Stealing Infinity

I’ve got to come to grips with the fact that I’m not the target audience for some YA books anymore. There are plenty of YA fantasy books that I love, but the ones that are more urban fantasy with high school kids I just can’t connect with any more. I’m well over the teenage angst.

I was expecting this to be a fun, time travel story with maybe some steam punk vibe based on the cover. And while there is some time travel, it’s a small amount and it doesn’t show up until after the 60% mark of the book. The premise was interesting , but it was kind of hard to suspend disbelief and go along with some of the plot arcs. I do find it easier to believe a parent would basically sell off their child to a billionaire in a dystopian world, but modern day America, and that no one would question it, makes it a little harder to believe. I did think the characters were interesting, though a little more about their background would have been nice. The only one we really know anything about is Natasha, and that information is not a lot. Dad left, mom fell apart, Natasha was left to hold the pieces together and started slacking in school because of it.

Ultimately, I thought the audiobook was well narrated, the story was well written, but it didn’t seem terribly new or unique in anyway. 3/5 stars.

Actual rating: 2.5/5 stars
Stealing Infinity by Alison Noël tells the story of a girl who's asked to help reshape the world, one time travelling trip at a time.

When we meet Natasha, she has pretty much given up on succeeding, which makes the opportunity she's given at Gray Wolf Academy all the more challenging because she simply cannot afford to fail. This, along with a desire to gain Arthur's approval and mess with Elodie drives Natasha to succeed at all cost, including changing aspects of her personality. Natasha's character blooms under pressure; she's smart, willing to fight, shrewd but can also be manipulative and hurtful when she doesn't keep herself in check. In an interesting writing choice, walking that fine line becomes harder and harder as the book progresses, leaving us with a far more morally dubious character than what we started out with.

Alison Noël also makes of Natasha a very feminist character, if a little too feminist. As the book is told in first person POV, we get access to all of Natasha's thoughts on how women were treated in the past, with passages greatly exaggerating how bad it was. One particularly glaring example is the topic of historical clothing, particularly the corsets. Natasha frequently complains about having to wear them even though, historically, they served as the chief supportive undergarment women wore. In a book where Noël has taken the time to make modern fashion a central theme, it is disappointing to see historical clothing not given the same treatment. This, along with certain other comments throughout, convey a very reductive view of women through history, rather than giving the topic the nuance it deserves.

From the side characters, Elodie is undoubtedly the most interesting. What starts out as a typical mean girl character gains layers as her backstory is revealed. In the beginning she's the vapid, pretty, rich girl who drags Natasha down with her, then she becomes her rival, even enemy, behind a veneer of innocence, until Natasha looks at things differently and realises there is more to Elodie.

Stealing Infinity by Alison Noël feels unfinished. Much of the first half of the book focuses on Natasha's training and her navigating of the relationships around her, so once the action begins, it's concentrated in the second half making it rushed and lacking a concrete resolution. Already in the prologue, Noël inserts hints that all is not as it seems when it comes to Arthur Blackstone, but they are left unexplained which only confused me more. While I know this is a set up for later, some aspects could have been revealed here to better further the plot and establish the world.

Stealing Infinity is one of subterfuge and deceit centred around time travel. Gray Wolf Academy comes off as an almost magical place where any needs and wants a student may have are immediately taken care of: it's light years ahead of technology elsewhere and it has an exciting secret. The mechanics of time travel are barely explained. Instead Noël focuses on how art and aesthetic reflect her characters' personalities are intentions. Thankfully, for the unobservant reader like me, Noël explains what each aesthetic choice means, often bringing the scene to life in minute detail, so much so that I could easily picture what was going on, down to what everyone was wearing.

Stealing Infinity by Alison Noël confused and disappointed me. Where I caught glimpses of the series' potential in the scenes with the other time travelling group, the lack of exposition left me frustrated, while I didn't connect with any of the characters enough to make an impact. I'm sure this book will appeal to some readers out there; it is simply not for me.

ARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Stealing Infinity” is a young adult fantasy novel that introduces the reader to “Nat” (Natasha), a teenage girl with a difficult home life and recent school troubles. When Nat is set up for a crime she didn’t commit and subsequently arrested, it seems like the end of the line. However, Nat is offered a get out of jail free card: attend Gray Wolf Academy at no cost and her mother would be taken care of financially. With no other way out, Nat accepts the invitation and is whisked off to Gray Wolf Academy.

However, Gray Wolf Academy isn’t what it seems at first glance. Instead of some traditional billionaire’s boarding school, the Academy instead finds talented young adults and instructs them in the impossible: time travel. These students, “trippers,” learn to harness science and technology to enable them to travel through time to carry out missions. However, not all of the “trippers” are genuine, and Nat finds herself navigated the complications that arise with a variety of relationships. Will Nat succeed to become a tripper? What is everyone hiding? Can Nat trust Braxton, the guy who has so quickly stolen her heart? Can she actually trust anyone?

I was highly impressed with this book. I was a bit worried that it would be too much of a young adult novel to the extent that I, as an adult reader, would not be able to engage in the story. However, I was presently surprised. The author’s writing style makes for an easy read, and the characters are easy to connect with an become emotionally invested in. I was taken along for the ride with Nat, never knowing what awaited around the next corner.

I felt the storyline was original, and the plot twists unfolded beautifully. The author really explores the complicated relationships that not only young adults face, but also adults. It made for some likeable characters and some not so much. I found myself rooting for certain characters only to be thrown a curveball and wondering if I was rooting for the wrong people. Be warned, however, this is most definitely a first in a series book. It left me hanging on edge and dying to see what happens next. It means I have to actually wait (*gasp*) for the next book, but I most certainly will be picking up a copy when it comes out.

My copy of this book was an audiobook, so I must comment on the narrators. I thought they each did an excellent job. I was particularly impressed with the female narrator, who not only did well with female voices, but also held her own with the male voices as well. It is a bit of a pet peeve of mine when a female narrator can’t do the male voices effectively, but I was quite happy with this narrator’s character voicing. It kept me in the story and was quite effective.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. As noted above, I’ll definitely be buying a copy of the second book in the series when it is released. I think this book is a good read for both a young adult and adult audience, as well as fans of both fiction and fantast books. I definitely recommend both the written novel and audiobook, depending on your preference. Either way, I most certainly hope you pick up a copy and enter the time-traveling fantasy world of Gray Wolf Academy.

Thank you to RB Media and Netgalley for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

The premise of this book was really great, and I loved the way that things like astrology and numerology were tied into it. I just think the book might have been written for a little too young of an audience for me. It seemed to immature at times and too high school for me. Sometimes this can be done well, but this felt like it was dragging for me.

I did really enjoy the time travel aspects and the way that the stakes were made so high with that! I loved getting to see such extravagance in the past but also seeing the darker side to society at that time. The characters also had me really interested with how they related to one another. I loved seeing their motivations for everything and watching as they navigated finding themselves in this utterly ridiculous academy.

I was really intrigued with where the story was going, and I think I will give the next book a shot!

If you're a fan of time travel fiction, definitely check this series out!

I was iffy but I absolutely love this and need the next one now.

But what's not to love about a school of time traveling art thief's that circles around tarot.

It gives me just enough questions and mystery to keep me wanting more.
While some thing might be predictable I still don't have answers AND I NEED THEM!!

Omg, OMG! Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let me tell you when I say I LOVED this book. Not only is the cover absolutely stunning, and the narrator was a perfect pick, but the story was beautifully written.
Our main gal begins with angsty start, She is getting in trouble left and right and because of her irresponsible behavior; she is taken in by the Gray Wolf Academy . Which by the way gave me Umbrella Academy vibes but with less weird magic creatures, Instead, the academy is filled with technology and gave me silicone vibes.
Our angsty gay meets Braxton, who I might add is hot and has a hot accent.
There relationship was chefs kiss and the whole world building that happens in this book is not only engaging but fun and I never wanted it to end.
I loved this audio and I am going to also pick up a physical copy to go into my library

This is a story about time.

I really loved the premise here, and wanted to love the book…. & I did think it was okay- just not amazing. I think if you don’t live clichés & just want an entertaining concept, you’ll probably really enjoy it.

Thanks so much Netgalley & RB Media for the audio copy!

I had a great time with Stealing Infinity and would rate it a 4.5 so we'll bump it to a 5 for Goodreads. I am going to try to keep this review spoiler-free.

I loved the introductory lesson in numerology that the book opened with. It was a fun bonus that got you into the mood for the tone of this book. Smart choice as it would help folks who might be put off by the subject to know what they are getting into. I was intrigued. (My number is an 11/2 btw)

Stealing Infinity is a mystery at its core. Our main character, Natasha, thinks that at the tender age of 17 she has only apathy left to give an apathetic world. She knows she should try harder in school and in life, but since her father abandoned her and her mother, she feels she has nothing left to give and she is spiraling fast.

Natasha is soon thrust into a chaotic, hidden, sink-or-swim world, and told that she not only has incredible opportunities for adventure but that if she accepts this new life, she will become part of a privileged elite team of gifted students.

I love that Natasha takes nothing at face value and asks the question others are afraid to. She is not only trying to unravel the mystery of her new school and her new rivals (ahem) friends, but the mystery of her own history, her abilities, and knowledge that come so effortlessly: the mystery of who she really is.

I enjoyed my time and I am excited for the next book in the series.

Thank you to Alyson Noel, RB Media, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for this review copy

Quick Summary: Dark and disturbing. Utterly enthralling!

My Review: Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel was an interesting mix of sci-fi, mystery, dark secrets, deception, time travel, temporal loops, theft, history, romance, and crazy betrayals.

The Storyline: As a reader, I found SI to be both confusing and captivating. In truth, it was one big question mark. Just as soon as one question was answered, then two more questions would come. Conflict abounded through the entirety of the book. Whispers of truth were dangled and shadows of an underlying darkness were teased on an ongoing basis. It was challenging to see a clear picture of what was really going on.

The Setting: Gray Wolf Academy was not what it appeared to be. It was not a school or a home away from home. Secrecy was paramount there. It came across like a portal to hell on earth. (It reminded me of the Hellmouth from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)

The Characters: The SI cast was diverse. They were also strangely purposed. Each character had a specific role to play.

Archetypes:

The Heroine: Natasha - > lead character with a history of abandonment and brokenness; has a weird ability that she doesn't fully understand; flashback images of her father who, like her, had an ability

The Love Interest: Braxton - > male lead who is drawn to heroine, even before he met her; has secrets and a dark side that is alluded to but not fully explained

The Bad Boy: Killian - > secondary male lead; possible love interest; traveler who presents himself as a bringer of darkness and light (there is more to him than meets the eye)

The Leader: Arthur - > Crazy trillionaire who seemingly kidnaps and brings this band of orphans together to commit crimes in time; he appears to be a psychopath

The Best Friend: Mason - > The heroine's faithful sidekick...until he wasn't???

The Enemy: Elodie - > This female is creepy. She's one of the darkest characters in the story, in my opinion. The contrast we get to see between her GWA presentation and her real world/school presentation is notably different. She doesn't come across as stable. At. All.

The Fellow Cast: Hmm... Many have definitely mastered the art of backstabbing. (Who can you trust, if not your friends???)

Most Memorable Line: "Turning something ugly into something beautiful." (Throughout the story, this line rings true, as it relates to Natasha. She encounters so much ugliness in her life, but she gets to the point where she understands that she gets to determine what is beautiful in each instance.)

My Final Say: This unique story was a fast-paced tale that revolved around an assembly of peculiar characters. It has great potential. Book 1 certainly gave this reader much to think about. Hopefully, book 2 will bring further clarity.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: T to A
Warning: Sexual violence (attempted rape)
Series: Yes

Thanks is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for betrayal,mystery, love and time travel this book is filled with it. It about a girl name Natasha she 18 years old and she gets into some big trouble that gets her kick out of her old school and she then ends up at gray wolf academy. Where she meet Black Stone, Braxton,Jago and bunch of otheres.
TW: rape scene in details and dealing with grief

Thank you Netgalley& Publisher for providing me with this arc to listen too

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. The beggining was a little rough. The story seemed to drag during the first part of the book. Even though we are getting introduced to the characters, the academy, and the time traveling aspect, I felt like not much was going on and it was more character driven. That would have been totally fine if they characters had more spunk to them. Most of the characters seemed be one dimensional and lacked a lot of depth. Our main character, Natasha, was okay for the most part. Unfortunately, numerous times she mentioned how attractive her love interest Braxton and it was constantly said. Like yes, we all understand he is a hot guy with stormy blue eyes, we can move on from that. There was also a small case of insta- love which isn't my favorite in books. Besides the pacing issues in the beginning and repetitive gawking over men, I really enjoyed the storyline once Natasha started to actually time travel. Her character became ten times more interesting because she seemed to appear smarter and more determined, which is admirable. I also love the representation in this story. With queer side characters and talks of feminism and toxic masculinity, this aspect really shined for me. Overall it wasn't my favorite read of the year, but with progress for the next book, I think it can be a decent series.

KIND OF INTO IT.

3.5 stars

I picked this one up after a lot of hype from Bookstagram friends and I think it did it’s job well. As this was an audiobook ARC I’ll speak to that first, LOVED. No complaints here about the narration or anything. I thought it was wonderful and I was able to listen at a 2.5x - 3x speed easily.

The set-up for this was fun. I liked the time travel aspects and getting to see different facets of history. The school setting wasn’t a big factor (as someone who doesn’t love that setting). It was more in the background to everything else Nat was learning and doing.

I didn’t love the side characters. Some in the context of not great antagonists which came off childish. And others is just that I wanted more! There were many opportunities for some found family moments and I think those should have been capitalized on.

This was somehow upper YA and lower YA all in the same book. The dialogue and personalities leaned towards younger while the themes and some of the scenes (like attempted rape) were definitely in the older group. This clash caused a issue with me finding the right niche for the story overall.

I am intrigued by the plot though and definitely want to continue. I really liked the banter at the beginning of the romance and am curious how that is going to continue to play out. Maybe a love triangle? I’m not sure. BUT I did like what Braxton brought to the table.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Magical Realism/Fantasy + Romance
- Language: some light
- Romance: heated make-outs
- Violence: medium
- Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual assault, attempted rape, loss of loved ones, near death experiences

I received an ARC audiobook from Netgalley.

I have been a hard core Alyson Noel fan since Evermore and throughout The Immortals, Riley Bloom, and Soul Seeker series, and Stealing Infinity does not disappoint.

There are 3 narrators:
Julian Elfer, Pete Bradbury, Suzy Jackson

All 3 narrators do a phenomenal job. I pay a lot of attention to pauses, passion, gender specific voices, sadness, confusion, and moments of unease and these 3 narrators nailed everything set before them.

Natasha is an easy character to love and despise. She’s the heroine of the story, but she is by no means a good person. She is cunning, ruthless, suspicious, and gullible.

Ellody is a character who you love to hate. She’s so easy to pin the badge of ‘the bad guy’ on - but is she bad? Or is she just a lesser evil?

I’m quite invested in this story now and can’t wait to read/listen to more!

I highly recommend this book to fans of YA, Romance, Intrigue, Time Travel, and the art of acting.

I loved this book, and it is my hope that others will love it too. (Because I shamelessly hope Alyson Noel will make this into an awesome series)

I enjoyed the plot/storyline, it had great potential, but the main character wasn't it, I disliked her from the start. She overplayed the whole teenage "I'm too good for this/im an adult now so you can't tell me what to do" she was jealous for shit reasons, then flirts with and kisses another boy so yah. The romance is forced, enemies to lovers, love square.

Again great potential, but the characters were shit.

This wasn't a bad start to a new series, pulling me in with time travel and a secret academy setting. Though the pacing is fairly quick, I did feel like it took until halfway through to really start the plot. Before then were glimpses of something going on, but mostly Nat getting to the academy and almost immediately falling for Braxton. Do we have to have a love interest so quickly? Especially since it follows the trope of said crush having a mean ex-girlfriend for the main character to contend with.

The story mentions a lot of priceless art and if art history interests you, this is something you'll want to check out. I'm not a big fan, but I did like the time travel parts and all the suspicious things going on. I'm intrigued about people's true motives and how Nat's abilities actually work. I'm hoping the sequel also develops the other characters more, since for now they seem one-dimensional.

The audiobook has a cute narrator that fit Nat's voice pretty well. I also liked the posh British accent she did for Braxton and the emotion she put into the story.

If you're a fan of the author's previous works, you'll likely enjoy this YA fantasy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the copy

This is the first book in a new YA Sci-Fi Romance series. This book was an entertaining enough for my to finish, but I have yet to decide if I will continue the series when the second book releases in early 2023.

The series features an academy of time travelling teens who are collected by Arthur, the head of the school, in order to use the teens to fulfil his own devious plans that have yet to be revealed to the reader and also to act as "collectors" of history. Natasha, our FMC, is essentially vetted for the academy and gaslighted into choosing to drop her previous life to join an academy that she knows nothing about. She soon discovers many secrets of the academy while attempting to move up ranks. All the while, dealing with her feelings for and relationship with Braxton, the guy who brought her to the academy, and realizes that she is unlikely to form bonds she can trust at this school.

If you are here for the time travel - please don't expect the theory to be present or hold much wait to this story. Though, I still enjoyed the time travel component of the story.

Also, the book starts off (prior to the preface) with a lengthy explanation of numerology and tarot that was both uninformative and unnecessary to the story. This is especially true given that it is basically reexplained each time the main character is discussing numerology or tarot with another character or through internal dialogue. Ultimately, the entire use of both numerology and tarot seems like an aspect of the book that could have been left out entirely, putting that effort into enhancing the time travel aspect of the story or perhaps giving us more information of the goings on at the academy, as both of these topics are largely glossed over and the reader expected to just play along, while the author chooses to do basic math for the reader instead. Seems like an odd choice.

What really kept me engaged was the relationship with Braxton, who is a bit of a mystery. We don't know a lot about him and the author does a great job making the reader want to unravel the mystery of his past: why is he at the academy, what does he feel so guilty about, what kinds of shady things has he done at the academy and for Arthur, and are his feelings for Natasha genuine.

If you had asked me at 50% if I would be continuing the series, I would have said no. However, the ending had so many curve balls that I am rather intrigued to see where the next book takes these characters. Whether or not I continue with this series will likely depend on how much I find myself thinking about these characters over the next few months.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Suzy Jackson (primary narrator), Pete Bradbury, and Julian Elfer, via NetGalley. An advanced reader's copy of this audiobook was provided to me via NetGalley by RB Media in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, the audiobook is really good so if you're planning to read this I would recommend the audio version.
This was a quick read. The numerology at the beginning had me really intrigued but after finishing this book I have absolutely no idea what was the point of it. I don't actually have any idea what was the point of the book itself. It quite literally just ends without any resolution of anything. The romance was bland and there wasn't nearly enough time travel. I really hated the abrupt ending but have no interest in the sequel.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stealing Infinity is a wonderful, exciting, YA fantasy book! I really loved Natasha's evolution at her time at Gray Wolf Academy. The school gave me serious cult vibes, with its odd rules and hazing. The plot moved along quickly and kept me guessing! I also really enjoyed the themes of family and uncertainty about what is true or not.

Thank you Entagled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was incredibly intrigued by the cover, and the description of this book. Unfortunately, this book fell very flat for me. I found the writing very vague and often had unnecessary descriptions. I did not find the main character likable. It could be because she was obsessed with fashion which I am definitely not.

The plot and characters were predictable. I all-in-all did not enjoy this at all.

Stealing Infinity is a roller coaster through history that promises more in the second book. Nat is a troubled teen, in the process of falling through the cracks after her father disappeared a few years ago. SHe's now been arrested for a crime she doesn't remember committing, and has been tricked into attending an elite boarding school. No one will tell her what's going on, or what they're training for. Only that she'll experience things she never thought possible. Nat quickly realizes there's so much more to it than that. And she begins to wonder what the cost will be.

Noel paints an elaborate high tech world, interspersed with YA typical over-descriptions of clothing, that delves into the fantastical more than science fiction. Despite implying they're using science to travel in time, something about how everything is presented makes it feel more like a fantasy than anything else.

While I have some concerns about the lack of depth of many of the characters, some of that has to do more with the story progression and nature of their circumstances than any fault of the authors. I feel like we don't know much about many of the characters beyond the surface, but there's also the constantly stated fact that at the end of the day, none of them trust each other and are blatantly keeping secrets from Nat. I would feel like I don't know anyone beyond the surface if that were me, too.

A majority of this book feels more like a set up to the next installment as opposed to the initial book in a series. A short-falling to be sure. But one that I think is saved by the sheer magnitude of world-building and intrigue introduced. I want to read the next book as soon as possible because of how perfectly the mystery has been set into motion. If it took a book to set up, imagine how great the pay off will be.