Notes on Infinity

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.25 stars)

Notes on Infinity follows Harvard students Zoe and Jack as they discover what may be a cure for aging and launch a secret biotech startup, Manna, that catapults them into fame, fortune, and eventually, scandal. It’s a compelling premise, one that instantly reminded me of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: college-age protagonists, intellectual sparks, and a shared creative venture. But, where Gabrielle Zevin’s novel dug deep into themes of friendship, mortality, and meaning, this one felt more surface-level.

The writing is straightforward and accessible, with a steady, fast-paced flow that kept me engaged (I finished the audiobook in two days). There’s not much in the way of lush description or voice-y prose. It reads more like a clean, commercially-oriented narrative than something literary or stylized. Zoe’s voice didn’t stand out to me as particularly unique or vivid, and the characters overall felt more like archetypes than fully developed people. This lack of depth made the emotional stakes feel a bit muted.

Themes like immortality and ambition are present, but Taylor barely grazes the surface of infinity or the existential weight of curing aging, which seemed like a missed opportunity. The novel instead focuses on the business side of the startup. That angle will appeal to readers interested in tech drama and ambition, but I personally wanted more exploration of personal stakes, character interiority, and moral complexity.

What I’ll remember most is how much potential the book had in its premise. I kept waiting for it to dig deeper, to surprise me, to break out of its clean structure, but it stayed on a safe, familiar path. Still, it was entertaining and never dull, just not as emotionally or thematically rich as I hoped.

If you're looking for a quick, engaging read with a tech-savvy plot and light drama, Notes on Infinity delivers. If you're hoping for literary depth or memorable characters, this might feel more like a sketch than a masterpiece.