Thank you NetGalley and Quill Tree Publishing for an ARC of this graphic novel. This is the first graphic novel for me to read from this artist/author. This has a sweet element to serious moments. He drawings and storyline I was in awe of. Well the drawings I loved looking at and the full expressions of Clem and Kye the humanoid AI, that wasn’t sure to have human feelings for Clem and for what is happening around them.

I would highly recommend.

This is a glorious graphic novel about self-determination, independence, love, and abusive mothers. Be warned going in that there is a fair amount of verbal/emotional abuse (and threats of worse), but that the story has a lovely, affirming ending. Xu's art is, as always, absolutely stunning, too, and the worldbuilding is top-notch. I particularly loved the animal-like companion AI.

The Infinity Particle takes a unique approach to artificial intelligence, using it as a vehicle to explore parent-child relationships and individual autonomy. The graphic novel doesn't shy away from difficult topics; instead it deftly exposes how parents can treat their children as something to be used to achieve their own dreams. Xu's illustrations do an excellent job conveying the emotional narrative and creating a vibrant setting that grounds the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quill Tree Books for the ARC!
- the perfect sci fi story about someone falling in love with Al! I loved how this dove into what makes someone a human and general Al ethics. It's not something I read about a lot, but it's done in a way that would be accessible to its MG/YA audience that nothing felt too daunting.
- the character depth that this book manages to achieve in such a short length was really impressive!
- I'm literally obsessed with SENA!! I want a little bird/bunny like Al friend!!
-I wish we'd had more time in this universe, mostly because the world building was so interesting! I want to know more about why Earth and Mars seem so separated, what the Al research is like, and what do those studies translate into!
- I also desperately want more with the two MCs! This concept could easily result in a series of novels, and I'd read all of them!

Wow. This was something really fascinating. There was so much information, but it was digestible. It also gave me Humans vibes and I miss that show. It was really great.

When Clementine Change moves to Mars for the fresh start she’s waited a long time for, she’s even more excited that she gets to work with Dr. Marcella Lin. Marcella is one of the major pioneers of the Artificial Intelligence field. It’s been Clem’s dream to meet and work with her idol for a long time, so she’s more than excited to get started. Things seem to be going smoothly, but there’s something strange about the office because everyone but Clem is tip-toeing around Marcella. Even Kye, a humanoid AI who was personally built by Marcella, is wary and seems lonely and miserable. When Clem and Kye form a friendship that slowly starts to become something more, it reveals the truth about Marcella, leading Clem, Kye, and SENA down a little known path about AI.

I’ve enjoyed the other books I’ve read from the author, so I was extremely excited to pick this up. We follow Clem and her best friend and personally built robot, SENA, as they restart their lives on Mars. Along the way, we learn a lot about Clem as well as SENA and their views on AI. They both believe that robots are their own beings, Artificial Intelligence or not, and should be treated with respect as well as able to have their own views and interests. It’s why Clem is so excited to work with Marcella, she seems to have the same beliefs as Clem and her best friend. It’s clear that Clem and SENA have been friends for a long time and that SENA is free to do what she wants and pursue her own interests. It’s also clear that Clem left Earth to escape her horrible upbringing, which is why Mars is a fresh start where she and SENA can finally bloom.

I found this book really interesting, both because I’ve always been fascinated by books and movies that include AI characters, but also because we’re currently seeing new advancements with AI in reality. It’s obviously not the same as a walking and talking sentient robot, but it’s easy to see how it will be possible some day in the very distant future with how AI has been advancing. Here we’re left to question how sentient AI are. Clem is among those who believe that, AI or not, robots are their own people who should be treated with respect and allowed to have their own thoughts and interests. Then we have people like Marcella, who portrays herself one way in public, but treats Kye absolutely terribly behind closed doors. We quickly learn that she’s an entirely different person when she’s alone with Kye over how she is with him around others, though her employees quickly become aware of the truth.

There is also a great cast of characters, though we don’t get to know most of them well. However, it didn’t feel that way while I was reading it. The supporting characters feel very lively and well characterized, so it never feels like anyone is one dimensional or superficially visited. There’s enough information given that each of the supporting characters feel well rounded no matter how much or how little they appear in the story. I also really like how the truth behind Marcella is slowly revealed to Clem. In my own experience growing up with an abusive narcissist, they really do know how to put on a show in front of people and suck them in before who they really are eventually gets revealed, so I found Marcella’s characterization to be very true to that.

All in all, this is an excellent story full of many layers. I think it’s a powerful story told with beautiful artwork through every panel with a cute love story in the mix. The author’s works seem to get stronger and stronger with each publication, which makes me very excited for whatever they publish next.

The Infinity Particle is pleasing for readers who have encountered Wendy Xu's work before, and new readers. The graphic novel lends itself to a longer story, and each page is worth the time to explore. Xu's use of story and art is inviting, and the science fiction aspect of the story was intriguing.

Absolutely loved this graphic novel. I've enjoyed all of Wendy Xu's work, and this one left me a happy reader once I finished. Both artwork and storytelling are on point. Very much recommend.

Such a beautifully told story. I loved the futuristic elements of this graphic novel. As a student studying an engineering field, I felt that the various references and explanations of artificial intelligence and quantum mechanics were engaging and refreshing. The idea of presenting artificial intelligence as uniquely human is new to me, but it made the story extremely fresh. The art style, of course, was gorgeous, the characters were about as well developed as they can be in a graphic novel, and the plot progressed at a good speed. The only point of improvement I can see is that at some points there seemed to be a time skip in the middle of a panel and it was not immediately clear to me that the timeline had moved forward. Overall, however, I thought the plot was extremely unique and this graphic novel was very well created. 4.5/5 stars!

When Clementine Chang moves to Mars to work for legendary AI pioneer Dr. Lin, she isn't expecting to fall for a humanoid AI. Clem has worked with AI her whole life and never met one as human as Kye. He doesn't act like AI - he's independent and curious. He obeys his creator Dr. Lin, but he wants more. Clem respects her moth-esque AI companion SENA more than Dr. Lin respects Kye, an AI human enough to be unhappy. As Clem and Kye spend more time together and develop feelings for each other, it dawns on both of them that Kye and Dr. Lin's relationship is unethical, abusive even. For both of their sakes, they must find a way to free Kye.

The Infinity Particle may be fiction, but it will be a powerful catalyst to start conversations on ethics in technology, AI, and the power dynamics between a creator and their creation. It is bound to be another hit from Wendy Xu, author/illustrator of Mooncakes, Tidesong and more.

Perfection.

The art is amazing. Great lines. The limited color palette is really used to great effect. The backgrounds really help create and define the setting. Character design is peak: SENA is insanely cute, Kye is stupid hot, library search-query owls are the best, etc.

The story is good, the questions it raises about consciousness, autonomy, are we beholden to our parents, etc.... Those make this a story relatable and really something to remember. The depiction of parental abuse are... hard to see because they feel authentic.

This book gave me so many Big Feels. I'm sure I'll return to it multiple times.

Really lovely graphic novel! I'd love to buy this and read it as a physical book. Great illustrations and a sweet story.

TW abusive parents

Kye is lonely and needs a friend. He meets the MC and she helps him grow a lot as a person. He does a kabedon, they go on a museum date, and have secret outings. They slowly fall for one another and she helps him deal with a toxic relationship.
This is a timely story since AI technology has been improving a lot lately.

The story flow can be fast paced and jumps around a little.

The little critter personal assistants are adorable. All the blues tones were so serene. My inner librarian loved the library owls helping patrons.

Recommended for who? For those who liked Lovey and Jenks from The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.

Themes: what makes us human, unethical scientists, bringing back the dead, happy ending, dealing with grief, robot romance, cloning, AI

Book read a likes: M is for Monster by Talia Dutton

Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Graphic novels usually aren't my thing, but like the very occasional domestic thriller or young adult novel, I can find myself enthralled. Do yourself a favor and read this. I 100% requested this because 9/10 I try to support Asian American women, but I really did enjoy this. We've got our tiny, cute protagonist. She works in STEM for a crazy lady with a hot male robot. Do I need to say more?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

This was an incredible graphic novel. The art was so cute and I loved the characters. The romance was sweet, but the story touched on deeper topics as well. I loved Kye and his journey and him and Clem were just too cute! Don't even get me started on all the adorable, little robots!

The Infinity Particle was a sci-fi love story between a human girl and an AI robot questioning his own humanity. The pair had to deal with quite a few obstacles, but ultimately, by trusting in one another, we're able to find their happily ever afters. Such a good read, and a super quick read too. I finished it in one sitting, highly recommend!

This graphic novel was a thoughtful and tender yet a slightly somber story about AI sentience and the ability to have autonomy over one's self. I found the romance in this book to be very endearing while the more difficult aspects of the story to be a bit triggering. (Not to the point of needing to set the book down.) I also really enjoyed how cute the tiny personal robots are and how the setting is illustrated. It is a wonderful graphic novel and I look forward to what the author publishes next.

This book was super cute! And also very emotional, but I loved it! I've also read Mooncakes by the same author and this was definitely just as cute. Highly recommend.

I am such a fan of Xu and will devour any of her works. I am so excited for this title to come out and share it within the library. The Infinity Particle is such a sweet romance wrapped up into this world of sci-fi, that could very well be a reality in the future with the ever-evolving world of A.I. This book is beautifully written and illustrated and filled with such details, like the binary code for each chapter! I love the color palette of this piece, so different from Xu's previous works. I can't wait to see a physical copy soon.

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook!
More bookish things here: @jamesreads_ on Instagram.

Another fantastic story from Wendy Xu. Set on Mars, the story follows Clem, a recently transplant from Earth, beginning a job at the lab of Dr. Lin, a famous robotics expert. This world Xu has imagined is full of AI of various function and aesthetic, but most take the shape of some form of animal, insect, or toy. When Clem begins her work, she's suprised to meet Kye, one of Dr. Lin's AI who looks like a human. The story is not fast paced, instead there's a focus on personhood and individual agency that is often seen in scifi stories that have AI and robots in them. As Clem gets closer to Kye, she learns some truths about her idol and has to adjust her perspective. The main characters were interesting, and I liked them, though I felt the romance aspect wasn't really necessary in this kind of story, and due to the length and the plot it isn't given the attention it deserves. The artwork is beautiful and the character design is fun, the various AI are very diverse and Xu's imagining of a Mars society is interesting. If anything, my biggest issue is that I would've loved either a longer book or a sequel, so that Xu could focus on all the aspects she was tying in fully.

This graphic novel was absolutely fantastic. I am a huge fan of media about ai (ie. Detroit Become Human, Murderbot Diaries, etc.) and knew this would be incredible from the description alone. Mooncakes and Tidesong are some of my favorite graphic novels and this one has guaranteed Wendy Xu as an auto-buy author for me. The art and story in this were both so beautiful and lovely. All of the main characters had amazing backstories and development and growth throughout the length of the story and I loved the relationship between Clem and Kye. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone once it’s out!