Review: Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor
The premise of Notes on Infinity really caught my attention—two Harvard dropouts launching a biotech startup to develop an anti-aging drug? It sounded like the perfect mix of ambition, science, and emotional depth which I LOVE!!! I haven’t read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow yet (though it’s been on my TBR forever!), but I thought this might be a good entry point into a similar vibe.
While I appreciated the originality and potential of the story, I found myself wishing for more depth. The science-heavy sections sometimes felt overwhelming, like I was expected to keep up without enough context. It made parts of the plot feel a bit inaccessible, which pulled me out of the narrative.
That said, the audiobook narration really stood out—it helped with the shift in POV and made the characters more engaging. I genuinely enjoyed the dynamic between Zoe and Jack, especially their conversations and how their relationship evolved over time. There were moments of intrigue and vulnerability that I appreciated.
Overall, while the concept was strong and there were glimpses of something compelling, the pacing and dense science talk left me a little bored at times. I think this would have worked better as a shorter novel or a tighter paced novel.
Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio & Austin Taylor for the ALC!!!!!

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.

An impressive debut, the story of two college students turn lovers who discover an innovative drug to slow aging gave me Elizabeth Holmes vibes. The main characters were equally compelling and the resolution was satisfying though heartbreaking and a bit rushed.

This reminded me of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, just due to the fact that Zoe and Jack are two Harvard students who end up starting their own company quite young. Instead of video game design, though, they focus on aging in the field of biotech. This ended up being a bit slow for me and while I can see the appeal and think some folks will really enjoy it, it just wasn't for me.

First off everything about this cover is my jam, truly it was what first caught my eye and then @momadvice shared her upcoming podcast author interviews over on The Book Gang and I saw Austin Taylor’s …such a good name… book, Notes on Infinity… another good name/title… and since Aimee’s reading 💯 aligns with my taste it was an easy one to pick up.

“I think when you are young you don’t realize what you are trying to do is stupid, and so you do it anyway.”

I went audio route and highly recommend it. It consumed me for the two days I listened. When I wasn’t I wanted to be. Helen Laser & Shahjehan Khan were Zoe & Jack.

Zoe and Jack… both Harvard students who befriend one another and spend time discovering the cure of aging. Once an investor gets involved they drop out of Harvard and form a startup. Their work has gone viral and the outcome… well you will have to read to find out.

“Amazing how no one recognized her now. Like a woman is entirely her hair.”

There is something about these characters that feel embedded into my being. Austin took these two fictional souls and gave them life. Besides the character writing this book has a strong academia setting, women in STEM, and found family.

A memorable debut and I will be looking forward to more from Austin!

Thank you Celadon/Macmillan Audio

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In Austin Taylor’s debut novel, Notes on Infinity, the prospect of extending human life by decades is not merely speculative—it becomes the driving force behind a compelling narrative of ambition, identity, and the ethical boundaries of scientific discovery.

The story centers on Zoe and Jack, two intellectually gifted undergraduates at Harvard who forge a deep connection over their shared fascination with biology and the possibility of reversing aging. Their clandestine experiments in a retired professor’s lab yield promising results, propelling them to drop out of college and launch a biotech startup. Their company, Manna, quickly garners significant investment and media attention, positioning Zoe as the charismatic public face and Jack as the relentless force behind the research.

However, as their enterprise soars, personal and ethical complications emerge. Zoe grapples with the lingering effects of a childhood overshadowed by a father who dismissed her intellect, fueling her drive for validation. Jack, raised in poverty and often neglected by his mother, finds solace and purpose in his scientific pursuits, thanks to the support of his grandparents. Their differing backgrounds and the pressures of their burgeoning success strain their partnership, leading to a breakdown in communication and collaboration.

The novel delves into the complexities of ambition and the human desire to transcend mortality, while also examining the personal costs of such pursuits. As Zoe and Jack's relationship deteriorates and their company faces a devastating accusation, Notes on Infinity poses profound questions about the ethical limits of scientific advancement and the sacrifices made in the quest for greatness.

Taylor's narrative is a compelling exploration of the intersection between groundbreaking science and the deeply personal motivations that drive individuals to alter the course of human existence.

Jack as their lives change upon their discovery of the cure for aging. It is drawing comparisons to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, which I can understand (I didn’t enjoy that either, but could tell it was a well-done book that just wasn’t for me). I felt like the story lacked a certain level of cohesion and sometimes read as more of a “did you know I went to Harvard?” book.

I have no complaints about the narration, though I do wonder if parts of the story would have been better eye-read than listened to. I enjoyed the shift in narrators near the end and liked that neither narrator had an annoying male or female voice they used when narrating for the other character.

I could tell I was supposed to feel something with the ending, but I really didn’t, which confirms for me that the characters felt too one-dimensional for me to connect with.

There are books that I read and dislike but I can recognize it’s due to my taste, and books that I read and dislike because I think it was a poorly executed story. I honestly can’t tell which type of book this is, so it’s hard to make a final judgment on which category that fits in here. This book was not for me but I know it will work for others!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

𝑵𝑶𝑻𝑬𝑺 𝑶𝑵 𝑰𝑵𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑰𝑻𝒀 𝒃𝒚 𝑨𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 is a title from @celadonbooks that I had my eye on, so when @sarah_penner_author snagged me an ARC, I immediately started reading! I was about halfway when I was graciously #gifted this by @macmillan.audio on @netgalley which has the stellar Helen Laser along with Shahjehan Khan as narrators.

I am fascinated by speculative fiction and when you throw in complicated relationships, I am sold. I was not disappointed in my expectations.

Essentially, Zoe and Jack are brilliant students with a competitive friendship who come across an incredible way to stop aging. They decide to pursue this course which takes them down a road from which they may never be able to reverse. They have no idea what it will require from each of them, but they each have to decide how far they are willing to go.

I really liked this story. It was a great setting to explore the ways corporate success can take the vulnerable parts of people and exploit them for monetary gain, which in itself is not surprising, but the way this dove deep into the characters took it to another level. Zoe and Jack's friendship to couple path felt real and inevitable, and while this is a love story, it is not a romance (I make this distinction). The changes of perspectives through the book gave the narrative a fuller picture, though I was not expecting that end, even though it also somehow feels inevitable.

I was sucked into this novel despite feeling like some of the science was above me! It was a bit like reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (which I also loved), but it is a very different story. It also had flavors of another story, but I won't spoil that.

Coming out June 3rd, this will be a great discussion book, and I am excited for all you LFL fans who got one in their recent drop! I loved the audio addition, and the dual narration helped keep it flowing, but either format will be a win.

I felt like this was a solid 4 ⭐️ read until that ending, which, for me knocked it up another 💫. I've been thinking about this one for a while and that is always a good sign for me.

One day they were Harvard students. The next, they are founding a lucrative and life-changing biotech startup on death and aging. Jack and Zoe's story is truly one-in-a-million. The rush of becoming successful business owners bleeds into their personal lives, and soon every aspect of their lives are tangled together.

Thank you Austin Taylor and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of this book in exchange for a thorough review. All thoughts here are mine and mine alone.

Although this book was based on the premise of scientific research, it was not written in a way that estranged the reader from the story. I really enjoyed the addition of scientific lingo while still getting a really good look into Zoe's and Jack's lives. The progression of the story kept me captivated.

I recommend this one, but definitely recommend reading the trigger warnings before beginning. This story is strong, but sad and shows the harshness of reality.

This is an intriguing and ambitious debut novel combining dark academia with literary fiction. Whoever thought giving a couple 20-year-olds $9 billion was a good idea? Zoe and Jack were able to get enough funding from the investors of their biotech start-up that they both dropped out of Harvard to go all in.

Much of the book is told from Zoe’s perspective, but and the end it does switch to Jack’s point of view. He is a bit of a mystery, from an unknown background. Whereas Zoe comes from a stable family with a father who is also a successful scientist at MIT, a brother who goes to Stanford and can do no wrong, and a mother who ushers fellow researchers into their home with a flare for southern hospitality.

The idea that Zoe came up with that they are deep in the lab trying to prove viable is the key to immortality; a way to reverse the signs of aging. But when Zoe’s takes the helm of the company as CEO and spokesperson, and leaves the science to Jack, things go askew.

“He looked at the clock in the top right of the screen 11:11 PM he shut his eyes for a second made a wish and then shoved the files into an email” – I had to highlight this because I loved that Jack made a wish at 11:11 before sending off evidence to incriminate himself.

I really enjoyed this book because I am a bit of a science geek and it reminded me of one of my favorite books of 2024, Fruit of the Dead. It made me think, and beyond the main plot there were deeper messages and social commentaries to unpack about feminism, women in STEM, social media influences on culture, and big pharma. There were hidden gems of song lyrics, biblical references, and the cult-classic movie, Dogma. If you are looking for an intelligent, well-written novel that is different than much of what you will find in the mainstream, this book is for you.

Great story, well read by both voice actors. They captured the characters well. Kept me listening. It was just twisty/turny enough for me and I enjoyed the characters and was rooting for them. It also made me think about how we can assume a lot and misplace trust when it comes to smart people, complicated science, and institutions of higher learning. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read and offer an honest review.

This book felt like a complete rip-off of "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" to me: two friends with similar interests in STEM launch a start-up enterprise, followed by a "will-they, won't they" romance that is complicated by a third character integral to their endeavor, down to the dramatic plot twist at the end. The characters lacked depth and the plot felt formulaic.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this book five enthusiastic stars, but I feel like it won't be a universal recommend. So, here's the tea.

-Helen Laser and Shahjehan Khan a banger job of dual narration. Wow. At no point was I not RAPT by this story and outcome. This audiobook was consumed during two 1.5 hr lifting sessions and 12 miles of hiking. I could not stop. Thank you deeply Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the early review of this amazing debut!

-Zoe is a Harvard student and daughter of a brilliant MIT professor that has lived life in her brother's shadow and always plays second fiddle to him. We don't know much about Jack. He's brilliant, sure. He's Zoe's match academically in Organic Chem. Their relationship is so rapt with intrigue and academic shine--watching them spar ideas and their fever inspired lab sessions are compelling to witness.

-This is part founder/startup/internet/VC culture, part academic science obsession, part first love.

-It's HEAVY on science. (My background is in science and I ADORED it, but a few reviewers were stressed about overwhelm googling chemistry terms. ) I ADORED it.

-Much of the negative feedback of this book was that a) It's Tomorrow x3 in new packaging. It is NOT that. The feel is VERY different. b) It's too science forward and technical. I would argue that it isn't a plot point and after the first third of the novel it's firmly focused on the people. c) There is a POV change at 70% in and that it's too abrupt. Taylor's debut novel is gorgeous. I loved doing the book specifically on audio to bridge this changeover!

Honestly, I think this is one of the standout debut novels of the year. I think the right reader will find it as compelling and satisfying as I did. Hopefully, this review will help you decide to pick it up!

I will say it took me a long time to get into this book. I was expecting more of a sci-fi book that dove into the science of their discovery but it was more about their partnership and life instead of the discovery itself. It started to remind me of Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow which I actually had to DNF that book due to the dullness. I will say this book held my interest and got much better the last half of the book. I felt that the change up of the POV really helped piece the story together.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy of the ARC/ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Every time I assume I'm not going to like a science themed fiction, I'm proven wrong. This book has done it, once again. this was emotional and entertaining and I loved it.

Zoe and Jack meet each other as Harvard undergraduate students in organic chemistry class; almost immediately, they recognize they're both geniuses. It's not long before they join together and create an (initially) highly successful startup company based on a groundbreaking anti-aging drug promising immortality.

I quite liked this debut and found it to be unique and enticing. I was curious to see where the story would go. It had aspects of romance, drama, and even a bit of dark academia, none of which were cheesy or drawn out. Some reviewers were bothered by it's science-y jargon, but I didn't find it to be too annoying or overwhelming. I also appreciated that it took place in Cambridge/Boston (but I'm biased because I'm from here).

I don't really agree with the comparisons it's received to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow- except that it's a complicated story with male and female main characters in STEM.

I listed to this via audio and appreciated the dual narrators. Overall, I'd recommend this book and thought it was a great debut novel. It is NOT your typical romance (which for me is a plus).

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the eARC!

"Notes on Infinity" is ultimately a coming of age story: what happens when two young adults are propelled into the spotlight before they're ready.

Zoe and Jack are Freshmen at Harvard and quickly connect over a shared scientific idea: creating a drug to slow aging. They drop out and receive seed funding for a start-up based on this drug development. They reach momentum and financial success with ease, feeling on top of the world. However, behind the scenes, troubles begin to form and their entire life project is thrown into question.

Even though I enjoyed the premise of the story (love reading about smart capable youth) I found that it lacked heart: it unfolds exactly as you would expect with little to say. Zoe and Jack's characters are clearly influenced by Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos and read more as avatars than real characters with depth, nuance, and rich interior lives. I finished the book and immediately thought "ok onto the next one!" Nothing lingered with me.

The audiobook was well done even though Zoe's voice narrator shined through much more than Jack's. There's quite a bit of anguish in the latter half of the book and feel Jack's actor missed an opportunity to show off his chops.

I can’t even describe how much I loved Notes on Infinity

This debut by Austin Taylor is absolutely enthralling, fast-paced, deeply thought-provoking, and layered with complex questions about ethics, science, and how blurry the lines between truth and ambition can become.

The whole question behind their research in increasing lifespans and anti aging was so interesting to read, although all of their advances were doomed from the start. Manna (love the biblical reference) was built on the foundation of lies, and the rise and inevitable unraveling of a billion-dollar startup, built more on image than integrity, is a sharp reflection of how greed and the thirst for success can warp even the most promising visions.

The characters shift and evolve alongside the chaos, and watching them navigate the fallout as everything spirals was both heartbreaking and fascinating. Their focus shifts from the science itself to self-preservation, image control, and unchecked ambition. Jack and Zoe’s central relationship that grows in such a strange, decaying way, it adds emotional depth to the already tense atmosphere, which correlates directly to their failing start up.

I absolutely cannot wait for this to be published.

This book feels like it was made for me—science, academia, a touch of Silicon Valley chaos. Jack and Zoe meet as Harvard freshmen, bond over their obsession with biology and aging, and end up dropping out to launch a startup promising immortality. Of course, things get messy. The story explores ambition, friendship, and what happens when your ideals meet reality, and I loved both main characters. Their relationship is layered and complicated in all the best ways.

The audiobook is fantastic—told from both Jack and Zoe’s POVs with excellent narrators who really bring their inner worlds to life. I couldn’t put it down and cried through the ending. That said, I do wish we got more of Jack’s perspective earlier on. His side of the story comes in late and explains a lot, but I think the emotional payoff would've hit even harder if it had been more balanced.

If you’re into campus-to-startup stories, complicated friendships, or anything vaguely Theranos-adjacent, this one’s worth picking up. Definitely for fans of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, but with more biotech drama and moral gray areas.

Notes on Infinity is reminiscent of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow but more cerebral and informative. It was hard to get into with all of the new information, and I felt it was slow. It picked up after the first half when the story starts coming together and ended up being an enjoyable read.

I was happy with the narration in the audiobook.

I received this advance audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley.