listened to the podcast that this is based on. I just went into this book expecting a cute gay romance which I got. The first 70% of the book was really cute and then things turned a little ugly. As someone who has been in therapy most of their lives, it was really disturbing to see these teens stalking a therapist's office to see who the other patients might be. Currently, I just can't get over the fact that the author decided this would be a good plot point to have in the book and, apparently, in the podcast as well according to one of my friends. I highly doubt I am going to finish the book just because I really can't find it in myself to get through this one particular scenario.

4/4
Okay, I love the world of X-men or a world where humans have special abilities and power. It is just fascinating to see how far science can go if given the proper green light when it comes to experimenting with humans. One of my favorite part of the book was the way Caleb's "superpowers" were described. I was struggling with him, especially, when it is happening to a high school student. Seriously, it's the worst time for such ability to become aware to Caleb. The way emotions were described in this book was stifling. I could feel everything Caleb was going through. You will see what I mean. It has been described to the T.
Adam also is tackling his own demons, I felt for him, the author did a great job of describing how he felt. I was vividly seeing while reading what some of us go through on a daily basis.
I don't want to give away too much, but if you are a fan of the X-men series and superpowers trope, you will love this one. I can't wait to see how the story progresses fro Adam and Caleb because there is still a lot yet to be revealed.

I love this story so much. I'm so glad I came across this book on Netgalley, and that I decided to listen to the Bright Sessions podcast after reading the description. Some of the book was stuff I had already listened to because of the podcast, but I loved being able to read the behind the scenes stuff in real time, instead of just hearing Caleb recount them in his therapy sessions like in the podcast. I think this book may be a little confusing for someone who hasn't listened to the podcast, but for anyone who has, it's an amazing addition to Caleb and Adam's story!

This book's ideas caught my attention immediately. It is the general gay teen book but with the twist of the supernatural added, something that can only make it better. That being said all gay teen books I have read seem to be missing something I cannot put my finger on and this book is no different. While the supernatural element adds to the plot it seems to be missing a crucial element to make it a 5 star book.
While reading this book I couldn't help but appreciate that Caleb, an empath feeling everyone else emotions, has to tackle and understand his, something more men in the world could use.
The other main character, Adam, has depression and this is written about quite acutely. Having depression myself I found that I identified with Adam's feelings and felt the this type of story needs to be read by more people to help understand the effects of depression. However Adam talks about self harm a lot, saying that he has drastically reduced it prior to the beginning of the book but still does it now and again. I really feel that with the well executed depression and teenage feelings in the book that this had to be seen rather than just talked about. this is an issue for many people and it seemed to be added in just to be inclusive.
This book was beautiful , I devoured it within two days, and I now plan on listening to the podcasts I did not know about prior to reading it. I would also highly recommend this book to readers of David Levithan, Sandy Hall, Bill Konigsberg and Adam Silvera .

I was absolutely charmed by this book and these characters. I'd never heard of The Bright Sessions before, but after reading this book, I've begun listening from the beginning so I can stay in Shippen's lovely little universe for a little longer.
Caleb and Adam are both beautifully flawed and vulnerable characters who complement each other perfectly. I loved seeing Caleb's layers slowly peel away as his friendship with Adam bloomed, from appearing the quiet football player with "anger issues" to showing his honest self: a scared teenager who just wants to help and to be heard. Adam is a sweetheart, a loner who doesn't know how to let down his walls, even and especially when someone wants to see what's behind them. Both of the characters felt full and alive and complicated and so very human.
What I appreciated most about this story, however, was the gentle and loving way in which Shippen told it. This isn't a fantastic, exciting X-men-esque adventure. There are no broad social movements at play, no explosive climaxes, no grand treatises on the state of the world or the human experience. This is a very quiet, intimate story of two boys, one of whom just so happens to have what amounts to a superpower. It's small and personal and heartwarming in all the right ways, and it just made me smile.
That being said, it was a book I could easily set aside. There was little suspense or "movement" to make me feel eager for the next part. The whole plot just trundled along, easy and light as water down a stream, and while it was refreshing to have a story that didn't lay claim to my sanity, it also didn't blow me away. But maybe that's a good thing. Either way, Shippen has told a lovely little story, and if there were to be a sequel, I would love to read it. After all, that secret organization hasn't been burned down yet; I'd love to see Caleb and Adam try. ;)

(This review will be posted on social media 30 days before its release.)