Austin Taylor's "Notes on Infinity" was wildly different from what I normally read. The first half of this book dragged a bit as it got bogged down with a lot of scientific and business jargon. While mildly overwhelming at times, Taylor explains enough for the reader to follow every step of the way. The amount of explanation required, however, made the first half feel like a whole lot of setup and not a lot of action. Once I hit that 50% mark, though, every complaint went out the window and I couldn't put this book down.

I was absolutely obsessed with Zoe's characterization and backstory as the daughter of a no-nonsense MIT professor. She was brilliant, passionate, and fiery and I felt deeply connected to her experiences as a woman in academia. While flawed, Zoe was an incredibly relatable character who will do anything to pursue what she's passionate about, a trait that I think any reader can identify with. In addition to Zoe, I was deeply intrigued by Jack's character the entire book. The first half doesn't tell you much about him or his backstory and it's clear he has a history, but the suspense is worth it. Both of these characters are deeply flawed but beautifully written. The story as a whole is such a beautiful tragedy about life, love, grief, passion, and the realities of pursuing unrealistic expectations. I loved this book.

Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Genre: Urban Fiction | STEM | Coming of Age
Length: 400 pages | 10 hours, 15 minutes
Rating: 4.5

I really enjoyed the opportunity to read together put together by @celadon and all of my members in my group @shook_sbooks, @simpsonsparadox, @sogladtoreadyou, and @sterlingbookclub.

Synopsis:
Zoe and Jack set off on their new project in secret. Finding encouraging results, they bring their work to an investor, drop out of Harvard, and form a startup. But after the money, the magazine covers, and the national news stories detailing their success, Zoe and Jack receive a startling accusation that threatens to destroy both the company they built and their partnership.

Thoughts:
When I saw comparable to this book being Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow I knew I was going to have a good time because tomorrow x3 is one of my favorite books I have read and it is one of those books that helped me get back into reading as an adult.

Notes on Infinity has been rolling around in my brain for the last couple of weeks since finishing. This is my first book with STEM in it and as someone who is not familiar with science I felt that the science talk wasn’t overwhelming but was written in a way for the layperson to grasp with enough detail. The true star of this book for me was the character studies of Zoe, Carter and Jack. They all played a significant role in the development of the story. Specifically, the backstory of a particular character made me feel for them but did not absolve what they did. I appreciate that the ending felt very real. Did the author wrap it up in a neat little bow? Not in the slightest but it felt very true to what the outcome would be in real life. This book calls to be examined by conversation with different perspectives.

2.5 stars rounded up. (4 stars for 80% of the book, 1 star for the ending)

Thank you, Celadon Books, for the early copy of Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor. This review is voluntary, and all thoughts are my own.

Notes on Infinity is about two young Harvard undergrads who uncover a lead in reversing aging. To me, this book is a coming-of-age story that is introspective and philosophical without being overly heavy-handed. I thought it was wonderfully written, though I did not appreciate how it ended.

The rest of this review contains spoilers, so please read at your own discretion.

I enjoyed the book for the most part, especially Zoe's point of view. I found her journey quite realistic, as I’ve personally been on a similar startup path right out of college, although not in the biomedical field.

I’ve seen other reviews that say it’s unrealistic how Zoe lost sight of her goals—how could she drift away from science when it was her original motivation? But to that, I say no, I disagree. It’s incredibly easy to be swayed, to be led down a path you never intended, due to both external and internal pressures.

From being an eager student applying for Fen’s lab, to being swept into something entirely different, Zoe’s arc felt believable to me.

I found the relationship between Zoe and Carter interesting at first. As Jack said, “they were inevitable.” But there was a strangeness to their dynamic that was never really explained, and it still bothers me.

Jack’s point of view was unexpected but welcome. I liked how dreamlike his perspective felt compared to Zoe’s more straightforward narration. I think including his thoughts was necessary to fully understand the dynamic between him and Zoe. I understand why Jack did what he did, and I was okay with that.

Here’s where my rating for the book dropped lower than I expected it would. I do not understand what the book is trying to convey. Is there a message I misinterpreted?

The ending felt like a disservice to the story—especially to Zoe as a character. Her ending, a failure with no clear redemption, felt like a waste. What is the takeaway here? That we shouldn’t get lost in our dreams? That we should stay grounded in our ambitions? That’s all fine. But portraying a woman in a male-dominated space and having her fail with no redemption does not sit well with me. It’s incredibly frustrating.

We watched her grow, only to see her fail. I understand that not all stories need happy endings, but Zoe’s journey, in particular, deserved something different. I can’t express how upsetting it was. As a woman in STEM, the ending felt deeply personal. This book could have been both a lesson and an inspiration, but instead, it became a sad, discouraging story of what women supposedly shouldn't do.

Overall, I enjoyed most of the book, but I was disappointed by its final notes. I’ll be keeping an eye on the author’s future work, but I can’t say I would recommend this book.

Thank you Celadon for the early copy as part of the #CeladonReadsTogether program!

“There was no greater joy than to be consumed by such an obsession, to be successful in inquiry, to stretch the mind to its fullest extent in service of understanding a problem no person had ever understood before.”

‘Notes on Infinity’ is a tender, dramatic debut about two Harvard students who announce they’ve discovered the cure for aging.

As we follow Zoe and Jack throughout their tumultuous quest for immortality, it is discovered that things aren’t always what they seem. After putting everything on the line for their start-up, is it worth it?

I will say that for me, this was somewhat of a slow read. I’ve read some reviews that say the last third got boring for them, but for me it was the opposite! I was incredibly captivated in the last third and the ending had me in a chokehold.

I’ll be honest in saying that I have never been good at Science, and yet the scientific parts of this book still intrigued me.

Take this very lightly, but in some ways I would compare aspects of this story to ‘The Favorites’ by Layne Fargo. Don’t get me wrong, they’re very different, but both are incredibly messy and toxic. In both stories, I kind of hated everyone and yet I was still rooting for them. In both stories, the main characters were on a quest for success, and found their lives crashing and burning at times.

“I think we’d forget how to be human, though. If we lived forever.”

Notes on Infinity is a contemporary novel about two ambitious Harvard students who shake up the biotech startup world with their research into anti-aging.

Zoe and Jack meet in a Harvard chemistry class as academic rivals and eventually become lab partners and innovators in the field of aging. Despite being just twenty-year-old sophomores, they manage to develop some incredible theories that get them noticed and funded. With major investors and media attention, the two are under immense pressure to deliver on the promise of a cure for mortality. As the work pulls Zoe into the spotlight and pushes Jack behind the scenes, questions about their results begin to surface.

Despite the “rarefied air” that Zoe and Jack inhabit, there is something very relatable about their characters and what they go through. They are both complicated and flawed, but by the time we get to Jack’s point of view, I found myself rooting so hard for them both. Although I know absolutely nothing about biotech or startups, I was completely engrossed by their work—which is a huge accomplishment for the author to pull off. I highly recommend this one to readers who enjoy complex relationships and the ambitions that drive people to dizzying heights.

I absolutely ate this book up. Every time I picked it up, I felt sucked in entirely. Did I stay up way too late reading it? Absolutely. No regrets.

This book felt so real to me. The writing, the characters, the plot: chef’s kiss. So good. Zoe and Jack felt SO real to me. Their relationship was messy and unpredictable and exactly what I wanted to read.

This story stole my heart. The perspectives were everything I never knew I needed. Jack! Oh, Jack. My heart.

The characters had such complex relationships with others in the book. Reading about their upbringing and their family dynamics and the expectations from their friends and families… it really shows the contrast between them.
I reflected so much on the cutthroat scientific and tech industries, and this book really made me think about the products that are pushed to us.

If you liked The Circle, Deep Cuts, or Never Let Me Go, you may fall in love with this one!

This novel comes out on June 3rd! Thanks to Celadon Books and Austin for this ARC as part of the #CeladonReadsTogether program, in exchange for an honest review.

This book reminded me a lot of Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes. I liked the concept and that the main character was a woman in STEM but even though she was raised in a household of scientists and highly educated people and got into Harvard, she was not all that bright. The characters were a little hard to feel anything for and the twist was definitely weird and shocking, but aside from that, the story was kind of bland.

Zoe is a daughter of an MIT professor and has a successful brother. She feels the pressure of doing something better than her father and her brother as she doesn’t want to be in their shadows. She wants to create a name for herself. A legacy.

Once Zoe goes off to college at Harvard, she meets a boy in her chemistry class named Jack. The two get along so well and Jack recommends Zoe for a position at a professor’s lab. The two spend so much time together that they start coming up with ideas and then their great idea comes up. They will create an anti-aging drug. They secretly work on this drug and start reaching out to investors. Once the two have enough money to fund their research, they quit Harvard and really work on their start-up. Zoe’s father and brother are so impressed and are behind Zoe, which means the world to Zoe.

The two start drumming up a lot of attention as this is something huge! One day, Zoe and Jack’s start-up starts to unravel and certain truths about the company is brought to light. How will this affect their start-up?

I absolutely loved this book and I can’t believe it is the author’s debut novel. She did an amazing job with the character development and the storyline. I loved that she included Jack’s life and we slowly unlocked details of his life. If you want to read about a book that’s similar to Elizabeth Holmes’ start-up Theranos.

I honestly don’t know what to say. I really liked it, all of it. Great narration, great characters. I think I need to process. I came back to change my review from 4 to 5 stars because I’m still thinking about it. I just still have no idea what to say other than get this book if it sounds even remotely interesting to you.

There have been many comparisons between this book and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. While both feature college aged main characters who are friends that start a technology-based project together, that’s where the similarities end for me you. NOTES ON INFINITY felt more character driven, and relationship and ethics focused.

Zoe and Jack are brilliant Harvard students who meet in an Organic Chemistry class where they promptly recognize each other as being equally driven, academically curious, and highly competitive. Through a series of connections, they find themselves investigating a potential cure for aging. When their research shows promising results, they drop out of school and launch a start up. But, things are not what they seem and it’s clear they are on a trajectory toward disaster.

There are significant references to the biotechnology elements of their endeavor, but my non-scientific mind was able to skim past the details and, instead, focus on the motivations of Zoe and Jack and the blurring of the lines between their personal and professional relationships. The more I learned about their origins and upbringing, the more I connected with the characters.

When an author can make you care about highly flawed people making questionable decisions, something special is happening. Austin Taylor accomplishes that feat while examining unbridled ambition and the fallibility of genius. I was surprised at how much these characters grew on me throughout the story and was unprepared for the impact of the ending.

Helen Laser and Shahjehan Khan handle the narration of the audiobook. Their performances enhance the story and are top tier. Don’t let the science scare you off. This is a highly emotional story that will sneak up on you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies. All opinions are my own.

This book is GOOD. Having read other reviews, the first thing I feel the need to do is disabuse the notion that this book is in any way a "rip-off" of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Yes, both books are about two people (a boy-girl pair) with a complicated relationship and cool science. That's it. We can't go around calling every woman and man (or woman-in-STEM and man) the same. All that does, frankly, is demonstrate prejudices about women in STEM.

Austin Taylor has written a beautiful book here. It took me a little while to get into it (there's a LOT of science jargon at the beginning), but I'm glad I stuck with it. There were a few other bits that were a little challenging to follow, some things that seemed like they could be small inconsistencies, a little too much Harvard stuff... But, ultimately, these did not at ALL ruin the book for me, and there were aspects of the narration that I loved! I was particularly thrilled, in the last third or so, to get some of Jack's POV.

Like I said, this book is GOOD. I can tell her next one is going to be GREAT, and frankly I can't wait to read it.

I found this so boring. I wish it had focused more on the social aspect and less on the science. The fact that the characters are at Harvard was thrown in your face way too much and I still could barely picture the setting. Characters were also flat and uninteresting. Overall didn’t think this had anything new to say

This book follows two young students at Harvard that are working on a project that could stop aging. I thought the science aspect of this novel was super interesting and I would have loved more that.

I thought Zoe was a very compelling character but I was thrown off by her relationship with Jack. Never once did I think they had enough chemistry to be a couple, but it did make sense for the plot.

The last chapter was wild, and I did not expect that to happen!!
Overall it was an enjoyable read, and I’d recommend it to someone who likes literary fiction.

Absolutely devoured this book. I definitely felt the comparison to Tomorrow x3 at the beginning, which I also loved, and as the story went on it became completely its own. The characters are fully developed and realistically young, naive and flawed. The change of perspective and then the interjection of the headlines and substack article at the end was creative and fitting. This book was full of surprises and raw emotions and beautiful, lyrical lines that you feel like you're in. Would highly, highly recommend.

Notes on Infinity is a debut novel from Austin Taylor. It is a fictionalized story that was in the news the last couple of years.

"Zoe and Jack are two undergraduate students at Harvard. They hope to follow the normal career track of all students...until they believe they've stumbled on a process to reverse aging. They drop out to form a startup to commercialize the idea. Venture Capitalists are happy to give them money - lots of money - billions of dollars. But sometimes data is from outliers. What now?"

You will recognize this story. I won't mention it by name because then you won't be able to see it through any other lens. The characters were hard to relate to and to pull for. I wanted to pull for Jack because he was a scholarship kid that didn't come from much. But greed took over any moral compass he might have. This story is mostly about greed - everyone wants to get rich and be known for something amazing - no matter what they have to do to get there. There is a lot of Harvard, Harvard, Harvard in these pages. It gets to be a bit much.

If you want a story about 20-year-olds running a startup and controlling billions you may enjoy this one.

Zoe and Jack meet as Harvard undergrads and begin working in a research lab together. Based on a theory of Zoe's they begin work on an antiaging drug that Jack thinks he can perfect. With this idea they are able to begin a start-up and overnight become famous and wealthy. I really liked this story and enjoyed reading it, some of the science stuff was a little beyond me but the writer did a good job of keeping it simple. The characters were well written and I definitely felt a connection to both of the main characters, this isn't the usual book I would read and I'm glad I tried something a little different. All in all a good story rating this 3..5/4 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and Celadon Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I went into Notes on Infinity completely blind. There was a bookstagrammer who brought this one to my attention. The plot truly was fascinating throughout the whole book, I am shocked this is a debut book! This one really had my emotions all over the place.

Notes on Infinity follows two brilliant Harvard students through their meeting to tumultuous business and personal relationships as they drop out to pursue a novel theory on reverse aging. Similar to some real-life situations, they quickly become media and venture capital darlings, and face increasing pressure to deliver results on top of figuring out how to be adults, run a business, and navigate relationships. The science, personal, backstories, and business elements all come together well to help explain how people can get in so deep by trying to please people and tell the right story while hoping the data can match up. It's very entertaining and also exposes pretty large cracks in the system that incentivizes hype and how people can fall for the story when they don't understand or look for the facts.

Thank you to Celadon for the opportunity to participate in a group read-along for Notes to Infinity. This was a truly unique and thought-provoking read—unlike anything I’ve picked up before—and I’m so glad I had the chance to experience it.

Zoe grows up in a household where science is valued, but it’s her brother who’s pushed toward a future in it. Her father, a university professor at MIT, fosters his son’s scientific path, while Zoe, equally passionate about science, has to forge her own. Determined to follow her interests, she sets her sights on Harvard and charts her own course.

In her first year, she meets Jack in one of her classes. They’re both top students, and what starts as academic rivalry slowly evolves into friendship and collaboration as they begin working together in a professor’s lab.

The structure of the novel is especially compelling—the first half is told from Zoe’s point of view, while the second half shifts to Jack’s. Jack’s sections often revisit earlier events from his perspective, adding depth to the story—though the shift in time and narration can occasionally feel disorienting.
I appreciated the integration of theoretical science inspired by real research—it added authenticity and richness to the story. And it’s always refreshing to see a bright, determined female protagonist in STEM. We need more books like this!

I thoroughly enjoyed Notes on Infinity and loved being part of a group read—it made the experience even more meaningful. This is one of my favorite reads of the year, and I highly recommend picking it up if you have the chance. I’ve kept the details light on purpose—this is a journey best experienced firsthand.

Austin Taylor’s portrayal of Zoe—a bright, determined young woman pursuing her passion in a male-dominated field—is both inspiring and necessary.

Thank you to Celadon books for a copy of Note on Infinity and for providing me with the opportunity to participate in the Read Together Initiative!

Zoe and Jack meet at Harvard University. Jack immediately catches Zoe’s eye, and soon they are working together on a potential anti-aging drug. Soon, investors are interested, and Zoe and Jack take on their own startup with their discovery. But the path is a little more complicated and filled with very challenging decisions for both.

I come from a science background and am currently working on my MSc in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. So, this book was right up my alley, combining my love of genomics with my love of reading. Most of the science was written very well, which I appreciated. My only qualm is that patents and getting money for the kind of research Jack and Zoe were doing is incredibly difficult. And the tests they would be running are pricy, so it’s a little unrealistic for two 20-year-olds to take on this venture.

But let’s put realism aside. I enjoyed seeing the path through both scientist’s lenses because suddenly we were seeing that each one was hiding some things from the reading audience. It was a creative way to show how people act in the professional world. When it comes to science and research, some things are best hidden.

The novel reminds me of Theranos in some ways, which I followed in the news so that intrigued me! I listened to the audiobook for some of this while I was waiting for my book to arrive, and Helen Laser and Shahjehan Khan did a great job! In my opinion, Helen Laser can do wrong. This was my first listen from Shahjehan and I found his voice was quite soothing and matched Jack’s more relaxed attitude but adjusted perfectly to the more tense scenes!

So happy to have read this one and I can’t wait to talk to my book group about it!